The Wickedbone Smart Bone was launched on the biggest crowdfunding platform, Kickstarter, in 2018. It was described and marketed as the “World’s First Smart and Interactive Dog Toy.” This created quite a stir, and in just a day, the project was fully funded. By the end of the campaign, the product received a total of AU$91,306, which was way over its target goal of AU$10,000.
Wickedbone Smart Bone
- Look Station
- Features
- Total Value
Summary
If you’re looking for a different toy that can help your dog get the entertainment and stimulating exercises he/she needs, the Wickedbone Smart Bone is a great option. It’s a smart and interactive toy that active dogs would love.
OVERALL
4.2
Pros
Made from food-grade polycarbonate
Highly engaging dog toy
Looks good
Cons
Quite Pricey
So what is this smart dog toy, and what makes it so special? Should you buy one for your dog too? Here’s our Wickedbone Smart Bone review to help you out.
In a rush and can’t read our whole review? You can click on any of the links below to skip to that section.
Overview
For fur parents, like ourselves, giving our dogs the entertainment, exercise, and attention they deserve can be challenging. We often feel tired after work, leaving us with no energy left to play with them at home. This can make them sad, bored, and feeling ignored. And when they get bored, they can start chewing shoes and other household items. This is why dog toys are important. However, most of the available dog toys today are inanimate objects that some dogs get bored of quickly
Bones, for example, are a staple favourite of dogs. However, after a while, they lose interest in them and leave them in a corner. The same goes for balls and other chew toys – well except for perhaps the Wickedball. Most of the time, we need to participate to have our pets playing with them. While we love our dogs, we’re not necessarily happy about holding their sloppy and slimy saliva. But with the Wickedbone Smart Bone, that’s no longer a problem.
Here is a dog toy that can keep your furry friend running and playing while you focus on your tasks. But more than that, it’s a toy that you can play together – without having to deal with the sloppiness. It’s a fully intelligent and interactive toy that you can control with your phone.
However, these benefits come with a hefty price tag. Offered at around AU$140 on the company’s website, Cheerble, the Wickedbone Smart Bone is one of the most expensive toys you can give your pet. But compared to the Varram, which is a very similar product, it’s a lot cheaper. The Wickedbone multicoloured combo models, however, are at the same price point as the Varram Pet Robot, which is offered at $149 or around AU$200 on its website.
Editor’s note: The Wickedbone Smart Bone is being offered cheaper on Amazon.
Wickedbone Smart Bone Features
The Wickedbone is a smart dog bone. It is designed to work with an application, which you can use to control the device. With it, you can choose between two active modes: Auto Play or Drive, and Sleep Mode. Let’s look at these modes closer below.
Autoplay Mode
In this mode, the smart bone can spin, make noises, and move on its own. It is programmed to get your dog’s attention. For instance, when your dog runs, the bone runs after him/her. When your dog chases after the device, it will turn around and run away. More importantly, when your dog ignores the toy, Wickedbone teases him/her. This is the perfect setting if you’re busy or when your dog is alone.
To make Wickedbone interactive and intelligent, it is designed with 12 types of emotional driven systems. This allows it to respond differently to your dog’s moods and reactions. While the idea here is amazing, some of the responses tend to scare other dogs.
Drive Mode
When you want to play with your pet, you can use this mode. You can move the virtual joystick around and engage with your dog. You can also choose from the 9 preset motions available on your screen to make it more exciting for you and your dog. While 9 motions are enough to keep your dog interested, Varram offers more options with 16 motions.
Sleep Mode
Sleep mode is essentially just a standby mode that allows you to power down the Wickedbone and stores it for later use without depleting the battery too much. It will last up to 3 months in this mode, so you don’t have to worry about it running out of juice too quickly!
Application
Another important feature of the Wickedbone is its application. It’s available on iOS and Android, and it offers a clean and simple interface. Thus, making it extremely easy to use. There’s a virtual joystick that makes you feel like you’re playing a video game. The app also allows you to adjust parameters and choose between indoor or outdoor playing.
While these are all great, if you compare it to the Varram, it’s a bit limited. This is because the Varram Pet Fitness app allows you to monitor your pet’s activity, health, and schedule a playing time.
Specs
Here are the specifications of the Wickedbone based on their website:
| Weight | 300 grams (0.67 lb) |
| Diameter | 151.5 x 64 x 64 mm (6 x 2.5 x 2.5 in) |
| Operating Temperature | 0-40 °C (32-104 °F) |
| Battery | Li-Polymer (470mAh) |
| Max Speed | 3.5 m/s (11.5 ft/s) |
| Control Distance | Up to 20 meters (65.6 ft) |
Comparing the specs of the original Kickstarter campaign and the products sold today, the change in the battery is notable. From a Li-Polymer 500mAh battery, the Wickedbone now has a 470mAh. While this may seem like a small difference, it cuts the battery capacity significantly. For instance, from 40 minutes in the drive mode and over 4 hours in the interactive mode, the new model only lasts 30 minutes in the drive mode and 2 hours in interactive mode. This is still a decent battery life but compared to the Varram Pet, which can last 4 hours of playtime, it’s now overpowered.
Aesthetics
When it comes to the overall aesthetics, the Wickedbone looks like a sophisticated dog bone sent back in time. It looks really good, not that it matters too much, but if you’re going to have a smart dog bone rolling around your living room it may as well look good doing it,
It also features a variety of 5 colours. You can even mix different colours to customize your Smart Bone. While the colour selection doesn’t change the product’s performance, it certainly makes playing more fun.
As part of the aesthetics, it’s worth noting that the Wickedbone uses an FDA food-grade polycarbonate for the body, cover, and tires. So rest assured that your furry friend is safe and his/her claws and teeth are protected. Additionally, this toy features detachable tires and a protective cover. So you can easily take them off when you need to clean them or when they need replacing.
What’s It Like to Use?
The Wickedbone Smart Bone is fairly easy to use. Just download the Wickedbone app and connect the bone with your phone via Bluetooth. Immediately, you can start playing with your furry friend. You can control it through the virtual joystick in the app, and you can select from the 9 preset motions, which are designed to keep your dog focused.
If you’re busy or have something to do, you can set the toy in interactive mode. In this setting, the toy will move on its own, encouraging your dog to play with it. Its automatic responses, however, can scare some pets. If your dog isn’t as playful as the other prey-driven dogs, this might not be the toy you need. Aside from that, this may not work for destructive chewers as well. There are some reviews on the product’s Amazon page where their dogs have broken the Smart Bone in just a short time.
Conclusion
Our Wickedbone Smart Bone review verdict is that this is a great toy for our furry friends. It can keep them occupied much longer than regular toys. However, it’s certainly not for every dog. It’s designed more for those who enjoy chasing and chewing moving objects.
On the other hand, if your pup tends to destroy everything he/she sinks his/her teeth into, this may not work well for you too. So before you make a purchase, consider the personality and interest of your dog.\
