BarkBox Subscription Review Is It Worth It

There is a subscription box for literally every type of product and occasion that you can think of. We have seen make-up boxes, home products, pet products, wellness boxes, snack boxes, even beer! Is the hype really worth it? Do I need to add one more box to my life? Many times a subscription can be a great option especially in our busy lives (who has time to carefully curate a gift box for your dog??). However, what are all the things you would like to consider when looking at a Barkbox subscription? Here is our experience and what we have discovered.

What is a BarkBox?

BarkBox is a monthly box with toys, treats, and quality products for your dog. (Sorry cat lovers, it’s not your jam today, for cat options we have seen a few out there.) Each month you can receive 2 toys, 2 treats, and a chew. The great thing is that if you want to adjust your box you are absolutely able to! Win! Do you have more than 1 dog and want extra treats? Done. Does your dog live on a careful diet and you don’t want treats? No problem. BarkBox is a quality option you can completely customize for busy pet parents, there are addon options with extra tough toys if your dog is a “power chewer”. The website interface is super fun and easy to use, which makes it a quick and easy experience. Their site is also mobile-friendly for people on the go. As you start receiving your boxes, the company would like some feedback. Were the toys right for your dog? They take the time to make sure that you are a happy customer, and that your doggos are happy too.

Do I really need to have custom dog toys or organic baked meat snacks?

That’s a very individual question, I don’t know your pet dynamic or what you currently provide for your dog so I can’t answer it for you. How much time do you have to search for fun and creative toys, do you want them to squeak? Do you need them to be super tough for aggressive chewers? Are you looking for fluffy cute toys that your princess puppy will snuggle with and not destroy? They’ve got you covered! What about the treats? While many dogs typically eat the same thing every day and are very used to that, many pet parents give treats regularly, this is a great opportunity to find new and fun treats that you can try without endless hours of online surfing to find specialty treats. If your dog is on a custom diet and you prefer not to have any snacks the company can accommodate that as well. Our dogs are on a special diet (more on that in another article) so the treats were hit and miss with us. Especially since I’m looking more for limited ingredients in our treat selection. In this case, we can deselect the treats or donate to a local shelter. Win-win.

How did my dogs like their BarkBox subscription?

Buddy

Our Buddy is the king of the pack, he is definitely our alpha. He is a rottie/ shepherd mix and is a rescue. He likes toys and all meat treats but doesn’t like peanut butter. He is an aggressive chewer but most especially he has a passion to remove and destroy any squeaker and destuffify (not really a word, but you get it). So now that we know the Buddy-basics here is what we found: The toys stood up to his dedication averagely. When I say average I mean that he does destroy the toys, sometimes in minutes, but we all know that fabric and stuffing are no match for the powerful canines! Buddy will seek out and destroy the dreaded squeaker as if it were his mission in life to foil the enemy. The hard plastic toys don’t interest him, he doesn’t chew just for the sake of it (unless it’s a yummy real bone), the rope toys don’t hold much allure probably because they can’t be ripped apart as easily. In full, Buddy says Yes, Love my BarkBox.

Scooby

Our Scooby is the ultimate puppy. Most people aren’t familiar with his breed, he is an Anatolian Shepherd. At almost 5 years old this sweet-tempered little man is the epitome of forever young. He loves to play, has a gentle spirit, and loves his toys. Squeaky toys are his favorite, he loves to make sounds and toss them around. Frequently Scooby and Buddy will play with toys but it always ends up with Buddy taking them and ripping the squeaker out. One of Scooby’s favorite things is to open the box himself! Yes, tearing up a cardboard box is super entertaining for this guy, needless to say, we are getting every bit of benefit from this subscription! haha Scooby says Yes, Love my BarkBox.

Allie

Our Allie-bear is definitely one of a kind. She is a rescue that we drove to Texas to get. We think she is a mix of Anatolian and Great Pyrenees, she certainly has their characteristics. Since she was a rescue we don’t know anything about her past and she doesn’t seem to like to play with toys. She will engage in play with the other dogs, but chewing isn’t her thing. The treats however are something that she is into. The box offers a couple of types of bagged treats and usually one chew. Well, since we have 3 dogs 1 chew isn’t going to cut it. I will normally save them up and every 3 months they get one. I know that you can add on to your boxes to get extra toys and extra treats, there are always upgrades! That would probably be a better option for customizing the box to your specific pack. While Allie leaves the toys to the other dogs, she definitely loved all the treats, some were duck, beef, chicken, pumpkin, and peanut butter were also a hit. Miss Allie didn’t find any of the treats distasteful so she says Yes, Love my BarkBox.

So what do you really think about a BarkBox subscription?

In truth, I thought it was a fun and great experience for everyone. The dogs got excited when we opened the box (we did make a small production of it and engaged them) The toys are so very creative and cute, the treats were fun to experiment with, and I love the experience with the company. We never had any issues, and starting and stopping the service was fine. If I were to custom curate toys treats and package it all up, I couldn’t beat the price for the monthly subscription. With my busy schedule, it completely made sense for us.