Elfin Fountain E1 Lite

I picked up one of the original elfin fountains after a while of searching around for a fountain that would be easier to keep clean. Fountains with a traditional pump would take me lots of time and effort to completely disassemble, fully clean, and get back together, and eventually the effort was putting me off cleaning it regularly, which wasn't fair to my cat. The elfin and their pumpless design was exactly what I was looking for, the cleaning and set up take minutes. However, my cat is old (going on 20 years), takes his time doing anything and the motion sensor setting and the relatively short run time was startling him enough that he wasn't using the fountain at all, I ended up giving it to a relative who has small dogs and they took to it quickly.

So why am I giving this 5 stars? Because the updated design solves my biggest issue, removing the sensor and allowing for a continuous flow. My cat instantly started using the new fountain, drinking from it with no issues! It's just as easy to clean and set up as the original, the light adds a little bit of illumination to a dark living room at night, and it's cheaper than the original model. I'll keep my eyes open for any future revisions that add back the stainless steel top but that's the only improvement I can ask for currently.

For people like myself who want to try this fountain in a last ditch effort to find one quiet enough to live it in a small apartment, it is quieter than fountains with motors, and the clean-up is definitely easier, but it isn't entirely noiseless. Instead of the hum of an engine, you have a constant whine. The sound of the water trickling tends to quiet down after a while.

This is such a great product.

I have two of the new E1Lite fountains, and one of the original (E1). The height is perfect for all size cats (I have small street rescue kittens through to rescue Maine Coon), the water gently runs up through and over the spout so it doesn't splash, or frighten them by being too fast.

The water height coming out is consistent so they don't get it up their nose. The water from the spout runs into a small dish so they can drink from the spout or from the accumulated water in the dish before it (silently) runs into the filter and recycles. That water just gently ripples so they can see it. The dish size is well thought out in terms of size and depth.

I absolutely love that it is continuous flow, I thought this was a flaw of the original one being motion activated, or short timer. Its super quiet. 2L capacity is fabulous too. Still just as easy to clean as the original.

The light is a very soft glow and it turns orange when you need to change the filter.

This has a new filter size and style, and it's not compatible with the E1. I have a multi cat household though, and I am only needing to replace every 3 weeks.

Overall, this is a big hit. Highly recommend.

cats love this and I love how easy it is to clean!!

My cat likes that it flows constantly - she likes to drink from the spout as it flows, and the original ones don't keep flowing long enough as she drinks, even on motion sensor setting. I like that it is lighted - it's a soft light, good as a night light, which would also be great with older pets. It's cool that the whole light changes color when the filter needs to be changed. It is as quiet and easy to clean as the original fountain, and I appreciate those features.

I dislike that the top layer is plastic. Plastic bowls, both food and water, can harbor bacteria and lead to chin acne, which can lead to more serious skin conditions.
I dislike that the top layer isn't attached, it makes it a bit tricky to pick up.
I dislike that it doesn't have a wireless option, that really limits where I can place it. I know that the constant flow would drain the battery more quickly, but I would be fine with charging it weekly with my other weekly chores. It would be nice to have it be optional.
I also dislike that it takes an entirely different filter than the original fountain, and now I need to spend twice as much to stock two different filters.