?Thinking about a monthly toy box for your pup, but not sure exactly what you are getting? Read our subscription review of the ever-popular BarkBox.
Subscription boxes have been the "it" thing for people for the last couple of years. A gift subscription for others or yourself can be perfect for the hard-to-gift person. Companies like FabFitFun, Birchbox, Murad, ipsy, and more have all made receiving new products in a box in the mail exciting. Many subscription services will even give you a discount on your first box. But what if Fido wants some high-quality goodies of his own delivered in a monthly subscription box?
Here's where Bark Box comes in. Because we all know our pups have zero use for beauty products. Our subscription review will tell you more about the product and help you decide if it's a good fit for your pooch.
What is Bark Box?
Bark Box is one of the most popular, if not the best monthly subscription boxes on the market for dogs. You, as the subscriber, can sign up to receive a box either for small, medium, or large dogs. They even have boxes for heavy chewers. Each box comes with two bags of treats, toys, and a bonus treat. Bark Box has a coupon code that you can use on your first box that varies from a discount to an extra toy or treat in every box. Depending on the time of year, they even have a deluxe box promo for new subscribers, not as good as a free subscription, but pretty darn close. Two boxes for the price of one is a pretty good hook if you ask me!
The box is a different theme every month. You can sneak a peek at box spoilers online or even on Bark Boxes' website. The subscription price varies based on the size of your dog, but it usually is about $15 or so less than retail value. All Bark Box's products are made in the U.S. and are Gluten-free, soy-free, and grain-free. Of course, all Bark Boxes are cruelty-free. Pups love being the samplers of these tasty treats and squeaky toys.
I Tried Bark Box. Is It Worth the Subscription?
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I gave Bark Box a try with our very energetic Border Collie, Heeler, Labrador mix, Paisley. For reference, she is a medium-size dog, but at the top end of the range at 45 pounds. Bark Boxes' medium subscription is for dogs between 20-50 pounds.
I'm not sure who was more excited when her first box came, the hooman or the pup! Yet, somehow she knew that when the mailman brought the box to the door, it was for her. The box was filled with tasty treats. One set was made of lamb, and the other was made out of pork, and of course, the packaging and names fit in with the monthly theme.
Her toys were a plush deer with a squeaker in the middle and a rope toy with birds on the ends. She loves plush toys and makes it her mission to destroy them, so the plushie deers' TOD was about two days after the box came! But that was to be expected. Plush toys do not last long around here. She is a better candidate for the heavy chewer box.
The rope toy, however, lasted much longer. She loves tossing it in the air and playing tug-of-war with it and my 7-year old. It gives them a fun activity to do together and helps control her energy while playing with the kiddos.
She gobbled up the pork and lamb treats, which my two-year-old gave her by the handful. The treats were the perfect size for training and rewarding too. The deluxe treat in the monthly box was a roasted beef steak, almost like a freeze-dried texture. It was very similar to the freeze-dried fruit you can buy at the store for yourself, but in meat form.
The best part of the box was the cute little details of the monthly theme stuffing and activity suggestions for you and your pup. It adds a cute detail to involve you and your pup in some quality playtime. All in all, the box is worth the monthly subscription price. One thing we did find, even with the handfuls the two-year-old was giving her, Paisley did not go through the treats within a month. After a couple of months, we had a nice little collection of treats for her. We made it fun and opened two at a time and switched back and forth throughout the week to keep it interesting.
Positive Subscription Box Reviews on Amazon
The box has over 2,000 reviews on Amazon, primarily with five stars. Here's what others loved about the box:
Great value for the treats, toys, and fun!
Plan Option: Medium Dog (20-50lb)Verified Purchase
"My dog goes nuts over these! Good treats that last forever... we have to give some packs away which is great for our friends at the dog park and hiking trails! The toys are durable, cute, and safe. Love each box comes with a theme so my dog is just as excited as I am to open the box! The dog size selection is great and the toys/treats are well chosen for each! I love sending them as gifts to others too. We get the best videos of our pets opening these!!"
Excellent Service!
Plan Option: Medium Dog (20-50lb)
"I've been a subscriber for years. They offer a great amount of flexibility and care. They offer some customization to your dog (or dogs if they share a box) that suits what they like. In the past when there were fires in the area they gave us a free box. Since we weren't affected they were even willing to donate it to the shelter of our choice. Any questions you have they get back to you within a day."
Negative Reviews from Customers
Like with anything, some people are not a fan of the box. Some of the negative reviews are:
Cuddly toys, not play toys
Plan Option: Large Dog (50lb+)Verified Purchase
"Our dog loved most of the treats (but then again, he just loves treats in general) but the toys were destroyed within hours."
Great Idea, Poorly Administered
Plan Option: Large Dog (50lb+)Verified Purchase
"To begin, I ordered my first BarkBox subscription on September 1st and didn't receive it until 2 weeks later on the 14th. I realize BarkBox is not affiliated with Prime membership, which I am, but 2 weeks to get delivery? - Nah. To continue, I purchased the largest box available (for dogs over 50 lbs) which turns out to be smaller than a shoebox. Inside the box, and I'm not entirely familiar with how this company handles monthly subscriptions, but there were two bags of treats, two toys, and a protein bar; all of which was colored in this immensely tacky-looking (I'm guessing 80's themed?) light pinks and blues. Just looking at them I was immediately disappointed. I would share photos of the brochure and other paper items that came with it but they found their way to the garbage pretty quickly. Everything just looked like it was cheaply designed and made. Very tacky. The treats? - Had a cheap smell to them if that makes sense. The toys? - My 10-month-old golden retriever has dozens of toys, too many in fact and she has never damaged a single one - she's ripped holes in both toys, and it's been 3 days.
"Great idea and cool for dogs but bottom line not worth the $30 even if the quality was better. Hopefully, this company improves or competitors come in."
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