Tevila XL Stainless Steel Litter Box Review: Worth It?

If you have ever scrubbed a traditional plastic litter box and still caught that pee smell baked into the plastic, the Tevila XL Stainless Steel Litter Box is built to end that cycle. This extra-large stainless steel cat litter box pairs a non-porous steel tray with an ABS plastic lid, and its 3-in-1 design switches between a fully enclosed cat litter box, a semi-covered box, and an open-top pan depending on what your cat will tolerate.

I went through the Tevila’s build, included kit, and real-world tradeoffs to judge whether the steel upgrade earns its $56.99 price. It holds a 4.6-star average across 492 Amazon ratings, and the short version is that the odor control and flexible setup are genuinely strong, while an unspecified steel grade and a few rust reports keep it from being a lifetime buy.

What I Liked About the Tevila XL Stainless Steel Litter Box

Non-Porous Stainless Steel Tray That Resists Odor

The main reason to move from a plastic litter box to a stainless steel litter box is odor, and the Tevila’s non-porous tray delivers. Urine and waste sit on the smooth metal instead of soaking into it, so the tray does not develop the baked-in ammonia smell that a scratched plastic box holds onto.

Owners echo this on Reddit, where one r/CatAdvice user who switched reported no lingering urine smell after eight months of daily use. One Amazon buyer put it plainly, calling it so much better than a plastic litter box because the steel is easier to clean and does not hold odors.

Extra-Large 80L Capacity for Big and Multi-Cat Homes

This is a genuinely big box. The pan measures 23.6 by 15.7 by 15.7 inches with an 80-liter enclosure that holds up to 40 liters of litter, giving large cats room to turn and dig and letting you build a deeper litter bed.

That capacity also stretches the time between full litter changes, which suits a multi-cat household or a single big cat. As a cat litter box with high walls, it keeps litter and splashes inside when a big cat digs. In the review video the creator confirms a comfortable fit for a 19-pound cat with space to move.

3-in-1 Modular Design With Enclosed and Open Modes

Cats are picky about privacy, and the Tevila gives you three layouts instead of forcing one. You can run it fully enclosed with the lid on, semi-covered, or as an open-top pan, and the front-entry, top-exit setup gives a nervous cat a clear escape route.

A lockable, dog-proof latch keeps curious dogs out and protects your cat’s privacy when the box is closed. If your cat refuses a hood, you still keep the steel tray and simply lift the cover off.

Complete Kit With Scoop, Step Board, Mat, and Filter

The Tevila arrives as a full kit rather than a bare pan. The packaging includes the stainless steel litter box, a litter scoop with a holder, a step board for kittens or senior cats, a litter mat to catch scatter, four non-slip pads, and a carbon filter for the lid.

That bundle covers most of what you would otherwise buy separately. The honeycomb mat knocks stray litter off your cat’s paws before it hits the floor, though one Amazon reviewer noted the scoop itself is less sturdy than a dedicated metal one.

Quick Tool-Free Assembly and Easy Cleaning

Setup is painless. The review video shows assembly taking about one minute with no tools, since the modular panels click together without hardware.

Cleaning is where the steel pays off again. Clumps lift off the smooth, non-stick surface cleanly and the stainless steel box is easy to clean, so a deep clean is closer to a rinse than a scrub. Pair it with a good clumping or regular litter and daily upkeep stays quick.

What Needs Improvement

Unspecified Steel Grade and Reports of Rust Spots

Tevila markets the tray as rustproof, but the listing never states a steel grade such as food-grade 304, which makes it hard to judge how it will hold up to years of urine exposure. That matters because urine is corrosive, and grade is the single biggest factor in whether a steel pan stays rust-free.

The concern is not only theoretical. One Amazon reviewer noticed small spots starting to rust on the inside and covered them with clear nail polish, and r/CatAdvice threads include owners whose Amazon steel boxes etched or rusted within a year because only the top layer was coated. Wirecutter has also seen cheaper steel pans scratch quickly in testing.

Metal Scraping Noise Can Unsettle Some Cats

Bare steel is loud, and any metal litter box makes more noise than plastic. When a cat digs down to the bottom or you drag a metal scoop across the pan, the box makes a harsh scraping sound that plastic muffles.

The review video calls out this scratching noise, and a Reddit owner described an enthusiastic digger whose claws on the metal made an unpleasant sound. Most cats adjust, but a skittish cat or a box parked near a bedroom can make the noise a genuine drawback.

Large Footprint and a Heavier Pan to Clean

The size that helps big cats works against small spaces. At nearly 24 inches long, this litter box eats floor space and is a poor fit for a cramped apartment or a tucked-away corner.

It is also heavier than a plastic box at 8.6 pounds empty, and the XL basin needs more litter to fill, so each full change costs more litter than a standard pan. If floor space is tight, a compact steel box like the AIPERRO Stainless Steel Litter Box delivers the same non-porous tray in a smaller footprint.

Some Cats Hesitate at the Enclosed Single Exit

A covered box with one exit does not suit every cat. International Cat Care notes that some cats feel vulnerable in an enclosed box and that a flap can deter use, so a shy cat may balk at the hood.

Tevila’s own buyers have run into this. One Amazon reviewer said their cat would only enter when the top was off, so they left it open and the box still contained the mess.

The modular design makes that an easy fix, but it means the enclosed look you bought may not be the mode you end up using. Automating the chore entirely is another route, as the self-cleaning Robotail Open Top Litter Box shows for multi-cat homes. Shoppers weighing another convertible steel box can compare the CATPAK Stainless Steel Cat Litter Box, which also lifts off to an open pan for cats that refuse a hood.

How the Tevila Compares to Other Stainless Steel Litter Boxes

The closest match is the iPrimio Enclosed Sides Stainless Steel XL, a steel pan with a detachable guard that raises the walls to about 12 inches. It is not a true hooded box, and expert verdicts split on it: Business Insider names it a “Best metal” pick for cutting tracking roughly in half, while Wirecutter dismissed it after its tested pan scratched quickly and the loose plastic surround let liquid escape. Against it, the Tevila’s full lid and dog-proof latch are a real advantage if you want genuine enclosure.

If you would rather skip a hood entirely, the Yangbaga High-Sided XL is an open stainless steel pan that keeps the easy-clean metal surface without the scraping-prone enclosure. The Frisco High Sided XL, sold on Chewy, is a tall, high-sided litter box in plastic that avoids metal noise but gives up the odor edge of steel.

For a different enclosed design, the Modkat XL is a covered plastic box with reusable liners that The Spruce Pets rated a top pick, though it costs far more than the Tevila.

The tradeoff across all of these stays consistent: steel resists odor and scratches better than plastic, while plastic runs cheaper, lighter, and quieter. A rescue or shelter will often steer new adopters toward steel for that same odor reason. There is no single best stainless steel litter box for every cat parent, so match the size and lid style to your home.

Whichever box you choose, the litter inside matters too, and a low-dust option like this Natural Attapulgite Clumping Cat Litter helps keep tracking down.

Final Verdict

The Tevila XL Stainless Steel Litter Box earns a 4.4 out of 5. As an extra large stainless steel litter box, it nails the two things buyers switch to steel for: strong odor control and a smooth tray that stays clean with minimal scrubbing, backed by a 4.6-star average across 492 Amazon ratings.

Its limits are just as clear. The listing never names a steel grade, a handful of owners report early rust spots, the bare metal is noisy when a cat digs, and the XL footprint is a lot of box for a small home. None of these sink it, but together they keep it short of a buy-it-for-life guarantee.

For a big cat or a multi-cat household tired of replacing smelly plastic boxes, the Tevila is an easy recommendation at $56.99, especially with the scoop included alongside the step board, mat, and carbon filter. If you have a timid cat that avoids covered boxes, limited floor space, or you want a verified 304-grade pan, a different stainless steel litter box will serve you better.