Baxton Studio Elie vs Merry Products Cat Litter Loo: which cat litter box enclosure wins?

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Spec	Top pickBaxton Studio Elie Engineered Wood	Merry Products Loo Bench
Price	$92	$89
Material	Painted engineered wood with block feet	MDF with painted finish
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Bottom line up front

If your cat is medium-to-large or you want the most interior room for a litter box, the Baxton Studio Elie 2-Door is the better pick. Its interior width of 22.4 inches and depth of 17.4 inches give a cat more room to turn and dig, which matters given the veterinary guideline that a box should be at least 1.5 times the cat’s nose-to-tail length. If you want a piece that actually functions as a bench you can sit a mudroom shoe basket on (or use as an entryway seat), and you like the idea of a removable divider for storage, the Merry Products Cat Litter Loo is the stronger buy. Neither is a self-cleaning box, and neither is designed for senior or arthritic cats. I’ll get to why that matters below.

Interior space and cat size

Winner: Baxton Studio Elie

The Elie’s interior dimensions (22.4“ W x 17.4“ D x 15.4“ H) are roomier on paper than what Merry Products lists for the Litter Loo, whose housing fits a litter box up to 18.5“ wide by 16“ deep. That gap matters more than it looks. Ohio State University’s Indoor Pet Initiative and multiple veterinary sources put the minimum recommended litter box footprint at around 22“ x 16“ for an adult cat, so the cat can turn and dig without feeling boxed in. The Elie’s entry width (13 inches) and shelf-style opening are built with larger cats in mind, per the manufacturer’s own positioning. The Litter Loo’s tighter footprint will suit a smaller or average-size cat fine, but it’s a squeeze for a big Maine Coon-type frame.

Access and entry design

Winner: tie, with different strengths

Both use magnetic 2-door access, which is the current standard for litter enclosures because it lets you swing a full door open for scooping rather than crawling in through a cutout. The Elie’s shelf-like entry is meant to make it easier for larger cats to step up and in without squeezing. The Litter Loo doesn’t advertise a shelf entry, but its bench form factor with a side towel rail adds a practical touch: you can hang a hand towel or small cleaning cloth right there for quick wipe-downs.

Neither product is a low-entry design, which is a real accessibility gap. PetMD and Meowant both note that senior or arthritic cats need entry heights under 4 inches, and under 2 inches for cats with severe arthritis, because a high step forces a painful leg lift that leads cats to avoid the box entirely. Cornell’s Feline Health Center identifies this kind of avoidance as pain-related, not a behavioral problem to be corrected. If you have a cat over roughly 12 years old (an age at which vet research estimates 90% of cats have some degree of arthritis), neither of these enclosures is the right shape. You’d want a box with a cut-low front instead of a furniture cover with a raised threshold.

Odor control and ventilation

Winner: Baxton Studio Elie, narrowly

Baxton Studio specifically calls out odor control as a strength, alongside reduced litter tracking. Merry Products doesn’t make the same explicit claim for the Litter Loo. That said, the research consensus cuts against assuming closed-box design alone solves odor. The Refined Feline cites research showing 70% of cats have no strong preference between open and enclosed boxes, and that cleanliness, not ceiling height, drives odor and acceptance. An enclosed box only outperforms an open one when it’s cleaned on the same daily schedule; left neglected, ammonia can climb from under 10 ppm in a freshly scooped single-cat box to 50-100 ppm after 48+ hours of neglect, according to figures cited by Doc Halligan and Purrify.ca, and cats detect ammonia at lower thresholds than humans do. Whichever enclosure you buy, the daily scoop matters more than the shell around it.

Material and durability

Winner: tie, with the same caveat

The Elie uses painted engineered wood with block feet; the Litter Loo uses painted MDF. These are functionally similar materials, and both share the same weakness: engineered wood and MDF are not waterproof. A ComMeownity materials audit notes that enclosed litter furniture needs waterproof liners or sealant to prevent wood rot and odor absorption if urine reaches the panels. Merry Products’ own listed con acknowledges this directly, that MDF can absorb urine if a cat misses the box. Baxton Studio flags a related issue: some cats will spray or pee against interior walls if litter depth is too shallow, which on painted engineered wood creates the same absorption risk over time. Stainless steel litter pans reduce bacterial colonization by up to 90% versus scratched plastic, according to veterinary-cited research. Neither of these covers is steel, so plan on a litter box liner underneath and keep litter at the recommended 2-3 inch depth to reduce spillage and wall-spraying alike.

Assembly and everyday cleaning

Winner: Baxton Studio Elie

Baxton Studio markets the Elie as lightweight despite a sturdy feel, which is a real advantage if you rent, move often, or just want to vacuum behind the box without a two-person lift. Merry Products advertises easy assembly with clear instructions for the Litter Loo, which is a fair trade if you’re willing to give up some portability for the bench’s sturdier tabletop, useful if you want to actually sit on it or set things on top. Both use magnetized doors for quick access; Merry Products’ own con list notes the magnets can loosen with repeated use over time, something to check periodically if you’re scooping daily as recommended.

Extra features: divider and towel rail

Winner: Merry Products Litter Loo

The Litter Loo’s removable interior divider is a genuine point of difference. Pull it and you free up the second bay for storage (extra litter, a scoop, spare liners); leave it in for a bit of visual separation. The side towel rail is small but useful for wiping paws or hands after cleanup. The Elie doesn’t offer an equivalent flexible storage feature; it’s built purely as a cover-and-access box.

How many boxes should you actually buy?

One of either enclosure covers one litter box. Multi-cat households need more. AAHA, AAFP, and Ohio State University all endorse the

Baxton Studio Elie vs Merry Products Cat Litter Loo: which cat litter box enclosure wins?

Ranked, with the trade-offs

Baxton Studio Elie Engineered Wood

Merry Products Loo Bench

How they compare