Optimum
Optimum is a fair-value supermarket pick that wo not let you down for everyday feeding, but the cereal-forward panel and reliance on meat meals keep it below the premium brands. Buy it for convenience and price, and step up to a meat-first formula if you want better ingredient quality.
A supermarket mid-market brand from Mars Petcare, made in Australia and easy to find on the shelf. It is grain-inclusive with cereal high in the panel and sits a step below the premium range, but the per-kg price is fair and it does the everyday job. Decent value rather than a class-leader.
Scored by the PetReviews independent review board
Independent scoring · Updated June 2026 · Not veterinary advice
Overall score · /100
Average
Weighted across six areas
- 0
- Value
- 0
- Ingredients
- 0
- Transparency
- Overall score
- 0/100
- Value score
- 0/100
- Ingredient quality
- 0/100
- Transparency
- 0/100
Our verdict
Optimum is a fair-value supermarket pick that wo not let you down for everyday feeding, but the cereal-forward panel and reliance on meat meals keep it below the premium brands. Buy it for convenience and price, and step up to a meat-first formula if you want better ingredient quality.
How Optimum scores
Every brand runs through the same 100-point model. Each area below is weighted by importance — price and ingredients carry the most.
Ownership & transparency
- Ownership
- Mars Petcare (Australia)
- Country of manufacture
- Australia
- Retailer relationship
- Independent — widely stocked across retailers
Pros & cons
What works
- Easy to find in any supermarket
- Fair per-kg price for the everyday range
- Australian made
- Complete and balanced across life stages
Watch-outs
- Grain-inclusive with cereal high in the ingredient panel
- Ingredient quality sits below premium brands
- Meat content leans on meals rather than fresh muscle meat
Who it's for
Best for
- Budget-aware feeders who shop at the supermarket
- Owners after a no-fuss everyday kibble
- Healthy adult dogs with no special needs
Look elsewhere if
- You want a meat-first, low-cereal formula
- Your dog needs a prescription or grain-free diet
Key Optimum products we rate
Optimum Adult Chicken, Rice & Vegetables 18kg
Cost / day
$1.45
~15kg adult
Cost / feed
$0.73
2 meals/day
Price / kg
$5.50/kg
18kg bag
First ingredient
Chicken (meat and meal)
Protein
24%
Honest everyday value in the big bag, just keep in mind the cereal sits high in the mix.
Optimum Puppy Chicken & Rice 3kg
Cost / day
$1.10
~15kg adult
Cost / feed
$0.55
2 meals/day
Price / kg
$9/kg
3kg bag
First ingredient
Chicken (meat and meal)
Protein
28%
A wallet-friendly puppy kibble that covers the basics for growing pups without the premium price.
Best & weakest value in the range
Optimum Puppy Chicken & Rice 3kg
A wallet-friendly puppy kibble that covers the basics for growing pups without the premium price.
Optimum Adult Chicken, Rice & Vegetables 18kg
Lower-scoring on our value-and-quality blend at $5.50/kg. Compare carefully on cost per day before choosing it over the rest of the range.
Price across retailers
Everyday pricing for Optimum key products is a guide and can change. The cheapest retailer can shift with sales, member and subscription pricing — always check price per kg before you buy.
Lowest everyday price in this table. Prices are a guide and can change.
Retailers that stock Optimum
Alternatives to Optimum
Premium · Good
One of the safest everyday-premium picks in the index — Aussie-made, vet-recommended and with a formula for nearly every dog. The panels are good rather than exceptional and you pay a little for the big-brand reach, but for most households it's a dependable, easy-to-buy choice. Compare it on cost per day against Black Hawk and SavourLife.
Premium · Good
Fine on a discounted big bag if you choose a named-meat-first recipe, but don't assume the whole range is equal — the cheaper lines pad the panel with grain and rice, and a chunk of the price is reach and marketing rather than ingredients. Compare the specific formula on cost per kg against SavourLife and Ivory Coat.
Mid-range · Average
Leaps & Bounds is Petbarn's private-label house brand — an affordable, Australian-made everyday option you'll find in every store. It won't out-score premium national brands on ingredients, but it's perfectly reasonable value for the price. Shopping at Petbarn? Compare it on price-per-kg with the national brands on the same shelf to land on the best value for your dog.
Final verdict on Optimum
Optimum is a fair-value supermarket pick that wo not let you down for everyday feeding, but the cereal-forward panel and reliance on meat meals keep it below the premium brands. Buy it for convenience and price, and step up to a meat-first formula if you want better ingredient quality.
Optimum FAQs
Optimum scores 63/100 overall (Average) on our 100-point model, with a value score of 68/100. Optimum is a fair-value supermarket pick that wo not let you down for everyday feeding, but the cereal-forward panel and reliance on meat meals keep it below the premium brands. Buy it for convenience and price, and step up to a meat-first formula if you want better ingredient quality.
Across the retailers we track, Pet Circle currently shows the lowest everyday price on a key Optimum product. Prices are a guide and can change often, so compare price per kg and member or subscription pricing before you buy. See our full price comparison above.
Worth comparing carefully against Advance, Black Hawk, Leaps & Bounds. Each sits in a similar tier; check cost per day and ingredient quality for your dog's size and needs.
Within the range we rate, Optimum Puppy Chicken & Rice 3kg scores best on our value-and-quality blend. Match the bag size to your dog's daily serve so you are comparing cost per day, not just sticker price. This is general information, not veterinary advice.