Ultimate BarkBox Review | What Comes in a BarkBox and is it Worth the Price? Everything You Need to Know
For many people, their pets are like their kids and they love spoiling them. So, when pre-filled themed box subscriptions became popular, it was only natural for pet versions like the BarkBox toys and treat boxes to follow.
Bark & Co. was one of the first businesses to capitalize on our love for man’s best friend and introduced the BarkBox subscription service in December of 2011. They currently have approximately 600,000 subscribers that receive a monthly pooch treat box at their door.
So, what’s in a BarkBox and how much does BarkBox cost? Most importantly… is BarkBox worth it for the price?
We’re going to answer those questions and more in this AdvisoryHQ News BarkBox review. You’ll learn about the BarkBox heavy chewer option, what pet owners say about the service in BarkBox reviews, the BarkBox price structure, and how to cancel BarkBox.
If you’ve ever wondered, “Is BarkBox worth it for my dog?” then you’ll want to read on to find out.
BarkBox Review
According to the National Pet Owners Survey by the American Pet Products Association (APPA), approximately 78% of dog owners buy their pets gifts and 98% give them treats. That’s a big reason that people have questions about treat subscriptions and look for a BarkBox review to see if the company is legitimate.
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BarkBox Review: What is BarkBox?
So, what is BarkBox, exactly? It’s a monthly subscription service that sends dog treats and toys to your doorstep in a box. The company is based in the U.S., but Canadians can also get BarkBox Canada delivery. Shipping is free to both countries.
If you’re looking for BarkBox UK delivery, unfortunately you’re currently out of luck. The company only delivers to the US and Canada at this time.
BarkBox Review – How BarkBox Works
- Sign up for a subscription option at BarkBox
- The first box is shipped to you right away
- Subsequent boxes ship on the 15th of each month
- The shipments continue monthly until you cancel BarkBox
- Each box has a different theme
Themes for BarkBox Toys & Treats
Part of the human fun that’s included with the BarkBox price are the different themes each month. Every box revolves around that month’s theme and everything inside is chosen with that in mind.
Some of the themes include:
- Bento & Blossoms
- Chewrassic Bark
- New York City
- Sniffin’ Safari
- The Good, the Bad, and the Pugly
- The Knights of the Hound Table
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BarkBox Review: What Comes in a BarkBox?
An important part of determining “Is BarkBox worth it?” is what comes in a BarkBox package. If you just receive cheap items that your dog chews up in no time, it would be a waste of money for you.
It turns out there is a BarkBox Super Chewer version, but we’ll get into that in a little bit. First, let’s look at the basics of what’s in a BarkBox.
BarkBox Review – What’s in a BarkBox?
- 2 innovative toys
- 2 all-natural bags of treats
- 1 chew
If you’re particular about the type of food your dog eats, you may be wondering, is BarkBox worth it…are their treats high quality?
The company says that all BarkBox items are chosen by dog lovers and for the BarkBox cost, you’re not going to get junk.
All treats are made in the US & Canada and are free of wheat, corn, soy, and fillers. In a BarkBox review of the ingredients, you’ll also find that they have no artificial flavors and no artificial preservatives.
Each toy is a BARK Original designed of sturdy construction to excite and enrich a dog’s playtime. They state that they don’t ship a toy until it’s been play tested and approved by their own dogs.
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How Much Does BarkBox Cost?
BarkBox might sound great, but an important question most people want to know is, “How much is BarkBox going to cost me?”
The company offers a tiered subscription plan as short as 1 month and up to 12 months. You can of course cancel BarkBox, but it only gets cancelled at the end of your original subscription period.
BarkBox Cost
BarkBox Review – BarkBox Cost Breakdown
- $29/month for a monthly subscription
- $25/month paying 6 months up front ($135)
- $21/month paying 12 months up front ($239)
When you choose BarkBox US or BarkBox Canada, you’ll be asked to pick your pet size. You can choose small (up to 20 lbs), medium (20-50 lbs), or big (50+ lbs). All boxes are the same price and you can change the size you chose at any time.
Worried that your pet might chew their way through those toys in no time? Then, you’ll want to read on for information on BarkBox Super Chewer.
Are there BarkBox Coupons?
If you search online for BarkBox coupons, you will find several sites that offer savings coupons for BarkBox Canada or US subscriptions.
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What is BarkBox Super Chewer?
Do you have a pooch that loves to chew stuff? For just a little higher BarkBox cost you can get a BarkBox heavy chewer version. This box includes extra durable toys and 2 hearty chews instead of 1, in addition to the 2 toys and 2 bags of treats.
BarkBox Super Chewer
BarkBox Super Chewer Pricing
- $39/month for a monthly subscription
- $34/month paying 6 months up front ($204)
- $29/month paying 12 months up front ($348)
Just like the original, the BarkBox heavy chewer version includes all-natural treats and chews and pre-tested and “dog approved” toys. All items are made in the US & Canada.
BarkBox Reviews | What Do Pet Owners Say About BarkBox Toys & Treats?
Do BarkBox toys and products stack up? Is BarkBox worth it for what you pay? Next, let’s take a look at what dog lovers around the web say in their BarkBox reviews.
We’ll also see what top ratings sites have to say about BarkBox and what you get for the BarkBox price.
BarkBox Review | Online Rating Sites
Here is an overview of ratings scored by BarkBox Canada & US subscribers on well-known review and rating sites.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) – A+ rating
- ConsumerAffairs – 4.2 out of 5
- HighYa – 2.9 out of 5
- Trustpilot – 3 out of 5
- Canine Journal – 4.5 out of 5
In our goal to bring you everything you need to know about BarkBox and to answer what is BarkBox for dog lovers, we’ve taking a look at multiple BarkBox reviews. We’ll start with the not so happy reviewers and then move onto the positive ones.
BarkBox Review – The Negatives
Questionable billing and poor quality toys were two of the common issues unhappy customers mentioned in their BarkBox reviews. Here’s a snapshot of what people don’t like about this subscription service and who would not agree that BarkBox is worth it.
- One dog owner was upset that their dog chewed right through the toys and not happy about being upgraded (for extra money) to the BarkBox Super Chewer version. This caused then to just cancel BarkBox all together.
- In another BarkBox review the pet owner said they got billed again for the 2nd month in less than 2 weeks after the first and they weren’t happy about it at all.
- Poor toy quality was noted in a BarkBox review at HighYa. They said the toys were “dollar store” quality and they had signed up for a year subscription and couldn’t cancel BarkBox before it ran out.
- Another reviewer of BarkBox blames them for her pup having to have surgery after swallowing a squeaker that came out of one of the BarkBox toys.
- A BarkBox reviewer at ConsumerAffairs would give a big “No” to the question, “Is BarkBox worth it?”. They said the treats started piling up and the toys were poor quality, so they ended up cancelling BarkBox and just buying treats and toys at the store or yard sales.
BarkBox Review – The Positives
Now for the flip side. The people that love both the regular subscription and the BarkBox Super Chewer and sing the company’s praises in their BarkBox reviews. If asked, “Is BarkBox worth it?” these reviewers would give a resounding, “Yes!”.
- One pet owner said in their BarkBox review on Consumer Affairs that their pet loves BarkBox and gets excited whenever his new box comes in the mail.
- Exceptional customer service was something we saw repeated in more than one BarkBox review. One reviewer received a broken toy and not only did they send a new one right out, they let them choose the toy replacement.
- Two pet parents that really care what their dog eats actually tasted some of the treats themselves and praised the natural ingredients in their BarkBox review.
- A reviewer on Trustpilot said her dog loves the treats and toys, which she said were good quality. She had been using the service for 18 months and was thankful to know that the products were all made in the US and Canada.
- A BarkBox reviewer that received the subscription as a gift said their dog just loves it and it gives her some excitement each month. They also thought the monthly themes were adorable.
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Can I Find BarkBox for Cats?
If you search BarkBox for cats on the BarkBox website, you’ll see that they only do boxes for dogs. But they suggest to keep harmony in bi-pet families, that you can offer the empty box to your cat to play with.
If you do a little digging online for BarkBox for cat alernatives, you’ll see that there is a North American company out there full of cat lovers that makes “meowbox” (ah, but that’s another review).
Those of you looking for BarkBox UK, you’re not out of luck either, if you search online you can find other similar services that are Europe based or offer shipping to Europe.
AdvisoryHQ BarkBox Review Conclusion | Is BarkBox Worth it?
After taking a deep dive into the company for this BarkBox review, we would have to say that this is a very legitimate company that makes thousands of dogs in the US and Canada happy each month.
The people that may answer negatively to, “Is BarkBox worth it?” fall into two main categories, those that think the BarkBox toys are too cheap and those that have trouble cancelling their BarkBox subscription.
We found that some of the cancellation difficulty is due to not reading the company’s easy to find cancellation policy where they note that if you sign up for 6 or 12 months, your cancellation happens at the end of that term.
There is also some misunderstanding about the BarkBox cost and how it’s charged. They send the first box immediately, but if you’ve signed up a week or two before the 15th of the month, you’ll get another charge and another box in less than a month due to the timing.
How much is BarkBox as compared to just buying the treats yourself? Some subscribers say about the same, some say they’re more, and others think the monthly excitement in their dog’s eyes when they get their BarkBox is priceless.
Our suggestion for those that may not be sure about how the toys will stand up to their pet’s playtime would be to either sign up for the BarkBox Super Chewer or to go to their online store where you can purchase the toys, chews, and treats separately to see how your dog likes them.
In conclusion, we give high marks in our BarkBox review for BarkBox Canada and US. According to multiple subscribers, the company has amazing customer service and the price is more than worth it to make their pets happy.
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Image sources:
- https://barkbox.com/
- https://barkbox.com/themes
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