Is BarkBox Worth It? It Depends

You may have seen ads for BarkBox, or even watched reviews on YouTube. Maybe even a friend subscribes, but is BarkBox worth it?

Short Answer: It depends on your needs.

There are many BarkBox competitors on the market, but they’ve remained the most popular box and for good reason.

Let’s go deeper into the details with a number of common questions and answers to help you decide.

By the way, I may collect a small commission from the links below, but I only recommend products I find trustworthy.

What Is BarkBox?

BarkBox is a monthly subscription box service for your dog with over 1 million subscribers.

Every month, they will send you all natural treats, chews, and original toys. Each box is designed to provide lots of entertainment for your dog.

What Is In It?

Each BarkBox has at least 2 toys, 2 treats (made in U.S. or Canada), and a chew each month.

The boxes are based on a new theme each month to keep things fun.

One cool feature is that each toy is unique and unable to be found anywhere else.

What Is The Price Of It?

Here are the current prices as of November 11, 2021 for a standard box:

• 1 Month Subscription: $35/month
• 6 Month Subscription: $26/month (or $139 upfront)
• 12 Month Subscription: $22/month (or $234 upfront)

To sweeten the deal, BarkBox offer coupons and bonuses for further discounts: 

BarkBox Promos:

1. Double Stuffed Upgrade to your first BarkBox! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
2. FREE Birthday Party Bundle in your first box! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
3. Free Extra Toy Exclusive Offer! Get a Free Extra Toy in every box when you sign up for BarkBox! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
4. Get a FREE month added to your plan! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)

However, you may be thinking: Is it worth it to pay this monthly fee?

BarkBox is actually more affordable than some competitors.  I give a PupBox vs BarkBox comparison in another article. 

There is a big convenience factor here.  You save time by not having to search for items online or in person. So if time is important to you, then YES, it is worth the cost. 

Realistically, if you have lots of free time, you could possibly find similar items cheaper somewhere else.

On the other hand, the same items can be more expensive in other big name stores.

Note: If your dog is a heavy chewer, BarkBox also offers a Superchewer option for the following prices:

• 1 Month Subscription: $45/month
• 6 Month Subscription: $35/month
• 12 Month Subscription:$30/month

How And When Is It Shipped?

In the U.S., BarkBox actually uses two services to deliver your boxes: FedEx to ship and USPS Ground to physically deliver to your address.

In Canada, they ship using DHL and deliver to your address using Canada Post.

For your first BarkBox, it takes 2-3 business days to prepare for shipment, then 2-8 business days to deliver in the contiguous U.S., and 4-12 business days to deliver to Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

After the first box, BarkBox ships future boxes around the 15th of each month with the same delivery time frames (2-8 business days in U.S., and 4-12 business days elsewhere).

How Much Is Shipping?

Shipping is free in the 48 contiguous U.S. states.

Otherwise, shipping costs $8 to Canada, Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii.

As far as convenience, the boxes are delivered right to your door, which beats a trip to the store.

What Payment Methods Are Available?

They accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover, and also accept payment through PayPal.

How Do You Cancel Your Subscription?

You will need to disable the autorenewal on your online account in order to cancel your subscription.

If you have remaining time left on your 6 or 12 month plan, you will still receive boxes and be billed until the end of your chosen plan.

Note: BarkBox bills on the 3rd of each renewal month, so any boxes already in process cannot be stopped. 

Please double check their latest cancellation policy since these procedures can obviously change.

What If My Dog Is A Heavy Chewer?

For heavy chewers, BarkBox offers its Superchewer program for a slightly higher price.  This option includes much tougher materials made from natural rubber and nylon.

As discussed earlier, the price for the Superchewer program is:

• 1 Month Subscription: $45/month
• 6 Month Subscription: $35/month
• 12 Month Subscription:$30/month

Here’s a tip: You can first try customizing the standard box for free, without having to upgrade, by requesting tougher reinforced plush toys.

Where Are BarkBox’s Products Made?

All of their treats come from the U.S. and Canada, and their chews come from the U.S., Canada, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Though this may not seem all that important at first, consider this: many treats shipped from certain countries often contain traces of dangerous metals, unhealthy for your dog.

Further, BarkBox states that, whenever possible, there is no wheat, soy, corn, or filler in their treats, and that they use organic whenever possible.

Their toys, grooming products, and hygiene products do come from all around the world, which are tested out by their office dogs first.

Can I Customize My Box?

There are ways to customize your BarkBox.

When you sign up, you select whether you have a small, medium or large dog.  BarkBox customizes your products based on what you select.

You can also customize your box if there is any product you want more or less of by contacting customer service.

They also guarantee that if your dog is not completely happy with their box, they will work with you to make it right.

I have read that they will also replace toys if they get destroyed or are not the right size.

Do They Donate to Charity?

They donate 10% of their profits to shelter dogs in over 3,000 rescues. They also donate thousands of BarkBoxes to their shelter partners.

Disadvantages

If you only treat your pet occasionally to toys or chews, then BarkBox may not be worth the price. You may not need these items every month.

On the other hand, depending on where you shop, even one toy can cost the same as an entire box since many pet stores will upcharge their toys. 

Summary Of Key Features

I created an infographic summarizing 11 top questions and answers about BarkBox to help you decide whether BarkBox is worth it:

Conclusion: Is It Worth It?

The answer to this question really depends on what is important to you.

I have discussed many factors above such as the number of items in a BarkBox, price, where the products are made, time for shipping, donations to charity, etc.

For example, if you love to spoil your dogs or shop at larger corporate pet stores, there are price advantages with switching to BarkBox. You also get unique toys unable to be found anywhere else.

There’s also the convenience factor of receiving a box of items every month right to your door without having to think about it.

Overall, I do believe that BarkBox is worth it since it is a high quality product that your dog will enjoy.

Barkbox Coupons and Bonuses

1. Double Stuffed Upgrade to your first BarkBox! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
2. FREE Birthday Party Bundle in your first box! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
3. Free Extra Toy Exclusive Offer! Get a Free Extra Toy in every box when you sign up for BarkBox! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)
4. Get a FREE month added to your plan! (Valid on 6 and 12 month plans)