I received this product in exchange for a review and I can say I'm impressed. This litter box makes having a cat easy. There is no stinky litter to scoop, the maintenance is so easy and it seems to be built out of quality material. When the machine is raking there is noise but it's very minimal. The app is also easy to download and work with! I did purchase the hood myself because my cat was iffy about it without. But as soon as I put it on she went in. I think the cost of th extra crystals is worth it for not having to worry about scooping daily.