Petnet SmartFeeder Review - Review 2022

Automatic pet feeders provide an piece of cake mode to feed your cats and dogs when you can't be at that place to feed them yourself. The $149 Petnet Smartfeeder ups the dues: It not only serves up timed, controlled portions, it provides analytical information nearly the food you're serving and even goes so far as to advise portion sizes and types of food based on your pet's historic period, weight, and activeness level. It doesn't have its own photographic camera similar the Feed and Become Automatic Pet Feeder and the Gosh! EasyFeed, but information technology integrates with the Nest Cam if you want to watch your pet enjoying its meal. Information technology'due south a smashing option for anyone who needs to feed their fauna when they're non dwelling, or just wants to keep them on a healthy nutrition, and our Editors' Pick.

Pattern

The SmartFeeder ($199.00 at Amazon) consists of a feeder base, a food hopper and hat, a bowl, a stainless steel bowl insert, and a USB cable and ability adapter. The entire feeder is matte black with the exception of the hopper, which is translucent blackness, allowing y'all to see the food level. The front end of the device has a backlit button that yous printing for transmission feedings, and a slot at the bottom of the base that holds the 2.ii-past-vii.0-by-vii.0-inch (HWD) basin. The feeder measures 15.three by 9.2 by 15.three inches (HWD) when the bowl is in place.

The bowl is the brains of the feeder. It contains the 802.11n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi circuitry to connect to your home network, a rechargeable battery that will power the feeder for up to three days if y'all lose power, and a congenital-in scale that measures the amount of nutrient being served. It also has its own USB power jack and LED indicators. A calorie-free green LED ways the feeder is ready for syncing with your Wi-Fi network, a blinking carmine LED indicates a Wi-Fi connexion error, and a dark green LED ways the feeder has successfully connected to the network.

Petnet SmartFeeder

Dissimilar the Feed and Go and the EasyFeed, the SmartFeeder lacks a built-in camera that allows you lot look in on your pet while it dines. It does interact with the Nest Cam, still, which allows you to view clips in the Petnet app for a much clearer look from anywhere in your dwelling than the floor-level feeder cameras offer. That said, you can also set any security camera that offers motion detection to keep an eye on your pooch or kitty, but you lot'll take to view the video using the camera's app.

App

The SmartFeeder app works with Android and iOS mobile devices. The cleverly designed app opens to a dwelling page that has a photograph and the name of your true cat or domestic dog. Below the photograph is a panel that shows a daily count of the number of feeds (both automatic and manual), the amount of food (in cups), and the corporeality of calories for each day. You can also see the same information from the previous day and the expected totals for the following day (based on the feeding schedule). At the very bottom of the page are Home, Pet, Food, Meals, and Device buttons.

The Pet page displays contour information that you enter during setup. The feeder is designed for use by a single pocket-size pet up to 55 pounds, and as such allows only ane contour. Here you tin can view and edit your pet'due south age, weight, activity level (Inactive, Boilerplate, Active), and photo. The Nutrient page allows you to view and edit the brand and recipe of food that y'all use. Information technology also displays a nutritional contour including calories per loving cup, protein, fat, and carb percentages, and a written report bill of fare that grades the food based on things similar real meat content, filler ingredients, by-products, and artificial coloring. The bottom of the folio displays a list of actual ingredients.

Petnet SmartFeederThe Meals page displays the daily meal schedule and amount of daily calorie intake. Tapping a feeding fourth dimension lets you edit the time and portion for each feeding and enable/disable the Auto Feed function. Finally, the Device folio is where you go to set up manual portion control, configure Wi-Fi settings, and enable/disable the transmission feed push.

Back at the top of the home page there's a manual feed button that volition release a predetermined amount of food on demand, and a 3 bar icon that takes yous to a page where you can manage alerts and notifications. For example, the SmartFeeder will tell yous when the hopper is running out of food, if there was a failed feeding due to lack of food, if the bowl becomes disconnected from the feeder, if the battery is running depression, or if the feeder has lost its Wi-Fi connection. It volition too warning y'all when a successful feeding takes place. Here you tin can likewise link the feeder to your Nest Cam and submit a support ticket if you're having technical consequence.

At the time of this review the Smart Commitment setting was not withal ready. However, when it is launches afterward this twelvemonth, you tin can opt to have Petnet track your food levels (based on daily servings and information that you enter during setup, including the make and recipe of food and the size of the bag) and automatically evangelize a new bag of food when supplies are running depression. Information technology'll also recommend a certain blazon of food based on your pet's profile.

Installation and Performance

Setting upward the Smartfeeder was piece of cake. I downloaded the app, created an account, and verified information technology using the link in the verification email. The app automatically launched into setup mode and prompted me to browse the QR code on the bottom of the bowl. I was instructed to tell the app a few things nigh my pet (cat or dog) and to add a photo (optional). Next, I filled out the Pet Profile page with my true cat's historic period, weight, and activeness level, followed by the Nutrient Profile page that asked for the make of nutrient (there are over 100 choices), the recipe, and the size of the bag. I was asked how many times a day I feed the cat and how many cups per feeding I use (the app recommends an amount based on the previous entered information).

Petnet SmartFeederI then entered a name and time for the kickoff feeding schedule and selected Auto Feed. I repeated this for the second feeding (I feed my cat twice a twenty-four hour period), entered my Wi-Fi SSID and countersign, and followed the instructions for connecting the feeder to my network. I powered upwardly the basin using the included power adapter and USB ability cablevision, and removed the plastic tab from the sensor on the bowl. I pressed continue and held my phone up to the sensor, screen down. The screen flashed for around five seconds and the bowl was connected to my Wi-Fi. I placed the stainless steel tray on the bowl and inserted it in the feeder slot. I filled the hopper, plugged in the feeder, and was prepare to get.

The SmartFeeder performed wonderfully, but since I have two cats and a dog, I had to isolate the feeder and Oreo (my test kitty) from the balance of the pack. The motor that dispenses food is much quieter than the Feed and Go'south noisy motor, and it never missed a scheduled feeding. I received push notifications whenever the hopper was running low on food and when Oreo had a successful feeding. I also received alerts when the tray was disconnected from the feeder and when a feeding was missed due to lack of food in the hopper. Cleanup was easy; I washed the bowl by manus and the base with a damp sponge. I tossed the hopper, lid, and stainless steel tray in the dishwasher (the bowl and base are non dishwasher safe). The SmartFeeder maintained a strong Wi-Fi betoken throughout my testing.

The feeder'due south seven-pound capacity holds more than the EasyFeed (5.5 pounds), enough to feed your pet for up to two weeks based on two one-cup servings per day. Your mileage will vary depending on your pet's nutritional requirements and the size of food you use. Unlike the EasyFeed, the SmartFeeder doesn't manipulate water. But the EasyFeed doesn't track water consumption, and you can hands buy a separate jug-based replenishing basin for $10.

Conclusions

The Petnet SmartFeeder is an excellent choice for pet owners who wish to regulate their pet's feeding schedule. The app does a great job of tracking your cat or dog's meals, and volition warn y'all if a feeding is skipped or when the hopper is running low on food, but more than importantly, it volition brand recommendations as to the type and amount of nutrient you're giving your pet based on its age, weight, and activeness level. And, when the Smart Delivery service goes live, Petnet volition deliver your choice of pet nutrient right to your door. Information technology lacks a built-in camera, but its integration with the Nest Cam lets you peek in on your pet during meal times, and its rechargeable battery volition keep feeding your brute for upwards to three days if you lose power. Information technology's also $fifty less than the Feed and Go, and $100 less than the EasyFeed, making it our Editors' Selection for smart pet feeders.