We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 5 Best Cat Litter Bags for Sealing Away Your Cat’s Messes Your cat litter box will thank you By Ellie Welles Ellie Welles Ellie Welles is a writer and product expert for The Spruce Pets. She currently shares her home with two cats, Agnes and Peppercorn, who were found motherless on the streets but have since become pampered indoor darlings. Learn more about The Spruce Pets' Editorial Process Updated on 03/24/25 In This Article View All In This Article Top Picks Reviews What to Look For FAQ Why Trust The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets / Amelia Manley There are a lot of ways to tamp down cat litter smells, whether that’s purchasing odor-absorbing litter or using liners in your litter box to simplify cleaning. But often overlooked is how you dispose of scooped litter, with many people scooping litter directly into their wastebasket, which can get stinky fast. Cat litter bags let you seal away scents and can make it easier to move clumps of litter from your cat litter box to the trash can. Cat litter bags come in a variety of sizes with a range of features, including scented and unscented versions. Some are biodegradable. Our favorite cat litter bags are Boxiecat Scoop & Tie Cat Litter Waste Bags. They’ve got a big opening for easy scooping, tie-off handles, and a quick-dispense box. Top Picks Best Overall: Boxiecat Scoop & Tie Cat Litter Waste Bags at Amazon $11 Jump to Review Best Odor Sealing: BOS Cat Waste Disposal Bags at Amazon $19 Jump to Review Best Scented: Bilibara Cat Litter Bags with Handles at Amazon $13 Jump to Review Best Box Liner: Jonny Cat Heavy Duty Litter Box Liners at Amazon $11 Jump to Review Best Bin: Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System at Amazon $28 Jump to Review Best Overall Boxiecat Scoop & Tie Cat Litter Waste Bags Credit: Amazon $11 at Amazon View on Chewy View on Boxiecat.com What We Like Sturdy and leakproof Individually dispensed Box has perforated opening for easy dispensing What We Don't Like Relatively shallow, so most appropriate for regular scoopers Boxiecat Scoop & Tie Cat Litter Waste Bags are durable—we’ve filled them to the brim without a tear. This makes them excellent for handling wet waste, with no leaks in our testing. They also have handles, which makes carrying and tying them up easier, and each bag is individually separated, rather than being on a roll, so there’s no risk of ripping or bad perforations. We’ve found them suitable for regular scooping with two cats. While the opening is large enough for most scoops, they’re not deep enough to hold several days of waste. Instead, these bags are best for people who keep up regular maintenance of their litter box. Boxiecat’s litter waste bags are affordable and easy to dispense too—the box has a perforated opening similar to a tissue box. Dimensions: 7 x 13.5 inches | Material: Plastic | Scent: Unscented Best Odor Sealing BOS Cat Waste Disposal Bags Credit: Amazon $19 at Amazon View on Bos-bos-en.com What We Like Individually dispensed Sturdy Available in various sizes and bag counts What We Don't Like No handles or ties BOS is a Japanese company that makes different kinds of odor-sealing bags, with options for babies, dogs, cats, and general use. The specialization makes sense as these bags have some of the better odor-sealing capacity of any bags that we evaluated. Like our top pick, they’re individually dispensed in the box, so there's no dealing with annoying rolls. However, unlike our top pick, they don’t have tie-off handles, so if you overfill them, they become difficult to knot. They’re also more expensive than our top choice. Dimensions: 11.8 × 15.7 inches | Material: Plastic | Scent: Unscented Best Scented Bilibara Cat Litter Bags with Handles Credit: Amazon $13 at Amazon What We Like Leakproof Good size Durable What We Don't Like Only available in baby powder scent Bilibara Cat Litter Bags have many of our favorite qualities, including easy-tie handles and a leakproof thickness, plus they have a faint baby powder scent to further cover noxious odors. The scent is mild and doesn’t feel as strong or artificial as the smell of some scented products. At 15 by 13 inches, these bags should be large enough to handle a multi-cat household as long as you’re regular about litter box maintenance. Dimensions: 15 x 13 inches | Material: Plastic | Scent: Baby powder Best Box Liner Jonny Cat Heavy Duty Litter Box Liners Credit: Amazon $11 at Amazon View on Walmart View on Lifeandhome.com What We Like Adjustable to fit most boxes Very durable Drawstrings useful for cleanup What We Don't Like Might not solve your day-to-day litter scooping problems Another way to handle litter is to line the litter box with a larger bag so that when it's time to clean you can just remove the bag and dump the litter. This generally will not replace daily scooping, but depending on your setup might be a better solution for you. Each bag is 36 x 18 inches and the Jonny Cat Litter Box liners have a drawstring, so they can tighten to fit most boxes. They’re also extremely durable. Though more expensive than litter bags, these box liners are affordable compared to other options of their size. In addition to helping with litter box fit, the drawstrings are very useful in cleaning up. Dimensions: 36 x 18 inches | Material: Plastic | Scent: Unscented Best Bin Litter Genie Plus Cat Litter Disposal System Credit: Amazon $28 at Amazon $23 at Chewy $29 $26 at Petco What We Like The lockable functionality seals off odors Comes with a litter scoop Designed to hold up to a week's worth of cat waste and litter What We Don't Like Requires ongoing purchase of Litter Genie Refill Cartridge to function properly Need to periodically shake it to level off the contents The concept of the Litter Genie is similar to the Diaper Genie for human babies—the push-n-lock system seals off odors to keep smells from penetrating through your home. The Litter Genie uses durable bags with five layers of odor-blocking built in to hold up to a week's worth of cat waste and soiled litter, eliminating the need for daily waste disposal. The bin has a compact design and comes with a litter scoop and attached holder for the scoop. If you have more than one cat, you'll have to empty the bin a few times a week. And because of the bin's shape, the waste tends to pile up vertically, so you have to periodically shake the bin horizontally to level off the contents to free up space. Still, the system offers an effective solution for keeping odors at bay. Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.5 x 17.7 inches | Material: Plastic | Scent: Unscented Final Verdict Our favorite cat litter bag for most cat messes is the Boxiecat Scoop & Tie Cat Litter Waste Bags, which dispense easily, have a wide mouth, and have handles for easy knotting. For a compostable alternative, check out beyondGREEN Certified Biopolymer Cat Litter Pick-Up Bags. What to Look For in Cat Litter Bags Tie-Offs Most cat litter bags have either tie-off handles or a flush top, which are tied by sealing the bag shut, spinning it, and tying it in a knot. It’s a simple process but becomes difficult if you accidentally overfill a bag since the volume inside will prevent you from knotting it closed. While tie-off handles always ensure that you’ll be able to seal the litter waste bag, they typically provide a little less volume. Keep in mind when reading measurements for a bag you’re considering that some of the described length includes the handles, leaving you less interior space. Composting Many bags—even those that have composting certifications, such as ASTM D6400—are actually only compostable under very specific conditions that you will be unlikely to replicate at home. If you are looking for bags that are truly compostable under almost any conditions, then looking for those made of plant material is a great place to start. Since they don’t contain plastic, these will break down under most conditions. FAQ Can you use a dog poop bag to collect used cat litter? Yes, a standard dog poop bag is perfectly suitable for collecting used cat litter. Biodegradable poop bags are a good eco-friendly option. What is the best way to dispose of cat litter? The tried and true way to dispose of cat litter is to sift out urine and stool clumps, scoop them into a small trash bag or litter disposal bag, tie up the bag, and put it in the trash can. Avoid flushing litter down the toilet—it can clog your pipes and introduce harmful parasites into waterways. How important are litter box liners? Litter box liners help streamline the process of cleaning out your litter box because you can cleanly lift the soiled litter out of the box in one go and dump it in the trash can. Liners can also help reduce the buildup of bacteria, odor, and stains in the box so you won't have to scrub out the box or replace it as often. Why Trust The Spruce Pets This roundup was written by Ellie Welles, a product researcher and writer for The Spruce Pets. Ellie, a proud cat parent, spoke with a variety of sources to find the best cat litter bags on the market. Her two cats have also helped her find great window perches, cat litter mats, and interactive cat toys. Explore more: What to Buy Cat Products Cat Supplies