RelaxoPet Pro review

The RelaxoPet Pro is one of the most intelligent devices we've seen in a long time with its advanced vibration technology that works its magic on even the most frazzled of furkids.

It's not unusual for us humans to think of stress and anxiety as something that just affects us, but believe it or not, it's something our pets can experience too. For many dogs and cats, loud music, thunder, and fireworks are all potentially unnerving experiences that can trigger a flood of adrenaline that leaves them feeling on high alert. That's where a device like the RelaxoPet Pro can come in handy.

This little beauty uses a sensitive microphone to pick up on how your pet is feeling and when it detects stress it automatically turns itself on, sending out soothing sounds that are undetectable to the human ear but that are easily picked up on by your fur baby. Not only is it ideal for calming your kitty or canine down when loud noises are present, it's also great for solving some of the most common kitten behavior problems, such as furniture scratching, and it can help reduce separation anxiety in dogs too.

While there's bound to be some cats and dogs that will be immune to the RelaxoPet Pro, many pet parents have had great success with this device, reporting on how helpful it is in lulling their furkid back into a more tranquil state after a period of high stress. So, with that in mind, let's take a closer look at this unique device and see if has the potential to improve your fur baby's health and wellbeing.  

RelaxoPet Pro: Features

The RelaxoPet Pro is essentially a standalone, battery-powered speaker. You don’t need to pair it with your phone or plug it into any other audio-feed devices - all the sounds and features are built-in to the unit, meaning it’s a pretty hassle-free device.

Hit the play button, and it starts pumping out soothing sounds with a 242-degree audio field; enough to fill a room or catch your dog's attention. RelaxoPet claims a range of 5m indoors, or 3m if you're using it outside.

The company says the sounds are "based on the latest, subliminal vibration technology" and vary between the different versions to match the hearing range of the specific animal they're tailored for. This speaker is made especially for your dog, so its range should get through to them more effectively than relaxation sounds played through the TV or radio.

You can, optionally, add suitably spa-like audible music to the RelaxoPet Pro's output, to give your dog something extra to listen to and to give you some proof that it's actually working.

You don't need to activate the RelaxoPet Pro manually; you can set it to an automatic mode, which uses twin microphones to detect signs of stress and start the sounds for a set period. That's great for helping with separation anxiety – though you shouldn't expect it to work right away. While its output is obviously calming, it is important to associate those relaxing sounds with positive attention; Pavlov would be proud.

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RelaxoPet Pro: User reviews

There will always be a certain level of natural skepticism that comes with a product such as this, but also a definite trend towards confirmation bias. So it's no surprise that the RelaxoPet's reviews jump to either end of the spectrum, with some claiming it solved their pet's anxiety problems, and others claiming it didn't work at all.

The most positive responses (and there are more of these than negative) came from those that took the time to train their dogs to the sound, with many saying that their canine companions can now sleep through anything. Many plaudits also seem to come from those who didn't actually think it would work but have been converted to the efficacy of the RelaxoPet Pro's sonic tranquilizing. 

Some even talk about the effectiveness of the human-audible section of the RelaxoPet Pro's output on themselves, with one reviewer even claiming the looping, relaxing music helped with her own insomnia.

There's a lot of middle ground too, with people who aren't sure if it's worked but are willing to give it a go – realistically this is the mindset that would lead most to the RelaxoPet Pro in the first place.

In terms of the hardware itself, we struggled to find any complaints at all – but it's more about the effect than the kit itself. That said, some ears were able to detect a ghostly emanation from the speaker when used in dog-only mode, which suggests some of the frequencies it outputs may be audible to humans. 

So you're going to either be listening to the same new-age music loops for hours on end or a barely-audible swirl, either of which may be a little hard on the brain.

Should you buy the RelaxoPet Pro?

We wouldn't pick the RelaxoPet Pro as the first port of call for a dog with anxiety issues. There are other, more established, solutions that rely on a little more science, including a thundervest or diffusers such as Adaptil, but they don't necessarily have the same flexibility or spiritual energy. 

You may well prefer the concept and execution of the RelaxoPet Pro and, given that there's more than just a dog version, it's important to remember that there's no way to put a thundervest on a bird. 

Its portability is another big plus because, once your dog is accustomed to it, you can take it anywhere. It's not the biggest investment, either, particularly when you consider the potentially expensive cost of diffusers.