REVIEW – If you’re a dog owner, you know it’s important to physically and mentally stimulate your pup regularly. I recently got to test out a toy that does both: the iFetch Ball Launcher.
What is it?
The iFetch is an interactive dog toy that automatically launches mini tennis balls up to 30 feet.
What’s in the box?
- iFetch Ball Launcher
- 3 mini tennis balls (1.5″ diameter)
- AC power adaptor
- Quick start guide
Specs
Size:
- 9″ Diameter
- 8″ Tall
- 2.5 lbs with batteries
Design and features
The iFetch Ball Launcher is small, lightweight, and made of hard plastic. The design reminds me of an old west spittoon with a funnel-shaped top and rounded bottom. Around the front is a short barrel where the mini tennis balls are launched.
There is a power button, 3 LED indicator lights, and a port for the power adaptor on the backside.
On the bottom of the iFetch is a battery compartment that holds 6 C-batteries.
The iFetch comes with 3 mini tennis balls measuring 1.5 inches in diameter, slightly smaller than a golf ball.
Setup
To use the iFetch, you only need to plug it in and power it on. As mentioned, it can also be powered using 6 C batteries for portability. Although, I was surprised at the lack of a rechargeable battery. Once the iFetch is powered on, you must choose the distance you want it to launch the mini tennis balls. You can choose from 10, 20, or 30 feet. Determining the distance is done by pushing the power button. The distances aren’t labeled on the iFetch, but the 3 LED lights indicate the chosen distance. The bottom light is 10 feet, and the top is 30 feet.
Meet Cooper
My dog Cooper is a 9-month-old 26-pound French Bulldog. As you can imagine, he has a ton of energy, and his favorite toys are balls. At last count, he had 10. He loves having me throw them A LOT! He will bring the ball back but hasn’t grasped the concept of giving it to me, but we’re working on it.
Performance
Cooper and I were both excited to try out the iFetch. When a ball is dropped into the top, it hits a lever that activates the motor. It makes a whirring sound (which is excellent for getting your dog’s attention), and after about 3 seconds, the ball shoots out the front. As you can see from the short video, the iFetch performed as advertised.
Cooper loved chasing the ball down as it was launched from the iFetch. However, it would definitely take some more time to train him to actually drop the balls into it himself. Before starting, I recommend checking out the training tips videos from iFetch. Unfortunately, the fun didn’t last very long because the iFetch has one MAJOR flaw. The mini tennis balls it comes with are awful and not made well. Cooper quickly destroyed 2 of the 3 balls without much effort. See the picture below.
I had my concerns because when taking the balls from the box, they didn’t feel well made to me. And in my opinion, they are far too small, at least for Cooper.
iFetch does make a ball launcher (the iFetch Too) that uses full-size tennis balls. I thought this was the one that would be a good fit for Cooper; however, based on Cooper’s size and breed, iFetch recommended that I go with this model instead. To be fair, if you have a small dog that is more mature and knows how to fetch, the mini tennis balls might not be an issue. But for Cooper, the iFetch is a definite no-go.
What I like
- Easy to use
- The launcher works as advertised
What I’d change
- Balls need to be way more durable.
- No rechargeable battery
- Expensive
Final thoughts
I really wanted to like the iFetch Ball Launcher. I thought it would be the perfect interactive toy for an active pup like Cooper. However, the cheaply made mini tennis balls are a deal breaker. I mean, how can you make a ball launcher and not provide quality balls to use with it. It’s a real head-scratcher. That and the fact that it costs $130 makes it impossible for me to recommend the iFetch Ball Launcher.
Price: $129.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by iFetch.
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The balls are REALLY small. I would worry about the dog swallowing a ball.