Petkit Purobot Max Pro 2 Review: The AI Litter Box Below the Ultra

Petkit sells two litter boxes that look like siblings: the Purobot Ultra at $799.99 and the Max Pro 2 at $549.99 (list price $599.99). They share the AI camera idea and the smartphone app. So the buying question is not whether an AI-camera box is for you. It is whether $250 of extra hardware is.

The case for the cheaper one

The Max Pro 2 does the central job. It has a 76 L drum and an 8 L waste bin, which Petkit rates for up to 17 hands-free days with a single cat. The camera records at 1080p across a 210 degree view and recognises each cat by face and weight, up to 15 of them. Petkit says the camera also flags yowling and monitors stool.

That is the part that justifies the price over a plain self-cleaning box: each cat gets its own record, so a heavier cat and a lighter cat do not blur into one line on the chart. For two or three cats, that is worth having. For a single cat, you are paying for recognition you do not need.

The doorway is the other change. Petkit lists the entry at 10.51 by 10.74 inches, which it calls 43% larger than the previous model. Large cats in particular will notice.

What the Ultra adds, and whether you want it

Look at the two product pages side by side and the Ultra's extras are specific. Petkit's own comparison lists 20 sensors rather than 12, two-way audio, and an auto-sealing, auto-bagging waste system. The Max Pro 2 has one-way audio and you lift the bin out yourself.

Auto-bagging is the feature that matters most here. If you hate touching waste, the Ultra's bagging is the reason to pay more, though Petkit also sells a separate AutoSeal disposal system, on pre-order when we looked, that seals each scoop. If emptying a bin every two weeks is fine, the Max Pro 2 does the same work without it. Our view: most households will not miss two-way audio at all.

The video fee nobody leads with

The camera works live out of the box, and the app logs each visit. Recorded video is different. Petkit's page says video history comes with a 30-day free trial, and that you upgrade to PETKIT Care+ for 30-day video history after that. A customer review on the same page complains that after the trial you can only watch live, or pay a monthly fee.

We could not find a plan price on the product page, so check it before you buy. The health charts and visit logs are separate from video, but for a box that is sold on its camera, a recording that ends after a month is a real limit. One independent review we read missed this entirely and said no subscription was needed, which shows how easy it is to overlook.

Where owners report trouble

Two themes in reviews deserve a hearing. First, noise. Petkit claims 35 dB, and an independent test puts it at 35 to 45 dB, bedroom safe. But one customer on Petkit's page describes a loud squealing noise during cleaning that scared the cats. Another mentions leaking concerns and chooses to return the unit. Petkit says a sealed base prevents leaks during the spin, and we have no evidence for either side beyond these reports.

Second, the doorway is still about 10 inches off the floor, which an independent tester flagged as hard on a senior cat with arthritis. A bigger opening does not lower a step. Petkit has a guide for acclimating cats that suggests placing the new box next to the old one, and it is worth following, because a cat that avoids the box defeats everything else.

The same independent test measured app images taking 30 to 60 seconds to load at times, so do not expect instant live views.

Who should buy it

Buy the Max Pro 2 if you have two or more cats, want individual health records, and are happy to empty a bin. It does the main job for $250 less than the flagship.

Skip it if you have one cat and no health worries (a cheaper self-cleaning box does the same cleaning), if your cat is old and stiff, or if you will not pay for video history. Pay for the Ultra only if auto-bagging is what you actually want. Our score of 7.5 reflects a strong feature set held back by the video fee and the price.