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Considering signing up for BarkBox?
I signed up a few months ago and in this BarkBox review, you’ll learn what my dog and I liked, what we didn’t like, and whether or not it’s right for you and your dog.
BarkBox was not what I expected and this review will help you make a good decision.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- What BarkBox is and how it works
- What makes BarkBox unique
- How popular BarkBox is compared to other dog boxes
- Whether or not BarkBox is worth it financially
- And much more
Plus, you’ll not only read what I thought about it, but you’ll see my dog unboxing his BarkBox.
Let’s dive in!
What Is BarkBox
BarkBox is a subscription box you get in the mail every month that includes two plush toys, two natural bags of treats, and a chew.
The boxes have a unique (and adorable) theme each month and some punny dog jokes.
How Does BarkBox Work?
To get BarkBox, just sign up for a plan (monthly, 6-month, or year-long plan) at BarkBox.com and they’ll send your box right away.
(I actually signed up for several boxes at a time to try them out and BarkBox arrived much faster than some of the others).
After you get your first box, you’ll get a new, unique box every month.
What Do You Get With BarkBox?
There are three parts to each BarkBox:
• 2 All-Natural Treats
Each BarkBox comes with two all-natural treats.
They’re protein-based and made in America or Canada.
My dog has loved all the treats he’s gotten so far (although he likes everything, so maybe that’s not saying much).
If your dog has allergies, you can specify that in the signup process and they’ll send you treats that are compatible with their allergies.
• 2 Plush Toys
Each BarkBox comes with two stuffed toys.
My dog loves these because they’re plush, squeaky, and crinkly.
His favorite so far has been the stuffed toilet paper roll (yes, see the picture below.).
They’re also my favorite because they’re hilarious.
And not only are they hilarious, but they’re also surprisingly durable.
Normally my dog tears plush toys up in one day, but some of the toys from BarkBox have lasted weeks.
And like the treats, the toys are made in America or Canada.
• 1 Chew
Each BarkBox comes with a chew.
The chews are a mix between a chew toy and a treat, like a bully stick.
My dog loves to chew, so this is a great addition to the box.
And like the other items in BarkBox, the chews are made in America or Canada.
Is BarkBox Popular?
I’ve heard a lot about BarkBox, and subscription boxes in general, so in a survey we did recently, I asked 600 Golden Retriever owners if they are subscribed to a dog subscription box.
Here’s what we found out:
I was surprised that 21% of Golden Retriever owners are subscribed to a subscription box — that seems like a lot!
And to further break things down, I asked which boxes they’re subscribed to.
Here’s what they said:
As you can see, BarkBox was clearly the most popular subscription box.
So now that you know what BarkBox is and how popular it is, let’s dive into the pros and cons of it.
Pros Of BarkBox
Here are the pros of BarkBox:
My dog loves it
The biggest pro of BarkBox is that my dog loves it.
He gets giddy when he sees the box and loves to take out all of the toys himself.
It’s a fun surprise that we both look forward to each month.
It Saves Me From Buying Toys
We used to buy our dog new plush toys about every month anyway, so BarkBox has saved us from doing that.
Themes
The themes are adorable, hilarious, and totally unique every month.
The toys are themed, as well as the packaging.
Personally, the themes are my favorite part.
Fast Shipping
When I first subscribed to BarkBox, I subscribed to a few others to test them out at the same time.
My BarkBox got to my house a few days before the other boxes did.
Amazing Company
BarkBox just seems like an amazing company.
The packaging and themes are funny, their social media channels are funny, the toys are high-quality, and they take care to be aware if your dog has any allergies.
It just seems like they really care about dogs and I appreciate that.
Here’s a video of my dog, Oliver, unboxing his BarkBox:
He loves it!
You can sign up for BarkBox here.
Cons Of BarkBox
Of course, no company is perfect.
Here are some of the cons of BarkBox:
Price
BarkBox isn’t cheap.
The price varies pretty widely depending on how many months you sign up for, so if you want to pay less per box, just sign up for a longer term!
Toys Aren’t Indestructible
The toys that come in BarkBox are plush toys, so of course, they’re not indestructible.
That being said, my dog has been known to tear up a plush toy in 15 minutes in the past, but he just hasn’t done that with the toys from BarkBox.
They’re surprisingly durable.
However, if your dog is a toy terrorizer, maybe the Super Chewer Box is a better choice.
Toys Can Pile Up
The opposite problem of your dog destroying the toys is that your dog doesn’t destroy them and after a few months of getting BarkBoxes in the mail, you now have too many toys.
For some dogs and owners, the more toys the better, but this isn’t the case for everyone.
Who BarkBox Is For
BarkBox is for dogs that love toys and treats.
It’s for dog owners who have a sense of humor and love to see their dogs happy.
And it’s for dog owners who are buying new toys for their dog anyway, and want to save time by getting them shipped automatically to their house.
Who BarkBox Is Not For
There’s really only one type of dog that BarkBox is not for: toy terrorizers.
If your dog destroys plush toys instantly, then maybe BarkBox isn’t for you.
However, if you’re buying plush toys anyway, this could save you a trip.
Plus, like I said earlier, BarkBox’s plush toys are more durable than most plush toys I’ve bought (and with a Golden Retriever who loves to play, I’ve bought a lot!).
BarkBox Pricing
BarkBox has yearly, 6-month, and monthly plans.
Of course, the yearly plan is the least expensive at $23/month.
The 6-month plan is $26/month.
And the monthly plan is $35/month.
To incentivize you to choose the yearly or 6-month plan, they’ll sometimes do a special offer, like extra toys and treats in your first box.
Now to answer the big question everyone has…
Is BarkBox Worth It?
BarkBox is worth it just to see your dog light up with joy when they get a new box every month.
You’ll also get a good laugh out of the jokes that come with the box, plus you’ll save time and money because you’re probably buying the toys, treats, and chews for your dog anyway.
What surprised me was how fun the whole experience was for both my dog and my wife and me.
But to dig a little further into the question of if it’s worth it financially, let’s do some calculations.
Every box comes with two plush toys, two treats, and a chew.
If you were to get comparable products on Amazon, here’s what it would cost:
2 plush lambchops: $16
2 bags of treats: $18
1 chew: $5
In total, this would be $39.
If you get the monthly plan, you’re saving $4/month.
If you get the 6-month plan, you’re saving $13/month.
If you get the yearly plan, you’re saving $16/month.
So yeah, if you’re buying this stuff anyway, it’s worth it financially.
How To Sign Up For BarkBox
Now that you know it’s worth it, let’s look into signing up.
To sign up for BarkBox, just click “subscribe” on their website, BarkBox.com.
First, they’ll ask you some questions about your dog, like their name and gender:
They’ll ask how big they are:
They’ll ask which breed they are (with an option to add more breeds for mixes, or select “mixed breed”):
