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The Best Dog Beds
Now these were fun to test, for both us humans and the dogs. Who knew dog beds could be so comfortable? Us humans have been converted and may well be swapping to these in the future!
Did you know that dogs spend almost half their lives sleeping? Knowing this it is therefore important to get a bed that is durable, comfortable and supportive. In the same way us humans need a good mattress to sleep on, dogs do too. Now you may enjoy sharing your bed with you furry family (dogs we mean) but it is so important for them to have their own space, their rest and sleeping area and time apart from you.
There are so many different dog bed options on the market so it is important to consider the following:
How does your dog sleep? Do they prefer to spread out or curl up? Do they prefer to have a side to rest their head on?
Does your dog spend a lot of time outside getting muddy, wet paws or are they very clean? An easily washable and waterproof bed would be advisable for the former.
Perhaps your dog suffers from joint pain or you would like to do as much as you can to prevent this. In which case an orthopaedic bed or a bed with a memory foam mattress would be a good choice.
Of course you want the best for your dog, for them to be comfortable, cosy and in a calming bed so we put five beds to the test with dogs from our shelter as well as our adopted dogs at home.
Many of the dogs at our shelter will never have seen beds like this ever! This does not mean they are easily pleased though. Absolutely not, they are the best critiques and will not settle on anything that they don’t consider comfortable and to their standard. Rightly so! So let’s see what our dog reviewers thought of our purchases – we may have a little input too as we couldn’t resist joining in!
Benafim Shelter Dogs Test The Beds
The Dog’s Bed Orthopaedic dog bed, Bedsure Orthopaedic dog mattress, PetFusion Ultimate Solid Memory Foam Dog Bed, The Dog’s Bed Orthopaedic dog mattress and Acorn Pets Deluxe Dog Bed are the five beds we bought for our dogs to review. We were incredibly excited unpacking these it has to be said.
And of course after all the unpacking a much needed rest was unavoidable. We chose the large and extra large sizes in all the beds (sometimes even extra extra large – not for us we promise) as most of our dogs at the shelter are medium to large size. The XXL measures 131 x 100 cm. Now this is not a cheap bed and with a price tag like this we really wanted to see how our dogs at the shelter and at home of all shapes and sizes responded to it. Sometimes photos do the talking.
The Dog’s Bed Orthopaedic Dog Bed
The beautiful Kyra who spent many many years in a municipal kennel before coming to us loved this bed. She was the first to discover how soft, yet firm it is (after Patricia that is) and of course Kyra loved all the cuddles from Patricia. The faux fur cover really is incredibly soft and once on it, none of the dogs were eager to get off it again.
The more the merrier! We bought this bed in the XXL size for our large dogs to test, but as you can see, this bed is also great for dogs who like to share. For single dogs or those who prefer their own space this bed comes in four other sizes. With it’s sofa style raised sides, dogs can rest their heads quite comfortably or in the case of Potato can opt to lay on one of the arms. Yes, he always likes to do things differently.
Sweet Pebbles could not get enough of the softness of this bed and brought her array of toys to play with and chew so she could relax in style. The open front allows dogs with mobility restrictions to get in and out easily.
The mattress didn’t leave any tell tale marks that one of the dogs had been sleeping on it, or the tell tale signs of four dog shapes as the case may be. Another bonus of this bed is any marks at all or dirt come off really easily with a wet cloth or you can take the whole cover off and put in the washing machine. A must have detail for dogs like Pebble who love a good swim, play and then bring their toys to bed.
The Details
Memory Foam Mattress
Faux Fur and Waterproof
Machine washable
Available in sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL
Available in a choice of colours
Replacement covers available
Summary
Every single dog at the shelter and the adopted ones in our homes loved this bed. Not one turned their nose up at it and we are not surprised at all. If we didn’t love dogs so much we would be pinching it from them and swapping it with our human beds. Comfortable, practical and have we mentioned soft? So so soft made for the sweetest of dreams.
Gallery of various dogs testing, click to enlarge
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Bedsure Orthopaedic Dog Mattress
One of our older dogs Nora didn’t hesitate before settling on the XL Bedure Orthopaedic mattress and then greeted us with the most grateful of eyes to express her delight. Nora definitely loves her home comforts at the shelter and whilst we try our best to give her as luxurious a “sleeping quarters” as we can, nothing could put a smile on her face like this mattress did. The XL measures 112 x 81 cm and is super supportive (yes we had a sneaky nap too – ssshhh), It provides enough support without being too hard and the sherpa fleece side feels so so soft and inviting.
Lily our most recent rescue abandoned in the middle of the countryside and still on the skinny side didn’t need persuading at all to try the orthapaedic bed. We were met with the most loving of gazes as though she was asking us whether she was worthy or such a lovely, comfortable bed. Of course we told Lily she is more than worthy.
What us humans love about this bed is it’s versatility and the fact it is very light to move around. This is perfect to fit into a crate as the mattress or to put in the car and take with you when you go away. An added bonus is it provides comfort for both winter and summer with it’s reversible design. Practical and comfortable – the perfect combination.
The Details
Reversible design – soft sherpa surface for warmth in winter and Oxford back that’s cooler in the summer
Removable and washable cover
Foam Mattress – 7.6 cm thick
Non slip Bottom
Available in M, L and XL
Available in two colours
Summary
For the price this bed will please many, many dogs and their owners – this reversible mattress provides your dog with two beds, one for winter and one for summer. The quality foam mattress provides your dog with a solid and comfortable bed to sleep on. A fantastic versatile bed your dogs will love.
Check Price on AmazonPetFusion Ultimate Solid Memory Foam Dog Bed
This Extra Large Pet Fusion Solid Memory Foam Bed measures 11.8 x 86.4 cm and is definitely as solid as it states in the title. The Headrests are a great feature to snuggle up against as Iris likes to do or to rest their heads on and watch the world go by as they drift off into the land of sweet dreams. The fabric is waterproof and washable and apart from making a little squeaky noise as dogs settle onto it, it is lovely and soft. We would suggest adding a blanket or soft throw to give it a more luxurious and comfortable feel for the colder months.
Maya weighs approximately 25kg and you can see how firm the mattress is from the very slight indents of her weight on it. The fabric claims to be non tear and as far as our dogs can tell, this is accurate as they certainly clambered all over it with their dirty paws and nails. See our gallery to see big black Nero and Max also helping us review this bed. Thank goodness after a quick wipe the bed is back to being clean and as good as new!
The Details
Solid 15 cm memory foam base
Water and tear resistant cover
Removable washable cover
Non skid bottom
Outer material – Polyester cotton blend
Available in sizes S, M, L, XL, and XXL
Available in 3 colours
Summary
Is this the Aston Martin of dog beds? After being climbed on, played on, attempted to be chewed, a quick wash or wipe down and it was back to looking brand new. Would it be a big claim to suggest this could well be an ever lasting dog bed? With it’s solid mattress base, tear resistant cover and washable too, this is a great investment for your dog or doggies to sleep like royalty.
Gallery of various dogs testing, click to enlarge
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The Dog’s Bed Orthopaedic Dog Bed Mattress
The memory foam mattress we bought for our dogs to try is XL and measures 117 x 71cm and is 15 cm in thickness. Killo has helped us test a few of the beds we bought and he was instantly drawn to this one. He really enjoyed the soft push cover and the thickness of the mattress. We joined him for a cuddle and agree with him that the material is very soft and the mattress felt solid and comfortable.
Komo taking his testing role very seriously
Killo’s brother Komo preferred to sit on the bed whilst we asked him to tell us what he thought. Komo weighs approximately 25kg and really loved how comfortable and firm the memory foam mattress kept it’s shape and didn’t go all soft underneath him. Komo is only 6 but would love to keep this orthopaedic mattress for his kennel as although he has no problems with his joints or bones, he felt secure and comfortable on it. We have told him that as long as he doesn’t let his best friend Jean get too playful on it and behaves then he can keep it. We did check what was under the soft cover first and we were pleasantly surprised to find a waterproof inner cover which adds protection but also creates an added layer for any chewers to get their teeth through.
Gau Gau felt like a prince when we introduced him to the mattress bed. For many years he was in a municipal kennel without such luxuries and his face said it all. Happiness.
The Details
Plush fabric top
Waterproof washable Cover
Available in sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL
Available in many different colours
Anti slip base
Summary
All the dog’s who helped test this bed were instantly drawn to the soft plush cover on the orthopaedic mattress and quickly lay down to enjoy the softness of the fabric and the support of the bed itself. It really does offer firm yet comfortable support and with it’s removable washable cover and a waterproof inner cover, the bed mattress is not only loved by the dogs but also practical for dog owners too.
Check Price on AmazonAcornPets Deluxe Dog Bed
The AcronPets Deluxe Bed was an instant hit with all the dogs. Now perhaps it is the super soft and squidgy feel that made this bed so inviting. The feel is very similar to a wonderfully soft and thick duvet according to Nero. Nero is most probably the most experienced dog when it comes to knowing what is comfortable or not to sleep on. Nero loves, loves, loves his sleep and to do so in style. If you haven’t see Nero’s ability to make a cocoon out of a duvet you are missing out. Now this may not have a foam mattress that provides the same level as support as some of the others but it does provide a wonderfully cushioned soft and comforting feel.
Who said beds are just for sleeping on? Maya and Max obviously weren’t in the mood for sleeping and had so much fun playing in the sun on the softness of this bed. The cover is removable and washable which of course is a bonus for us after Maya and Max’s fun and games. The non slip base is also a great feature as with all the frolicking going on, without who knows where the bed would have ended up.
The XL bed measures 110 x 90 cm which is more than big enough for medium size Daisy, although on this occasion she preferred not to share and wanted to enjoy the sunshine in comfort on her own, once she had managed to get Maya and Max off it that is. We would have done the same Daisy don’t worry. The youngsters can go and play and be mischievous elsewhere.
The Details
XL size 110 x 90 x 20
Available in sizes M, L and XL
Available in
Removable and washable
Non slip base which is waterproof.
Summary
The dogs loved this bed and so did we. Perhaps it is seeing so many playing with happy faces that makes us feel so complimentary and positive about this bed. It is softer and less supportive than the orthopaedic mattresses but it has a lovely feel to it that we particularly enjoyed testing too.
Gallery of various dogs testing, click to enlarge
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Conclusion
What a fun time our dogs have had testing all of these beds. We may have enjoyed it too, just a little, okay a lot! A fantastic range of dog beds that every single dog who tried them raved about (in their enthusiastic dog way). The absolute icing on the cake is seeing how settled, comfortable and relaxed our reviewers felt on them, sometimes choosing to play on them, bring their toys with them or enjoy some quiet time with a good long sleep.
The range of beds tested vary in price starting at £32.49 going up to £112.87 and the good thing is none of our dogs know the prices. Their testing and feedback is based purely on what is put in front of them. Sometimes well often, pictures do the talking, us humans have simply put into words their feedback. Whether your dog is young or old, big or small, prefers a thinner base or a thicker softer one, there is definitely a bed here for your dog to sleep like a King or Queen. With some having the added benefit of being orthopedic you can also be comforted knowing your dog is well protected against any existing joint problems but also help prevent any future problems.
