Our verdict
An open-top self-cleaning box for cats that refuse a closed dome or are too large for a tight entrance. Home Assistant support is the weakest of the three litter boxes we cover: Neakasa has told community members it has no API and no plans to integrate, so the only route is the unofficial hass-neakasa integration through HACS. Reviewers report weaker odour control and more tracked litter than enclosed boxes, which is the price of the open design. UK prices vary widely by seller and date, so none is stored.
What can Home Assistant control on the Neakasa M1?
| Control | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Garbage can full | Binary sensor | Flags a full waste bin — the basis for an empty-the-bin notification. |
| Clean | Button | Triggers a cleaning cycle on demand. |
| Level | Button | Triggers the litter-levelling routine. |
| Cat weight | Sensor | Weight of the last visitor. |
| Auto clean | Switch | Enables or disables automatic cleaning after each visit. |
| Child lock | Switch | Locks the box's physical controls. |
Community integration hass-neakasa (tabascoz/hass-neakasa), added to HACS as a custom Integration repository, then Settings → Devices & Services → Add Integration → Neakasa. It is cloud-only. For the M1 it exposes sensors for litter level, device status, cat litter state, bin state, last usage, cat weight, last stay time and Wi-Fi RSSI; a 'Garbage can full' binary sensor; Clean and Level buttons; and switches for child lock, auto clean, automatic cover, automatic leveling, silent mode and unstoppable cycle (kitten mode and automatic recovery are off by default). The catch: using the same Neakasa account in the phone app and in Home Assistant causes session conflicts that log the app out, so the maintainer recommends a separate account with the device shared to it. It is unofficial and maintained in the author's spare time, so treat automations such as a 'bin full' alert as best-effort.
Specs
| design | open-top (no doorway) |
|---|---|
| waste bin | around 11 litres — quoted by third-party reviews, not the manufacturer; verify before buying |
| cat weight range | 1–15 kg — quoted by third-party reviews, not the manufacturer; verify before buying |
How does the Neakasa M1 compare?
| Product | From | Protocol | Local control | Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neakasa M1 (this product) | — | Wi-Fi | Cloud | HACS |
| Litter-Robot 4 | £699 | Wi-Fi | Cloud | Native |
| SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect | £155 | Wi-Fi | Cloud | Native |
| SureFlap Microchip Cat Flap Connect | £140 | Wi-Fi | Cloud | Native |
Frequently asked questions
- Does the Neakasa M1 work with Home Assistant locally?
- Partly. The Neakasa M1 connects to Home Assistant through a community integration installed through HACS, which relies on the Neakasa cloud. It works in Home Assistant, but commands go via the internet and stop working during an outage of your connection or the Neakasa service.
- Which protocol does the Neakasa M1 use, and do I need a hub?
- The Neakasa M1 uses Wi-Fi. To pair it with Home Assistant you need no hub — it joins your Wi-Fi network directly. Neakasa's own hub is not required when you integrate through a community integration installed through HACS.
Neakasa
Neakasa M1
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