Product Review: Flash & Glow Jr Ball

This Flash & Glow Jr. light-up ball by American Dog Toys arrived exactly one year ago in our October 2014 BarkBox. It apparently took me an entire year to use it enough to write a reasonable review. This is the smaller size of this ball, at a bit under 3" in diameter. Ours is pink, and when it hits the ground it flashes very, very bright red. It floats and is durable enough to handle being lobbed across a tennis court.

Photo by Erin Koski

This should be the perfect ball for late night games of fetch in the tennis court. It's a little small for Brisbane, but he is very picky about balls and pretty much rejects anything that isn't a tennis ball or an Ultraball. I'm a little surprised that BarkBox sent us the smaller ball because it's almost too small for 40-pound Brisbane and our box is supposed to be suitable for dogs up to 50-pounds.

The Flash and Glow Jr. ball is surprisingly heavy and hard, which might be part of why Brisbane doesn't like it. It's tough plastic without a lot of give, and it doesn't bounce at all.

As advertised, the ball does flash and glow, very brightly. In fact it is so bright that it destroys my night vision and hurts my eyes. I have to try very hard not to look at it directly and I wonder if the dogs feel the same way.

Pros: Very bright and highly visible. Smaller than a tennis ball so better for small dogs. Super durable, nobody has bit through it yet. Floats. Can handle being thrown forcefully on cement repeatedly.

Cons: Extreme brightness is not ideal for total darkness as all you will see for a while is the spots in your vision. It's like looking at the sun. Very hard, hurts the dogs when they get hit accidentally in the dark.

Bottom Line: Not bad for dusk, but after hitting Sisci with it during a totally blind game of fetch I think I will look for a softer and dimmer ball.