The Best Dog Beds for Every Dog

As recently as 2018, statistics showed that over 48 million households in the United States alone included at least one dog — and that number has only risen in the time since. If you count yourself among these numbers, you probably don’t need us to tell you that owning a dog can be beneficial to your overall health (mental, physical and emotional), can act as a supplement to your personal and home security (dogs can be, after all, a kind of biological perimeter alarm) and means you get a lifelong companion — at least for the length of your dogs’ lives, that is.

But dog ownership is a two-way street. All of those benefits come at the cost of care, kindness and love on your end. That means feeding them right, keeping them fit and giving them some basic creature comforts; they are family, after all. One of the best ways you can take care of your pup is by getting them a proper bed to call their own — yes, more than just a carpeted corner somewhere in the house. But, like people, every dog has different needs. Lucky for you, we’ve rounded up a collection of the best beds for every dog. Big or small, anxious or fickle, senior or still a puppy, you’ll find a sleep solution that’s perfect for your K9 right here.

What to Look for

You probably wouldn’t put a rock-hard mattress in your guest room, forcing your visiting friends and family to sleep uncomfortably and potentially painfully, right? Well, you shouldn’t expect that out of your dog, either. With all the modern tech and conveniences at our disposal, dog beds — at least many of the good ones — are leaps and bounds closer to human-quality mattresses than ever before. But if you really want to make sure your dog is getting the best, most comfortable sleep possible, you’re still going to want to watch out for a few things, which we’ve outlined below.

Size: It might seem obvious, but making sure you get the right size bed for your dog is pretty important. After all, you wouldn’t want your Great Dane hanging off the edge of a chihuahua-sized bed — it would defeat the purpose. Similarly, a small dog doesn’t need a bed that takes up the same room as a California King mattress — that’s just a waste of space. Make sure you’re paying attention to the dimensions of the bed of your choosing to avoid these pitfalls.

Materials: There are two major reasons you’re going to want to keep your dog’s bed materials in mind. The first is for long-term durability; dogs have claws and teeth and tend to live a little rougher than we do, which means their bed needs to be able to stand up to some punishment. High-quality materials — especially things like ripstop nylon — will hold up better over time than lesser ones. Second, the materials will determine how easy it is to clean you dog’s bed, which you’ll definitely want to do from time to time. Again, nylons tend to be easier to clean, as they’re stain- and water-resistant and are usually quick-drying. A simple glance at the specs (or even the tag) will illuminate how easy or difficult it is to clean a given dog bed.

Support: One of the bigger points of getting a dog bed is so that your dog is more comfortable than on, say, the cold, hard floor. But that’s not going to matter if the bed you choose is rock hard, lumpy, unsupportive, etc. As such, you’re going to want to check out reviews — both professional and consumer — as well as take a close look at the specs to make sure the bed you pick actually offers support and isn’t just stuffed with some loose cotton. Some of the bigger names in human-quality mattresses even make dog beds with the exact same spinal-supporting technology, for instance. And that means your pup can get the royal treatment, just as you intended.

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How We Tested

Casper

Best Overall Dog Bed

Casper Dog Bed

• $127.00 at Casper
  $169.00 (25% off)

Made from the same memory foam as Casper’s award-winning mattresses, this durable, good-looking dog bed is one of the all-around best on the market. It also comes in three sizes — for dogs from 30 up to 90 pounds, according to the brand — and has a removable, washable cover. All told, this is might end up being the first and last dog bed you buy for your pup.

• Exterior: Nylon, polyester, olefin
• Support: Memory foam
• Sizes: S-L

Amazon

Best Upgrade Dog Bed

Yeti Trailhead Dog Bed

• $225.00 at Amazon
  $300.00 (25% off)

Yeti’s dog bed, like all of the brand’s gear, is brilliant from tip to tail. And while it makes an excellent bed for your home, garage, workshop or wherever else, it was also made with a removable pad that makes it an excellent option for dogs and owners that do a lot of travel. Furthermore, it’s easy to clean, the elevated edge is a nice resting place for your pup’s head and it offers superb cushioning (nice for dogs that nap a lot).

READ OUR YETI TRAILHEAD DOG BED REVIEW

• Exterior: Rugged, waterproof fabric
• Support: EVA foam, high-density foam
• Sizes: 39 in x 29 in

Amazon

Best for Affordable Dog Bed

Best Friends by Sheri The Original Calming Donut Dog Bed

• $30.00 at Amazon
  $35.00 (14% off)

With its round shape, thick shag exterior and elevated sides, it’s no wonder this bed helps anxious animals feel calm and comforted. If you’ve got a dog that’s prone to nervous habits and can’t just chill out, this bed might go a long way to helping them manage the issue. And while you might be worried about the washability of the thick shag, don’t be — the small size can just be tossed into the wash, while the whole exterior of the larger sizes is removable and machine washable.

• Exterior: Faux shag fur
• Support: CoziLOFT fiber
• Sizes: S-XXL

Tuft & Needle

Best Design

Tuft & Needle Dog Bed

• $120.00 at Tuft & Needle

With its boxy base and removable pillow (which is perfectly crate-sized for when you need it), Tuft & Needle’s aptly-named Dog Bed is perhaps the most beautiful of the options we’ve come across. It’s also available in a trio of sizes and colorways, comes with removable, washable covers on both the pad and base and can be purchased alongside a throw blanket (if you want one). For those that find most dog beds to be eyesores, this one is sure to be a breath of fresh air.

• Exterior: Cotton-polyester canvas
• Support: Polyurethane foam
• Sizes: S-L

REI

Best for Camping

Ruffwear Highlands Dog Sleeping Bag

• $100.00 at REI

If you and your dog live particularly adventurous lives, you might want a dog bed that can handle all those big adventures. Enter Ruffwear’s Highlands dog sleeping bag, which packs down small for easy transit and expands into a puffy, water-resistant, durable nylon bed. Your dog can lay on top of it on warmer days and nights and crawl inside its insulation (which can be augmented with an additional pad) when the mercury drops. This is also a good option for dogs that prefer to stay outside, even when you’re home.

• Exterior: Polyester
• Support: Synthetic down
• Sizes: M-L

Ruffwear

Most Sustainable

Ruffwear Restcycle Dog Bed

• $65.00 at onlynaturalpet.com

Your dog probably isn’t aware of its carbon footprint, but you might be aware of yours. If you are and you want to make sure you’re doing your best to offset climate change wherever reasonable, you might want a bed for your dog that’s a bit more environmentally friendly, like this one that’s made with insulation crafted from repurposed, post-manufacturing closed-cell foam. It’s also durable, odor-resistant, cozy, and comfortable — meaning your dog won’t have to suffer for the bed’s sustainability.

• Exterior: Recycled polyester
• Support: Recycled closed-cell foam, synthetic insulation
• Sizes: 34 in x 26 in

Amazon

Best for Big Dogs

Big Barker 7-Inch Pillow Top Orthopedic Dog Bed

• $240.00 at Amazon

Most beds come in three sizes: small, medium, and large. And while a small dog can deal with a little extra bed space, XL pups have a much more difficult time with smaller beds. Thankfully, that’s what Big Barker specializes in, as you can see from this offering — which comes in large, XL and giant sizes. It also has an elevated headrest for a bit more comfort, comes equipped with a washable microsuede cover and it was made in the USA. If you’re drawn to larger breeds like Rottweilers, Great Danes and/or St. Bernards, this might be the bed for you and your dogs.

• Exterior: Microsuede
• Support: Orthopedic foam
• Sizes: L-XXL

Orvis

Best for Customization

Orvis Memory Foam Couch Dog Bed

• $359.00 at Orvis

Made from cushy memory foam and equipped with a hypoallergenic, water-resistant liner that can be removed and washed, this is an outstanding dog bed from a time-tested brand. And while the quality is certainly important, this bed comes with an option not found elsewhere on our list: the bed can be purchased with embroidery — meaning you can put your dog’s name on it, should you so desire. With three sizes and six exterior options, you can’t really go wrong with this dog bed even if you don’t choose to customize it.

• Exterior: Polyester
• Support: Memory foam
• Sizes: S-L

Amazon

Best for Chewers

K9 Ballistics Tough Orthopedic Dog Bed

• $159.00 at Amazon

As anyone even remotely familiar with dogs can tell you, canines can be a rowdy bunch. And some of them never grow out of those puppy habits, like licking, chewing, digging, etc. If you have an unruly dog and you need a bed that can take a beating, you’re in luck: this one from K9 Ballistics is meant to be extra-tough and chew-proof (or at least more chew resistant than basically any other dog bed around). It also has the benefit of coming in five sizes for dogs of all statures, four different colors and it has a 120-day warranty — meaning, if your dog damages it at all during that stretch, the brand has you covered.

• Exterior: Ballistic canvas
• Support: CertiPUR-US foam
• Sizes: S-XXL

Amazon

Best Elevated Option

K9 Ballistics Chew Proof Armored Elevated Padded Dog Bed

• $169.00 at Amazon

Not every dog wants to be close to the ground and engulfed in memory foam. If that sounds like your pup, they might prefer this outdoor- and camping-friendly elevated cot. Made by K9 Ballistics, it’s exceptionally durable (courtesy of its aluminum frame and ballistic fabric), still made to fit inside most standard crates, comes with the brand’s 120-day warranty and is perhaps the easiest to clean of all the other beds on our list. If your dog is more a workhorse than a lap-sitter, this might be your best option.

• Exterior: Aluminum
• Support: Suspended polyester pad
• Sizes: S-XXL

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