PetNet SmartFeeder Review

PetNet have released their long awaited SmartFeeder, fixing a problem a lot of pet owners have. Before the SmartFeeder, I may forget to feed the dog in the morning and so when I get back home I’d have to serve a big portion. The SmartFeeder allows you to fill it with food and program times and amounts to dispense feeding.

The SmartFeeder is made up of the base unit, the food hopper, and a bowl with stainless steel insert. All of this is powered via a micro USB port.  The whole feeder is black, with a matte effect, except for the hopper, this is a smoke colour to allow you to view food levels. On the front there is one lone button, for manual feeds.

The feed bowl is where all the smart components are. This is where the wifi unit is, a battery which can be charged along with the power, so in the event of a power cut will work for 3 days. Then finally the built-in scale.  There are led’s for when linking to your device and to show any issues.

One major issue is the SmartFeeder doesn’t have a camera built in, so you are unable to check in with your pet. It does work with the Nest Cam, but then you’d have to purchase that on top of the cost of the PetFeeder.

The SmartFeeder comes with it’s own app:

• Shows the number of feeds per day, including calorie intake.
• You can view and edit your pet’s age, weight, activity level, and photo.
• You can view and edit the brand and recipe of pet food you are using.
• It also builds a profile including calories per cup, protein, fat, and carb percentages.

I feel there was a lot of work put into the app, and a lot of information that needed to be put in. Being in the UK, there were issues, such as a lot of English brands of food weren’t available to select.

Setting up the Smartfeeder was easy. I downloaded the app, created an account etc, filling in all details. I then had to scan the QR code on the bowl, and then I had to align the phone face down on the bowl in the corner. Where lights then flashed and the whole thing was connected. This did take a couple of attempts. I then just had to build the components and put in the food. All I had to do after was add the feeding routines, and the amounts that come out.

The motor is incredibly quiet, but my dog still managed to hear it and run to the bowl. It never missed a scheduled feeding. When the food is low, I receive a notification.

This was a very nice and well built machine. I will admit setup was a chore, and adding in all information was a pain. I would love to see a way to have a customized experience, and just go out of the constructs of the app.

amazon.co.uk/Petnet-SmartFeeder-Automatic-Feeding-iPhone/dp/B010QYTN2K