PetKit Smart Bowl review

You've obviously got plenty of choices when it comes to food bowls for your animal pals, just take a look at our round up of the best smart pet bowls but the PetKit Smart Bowl is definitely worthy of your consideration if you're shopping for a canine. Not only does it have a large capacity, it also comes with a built-in weighing scale so you know exactly how much chow you're serving each time.

Adding to the bowl's smart credentials is an accompanying app that can recommend serving sizes based on your dog's weight and age, and the type of food you're giving to them. It takes some of the guesswork and potential confusion out of keeping your pooch well fed, and it couldn't be much easier to use. If you want a bit more advice on what to feed your four-pawed pal, take a look at our guide to the best dog food.

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PetKit Smart Bowl: Features

The first reason you're going to be interested in buying the PetKit Smart Bowl is that integrated weighing functionality – the bowl will tell you exactly how much food you're pouring in each time, in either kilograms or pounds, so you don't need to rely on your own estimates, and you can make sure nothing is going to waste.

While the bowl itself doesn't have any extra smarts besides the weighing scales, the accompanying PetKit app can take some information about your pooch and then tell you how much food you should be pouring into the bowl every day. Again, the idea is that your dog gets as much as they need, not as much as they want – and that should mean a healthier pet in the long term.

It's a relatively big bowl, giving you 1.7 liters of room for your doggy snacks, and the stainless steel bowl that sits at the center of the device can be detached for easy washing – just stick it under the tap and it's good to go again (note that the bowl is not dishwasher-safe). That's all the maintenance taken care of, pretty much.

The bowl sits 11.3 centimeters (4.4 inches) tall, with a diameter of 27 centimeters (10.6-inches), so make sure you've got the space to fit it in somewhere. The scales are powered by a single AAA battery (two are included in the box), but that battery should last you a while – it's not as if it's powering a particularly bright or complex display. The bowl is able to weigh up to a total of 2kgs (4.4 pounds) of food.

PetKit Smart Bowl: User reviews

User reviews of the PetKit Smart Bowl emphasize that it’s a device that is well designed and well put together – it comes with rubberized grips underneath to prevent skidding, and an anti-overflow lip that can catch stray pieces of food before they mess up your clean floors.

Some existing users have expressed disappointment that the bowl isn't as 'smart' as they were expecting, and it's worth emphasizing that the bowl doesn't come with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any other kind of connectivity. The app on your phone won't communicate with the bowl, but it can work in tandem with it, and the only 'smart' feature on the bowl itself is the simple digital scale.

The solidness and finish of the bowl design has received some praise, and current users don't seem to have had any problems with working the scales. Users say the bowl is easy to operate and easy to maintain, and most seem pleased with their purchase.

The biggest issue with the bowl is apparently not the bowl itself but the accompanying app – it's occasionally buggy and is missing information on certain dog breeds, according to users. It doesn't sound like the app is absolutely terrible or unusable, but there does appear to be room for improvement.

The measurements the bowl takes are reportedly very accurate, and a real timesaver for busy pet owners – a few minutes saved on measuring out dog food is a few minutes you can spend doing something else. Overall, most reviews are mostly very positive, and some existing owners of a PetKit Smart Bowl have been so impressed that they've bought two.

Should you buy the PetKit Smart Bowl?

It's not difficult to work out whether the PetKit Smart Bowl would be a good buy for you or not – if you need a decent-sized bowl with integrated scales then it's got a lot of appeal, and it won't cost you too much either. If you need something with more features, or a more polished app, or a bowl that you can put in the dishwasher, you're probably better off looking elsewhere (and you'll probably have to pay a bit more too). If you do end up going for the PetKit Smart Bowl, we don't think you'll be disappointed.

Pet Tech Week on PetsRadar
Pet Tech Week is brought to you by PetsRadar.com. Throughout this week we'll be showcasing the new tech that will make your pets happier and healthier. Whether you want a smart cat flap, a canine camera or the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair, we've got you covered.