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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
The Furbo is an interactive dog camera with a connected app that lets you see, talk, and give treats to your dog when you're away. It's also on "Amazon's Choice" list and backed by celebrities like Ellen DeGeneres who showcased the product on her television show. This is why it's probably the #1 Best Seller in pet cameras. I bought into the hype, as many other pet owners have, and tested it out for a few weeks. Ultimately, I found myself disappointed with the Furbo as the functionalities didn't perform to the level I had expected.
To start off, the Furbo device was boxed and packaged very nicely. I felt like I had purchased a very well-made product. It was very easy to download the app on my phone, connect to the Furbo, and have it all up-and-running within a few minutes. I was able to test out the camera and the treat dispenser immediately after setup.
The camera does look great in 1080p high-definition, but it also takes considerable time to load every single time you open the app. This is where my frustration started kicking in. Even swiping away from the camera briefly and going back in, the app would take the same amount of time to reload the camera. I have very high-speed internet, so I know the network was not the issue in this case. Also, a lot of the times, the camera itself would fail when loading, so I would need to retry multiple times.
There is an option to speak through the camera speaker "walkie talkie" style, but there is no option to simultaneously talk and listen like a regular video chat that we are all used to (like a Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts). They really hide this fact in the marketing material. This is 2018; c'mon Furbo! The speaker itself is very poorly designed and sounds more like white noise rather than a real voice. Your pet will be super confused. The device itself feels cheap and doesn't seem like it would last long.
After frustrated with the camera loading times, camera connectivity, and the two-way radio style communication, I was ready to look for other options. This is not a cheap product (starts at $249, but on sale at Amazon.com for $134.99), and I expect the products I buy to have great value. Unfortunately, the Furbo does not come close to the asking price. I viewed its main competitor, and it was the Petcube Bites. This is also on the Amazon's Choice listing for Pet Cameras. The Petcube Bites also starts at $249 and is currently on sale for $179. Although it's a bit more expensive than the Furbo, it's A LOT better in every way. It DOES have simultaneous audio communication. The app is much faster and doesn't take a long time to load the camera. The treat dispenser has variable distances it can throw the treat if needed. The device itself is much higher quality, and it holds even more treats at a time. Sometimes the "Best Selling" isn't always the best product. Do your research, and avoid the Furbo. It's not a bad product, but there are better devices for similar prices.
To start off, the Furbo device was boxed and packaged very nicely. I felt like I had purchased a very well-made product. It was very easy to download the app on my phone, connect to the Furbo, and have it all up-and-running within a few minutes. I was able to test out the camera and the treat dispenser immediately after setup.
The camera does look great in 1080p high-definition, but it also takes considerable time to load every single time you open the app. This is where my frustration started kicking in. Even swiping away from the camera briefly and going back in, the app would take the same amount of time to reload the camera. I have very high-speed internet, so I know the network was not the issue in this case. Also, a lot of the times, the camera itself would fail when loading, so I would need to retry multiple times.
There is an option to speak through the camera speaker "walkie talkie" style, but there is no option to simultaneously talk and listen like a regular video chat that we are all used to (like a Skype, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts). They really hide this fact in the marketing material. This is 2018; c'mon Furbo! The speaker itself is very poorly designed and sounds more like white noise rather than a real voice. Your pet will be super confused. The device itself feels cheap and doesn't seem like it would last long.
After frustrated with the camera loading times, camera connectivity, and the two-way radio style communication, I was ready to look for other options. This is not a cheap product (starts at $249, but on sale at Amazon.com for $134.99), and I expect the products I buy to have great value. Unfortunately, the Furbo does not come close to the asking price. I viewed its main competitor, and it was the Petcube Bites. This is also on the Amazon's Choice listing for Pet Cameras. The Petcube Bites also starts at $249 and is currently on sale for $179. Although it's a bit more expensive than the Furbo, it's A LOT better in every way. It DOES have simultaneous audio communication. The app is much faster and doesn't take a long time to load the camera. The treat dispenser has variable distances it can throw the treat if needed. The device itself is much higher quality, and it holds even more treats at a time. Sometimes the "Best Selling" isn't always the best product. Do your research, and avoid the Furbo. It's not a bad product, but there are better devices for similar prices.
