Naturally Fresh Walnut is the strongest all-around pick in this comparison for natural clumping without corn.
A dependable grocery-store clay option with decent clumping, a noticeable fragrance profile, and fair everyday value.
A walnut-shell litter that clumps harder than many natural competitors and absorbs odor naturally without added fragrance.
Naturally Fresh clumps harder than Fresh Step, pours far less dust, and adds no fragrance. Fresh Step wins on price and on being on the shelf tonight. Nothing else on the sheet favours it.
This comparison page is maintained by the ReviewCatLitter editorial team and grounded in the same scoring framework used across the published review catalog.
Choose between them on texture, clumping, dust and price. Then, if the room still tells you where the box is, Purrify is activated carbon you mix into whichever bag you chose. It is what we use in our own homes.
Read our Purrify guide to plant-based litter and odor control.
Every figure below is a reading from our own test runs, not a rating. Where a run never took a reading it says so.
| Reading | Fresh Step Scented | Naturally Fresh Walnut | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust weighed per pourDust caught on a filter and weighed while the bag goes into the box. Lower is better. | 0.42 mg | 0.13 mgbetter | 0.29 mg |
| Clumps that survived the drop testShare of clumps still whole after a three-foot drop. Higher is better. | 66% | 89%better | 23 points |
| Bag priceWhat the tested bag cost. Bag sizes differ, so read it next to cost per pound. | $18.99 | $24.99 | $6.00 |
| Cost per poundBag price divided by what is in the bag. Lower is better. | $0.45better | $0.96 | $0.51 |
| Cost per dayWhat the box costs to keep running each day. Lower is better. | $0.40better | $0.54 | $0.14 |
| Cost across a yearThat daily cost carried over a full year of use. Lower is better. | $146better | $197 | $51 |
Neither run recorded granules outside the box, ammonia after one day and ammonia after three days, so those rows are left out rather than filled in from a similar bag. The full test data shows every reading we have.
Primary tradeoff: Naturally Fresh Walnut's weakest area here is tracking.
Best dust control here at 0.13mg per pour.
Strongest odor control in this set with strong natural absorption.
It still lands a stronger overall score than cheaper options because it is more balanced.
Scroll sideways to see every litter. Scores are editorial judgments out of 10.
| Product | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 8.1Good | 8.8Very good |
| Pricing | ||
| Price | $18.99 | $24.99 |
| Weight | 42 lbs | 26 lbs |
| Cost / Day | $0.40 | $0.54 |
| Performance | ||
| Dust Control | 6.2 0.42mg per pour | 8.1 0.13mg per pour |
| Clumping | 7.9 Decent | 8.9 Hard for natural litter |
| Odor Control | 8 Strong fragrance masking | 8.4 Strong natural absorption |
| Tracking Outside the Box | 6.2 Moderate | 7.4 Moderate |
| Value for Cost | 7.9 $0.40/day · $18.99 | 8.1 $0.54/day · $24.99 |
| Features | ||
| Type | Scented Clumping Clay | Walnut Shell |
| Flushable | ||
| Scented | Yes | No |
| Our Verdict | ||
| Best For | Convenient store-bought clay | Natural clumping without corn |
| Read ReviewCheck Price | Read ReviewCheck Price | |
Fresh Step Scented makes the most sense for convenient store-bought clay.
You want a dependable grocery-store clay option with decent clumping, a noticeable fragrance profile, and fair everyday value.
You need a formula that solves natural clumping without corn better.
Naturally Fresh Walnut makes the most sense for natural clumping without corn.
You want a walnut-shell litter that clumps harder than many natural competitors and absorbs odor naturally without added fragrance.
You need a formula that solves natural clumping without corn better.
The nearest options to this matchup on score and on price.
Runs at $0.80 a day. Its dust was never weighed.
Weighed 0.15mg per pour and runs at $0.72 a day.
Weighed 0.04mg per pour and runs at $0.55 a day.
Naturally Fresh Walnut comes out ahead on the balance of dust, clumping, odor control, tracking and daily cost. Fresh Step Scented is still the one to buy for convenient store-bought clay.
Fresh Step Scented runs at $0.40 a day against $0.54 for Naturally Fresh Walnut.
Naturally Fresh Walnut scored higher: strong natural absorption, against strong fragrance masking for Fresh Step Scented.
Naturally Fresh Walnut keeps more litter in the box: moderate, against moderate for Fresh Step Scented.
Two perfumed supermarket clays. Clump & Seal holds smell down longer and clumps harder. Fresh Step is the cheaper bag and pours a little less dust.
Ultra if you want the box to stop smelling of perfume and stop clouding when you pour. Fresh Step if you want it in the cart tonight.
Ultra holds its clumps better and pours less dust. Naturally Fresh is the plant litter that gets closest to it, for a little more per day.
Naturally Fresh is the way out of fragrance and heavy dust without paying premium clay money.
Naturally Fresh is the cheaper natural bag and clumps nearly as hard. Sustainably Yours flushes and tracks less.
Corn against walnut. World's Best flushes and barely leaves the tray. Naturally Fresh held more clumps together in our drop test and costs less per day.