The Latest Barkbox Reviews – Is It Worth It in 2023?

We love our furry besties, so why not give them back some of the joy they bring into our lives every day? A box full of toys and treats is an excellent way to keep your pet entertained.

Most BarkBox reviews are incredibly positive, but is the subscription worth the cost? 

We researched and compiled all the information you might need about the service — what it is, what it offers, the price, pros, and cons. Let’s find out more.

All About BarkBox

If you’re looking for the perfect dog gift box, you need to find out all the details before you decide to spend your money. Barkbox is among the most popular services for your pet, but how and when did it all begin?

Overview and Highlights

Established in 2011 by Carly Strife, Henrik Werdelin, and Matt Meeker, BarkBox is a monthly subscription service for your pupper. The service runs under a bigger organization named BARK. Over two million dogs have received the box and left some fantastic BarkBox reviews we’ll explore shortly.

BARK runs multiple businesses, including BarkBox, BarkCam, BARK Essentials, BARK Eats, BarkPost, BARK Bright, and BarkBuddy. 

Here, we’ll focus solely on BarkBox and its endeavor to provide toys and treats for the happiness and health of all dogs.

What Does BarkBox Offer?

Each monthly box comes with new BarkBox themes. In any case, your pup will receive two natural treats, two well-designed toys, and a chew. Among the themes, you’ll find Space Jam, WWE, and NBA.

After your first delivery, you can customize the order to your dog’s preferences. For instance, if your pup has allergies, you can order boxes with toys only.

The company crafts the toys with your pup in mind every step of the way. Each color, sound, and purpose is carefully thought out to bring dogs as much joy as possible.

BarkBox treats and chews are thoroughly tested and tried before they get to your furry friend. Also, the treats are made in the US and Canada with imported and domestic ingredients of the finest quality. 

You can rest assured that these tasty delicacies are free from corn, wheat, and soy. If your dog has specific allergies, you can inform the BarkBox team.

BarkBox offers three box sizes. Choose the BarkBox options that work best for you, depending on how big your dog is. The size doesn’t impact the price, so don’t worry if you have a giant breed. Here’s how to determine what to get: 

• Small — Under 20 lbs
• Medium — Between 10-49 lbs
• Large — Over 50 lbs

You’ll also find options for the teeniest pups. BarkBox reviews for small dog boxes mention you should contact the team to see how they can help. Rest assured that no doggo gets left behind. These are general guidelines, so take note of your pup’s likes and change it if you need to.

The company recommends you size up if your pup is in a growing phase or a very determined chewer.

BarkBox plans are suitable for pups of all sizes and ages. Plus, you can indicate the dietary requirements to get the most suitable items for your dog. 

The products aren’t only available through subscription. You can find them at Target, Urban Outfitters, Amazon, Bluestone Lane, and Meijer.

Each box comes with a handy leaflet explaining what’s inside and offering you tips and tricks, too.

If you want to join in on the monthly fun, you can get some full-size monthly subscription boxes for yourself, too.

BarkBox Add-ons

You can add more items to your monthly box through the “Add to Box” section under the order. Plus, you can even double up the items for a special dog treat. 

If your pup enjoys any of the products a lot, you can find them on the BarkShop. We recommend the Bark Super Chewer for dog owners of super-tough breeds that destroy toys in 0.5 seconds. The employees behind Super Chewer BarkBox review the boxes each month to include new toys and treats.

BarkBox Pricing, Discounts & Options 

You have a few BarkBox subscription options. We’ll break them down for you: 

Monthly Billing Classic: 

• One month plan: $35
• 6-month plan: $26
• 12-month plan: $23

Monthly Billing Classic + extra toy:

• One month plan: $44 ($35 + $9 Extra Toy)
• 6-month plan: $33/month ($26 + $7 Extra Toy)
• 12-month plan: $30/month ($23 + $7 Extra Toy)

Upfront Billing: Classic:

• 6-month plan: $139
• 12-month plan:$234

Upfront Billing Classic + Extra Toy:

• 6-month plan: $178 ($124 + $54 Extra Toy)
• 12-month plan: $299 ($191 + $108 Extra Toy)

Please note that all subscriptions automatically renew at the end. Many BarkBox customer service reviews complain about this, but it’s a pretty standard policy for monthly boxes. Besides, you can cancel at any time. But once you’ve signed up, you need to commit to the subscription period.

You’ll be billed as soon as you sign up for upfront billing or your first box. If you pick the monthly option, you can choose between the first, third, or ninth day of each month for billing.  

Saving Opportunities 

There’s a BarkBox offer for military workers and veterans — a $10 discount. 

Gift cards are an excellent option if you want to get a gift for that special puppy in your life that’s not living with you. Plus, buying in bulk earns you additional discounts:

• 5–10 gift cards = 10% off
• 11–29 cards = 15% off
• 30+ cards = 20%

You can also make use of the BarkBox affiliate program. For each sign-up, you’ll receive a commission.

Charities + Donations

Many pet subscription boxes have some type of program that donates to charities or helps animals in need in some way. BarkBox does as well! They partner with a variety of organizations through affiliate programs. With each new subscription that’s purchased through special coupon codes for each organization, they give a $25 donation to that organization!

Website Experience 

BarkBox reviews praise the website for the detailed information and say it’s quick and easy to navigate, even for first-time users. You can learn more about BarkBox, the current monthly theme, and read some reviews. 

At the bottom of the page, you’ll find helpful information about BarkBox. You can find out who they are, what they offer, and the types of products they sell. Also, the search bar in the FAQ section will help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Ordering Process

So, how do you sign up?

• Go to the BarkBox website.
• Enter your dog’s name and gender.
• Select how big your four-legged bestie is.
• Enter the breed (optional).
• Select your pup’s birthday or adoption day (optional).
• Note if your dog has any allergies like chicken, beef, or turkey. If it doesn’t, your pup will surely enjoy the meaty BarkBox treats, and reviews mention that dogs with allergies get goodies with rabbit, peanut butter, or fish.
• Enter your email.
• Select the plan that works best for you.
• Add the extra monthly toy if you want.
• Select a theme.
• Complete your billing and account information.

Managing Your Subscription

Managing your BarkBox account is easy. You can skip or pause the boxes for two months by contacting the company directly at happy@barkbox.com. 

Please remember all subscriptions are set to auto-renewal. If you wish to stop this, log into your account at the end of your subscription. But once you sign up for a subscription, you can’t cancel until the end of the period. 

BarkBox doesn’t accept returns. Still, if you have any issues, the friendly customer team will assist you. Also, you can get a money-back BarkBox guarantee if anything isn’t up to standard. 

Shipping & Packaging

BarkBox is available in the US (including APO/FPO), Australia, and Canada.

Shipping takes place between 5–8 days after your order in the US. Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada can expect to wait between 8–12 days. Recurring subscriptions are sent out within the first two weeks of the month.

Deliveries are free for US subscription orders. For Alaska, Canada, and Hawaii, there’s an $8 fee. 

Your order comes in an eco-friendly cardboard box for your four-legged friend.

Customer Service

Is BarkBox worth it? Based on customer service alone, we’d say yes! BarkBox has an in-depth FAQ section that helps a lot. If you need assistance with a specific issue, you can also use the live chat option. The team got back to us within five minutes. Also, you can email happy@barkbox.com.

Many users love the BarkBox customer service. Some complain that it’s a bit slow, but the team will always respond to you. Also, the company will reply to your reviews online and try to help as much as possible. 

BarkBox Reviews: Small Dog

My first order was easy to place, and it shipped a couple of days later. Since I subscribed in early December, our first box was the holiday-themed box! I didn’t peek to preview the theme online so it’d be a surprise when we opened it. Shipping was relatively quick, and it arrived in a cute blue box.

This first box was incredibly adorable—it was a Barkbox Grinch theme! The Grinch is one of my favorite Christmas movies, which is probably why I thought it was so cute. The box came with six products.

Grinch + Fred Toys

First off, the box came with two adorable toys. A Grinch and a Fred one! You probably won’t know who Fred is if you haven’t seen the new Grinch movie (which you absolutely need to). He’s an adorable reindeer character. I accidentally chose the large toys selection when purchasing the subscription, but he still played with them and loved them!

Stink, Steak, Stunk + Merry Turkey or Whatever Treats

The second most important aspect of this BarkBox review is the treats! Our first box came with two bags of treats. One was named “Stink, Steak, Stunk” and the other were treats called “Merry Turkey or Whatever.”

He’s a pretty small dog, so these two bags should last a good amount of time.

Koha Turkey Chew

Like the treats, Charlie went crazy over this chew toy. It’s pretty big for his small size, so this one will also last him for a while.

Max’s Antler

This is the final product that I’ll be sharing in this BarkBox review. These antlers were the cutest thing! Although he didn’t let them stay on for long, and I couldn’t get a good picture, they were adorable for the short amount of time that they did. He looked like a hairier version of Max! Other than these antlers, he loved everything in his first box.  

BarkBox Reputation & Customer Satisfaction

Most BarkBox reviews are incredibly positive. Owners and their puppers love the subscription service. They praise the quality of the toys and treats and enjoy the monthly theme variety. 

Many customer reviews report that their doggos go mad as soon as the box arrives. After the first one, they know what’s coming and can’t get enough of it.

BarkBox complaints are primarily about a pup’s personal preference. After all, your dog can’t love all the products in every single box. Still, if there’s something your dog doesn’t like, let the BarkBox team know so they can avoid similar items in the future.

Some users also dislike the shipping company, saying their package came damaged. Unfortunately, that’s part of any service. There’s not much BarkBox can do once the items ship out of its warehouse. In any case, the support team will do what it can to rectify the situation. 

BarkBox is one of the most commented pet subscription services. You can find lots of YouTube unboxings, ratings, and online reviews. Barkbox ratings vary between 3.5–4.5 stars, making it one of the top-rated monthly boxes.

BarkBox Alternatives — How Does It Compare?

You have many monthly pet box options. To help you decide which one to pick, we measured BarkBox against its major competitors. 

Bullymake vs BarkBox

Bullymake is another monthly subscription box curated for pups with a serious bite. It comes with two to three toys and three treats perfect for breeds that chew through anything and everything.

The company knows how hard it can be to find tough toys. Also, none of its products contain squeakers to keep your four-legged bestie safe. 

In contrast, BarkBox is more of a generic dog box. Still, the service offers its SuperChew option that’s also suitable for destructive puppies.  

Pupbox vs BarkBox

The most significant difference here is that Pupbox is specifically for training puppies. Each box consists of training treats, helpful materials, and 4–6 grooming products, toys, or chews. 

Pupbox will send you everything you need to teach your dog how to behave based on your pup’s age and characteristics. 

While more BarkBox includes more general items, it comes with fun monthly themes. 

BarkBox vs Kong

Kong is a famous pet company that provides sturdy toys even for the most vicious bites. Each box comes with three toys and three treats based on your pup’s characteristics like age, breed, size, and behavior.

Kong products are relatively pricey so a subscription can save you a lot of money with discounted products tailored to your dog. 

BarkBox is an excellent option when looking for more variety. It includes chewing toys, among other items like squeakers. 

In contrast, Kong is specifically for pup issues like chewing or teething. You tell them about the problem, and you’ll get items to help you along. BarkBox is a bit more general.

Wrap Up — Is BarkBox Worth It?

BarkBox is a popular monthly subscription service that offers themed boxes for your four-legged bestie. The contents are based on your pup’s preferences, which you select during the sign-up process.

BarkBox is an excellent choice for any doggo. Your pup will wag in anticipation each month to see what’s inside.