Naturally Fresh Walnut is the strongest all-around pick in this comparison for natural clumping without corn.
Fast-forming hard clumps with baking soda odor help, making it a strong mid-range clay pick if you can tolerate moderate dust.
A walnut-shell litter that clumps harder than many natural competitors and absorbs odor naturally without added fragrance.
HardBall clumps hard for less money. Naturally Fresh held more of its clumps together in our drop test and pours far less dust. It also breaks down naturally after it leaves the house, and that dust reading is the honest reason to switch.
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 | Arm & Hammer HardBall | Naturally Fresh Walnut | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dust weighed per pourDust caught on a filter and weighed while the bag goes into the box. Lower is better. | 0.48 mg | 0.13 mgbetter | 0.35 mg |
| Clumps that survived the drop testShare of clumps still whole after a three-foot drop. Higher is better. | 87% | 89%better | 2 points |
| Bag priceWhat the tested bag cost. Bag sizes differ, so read it next to cost per pound. | $19.99 | $24.99 | $5.00 |
| Cost per poundBag price divided by what is in the bag. Lower is better. | $0.53better | $0.96 | $0.43 |
| Cost per dayWhat the box costs to keep running each day. Lower is better. | $0.47better | $0.54 | $0.07 |
| Cost across a yearThat daily cost carried over a full year of use. Lower is better. | $172better | $197 | $25 |
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 | 8.5Very good | 8.8Very good |
| Pricing | ||
| Price | $19.99 | $24.99 |
| Weight | 38 lbs | 26 lbs |
| Cost / Day | $0.47 | $0.54 |
| Performance | ||
| Dust Control | 6 0.48mg per pour | 8.1 0.13mg per pour |
| Clumping | 9 Hard and fast | 8.9 Hard for natural litter |
| Odor Control | 8 Baking soda support | 8.4 Strong natural absorption |
| Tracking Outside the Box | 6 Moderate | 7.4 Moderate |
| Value for Cost | 8 $0.47/day · $19.99 | 8.1 $0.54/day · $24.99 |
| Features | ||
| Type | Fast-Clumping Clay | Walnut Shell |
| Flushable | ||
| Scented | Yes | No |
| Our Verdict | ||
| Best For | Fast hard clumping on a mid-range budget | Natural clumping without corn |
| Read ReviewCheck Price | Read ReviewCheck Price | |
Arm & Hammer HardBall makes the most sense for fast hard clumping on a mid-range budget.
You want fast-forming hard clumps with baking soda odor help, making it a strong mid-range clay pick if you can tolerate moderate dust.
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. Arm & Hammer HardBall is still the one to buy for fast hard clumping on a mid-range budget.
Arm & Hammer HardBall runs at $0.47 a day against $0.54 for Naturally Fresh Walnut.
Naturally Fresh Walnut scored higher: strong natural absorption, against baking soda support for Arm & Hammer HardBall.
Naturally Fresh Walnut keeps more litter in the box: moderate, against moderate for Arm & Hammer HardBall.
Ultra is the cleaner litter. HardBall is the cheaper way to get clumps that set fast and come out in one piece.
Two Arm & Hammer clays built for different things. Clump & Seal is about fragrance and a low bag price.
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.