The 7 Best Dog Beds, According To Rigorous Testing
Comfort, support and a warm spot to rest: The best dog beds provide all three of these necessities for our favorite furry best friends, which is why pet parents often take their time deliberating between top-of-the-line options. Over the course of many months, I set out to test the highest-rated dog beds on the market, gathering a curated selection of bestsellers and putting them through the paces with real-life, dog-approved testing. Ultimately, I—or rather, my French bulldog, Ozzie—determined that the best option on the market today is the Casper Dog Bed due to its incredibly thoughtful design, durable materials and superior coziness. I also identified the Lesure Pet Calming Flower Bed as a worthwhile value pick, the Orvis ToughChew ComfortFill-Eco Bolster Dog Bed for aggressive chewers and the Fable Bed as an ideal bed for pups using a dog crate.
The Casper Dog Bed is made with the same memory foam Casper uses in its other mattresses, with two … [+]
The following is a list of all the top winners that were tested by my pup, Ozzie:
As I tested, observed my dog and interviewed multiple experts in the field, I began to focus on several main criteria that, when combined, seem to make for the best dog beds. They are as follows: A dog bed should be supportive and comfortable; its materials should be durable enough to withstand scratching, biting and occasional accidents. It should also be able to be easily laundered or cleaned (removable covers are a big plus). Bonus points are awarded to beds that blend seamlessly into human décor. I’m pleased to say that all of the beds suggested meet a certain degree of some—if not all—of these criteria.
Don’t just think of this option as a dog bed; it’s a veritable dog mattress. My overall winner is the ideal of a high-quality dog bed, and it’s obvious that the brand, Casper, thought through every detail of this product. No surprise there: Casper is a beloved brand for human mattresses, and it’s clear the brand imparted some degree of that know-how into the design of its pup products. In fact, this bed is made with the same memory foam Casper uses in its other mattresses, with two layers of squishy, supportive foam that ensure your dog will never “sink through” to the hard floor underneath. The bottom half of the bed, meanwhile, is a textured weave that provides additional support and aesthetic intrigue; the top half is a suede-like microfiber that’s soft to the touch. Admittedly, I found myself thinking that this bed might be slightly better-looking had it been designed with a taut, pulled-tight top, but I ultimately discovered that the excess material is a feature: It’s there to mimic the sensation of pawing at loose earth, and it all but guarantees that your dog will have less of an inclination to, well, tear the whole thing to pieces. The bolstered sides here are also a plus, and they’re designed at an ideal height—not so high that they’ll crook your dog’s neck at an odd angle, but lofted just enough to cradle and support their head.
It’s safe to say Ozzie enjoyed his time on the Casper bed (and the surprise toy that came with it).
During the testing period, Ozzie preferred this bed second only to my eventual best value pick, the Lesure Pet Calming Flower Bed. So why did the Casper win in the end? Well, I did have to consider the fact that Ozzie had been accumulating his scent in the Lesure Pet bed longer (it was the first one I had him try out). The Casper bed may well have been his first pick had he been introduced to it sooner. From a human perspective, I also noted the superior construction and durability of this bed. While it did show dirt a bit more easily than some of the other options I tested, due to the lighter sand colorway of the microfiber hue I chose, there was an obvious trade-off: The removable cover is incredibly easy to clean. I washed it in my washing machine and laid it flat to dry, and it legitimately came out like new.
Lastly, I want to note that the unboxing of this bed is an experience in itself. It comes with assembly instructions printed on faux doggy newspaper print (trust me, you’ve got to see it to fully appreciate it), and it even includes a surprise toy that Oswald loved. (Unfortunately, he promptly tore it to pieces.) And of course, in terms of aesthetic, the Casper Dog Bed can’t be beat. It’s simple, clean-lined and textured just the right amount.
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Did I mention Ozzie loved this bed? It didn’t ultimately win my best overall designation because it was obvious to the (human) eye that the construction and durability of Casper’s model was a little more elevated—and this bed doesn’t offer a removable cover, either. Still, I do have to admit that this was clearly his personal favorite. It cradled him with cushy, bolstered sides and a round interior, and—despite my qualms about that non-removable cover—it’s since become his go-to, everyday bed. If you, too, have a younger or more easygoing dog, it’s worth considering this under-$50 model. With Ozzie’s gentle nature, I know this bed will stand up to years of naps. And while the soft, teddy material might snag on sharper nails, during Ozzie’s personal use, the fabric has remained soft and intact.
Of course, the biggest plus here is the affordability of the bed, which ships quickly from Amazon and is nearly $100 less than my top pick from Casper. While the lack of a removable cover might deter some, the manufacturer has a solution: They say it’s fine to toss the entire bed in the machine for a wash, and that it can even be tossed in the dryer on low. (That said, I found it difficult to get the entire bed in a small apartment washing machine, and had to run it through a few cycles, adjusting it each time, to make sure the entire thing got cleaned. What’s more, I chose to air-dry the bed because I couldn’t imagine it holding up well in the dryer, despite what the manufacturer claimed.)
I may not have been able to try out the Lesure option myself, but based on Ozzie’s behavior, I’d … [+]
With those caveats and adjustments, though, the bed stayed—and continues to stay—in excellent shape. After air-drying, the fabric reverts beautifully back to its original softness, and the polyester fill stays neatly in place. I’ll add that the bed is pretty difficult to stain in the first place; dirt and liquid tend to roll off of its synthetic fibers, and my experience with Ozzie has proven to me that the rough texture of the sherpa material is able to hide a great deal of wear and tear.
Last but not least, there’s no denying how adorable this bed is. If you’ve got a similarly modern or whimsical style in the rest of your home—or if you’re just excited about the opportunity to play things up in this one piece of furniture—then this is the bed for your dog. There are fun pink, blue, lilac and green colors to choose from alongside more neutral camel and gray options.
If you’ve got a rambunctious puppy on your hands—or perhaps an older dog who still likes to rip and destroy for fun—then this is the bed to consider. There are few options that are as sturdy. In fact, during durability testing, the bed showed virtually no signs of wear. And since the primary focus of the bed is to withstand tough chewers, Orvis (the manufacturer) actually offers a refund if your dog ends up chewing through the cover. Given the higher price tag here, it’s certainly a relief to hear about this “insurance” policy against bite-related tears.
Another deterrent to chew-happy pups: There’s no cording on the seams here. That’s a common aesthetic add-on for dog beds, and more frequently than not, it becomes an immediate target for curious chewers. Finally, the zipper is low-profile—another key feature that will help to turn your dog’s destructive attention away.
More than one pup got a kick out of the cozy Orvis model—and for good reason.
Of course, durability isn’t the only reason to love this bed. Its three-sided bolster is helpful for cradling the heads of older dogs (or acting as a backrest). And because an entire side of the bed is left open, it’s a great choice for any dogs who have trouble lifting their legs in and out of bed. Meanwhile, though the bottom cushion is made from polyester fill—a typically less-supportive material—I found it to be quite springy. That’s another reason why this bed was so easy for Ozzie to jump in and out of.
The last feature worth noting here is the fact that the entire bed is machine-washable. Just zip the cover off, or throw both parts in for a spin—it’s your choice. I did find that while the cover was easy to clean, the inner portion took some extra time to thoroughly dry. Still, it retained its shape beautifully and didn’t clump up like some polyester filling might be prone to do so. I also appreciated that the neutral chevron fabric blends in with most styles of décor, and the subtle pattern can hide years’ worth of set-in stains should you not be able to get them out. As an added bonus, it can be monogrammed in nine different thread colors (for just $20 extra).
Crates are meant to be happy hideaways for your dog, but that can only be true if they’re equipped with a super-comfortable bed. This particular option is a winner: It boasts squishy, supportive comfort in a compact silhouette, and it’s precisely the right size for most standard crates. (In fact, it fits perfectly inside Fable’s own crate, a delightfully modern option made from bentwood and clear acrylic or metal.) Filled with shredded memory foam, it’s most similar to a human pillow—and while I didn’t find it to be as soft as some of the other beds I tested, it had many other great features going for it.
For starters, the Fable bed is made of a stain- and water-resistant material that’s perfect for accident-prone puppies, and it’s UV-resistant, too, so it’s a great option for an outdoor dog bed as well as a crate bed. Word to the wise: Just be sure to bring it inside to protect it from the elements when not in use. While the bed does lack bolstered sides, it makes up for this in durability. Its tightly woven fabric showed absolutely no signs of wear during my testing process.
Finally, this bed is simple and straightforward to clean. Because both the interior and exterior can be thrown in the machine, it’s a cinch to clean up—but note that Fable recommends hanging the bed to dry. For my testing purposes, I ended up draping the cover over a chair and flipping the interior cushion frequently while drying; eventually, I fluffed the memory foam back up before reinserting it into the cover. The verdict? It cleans beautifully and looks great after the fact.