What we discovered in our research is that cat parents are very loyal to that material that they use in their pans. There are very specific advantages and disadvantages of both, and it is just a matter of what is more important to you. The clay material is great because it clumps together and makes it easy to scoop out, but it has a tendency to get a little messy, and it is also very dusty. To good news about clay is that is is very affordable and doesn’t need to be changed very often. Pellet and wood chips don’t clump together the same way as clay, but they work great at absorbing odors. These materials aren’t as dusty and they do not make a mess the way clay can, but they need to be changed from often and they usually come at a much higher price tag. We suggest trying out both- because at the end of the day it all depends upon which one your cat likes, and some cats refuse to use clay or pellets