Indiegogo staffers are putting crowdfunded products to the test in our new series of honest reviews. In this edition, our very own software engineer Bryant Buttress tried out the Uahpet iRetriever, which is live now on Indiegogo. Does it live up to the hype? Read on as we put it to the test!
We recently had the opportunity to try out the Uahpet iRetriever Ball Launcher. Our dogs love playing fetch and chasing after toys, so were very excited to introduce them to this device.
It took a couple of tries to get our dogs used to the launcher. The noise from the machine made them hesitant to approach the device at first. However, we found that once our dogs became familiar with the sound and realized it was harmless, they quickly grew accustomed to it. Nonetheless, it’s worth noting for those with particularly skittish pets.
Pros
The standout feature that we really love and appreciate is the built-in safety sensor. This sensor detects when a dog is in front of the device and prevents the ball from launching. It’s a reassuring feature that ensures the launcher won’t accidentally harm our pups. Kudos to Uahpet for prioritizing the safety of our pets!
Cons
One less positive thing that we encountered was the loading and launching time. It took about 10 seconds from the moment the ball was placed into the device until it launched. While this may not seem like a significant delay, it can feel quite long when you’re eager to keep the fetch game going. There were a handful of times when our dogs would stop paying attention within that 10-second time frame and would miss the ball launch. Furthermore, the Uahpet iRetriever Ball Launcher claims to have a maximum launch distance of 80 ft. However, in our experience, it didn’t consistently reach that distance. While the launch was still decent, it fell short of the desired range.
We also felt that the device itself is quite bulky. While it doesn’t necessarily hinder its functionality, the larger size can make it a bit cumbersome to move around, especially if you plan on taking it to different locations or storing it in tight spaces.
Conclusion
The Uahpet iRetriever Ball Launcher is a decent option for providing dogs with fun fetch sessions. While we wish the launch distance was farther for our big dogs, we can see this being an excellent experience for smaller dogs. We found a few drawbacks, but look forward to continuing to use this launcher. We hope to train our dogs to deliver and drop the ball on their own so they can play their favorite game without relying on Mom and Dad!
To learn more, check out the campaign for Uahpet iRetriever, now live on Indiegogo.
