Honest Reviews

So I got my First BarkBox and I am in Love


There is a monthly subscription box for everything and for everyone these days, including our best furry friends. Some people might not treat themselves with a box like that, but many are ready to spoil their pets. And nobody can blame them, because as we know, pets are people too.

Bark Brand Dog Toys

There are many monthly subscription boxes to choose from. When it comes to cats, their owners love Cat Lady Box, Purr Packs, and KitNipBox for toys and treats. Dog owners enjoy Rescue Box, Bullymake Box, and many others. And then there is the BarkBox.

 

What is the BarkBox?

Many of us have heard this name, but might not know much about it besides the fact that it’s made for creatures that bark. The company was started in 2012 by Henrik Werdelin and became profitable in 2017. It has been steadily growing ever since without any signs of slowing down.

The most impressive fact about the company is that is has an average of 600,000 subscribers every month and most of them keep their subscription for many months. If that many people find it so good, I and my German Shepherd Oska decided to give BarkBox a try.

Barkbox Dog Toys

 

How does it work?

The system is very simple. Once you sing up and create an account, you will receive a BarkBox once a month for as long as you keep paying. You can definitely expect some excitement from your dog as he gets a box of toys, treats, and cool accessories every month.

Every box is themed. The best ones arrive before the biggest holidays, such as Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and July 4th. Other times you can expect to get themes like Chewrastic Bark. Every box contains two toys, 2 bags of treats, a chew, and one curated item or accessory to match the monthly theme.

Barkbox Toys

All the toys are designed by BarkBox own engineers and tested by dogs to see how much playing it can withstand.

When you are creating your dog’s profile for the first time, you will be asked about his or her size and dietary needs. If you have a dog that tends to destroy all the fluffy toys, you might be better of ordering him a box of tough toys called SuperChewer.

 

BarkBox Coupons:

  • $10 on Monthly Subscription
  • Free Extra Toy with Every Box
  • Free Shipping for any Order

 

How much does it cost?

The standard box costs $29 per month. If you think you are ready to receive boxes for quite a while, you should sign up for 12 months and get a discount and bonus toys for being a loyal customer. The registration is so simple that it won’t take more than 5 minutes.

Dog Toys Barkbox

 

What did we think about edible items?

Oska and I tested BarkBox for two months before writing this review. Let’s examine what came in during that time:

  • Lamb Gyro flavor Fresh Fair Treats
  • Duck Shish Kabob Fresh Fair Treats
  • Chicken and Fish Taco Fresh Fair Treats
  • NY City Central Pork Pizza Treats
  • Salmon Plato Pet Treats Thinkers Chew
  • Plush Max’s Main Lobster Roll
  • Plush Gideon the Pigeon
  • Spiky core Lickton Iced Tea Chewing toy
  • 3 super chewy rubber toys

 

There are definitely a lot of treats in every box. If you limit them for your dog, you should start a stockpile and you won’t run out of them for a while.

 

What did my dog like?

Oska loved everything, starting with the sound the opening of the box and wrapping paper made. The first toy to come out of the first box was the Max’s Main Lobster Roll. After I squeezed it, Oska was hooked on the box and all its content.

Oska loves a good plush toy, especially if it has a tail and a squeaker is involved. To my surprise she preferred this crinkle noise made by the lobster even more than squeaking noises of other toys. She grabbed it out of my hand and went to her bed to do a little bit of chewing. The toy handled many days of ruff tumbling and chewing like a champ.

She also enjoyed all the treats, which was surprising because she was always a dog that didn’t care much about treats. Chews and hard chew toys were appreciated too.

Barkbox Bed

 

What is my final word?

A few weeks after receiving the boxes with all the goodies inside, the toys are still alive, mostly. Rubber chews are around and loved from time to time. The fluffy toys are still kind of fluffy, except for Gideon the Pigeon who lost his squeaker and passed away.

All in all, both Oska and I loved BarkBox. A dog like Oska will play with just about anything, so it’s no surprise she loved the toys. I was, however, very pleased with the quality and cuteness of all the toys and treats. The regular plush animals survived just fine, except for one, so the super chew kind will last forever. Treat bags will be used for a while, but chews are long gone. All the items we received were allergy-friendly, which is an important element for many dogs. Given all that, the BarkBox definitely has our vote and our paw.