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Give your best friend the coziest possible place with these comfy dog beds.
Many people are concerned about having a good night's sleep, but you should also think of your dog. Finding the right dog bed to give your faithful pooch a restful sleep can be a process of trial and error, especially if you have a picky dog. After all, no matter how much time you spend researching and picking the right one, your dog gets the final vote. That's why we put three obliging canine testers -- Bailey, Halley and Huckleberry -- to help us out in picking the best dog beds out there.
Bailey and Huck preferred beds with side bolsters so they could rest their heads or roll around without falling off. Halley liked the flat pillow-style bed with no sides at all. Then again, you might have a dog who, despite having all these beds to try out, prefers to hop on the nearest couch or into the big human bed at night. Along with our dogs' input, we also considered how easy each bed is to clean, how it looks and its overall value.
Three of the 10 models stood out to us (and our dogs). We've compiled the details below on the best beds for the most discerning dogs.
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Meet Huck, a 55-pound Australian shepherd mix. By the time I snapped him here mid-yawn, I had taken about 10 pictures of him -- and he was over it. But one thing was clear early on in the testing: He consistently went to this bed more than any other. My 40-pound border collie/Aussie mix, Halley, also liked this memory foam bed.
At $309, the Orvis Memory Foam Couch Dog Bed bed isn't cheap. I tested the medium size, which Orvis says is best suited for dogs between 40 and 60 pounds. It's also available in small size for $309 (for a small dog up to 40 pounds) and in large for $389 (for larger dogs up to 90 pounds). The bed comes in six colors -- heathered khaki, brown tweed, slate (the one I got), gray tweed, heather gray and blue tweed.
The "hypoallergenic, water-resistant" removable cover unzips for easy cleaning (yes, you can machine wash it). It's an attractive, well-made bed, too, with sturdy bolsters on three sides, piping and a thick "orthopedic memory foam" cushion to support your pup. I like this orthopedic bed for Halley, in particular, who is 10 and has occasional joint pain. This bed was by far the firmest, most supportive bed of the bunch. This bed is also perfect for a senior dog who may want (or need) extra cushion and support.
Furhaven offers dozens of options when it comes to bed style, size and color. My colleague Molly Price's 65-pound wirehaired pointing griffon, Bailey, liked this three-bolster sofa style bed from Furhaven best, tested in a jumbo ($82).
A supportive layer of orthopedic, egg crate memory foam is surrounded by three bolsters, filled with 100% recycled material, that wrap around to the front. This three bolster approach leaves a large portion of the front unobstructed for easy entry and exit or for a place to stretch out.
Like other budget models, Furhaven notes this bed is not suitable for dogs with excessive teething or aggressive chewers. The cover is a mix of faux fur and micro velvet, and it zips off for easy machine washing. This texture felt like a nice middle ground between rough and overly fluffy. This particular model comes in five colors: brownstone, granite gray, woodsmoke, charcoal and celadon green; and in sizes small to jumbo plus for the Egg Crate Orthopedic Foam (easy on joints) model tested here ($29-$149). This bed is perfect for cuddler dogs who like snuggling and burrowing comfort.
This Furhaven bed is similar to the Orvis model at a much lower price. It doesn't have the same level of support, but it's a great budget alternative for your furry friend.
The Harry Barker Grain Sack Rectangle Dog Bed is a complete departure from the Orvis and Furhaven models in this list. It isn't memory foam and it doesn't have bolsters. Instead, this bed is basically a giant soft pillow with a zippered cover. Because of its shape, it is by far the easiest to unzip and toss in the washing machine.
This bed comes in small ($160), medium ($180) and large ($200), though small is currently sold out and the larger sizes are discounted at the moment. Harry Barker provides sizing information to ensure your dog will fit the bed based on breed. The company says the small bed is best suited for pugs, Yorkies, dachshunds and other small dogs. Medium works for spaniels, beagles and terriers, while the large bed is for German shepherds, huskies and retrievers.
Since both my dogs are bigger than beagles and smaller than retrievers, I sized up to the large and it was the right call. Halley regularly went to this bed, likely because its open design free of bolsters made it easier for her to climb on from any side. Huck liked it too, although he preferred the Orvis model.
This bed comes in three colors -- grain sack red, grain sack blue and grain sack black. I got the red version and while it's soft to the touch, it's a sturdy cover that has the look and durability of burlap. For cleaning instructions, Harry Barker suggests machine-washing the cover on the gentle cycle in warm water. It can either be air dried or dried in a machine on low heat.
To test dog beds, Molly and I compared a variety of features for each model, weighed against their price to determine the overall value. We considered price, durability, support, ease of install (if necessary), washability, size and design.
Then we let our dogs try out each bed. Molly tested the budget beds with Bailey at her house and I tested the luxury beds with Halley and Huck at mine. We both set out the five beds we were testing and spent time observing how (or if) the dogs interacted with each one. Here are some of the questions we asked during testing: Which beds did the dogs spend the most time in continuously? Which beds did they return to the most? Did they have any trouble getting in the beds? Did the bed sizes as advertised actually fit our dogs? All of those things combined helped inform the value of the bed -- and whether it was worth buying.
The other dogs beds we tested include the Best Friends by Sheri Original Calming Donut Dog Bed, the Barkbox Memory Foam Platform Dog Bed , the Barkbox 2-in-1 Memory Foam Dog Bolster Bed , the Bedsure Egg Crate Foam Pet Bed , the Orvis Memory Foam Bolster Dog Bed , the Casper Dog Bed and the Club Nine Pets Metro Orthopedic Dog Bed .