Introduction

The following is a review of my personal experience with BarkBox from Bark.  You’ll see what’s included in the box I received, An Autumn Tail.  It was packed with goodies that are explained in detail below.  I will also detail my experience with BarkBox and Barkbox customer service.

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Name: BarkBox

Website: Barkbox.com

Product Overview

It’s been awhile since I received a regular BarkBox. My experience with BarkBox in the past few years has been mostly limited to the Super Chewer box.  Which we loved.
BarkBox is a subscription box for dogs. Each box comes with 2 toys, 2 bags of treats, and a chew.  Each month has a different theme.  I have seen all sorts of themes and the toys are always great.  It’s also great because I don’t have to go to the pet store much anymore.  I would always end up with a lot more than I planned on!  The box keeps me from buying too many new toys. (There are a couple every now and then.)

When you start a subscription, they send the first box immediately.  We received September’s themed box as our first one.
This is our Autumn Tail box.  Our plan includes 3 toys, 2 bags of treats, and one chew.  We bought it for our puppy and she was thrilled.  We purchased the Super Chew box for our big dog in the past and he immediately recognized the box.  It is cute when they get excited over a box.

The Treats

We’ll check out the treats first. Our box included two bags of treats, each a different flavor. One is called Duck Boots and the other Turkey Trot Bark only has all natural treats which is nice.  I am very aware of what we give our dogs.

I always require high quality food and treats. These treats definitely meet the criteria.
The treats are free of wheat, soy, corn, and grain.  They make the treats in the USA.  They do have some imported ingredients. The big takeaway from the ingredients is that Duck and Turkey are the main ingredients of these treats.  And if your pup doesn’t like the treats, you can contact them.  I have never had to contact them about treats and I’ve been through a LOT of flavors from our Super Chewer boxes.
The chew that was included was a Turkey Stick.  That was eaten the night we got our box so it is unavailable for the review.  All of the sticks and chews we have received in the past get the dog’s approval.  He loved them and gobbled up every treat and chew immediately.

The Toys

The included toys are high quality toys that have never disappointed.  All have been of high quality and the normal cost of the BarkShop toys is $10. (If you fall in love with a toy, you can go to BarkShop and find a replacement.)

The first toy in our box is called Puppy Spice Latte.  It feels like the toy is a big squeaker with some stuffing at the top and bottom.  It has a decent size to it and does not feel like it could get popped or stop squeaking like some toys do.

The Munch Bunch is the second toy.  It was slightly more engaging.  It was a little bag with two little balls in it that are supposed to be apples.  My pup had fun trying to get the apples out of the bag.  The bag itself is a crinkle toy.

The apples are little tennis balls that squeak if squeezed hard enough.

The last toy is called Heather.  It’s a mouse that can go in and out of the sweater.  The sweater is another crinkle toy and the mouse feels like the whole thing is a big squeaker. My pup enjoy this toy.  She loves the crinkle toys.  Our big dog loved the mouse so it worked out well.

If you evaluate the toys that came in this box, there’s two toys that can become multiple toys. My dog loves them all. She’s a bit rough on them though.

The Good and the Bad

The Good:

1. They give back to the community.  They have a program for rescues and shelters.
2. The treats are high quality.  They’re always made without wheat, soy, corn, and grain.
3. The toys are curated for your dog’s size. Many of the toys are interactive.
4. They want your dog to love everything in the box.  If they don’t contact them.
5. They have various choices of single box or subscriptions that can save a little bit.
6. Bark bills the subscriptions monthly.  You don’t have to pay upfront for the whole subscription.

The Bad:

1. Once you sign up for a subscription, it is very hard to cancel.
2. If you order one box, that is considered a subscription and must be canceled before the billing date.
3. The box is not suitable for heavy chewers. (You’ll need to upgrade to a Super Chewer box.)

Who is BarkBox for?

BarkBox is for everybody who has a dog that doesn’t play rough with their toys.  It is a great value and you don’t have to buy treats or toys at the store anymore.  If you do have a dog that plays rough and chews hard, there is an upgraded box called the Super Chewer box.

Does the company offer support? Is there a support system?

I know there are probably some that will disagree with me, but I don’t know that I’ve spoke / emailed with a better customer support team.  It’s cute how they always do puns and say their dog asked how my dog was doing, but that has nothing to do with why I like the BarkBox customer service team.

As I said above, I used to get Super Chewer boxes for my big guy.  We even did a double deluxe subscription for 6 months.  He got FOUR toys every month.  Towards the end of getting the Super Chewer boxes, the toys seemed a bit more durable.  But when we started the subscription, that wasn’t the case.  I had to call or go through their chat program every month about another toy being destroyed.  I certainly gave them a lot of feedback on what toys weren’t durable. But every time I called or chatted, they sent out a replacement toy.  Every individual I worked with was extremely pleasant and wanted to make it right.  Nobody ever questioned my dog’s ability to tear things up. A couple times they would tell me what toys were available as replacements so I could pick the one that seemed the most durable.

I actually did a live chat with BarkBox today.  And it was just as it had been in the past.  Only this time I wanted to upgrade my subscription.  We have a lot of durable toys and that’s most of what our puppy has played with.  There’s been a couple of small toys we’ve bought at the store.  I was expecting them to fall apart because they were inexpensive.  We decided we could get the puppy her own box so she would have toys for her size.

We received the box on Friday and it’s now Sunday.  Two days to get a feel for the toys.  I should have known better.  This box is designed for normal dogs who don’t destroy everything.  Which is not my puppy apparently.  The mouse is earless and one of the apple tennis balls is missing all of its felt.  The mouse’s sweater has become the new tug of war toy. Needless to say, I needed to upgrade my box to the Super Chewer box.

When I was doing the live chat today, the representative was incredibly friendly.  She upgraded my subscription, no questions asked, and even offered to send a toy to hold us over until our next box.

How much does Barkbox cost? 

Barkbox prices can vary.  They have 3 subscription levels.  The 1 month subscription is $35 / month. This is a subscription and will renew every month until you cancel it.  The 6 month subscription is $26 / month.  The BarkBox will ship every month and the subscription will renew if you don’t cancel it.  There’s also a 12 month subscription that costs $23 / month. Just like the others, it will renew if you don’t cancel the renewal.  The cost of the 12 month plan is the least amount monthly.  In addition to BarkBox subscriptions, you can gift barkboxes in a quantity of 1, 3, 6, and 12.  They are $35, $99, $156, and $276 respectfully.

In addition to the subscription choices, there are also monthly choices you can add to your box.  You can add on individual toys and treats or double your box contents. You can even Bark’s new dental product, Bright.  Each of these is in addition to the monthly price you are paying for the subscription.

Is Barkbox worth the money?

I personally find BarkBox well worth the money.  You can’t go to the store and buy 2 quality toys, 2 bags of quality treats, and a quality chew for what the BarkBox costs.  You may be able to find less expensive options at a store, but when you look at the prices of the Bark toys that are in stores, the majority are $10 and up.

When does BarkBox ship?

Barkbox will ship your first box right away.  After that, Bark sends out the monthly subscription boxes around the 15th of each month.

Summary of BarkBox

Product Name: BarkBox
Product Website: barkbox.com
Price: Varies on subscription length and add ons ($23+)
Overall:  9/10 stars

Conclusion:

I love getting BarkBox every month almost as much as my pup does.  It’s a great option for any pet parent who loves to spoil their kids with high quality items.

As an added bonus, if you click here, you’ll get an extra month free!

Do you already receive BarkBox for your pup every month?  What’s your dog’s favorite?  Toys, treats, or chews?