Furbo Review: The Smart Buys (and What to Skip)
Furbo’s $44 cameras are really subscriptions in disguise. The smart buy is a camera-only Mini 360° at $79, with the Nanny plan added only if you will use its alerts.
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- Skip the upgrade
- Skip Furbo Nanny Premium. At $12.49 a month it mainly buys 7 days of video history instead of Standard’s 3; the alerts are the same.
- Best time to buy
- Furbo runs rolling promotions; in October a Halloween banner offered an extra $12 off for signing up. Longer Nanny plans also take $10 off the device.
Furbo makes treat-tossing pet cameras and sells them two ways, which is where most buyers go wrong. Pick a Furbo Nanny plan and the 360° Dog Camera shows as $44, struck through from $184. Choose “Camera Only” and the same camera is $144. The cheap version is a Subscription-Required model, Furbo’s help center explains: Live View stays locked until you activate a plan.
So decide first whether you want Nanny, the AI alerts and video history that cost $9.99 a month or $83.92 for the first year. Without it, a camera-only Furbo still gives you live video, two-way audio, treat tossing and basic alerts. With it, a yearly plan also turns the one-year hardware warranty into lifetime cover while you keep paying. Our pick is the Mini 360°: smaller, cheaper and sharper than the flagship.
Each model, priced and called
Furbo Mini 360°
$79 Camera only. Shown from $30 with a 2-year Nanny plan, which costs more overall.
The small Furbo, with 2K video, a rotating 360° view and a mini treat tosser, for $65 less than the flagship.
The Mini 360° is the camera we would buy. It shoots 2K QHD with 8x digital zoom against the flagship’s 1080p and 4x, rotates and auto-tracks your pet, has two-way audio and color night vision, and works for dogs or cats; you choose during setup. It measures 3.6 inches tall and wide, so it fits on a shelf.
The compromises are spelled out on Furbo’s page. Its Lite Treat Toss holds up to 10 small treats, ideally firm and round, a quarter to half an inch across. There is no power adapter in the box, only a USB-C cable; Furbo suggests a phone charger. It needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. And the richer alerts, like barking or meowing detection beyond the basics, need a Nanny plan. One Trustpilot reviewer said their camera stopped working and they could not reach a human.
Why it's smart
- 2K video and 8x zoom, sharper than the 360° Dog Camera
- $65 cheaper than the flagship, camera only
- Works for dogs or cats
The catch
- Holds only about 10 small treats
- No power adapter included
The numbers
- Video 2K QHD, 360° rotating, 8x zoom
- Size 3.6 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches
- Treat capacity up to 10 small treats
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz only
Furbo 360° Dog Camera
$144 Camera only. $44 with a yearly Nanny plan billed $83.92, a $127.92 first-year cart.
Furbo’s flagship treat tosser with a rotating view, now outclassed on video by the cheaper Mini 360°.
The 360° Dog Camera is the classic Furbo shape, 8.8 inches tall, with a rotating 1080p view, 4x zoom, auto tracking, two-way audio, a barking alert and a full-size treat tosser. Furbo adds strong 3M tape under the base and suggests placing it 60 to 120 cm off the floor.
At $144 camera-only it is hard to justify against the Mini 360° at $79, which has sharper 2K video. The $44 price you see first is the bundled, Subscription-Required version, and a Trustpilot buyer complained that after paying $184 for a bundle they still had to subscribe for the features they wanted. Furbo shows promotions often, so wait for one. Remember the $2 monthly fee per extra camera if you run more than one on a plan.
Why it's smart
- Full-size treat tosser
- Box includes a 2m USB-C cable
The catch
- 1080p video costs more than the 2K Mini 360°
- The $44 price locks Live View until a plan is active
The numbers
- Video 1080p, 360° rotating, 4x zoom
- Size 8.8 x 4.9 x 4.9 inches
- Alerts barking alert without a plan
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz only
Furbo 360° Cat Camera
$144 Camera only. $44 with a yearly Nanny plan, which locks you into the subscription.
The flagship body tuned for cats, with a meowing alert and a Feather Wand Toy in the box.
The cat version shares the dog camera’s 1080p rotating view, 4x zoom and treat tossing, but swaps the barking alert for a meowing alert and adds a Feather Wand Toy to play with your cat remotely. In the box you get the camera, the wand, a 2m USB-C cable and a quick start guide.
It earns a better call than the dog model only because of the wand; if your cat ignores toys, the Mini 360° covers cats too for $65 less. The same subscription trap applies: the $44 bundle is Subscription-Required. A Trustpilot reviewer with three cameras was annoyed to find each extra camera adds $2 a month, and another said smoke alarm detection sits behind the Nanny paywall.
Why it's smart
- Feather Wand Toy for remote play
- Meowing alert tuned for cats
The catch
- Same 1080p video as the dog camera, for $65 more than the Mini 360°
- Smoke alarm alerts need a Nanny plan, per a reviewer
The numbers
- Video 1080p, 360° rotating, 4x zoom
- Extra Feather Wand Toy
- Size 8.8 x 4.9 x 4.9 inches
- Alert meowing alert
Furbo Nanny
$9.99 Standard, monthly, 3-month minimum. Yearly is $83.92 the first year, then $95.90.
Furbo’s AI alert and video-history plan, worth paying for only if you will act on its alerts.
Nanny is the subscription that turns a Furbo into a monitor: AI alerts for things like continuous vomiting and seizures, a daily recap, Calm My Pet soundscapes and video history, 3 days on Standard and 7 on Premium. Furbo’s own help article says camera-only owners keep Live View, two-way audio, treat tossing and basic alerts without it.
Yearly is the sensible way to pay if you want it. It is cheaper per month, and Furbo says yearly and 2-year plans extend the hardware warranty to lifetime while active. Monthly plans have a 3-month minimum. Trustpilot shows both sides: owners whose alerts caught a fire alarm or saved clips of a pet who died, and one whose camera stopped recording for three hours and missed a seizure. Treat it as a helper, not a guarantee.
Why it's smart
- Yearly and 2-year plans make the hardware warranty lifetime
- Health and emergency alerts beyond basic barking
The catch
- $2 a month for each extra camera
- Monthly plan has a 3-month minimum
The numbers
- Standard $9.99/mo, 3-day video history
- Premium $12.49/mo, 7-day video history
- Yearly Standard $83.92 first year, then $95.90
- Extra cameras $2/mo each
Furbo Mini
$69 Camera only. Shown from $16 with a 2-year Nanny plan.
A fixed, wide-angle Furbo with no treat tosser, and the only model here sold with a wall mount.
The original Furbo Mini does not rotate or toss treats. It has a 130-degree wide-angle 1080p lens with 4x zoom, two-way audio, auto zoom tracking and barking or meowing alerts, and its box includes a wall mount and adhesive pad. That makes it a sensible second camera for a hallway or crate corner.
As a first camera it makes little sense: for $10 more, the Mini 360° rotates, tosses treats and records in 2K. Count the running cost too. If you put it on the same Nanny plan as another camera, Furbo adds $2 a month, and a Trustpilot reviewer with three cameras complained about exactly that. Buy it only where a mount matters.
Why it's smart
- Wall mount and adhesive pad in the box
- Wide 130-degree view for a fixed angle
The catch
- No treat toss and no rotation
- Only $10 cheaper than the far more capable Mini 360°
The numbers
- Video 1080p, 130° wide angle, 4x zoom
- Mounting tabletop or wall
- Treat toss none
- In the box wall mount, 1.8m USB cable
Furbo 360° Dog Camera (Certified Refurbished)
$12 Shipping only, then an automatic Standard Yearly plan at $95.91.
Furbo’s free-trial offer: a refurbished camera for $12 shipping that rolls into a yearly plan unless you send it back.
The free trial sends a Furbo-certified refurbished 360° Dog Camera, without cable or power adapter, plus 30 days of Furbo Nanny 3.0, for a $12 shipping fee. After 30 days you roll automatically into the Standard Yearly plan at $95.91. Cancel and Furbo emails a return label, charging another $12; cameras not returned are locked.
We pass because the math rarely beats buying outright. Keep it and you pay $107.91 in year one for a used camera with no cable, close to a new camera-only Mini 360° plus a month of Nanny. Return it and you are $24 down. It also auto-renews, and Trustpilot complaints about Furbo center on subscriptions and on support that runs through chat and email only. If you want to try Furbo, buy new and use the 30-day return window.
Why it's smart
- Low upfront cost to try Nanny
- 30-day trial of the full Nanny plan
The catch
- Auto-renews into a $95.91 yearly plan
- Refurbished, with no cable or adapter
The numbers
- Camera refurbished 360° Dog Camera
- Upfront $12 shipping
- Then Standard Yearly plan, $95.91
- Return label if canceled $12
Quick comparison
| Product | Call | Best for | Price | Key spec |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furbo Mini 360° | Smart buy | Most dog and cat owners | $79 | Video: 2K QHD, 360° rotating, 8x zoom |
| Furbo 360° Dog Camera | Wait for a sale | Big treat-toss sessions | $144 | Video: 1080p, 360° rotating, 4x zoom |
| Furbo 360° Cat Camera | Good buy | Cats who need entertaining | $144 | Video: 1080p, 360° rotating, 4x zoom |
| Furbo Nanny | Good buy | Owners of anxious pets | $9.99 | Standard: $9.99/mo, 3-day video history |
| Furbo Mini | Good buy | A second room, wall-mounted | $69 | Video: 1080p, 130° wide angle, 4x zoom |
| Furbo 360° Dog Camera (Certified Refurbished) | Pass | Undecided first-time owners | $12 | Camera: refurbished 360° Dog Camera |
Which one should you get?
- If you want one good camera and no subscriptionGet the Furbo Mini 360°Camera-only at $79 keeps live view, audio and treat tossing without a plan.
- If your pet has health issues and you want alertsGet the Furbo NannyPay yearly: it is cheaper per month and extends the hardware warranty to lifetime.
- If your cat ignores you but chases feathersGet the Furbo 360° Cat CameraThe Feather Wand Toy is the one feature no other Furbo has.
- If you need a wall-mounted second cameraGet the Furbo MiniIt is the only Furbo here that ships with a wall mount.
The policies, plainly
- Trial
- 30-day Nanny trial with the free-trial offer; 14-day Nanny trial cited on some FAQs
- Returns
- 30 days from receipt to return or exchange, via chat; product pages say returns are free
- Warranty
- 1 year on hardware; lifetime while on an active yearly or 2-year Nanny plan
- Shipping
- Free to the contiguous US; extra charges for Alaska, Hawaii and territories; no P.O. boxes
- Support
- Live chat, email and in-app chat; no phone line; 24 hours on weekdays
- Financing
- Not stated
Read on Furbo's US site in October 2026.
What buyers complain about
Trustpilot rates Furbo Pet Camera 3.4 out of 5, “Average”, and the reviews split sharply. Several recent five-star reviews praise support staff by name for sending replacement cameras free, and owners describe Nanny alerts catching a fire alarm or saving clips of pets who later died.
The negative reviews cluster around money and support. Buyers call the cameras close to useless without a monthly plan, object to the $2 monthly fee for each extra camera, and one paid $184 for a bundle and still had to subscribe. Others describe cameras that stopped working, a chatbot that kept asking which model they owned, and no phone number to call; Furbo’s help center confirms it offers chat and email, not phone. One owner said the camera stopped recording for three hours and missed a seizure. The product pages show glowing reviews, but we found no way to sort them lowest first.
How the Smart Score adds up
| Part | Score | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Product | 3.9 | 35% |
| Value | 3.0 | 30% |
| Policies | 3.3 | 20% |
| Buying experience | 3.0 | 15% |
| Smart Score | 3.4/5 | |
Clever treat-tossing cameras and a 30-day return window, pulled down by pricing that steers you into subscriptions, no phone support, $2 monthly fees per extra camera and mixed Trustpilot reviews.
If Furbo is not it
- Petcube. Choose it instead if you want a second pet-camera brand to price against Furbo before committing to a plan.
- Wyze. Choose it instead if you only need to watch a room and do not care about treat tossing.
Things people ask
Do I need a Furbo Nanny subscription?
Not if you buy a camera on its own. Furbo’s help center says camera-only, Subscription-Optional models give you Live View, two-way audio, treat tossing and basic alerts without a plan. The cheap bundle prices, like the $44 360° Dog Camera, are Subscription-Required models: Live View stays locked until you activate Nanny during setup, and monthly plans carry a 3-month minimum.
Why is the Furbo camera $44 on one screen and $144 on another?
Because the $44 price assumes a yearly Furbo Nanny plan billed at $83.92, making a $127.92 cart. Choose Camera Only and the same 360° Dog Camera is $144 with no plan. Over two years with Nanny you pay more than the camera-only price, so the bundle only makes sense if you were going to subscribe anyway.
Can I return a Furbo?
Furbo’s help center gives 30 days from the day you receive it to return or exchange, started by chatting with support, and its product pages advertise free returns within 30 days. Damage from accidents or misuse is not covered. The free-trial refurbished camera works differently: canceling costs a $12 return label, and unreturned cameras are locked.
How do I contact Furbo support?
By live chat, by email at its support address, or through the chat in the Furbo app. Furbo states it does not offer phone support. Its help center lists 24-hour support Monday to Friday and 6am to 6pm Pacific on weekends. Have your account email and a photo of the serial sticker under the camera ready.
Where this comes from
- Furbo US product pages for the Mini 360°, 360° Dog Camera, 360° Cat Camera, Furbo Mini and the free-trial offer, plus the Furbo Nanny page, read October 2026.
- Furbo help center articles on warranty, returns, shipping limits, contacting support and Subscription-Required cameras, read October 2026.
- Furbo help article on Amazon prepaid cameras and the $2 additional camera fee, read October 2026.
- Trustpilot reviews of furbo.com, most recent first, October 2026.