Your dog will have an even greater time rolling around, napping, and drooling in the ideal dog bed. While senior dogs might prefer a luxurious bed with just the right amount of support for their frail frames, some need a sturdy bed that can withstand the roughest canine scratching. Years of research have led us to the discovery of six options that will please even the most particular canines. These include a cuddler-style dog bed, a luxurious dog bed with cushion that rivals human mattresses, a lounger bed ideal for large dogs, an elevated dog bed, a crate-liner bed, and an easy-access bed for older or disabled dogs.
The research
- Best overall bed for most dogs: Majestic Pet Suede Bagel Dog Bed
- A stylish, modern dog bed: Casper Dog Bed
- Best dog bed for large dogs: FurHaven Pet Orthopedic Ultra Plush Lounger
- Best elevated dog bed: K&H Original Pet Cot
- Best crate bed: MidWest QuietTime Deluxe Ombré Swirl Bed
- Best dog bed for senior dogs: PetFusion Ultimate Dog Bed
- Why you should trust us
- How we picked and tested
- What is a calming dog bed?
- The competition
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources
Best overall bed for most dogs: Majestic Pet Suede Bagel Dog Bed
Why we cherish it: The Majestic Pet Suede Bagel Dog Bed has a fluffy, enveloping appearance and is made to be soft. Your dog will undoubtedly jump in, prance about, and spend hours dozing off in it. This bed is easy to put together and take apart for cleaning, and it can be machine-washed. There are four sizes available, and it fits dogs up to 110 pounds.
These raised outer ring and plush inner circle dog beds are known by many names, such as bagel, bolster, cuddler, or nester. Whatever you want to call it, this style of bed typically has a lofty built-in pillow that is ideal for a dog to rest their head on.
Despite its name, the Suede Bagel’s cover is actually composed of soft, upscale polyester microsuede. The material blends well with the muted, earthy color options, and in testing, the microsuede fabric held up well against digging dog nails. The bed’s removable cover is kept shut by strong, smooth zippers made by the Japanese company YKK, which is renowned for producing high-quality, long-lasting zippers.
The Majestic Pet dog bed is simple to spot-clean with with soap and water if your dog gets muddy paws on it. You may wash the bed in the washing machine using the gentle cycle and the air-dry settings for heavier spills or bathroom mishaps.The two smallest beds don’t have removable covers and are designed to be tossed into the wash, stuffing and all. The two larger sizes have removable stuffing, so you can wash the cover separately.
Because cuddler beds are meant to be fluffy, a lot of stuffing is packed into a small area. Due to the impression that you are packing too tightly, they can be difficult to assemble. However, same issue is not present with the Majestic Pet bed. Compared to other, similarly plush cuddler beds we tested, this bed’s polyester filling made it simpler to stuff after washing; it also held its shape well and didn’t balloon to an unmanageable size.
Deficiencies but not deal breakers: In particular, if you wash it frequently or your dog is rough with it, a dog bed in this price range won’t last forever. However, if your dog isn’t a heavy chewer, you should anticipate using this bed for at least a few years. However, if you have a dog that is prone to chewing, wear is to be expected. We’ve seen some reviewers complain that their dogs chewed holes in their Majestic Pet beds. Since we began advising it in 2017, several Wirecutter staff members have owned this bed, and five years later, the beds are only now beginning to show signs of wear.
Some dogs might find the Majestic Pet dog bed to be too tall. For a few days, the middle cushion may be an uneven place to lay because it sits up high like a bed pillow that needs to break in. Even so, most puppies should be able to break in this bed fast with a little scratching and that lovely ancestral nesting instinct (also known as comfort circling, in which dogs circle their resting position to make the pillow exactly right).
The zippers on the bed rest on top of the frame rather than in front of it. Additionally, they aren’t concealed by a flap of fabric, making them accessible to a bored or stressed dog. If you are aware that your dog enjoys chewing on metal zippers, consider this type.likely isn’t the bed for them. Some other beds we like have no-skid bottoms. This one doesn’t, but the weight of your dog should keep it in place.
Why we love it: The Casper Dog Bed is pretty darn elegant for a dog bed—it looks sexier than the majority of the other models we evaluated, and it fits in with most settings. Additionally perfect for older puppies and dogs with arthritis that require firm support is this plush dog bed. For anyone who wishes to indulge their dog with a dog bed that rivals their own, human bed, it’s also fantastic. (It is also one of our more expensive choices.) When it comes time to wash the bed, it is far simpler to disassemble and reassemble this bed than the majority of the others we tried.
Three plain, uncomplicated hues are offered for the Casper dog bed (gray, blue, and sand). The top of the cover resembles suede, while the edge is made of a The bed has five foam inserts plus a cover, but assembly was seamless compared with that of other picks. Other similar-style beds we tested were frustrating to put together:material resembling canvas.
A floppy bolster insert must be pushed through the long, tube-like lid. The Casper makes it much easier to place the foam pieces in their proper locations because it is clear where they are meant to go.
The Casper has sturdy zippers on the bottom of the bed, unlike our pick, the Majestic Bagel Bed, and there is a space to tuck the zipper away so your dog can’t grab it. However, you can return the Casper bed during the 30-night risk-free trial period if your dog tangles with the zipper or simply doesn’t like it. This is the only product we recommend with this deal. Additionally, there is a one-year limited warranty to cover any flaws.
Deficiencies but not deal breakers: The Casper Dog Bed’s inner sleeping space is shallower than it appears in the image; depending on the size you choose, the low bolsters barely rise 2 to 3 inches above the ground. The Casper may not provide your dog with the same level of comfort and cuddling as beds with larger, higher bolsters. The Majestic Bagel Bed would be a better choice if your dog wants to feel particularly enclosed; even if its bolsters aren’t really that much higher than the Casper’s, they are wider and feel cozier.
Only three sizes of this bed are available (our other picks all come in four sizes or more). So if you have a really little dog or a dog that weighs more than 90 pounds, it could be more difficult to locate a decent fit. And this expensive bed is quickly soiled. It is available in three light hues, but they are unable to hide the filth that comes with owning a dog—from canines licking muddy paws to bathroom mishaps on the bed. Spot cleaning couldn’t get the Casper back to like-new condition, but washing it did.
three sizes are available for dogs weighing between 30 pounds and 90 pounds.
colors: sand, gray, and blue
yes to machine washing
The FurHaven Pet Orthopedic Ultra Plush Lounger
Why we cherish it: When it comes to naptime, dogs of all sizes who prefer to stretch out rather than curl up should use the FurHaven Pet Orthopedic Ultra Plush Lounger. It comes in a variety of attractive colors and two plush textures, and its cover can be easily removed and machine-washed. There are six sizes available for the bed, with the largest being almost 5 feet long and designed for dogs up to 180 pounds. There is a size for practically any dog, from the smallest Chihuahua to the largest Bernese mountain dog, in this bed because it is the largest one we’ve tried and it comes in a larger range of sizes.
Goldendoodle Ripley, one of our long-legged dog testers, adored the FurHaven and chose it over all others. During testing, cuddler beds that advertised an optimum size range for our panelists were frequently too tiny, particularly for ganglier puppies like Ripley. Ripley, a 30-pound dog, fit well in the large FurHaven, but not in the comparably sized “medium” Majestic cuddler-style bed. The FurHaven’s open-mattress design offers more room for movement than the Majestic’s elevated, rounded sides. Additionally, unlike on the Majestic, the FurHaven’s zipper pull tab is tucked away at the base of the bed. So, for dogs who are vulnerable, the FurHaven is a safer choice.
This FurHaven lounger, which is marketed as an orthopedic dog bed, provides stronger support for senior dogs that might find it difficult to get out of squishier beds. Depending on size, its foam insert provides 4 to 9 inches of cushioning and is sufficiently dense to offer soft yet sturdy support for puppies with achy bones. In our tests, it didn’t slump, and the foam bounced back after each use.
Ripley frequently took advantage of the bed’s slanted design and high edges, which give dogs plenty of room to spread out while yet keeping their heads slightly elevated. Ripley’s caretaker, Jenn Wehrung, a volunteer with the animal rescue organization Friends with Four Paws, remarked that the contoured edges were popular and that Ripley “clearly felt supported by the ortho foam.”
This bed’s cover zips off and is machine washable for spill resistance. Additionally, it includes a separate zip-off, machine-washable liner made of water-resistant poly-canvas to help stop moisture from seeping into the mattress and onto the floor. This effectively shielded the foam mattress, which should only be spot-cleaned, according to our research. Incontinence-prone Ripley had an accident on the bed, but it didn’t at all leak through the cover and onto the floor. Wehrung added that the bed appeared brand new after the washable cover was removed. She said, “This bed has held up very well. “It’s a big plus not to have to drag the entire bed to the laundromat.
Why we adore it: K&H’s Original Pet Cot is perfect for dogs who get hot easily or enjoy taking naps outside. The mesh provides a cool, breathable surface that doesn’t sag when in use, making it a comfortable place to rest.
The majority of people might not picture elevated dog beds when they picture the category; they are also known as cot-style dog beds. But because they’re simple to wash and difficult to damage, veterinarians, boarding facilities, and trainers frequently utilize them. Elevated dog beds promote better airflow than floor-level beds, and should an accident happen, they’re simple to clean and sanitize. In fact, because elevated dog beds are simple to clean, both Dr. Danelle Capobianco and dog trainer Barb Lenahan favor utilizing them for their businesses.
We appreciate the detachable cover of the K&H cot, which can be washed in the washing machine on the gentle cycle or spot-cleaned with with soap and water. Additionally, if the bed is put up outside, you may spray it down and let it air dry in a pinch.
In comparison to other cot beds we tested, the K&H cot is also more sturdy and simpler to install. Four sturdy bars make up its frame, and they readily feed through the canvas cover’s edges (the extra-large version includes an extra-supportive crossbar in the middle). Some of the cots we tried needed us to assemble several bars, such as an extensible curtain rod, before we could assemble the bed; this was not only more difficult, but it felt more awkward.
The sleek mesh cover of this bed feels very sturdy. The cover fits tautly around the top bars of the cot, making it difficult for dogs to get their jaws around, and it is sturdy enough to endure the occasional scratching of an impatient dog.
More than any other cot we examined, K&H boasts that even the smallest version of its elevated dog bed can support up to 200 pounds. The K&H cot performed better than the others in 2017 when we evaluated sag by laying a 50-pound rice bag on the mattresses overnight. Although none of them sagged much, this model showed no signs of wear. After a few weeks of use, it didn’t sag when it was retested in 2022.
