Last updated Feb 14, 2023
When it comes to alternative litter, there are a lot of options. Unfortunately, not all of them are good. Alternative litters come in many forms including recycled paper pellets, silica crystals, even grass seed, and So Phresh has it all.
This brand may not be one of the biggest names in the business, but they do offer a surprising variety of products. Not only do they offer a number of options for cat litter, but they also produce litter for dogs and small pets like rabbits and guinea pigs. If you’re looking for an alternative litter that is affordably priced, consider So Phresh.
Ratings
- Variety of Products – 5/5
- Price Per Pound – 3/5
- Multi-Cat Formulas – 3/5
- Clumping Ability – 3/5
- Long-Lasting Odor Control – 4/5
- Natural/Alternative Options – 5/5
Overall Score: 4.25/5
Brand Overview
So Phresh is a Petco-owned brand that sells a variety of pet litters and litter accessories. The Petco brand was founded in 1954 as a mail-order business selling veterinary supplies. In 2000, it was acquired by Leonard Green & Partners and TPG Capital.
Today, the brand is officially known as Petco Animal Supplies, Inc., and it is one of the largest American pet retailers in the United States. With over 1,500 locations across the country, Petco is a household name.
In recent years, many major pet retailers have begun to develop their own in-house brands, and So Phresh is one that falls under the Petco umbrella. Currently only sold in Petco stores and on Amazon, the So Phresh brand is still fairly new but already has a dedicated following.
Offering a variety of traditional clay litters and alternative cat litters, So Phresh is known for excellent odor control and for being a more affordable option in alternative litter.
Products Included in This Review |
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| Name | Materials | Clumping? | Life Stage | Additional Features |
| So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter | Paper | No | All | Non-Clumping, Odor Control, Fresh Scent, Lightweight |
| So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter | Silica | No | All | Fast Absorption, Odor Control, Unscented, Silica Crystal |
| So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Litter | Silica | Yes | All | Clumping, Fast Absorption, Odor Control, Unscented, Silica Crystal |
What Kinds of Litter Does the Brand Offer?
The So Phresh brand of cat litter offers a number of different options, both conventional and unconventional, and their prices are competitive.
What really makes the So Phresh brand stand out is their variety of alternative cat litters. On top of several varieties of silica crystal litter, this brand also offers recycled paper litter and litter made from grass seed.
These alternative litters are designed to offer top-notch odor control while being lightweight and lower in dust than traditional litter.
So Phresh offers a limited variety of clay litters as well. Unfortunately, reviews of these products leave much to be desired. It seems that when it comes to cat litter, So Phresh excels in the department of alternative litter and doesn’t put as much into their traditional clay litters.
The three formulas we’re reviewing here are two crystal cat litters and one paper litter.
Top 3 Cat Litters Reviewed
| Product Name | Type | Price | Overall Rating |
| So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter | Paper | $0.6 per lb | 3.25/5 |
| So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter | Crystal | $1.33 per lb | 3.25/5 |
| So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter | Crystal | $1.31 per lb | 3.75/5 |
#1 So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Natural cat litter can be very expensive, but this So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter is highly affordable. This litter is made with 95% post-consumer paper with proprietary odor-controlling ingredients to neutralize ammonia odors on contact.
The paper itself is biodegradable and designed to be super-absorbent, so it doesn’t cake on the bottom of the pan or break apart when wet.
This So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter is designed for single-cat households, or for multi-cat households with multiple litter boxes.
It works well for cat owners using alternative litter box systems like the Tidy Cats Breeze system, but there are some downsides for those who are simply looking for a natural alternative to clay litter.
The paper pellets are very large – so large that you need to buy a special scoop to be able to scoop them unless you don’t mind throwing away clean litter along with the dirty. Along those lines, it can be tough to tell the difference between clean and dirty litter because the color doesn’t change significantly when wet.
As a paper litter, this So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter is not designed to clump. It is primarily designed for odor control and, because it is paper, it doesn’t have a strong artificial scent to it.
It did a decent job controlling feces odor for a few days at a time, but we would still recommend frequent scooping to minimize odor. The dust was very low, almost nonexistent, and the large size of the pellets limited tracking.
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 4/5 |
| Clumping Action | 0/5 |
| Odor Control | 3/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 5/5 |
| Scent | 5/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 2/5 |
| Overall Rating | 3.25/5 |
Pros
- Made from 95% post-consumer paper with odor-control ingredients
- Large pellets don’t track and are a good substitute for alternative boxes
- Very low dust and decent at odor control
Cons
- Pellets are very large and do not scoop with a regular scooper
- Can be difficult to tell the difference between clean and dirty litter
- Not a scooping litter and pellets break down over time
This litter comes in a 25-pound bag. Because the litter is made from paper, the pellets themselves are fairly lightweight. The bag, however, is still very large and weighs a significant amount. We did like that the bag was resealable.
#2 So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
Crystal cat litter is a fairly new innovation, though it is rapidly increasing in popularity. It is a great option for automatic litter boxes but can be used in regular litter boxes as well. So Phresh offers several varieties of crystal cat litter including this Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter. This litter is non-toxic and made from silica gel. We found that the crystals themselves were a little larger than some of the crystal cat litters we’ve tried, but it didn’t seem to bother our test cats.
This So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter is not a clumping litter, but it offers excellent moisture- and odor-absorbing properties. The silica gel is highly absorbent, quickly soaking up liquid and covering feces and ammonia odor. We did notice that the crystals produced a loud crackling noise as they absorbed liquid, which could be alarming for some cats, but ours didn’t seem to mind. We also found that the crystals soaked some of the moisture out of feces, making it a little bit easier to scoop.
The crystals themselves had a slight smell, but it wasn’t overpowering. This So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter handled feces odor well, though urine odor did start to creep in after 5 or 6 days if we didn’t keep stirring the litter to distribute the urine-soaked crystals.
The litter produced a little bit of dust that settled quickly, and the size of the crystals seemed to reduce tracking. We noticed some liquid on the bottom of the box it wasn’t a significant issue, and the crystals didn’t stick to the sides.
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 3/5 |
| Clumping Action | 0/5 |
| Odor Control | 4/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 4/5 |
| Scent | 5/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 4/5 |
| Overall Rating | 3.25/5 |
Pros
- Highly absorbent silica gel soaks up liquid and odor
- Odor-lock crystals contain feces and urine odor for several days
- Lightweight and less dusty than traditional clay litter
Cons
- More expensive than clay litter but competitive for crystal litter
- Crystals make a crackling noise when absorbing liquid, may alarm some cats
- Not designed for clumping
This litter comes in a 15-pound or 30-pound bag. The litter itself is fairly lightweight, though the 30-pound bag is hefty. We liked that the bag had a reinforced handle at the top, but it was not a resealable bag, so the benefit was lost after opening the bag.
#3 So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter
Kate Barrington / Cats.com
One of the biggest complaints cat owners have about crystal litter is that it doesn’t clump. That’s what makes this So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter unique. It is made from ultra-fine silica gel crystals in a lightweight formula that absorbs odors as well as liquid. The bonus is that this litter actually forms clumps that you can scoop with a regular scoop.
When we first picked up the bag of So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter, we were immediately impressed by how lightweight it was and how fine the crystals were.
We liked that the texture and size felt similar to clay litter though, as expected, the litter tracked similar to clay litter. Dust was very minimal, however, and the crystals absorbed liquid very quickly, expanding as they socked up the liquid to prevent it from pooling in the bottom of the pan.
This So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter did a good job absorbing odors as well as liquid, especially in a multi-cat household. We also found that our test cats had no trouble using the product which hasn’t always been the case with crystal cat litter.
We liked the clumping action, though it wasn’t as tight or hard as clay litter, and some clumps fell apart during scooping.
All we had to do, however, was stir the broken pieces back into the fresh litter and there were no issues. Though the testing period was limited, we can see a single bag of this litter lasting quite a while.
| Category | Rating |
| Price | 3/5 |
| Clumping Action | 3/5 |
| Odor Control | 4/5 |
| Dust/Mess | 4/5 |
| Scent | 5/5 |
| Easy to Scoop | 4/5 |
| Overall Rating | 3.75/5 |
Pros
- Very fine granules, lightweight and similar to clay litter in texture
- Absorbs liquid quickly and forms clumps that are easy to scoop
- Soaks up odor and locks it away for days at a time
Cons
- Resealable top of the bag didn’t work particularly well
- Very fine granules tracked similar to clay litter
- Clumps had a tendency to fall apart, particularly with liquid
This litter comes in an 8-pound bag. In addition to being a clumping, scoopable litter, this crystal cat litter is extremely lightweight.
What Do Customers Think Of So Phresh Cat Litter?
Reviews of So Phresh cat litter are highly varied, depending on the product. For all three products, at least 50% of the reviews were 5-star reviews. Unfortunately, many cat owners had minor problems that led them to review the products poorly. Generally speaking, there are more positive than negative reviews, however, and the So Phresh brand is still well-accepted.
This being said, every customer’s experience is unique, and there are both good and bad reviews for the brand online. Keep reading to see a positive and negative customer review for each of the three cat litter formulas featured above:
Positive Reviews
“I have had cats for at least 20 years now (it includes those I grew up with), and so far this is my favorite litter. It’s chunky, so you don’t find yourself vacuuming dust or finding litter dispersed everywhere. It has a clean scent as opposed to having a perfume-y or chemical smell and does its job absorbing liquids. It’s okay masking the smell of poop, but I’m yet to find a litter that does this part of the job well. If I could train my cats to poop in the toilet and flush, I would not be posting here. One day this may happen. Until then, I’m buying this product.”- M.J., reviewing So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter
“After starting to use crystal cat litter, I’ve gone through many different brands, types and price ranges, but I always come back to So Phresh. I still find that this has the best odor reduction/minimization and best longevity. I have one cat, and I usually only have to change her litter once a month. Most people don’t even realize I have a cat until they see her. I don’t recall how long the entire bag lasted me last time, but I think it was well over 8 months. Other brands I found do not reduce odor as much and were all really dusty, which was terrible for my allergies. This one did have some dust, but very minimal when compared to other brands.”- Cstar, reviewing So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter
“This is the BEST LITTER EVER. There is NO ODOR from the cat box, which is being shared by two growing adolescent cats, unless they are currently using the box. 5 minutes later, nothing. And i have a sensitive nose! The fine texture allows it to slip out of the pads of their feet before they track it more than on the pad just outside the litter box, which is better than any clay litter i have seen. The clumping action of the resin crystals allows you to scoop out everything and leave mostly clean litter in the box, which also keeps the box cleaner. The first box full of litter lasted about 6 weeks, with a few additions here and there, before the box had to be cleaned.”- Janeen Whitney, reviewing So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter
Negative Reviews
“Purchased a 25-pound bag of So Phresh Paper Cat Litter hoping it would reduce the coughing that the dust in other cat litters seemed to be causing our cat. Of course, there was no indication that you also need to purchase a special scoop as the pellets are too big for a normal scoop. So I went back and purchased a special scoop. Of course, no one told me that the pellets are also too large to go through the special scoop I had purchased. Poorly designed and ineffective product.”- PowayBob, reviewing So Phresh Odor Control Paper Pellet Cat Litter
“This product is supposed to be dust free. It’s one of the dustiest products I have ever used. I have to wear a mask when I wore it because it will choke me otherwise from the thick dust. I’ve noticed one of my two cats now almost sounds like she’s wheezing when she’s in there kicking the litter around. Sounds like an asthma attack…scary. I’ve tried it for a few months hoping maybe I had a couple bad bags, but that’s not it. I gave it two stars because it does cover odor great…. but wondering at what expense.”- Theresa Miller, reviewing So Phresh Odor-Lock Crystal Cat Litter
“I had high hopes for this litter. I’ve always used silica Crystal litter and so when I saw that Petco was offering clumping Crystal litter I jumped on the chance and stockpiled it because I thought how great it would be. At first I thought I liked it, and thought my cats liked it, so I continued the next month’s with it.I have a senior tuxedo Maine coon and 2 young Siamese cats. I was willing to overlook the fact that this litter tracks horribly so much so that I needed to buy 5 x 7 cheap rugs to put under my three litter boxes. But I have noticed that with each bag and with each color, the consistency of the litter and the quality of the clumps significantly differs.”- Lragone78, reviewing So Phresh Scoopable Odor-Lock Clumping Micro Crystal Cat Litter
How Much Does So Phresh Cat Litter Cost?
The So Phresh brand offers a variety of different litters, so the costs vary. Their traditional clay litters are the most cost-effective options, while their alternative litters cost a little more. Though they cost more than clay litter, So Phresh alternative litters are still competitively priced. They are certainly not the most expensive alternative litters on the market, even for crystal cat litter.
Overall, Is So Phresh Cat Litter a Good Choice?
Generally speaking, we were pleased with the So Phresh cat litters we tried. Having tried a number of alternative litters, we found this brand to stack up well against the competition, and it offered a competitive price point. We were less thrilled with the paper litter than the crystal options but overall thought the So Phresh brand was a decent option for the type of litter they offered.
The thing to keep in mind about this brand is that their alternative litters are consistently rated higher than their traditional clay litters. If you’re interested in alternative litter, So Phresh is a great option for both crystal and recycled paper litter. If you prefer traditional clay litter, however, you would be better off choosing a different brand that specializes in clay litter.
The So Phresh brand’s claim to fame is their odor-lock technology. Though the paper litter didn’t perform as well in this department, the crystal litters we tried were very impressive. Though not specifically marketed for multi-cat households, we would recommend So Phresh to cat owners with multiple cats. Just make sure you have the right number of litter boxes, and you scoop the solid waste daily to keep the boxes fresh.
Where Is So Phresh Cat Litter Sold?
So Phresh Cat Litter is sold online and in certain pet stores. You can find it for sale from certain online retailers like Amazon as well in Petco stores. So Phresh is a Petco-owned brand, so it is unlikely to be sold on Chewy or other pet store websites.
I think you need to review it again. I have been a loyal customer for so phresh cat litter for over ten years and 6 cats. However this year the litter mixture or formula or whatever has just failed. We go through litter quite fast with three cats and another one at a separate household, and so in the last four orders, each being three 30lb bags, the litter no longer clumps and does not disguise odors. In fact it seems to cause the litter to smell much worse accentuating the odor of the urine especially. They must have changed their source or their formula for this started happening when the litter suddenly had a dark gray color to it instead of the normal medium color. Using an automatic litter box that I purchased at Petco it’s essential to have an actively clumping cat litter to for it to work properly. With the sophresh litter since the color change in the large bags of it, it just screws through the litter box and becomes a gooey mess instead of clumping and being able to scoop it out. Even when using a hand scoop which I am forced to resort to on a regular basis because it no longer clumps properly, it still is not scoopable with the hand scoop you end up cleaning out the entire litter box! After more than 10 years I think closer to 12-25, I will no longer be buying it. Please review it again and actually test it this time with real world tests.
Hi Reginald, thanks for sharing your experience with So Phresh. We will consider re-ordering and updating the review to reflect these apparent changes. In the meantime, I appreciate you making other customers aware of what’s happened to you!
We tried So Phresh kitty litter because our usual brand had a manufacturing issue so we were not able to get it. I am so sorry that the only kitty litter available at our pet store was So Phresh. If I could I would give this a negative star. The litter is not fresh at all. It smells worse than any other. I have to change it twice a day and that is for 1 cat. I think I am going to either potty train her or take her out at regular intervals. This is so frustrating. Why even bother with having kitty litter for our cat to go in. So sad.
Ugh, sorry to hear you’ve had such a bad experience. Thank you for sharing and contributing to the review!
I go to the store an uses the refill bucket for over a year. I have 7 cats and can’t smell the cat boxes. I have 3 cat litter boxes. 2 are for my senior cat that has arthritis and 1 is a litter robot. Anyone that walks in my home says they can’t smell litter box. The only complaint I have with this litter is when I pour into the litter box they’re a lot of dust but when the dust settle no problem.
Petco has changed their supplier in 2024. This new clay kitty litter is very pissy. Does not clump and the smell of urine overpowers you.