The study prepared slow-release fertilizers with different ratios of zeolite and nano-zeolite and compared them with conventional urea fertilizers to study the effect of zeolite and nano-zeolite as urea carriers on soil nutrient leaching, including nutrient release patterns, leaching characteristics, and impacts on soil nutrient content. A soil column leaching experiment was conducted with seven treatments, conventional urea (CK) and slow-release fertilizers with different ratios of zeolite (ZU₁, ZU₂, ZU₃) and nano-zeolite (nZU₁, nZU₂, nZU₃). The study analyzed the dynamic changes and cumulative leaching amounts of ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the leachate and measured the soil nutrient content after leaching. Zeolite and nano-zeolite-based slow-release fertilizers significantly prolonged fertilizer effectiveness and reduced the concentration of ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the leachate (P<0.05). Treatments with 50% zeolite (ZU₃) and 50% nano-zeolite (nZU₃) were the most effective in reducing nutrient leaching. Specifically, ZU3 reduced ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus in the leachate by 7.19%, 6.54%, 14.51% and 9.72%, respectively, while nZU₃ reduced them by 7.20%, 6.91%, 12.84% and 6.36%, respectively. The slow-release fertilizers also significantly increased soil nitrogen content, with total nitrogen in ZU₃ and nZU₃-treated soils increasing by 14.88% and 19.83% compared to the control. From the perspective of nutrient release patterns, it was observed that zeolite and nano-zeolite slow-release fertilizers exhibited a lower release rate in the early stages of the experiment. This is attributed to the strong adsorption properties of zeolite and nano-zeolite, which can effectively slow down the release of urea. The release peak of the fertilizers was delayed to 6–8 days, and the release became more steady in the later stages of leaching. This pattern suggests that the application of zeolite and nano-zeolite can effectively reduce the risk of nutrient loss due to leaching, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of fertilizers. Furthermore, the comparison between zeolite-based and nano-zeolite-based slow-release fertilizers revealed that the differences in reducing the leaching of ammonium nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus were not obvious, but both of them had significantly better performance than conventional urea in terms of reducing nutrient leaching (P<0.05). In summary, the use of zeolite and nano-zeolite as urea carriers in slow-release fertilizers showed to be an effective strategy for delaying nutrient release, reducing nitrogen and phosphorus leaching, and enhancing soil nutrient content. The optimal results were achieved with a 50% zeolite and 50% nano-zeolite ratio, indicating a promising application potential in agricultural practices. This approach not only contributes to the sustainable management of soil fertility but also offers a potential solution for reducing the environmental impact associated with excessive fertilizer use.