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We tried models from Black Lab, K9 Ballistics, Orvis, Znooz and others to find beds that were long-lasting, washable, and most of all, comfortable
The best dog harnesses and dog toys – pup-tested
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While our four-legged best friends are often happy enough to sprawl on the floor or curl up on an old blanket, there’s an increasing number of companies out there making plush and durable spots for pampered pups to lie.
But given the destructive tendencies of some dogs and that some of these beds cost well into the hundreds of dollars, buying the wrong one can quickly turn into an expensive mess. We tested 15 different models to find the best for every situation.
I’ve tested everything from sports cars to smartphones for dozens of international outlets since the late 90s, but I’ve been a dog owner and lover my entire life. For the Filter, my pups and I have put dog harnesses and dog toys to the test. Along the way, my pups have curled up on everything from leftover couch cushions to high-grade beds from big-brand stores.
I’ve seen which types of beds work and which fall apart, which are easy to take apart and which are a real struggle and which stand up best to repeated cleaning and drying cycles.
For this article, I tested 15 beds and evaluated dozens more that were excluded for cost, quality or availability concerns. My testing partner Koopa is a 70-lb, 20-month-old lab mix who has already outgrown a few little beds that he formerly loved as a puppy.
For each bed, I first evaluated how easy they were to assemble and deploy. Some were ready to go right out of the box. Others took me as much as 20min of unpacking, unzipping and stuffing before they were prepped for Koopa’s evaluation.
For real-world testing, I scattered different categories of indoor beds around our home to see which ones he gravitated towards and which he didn’t seem to like. Additionally, I made sure all the options got plenty of solo time with our pooch.
For outdoor beds, I inspected the hardware and materials of each to see how well they are likely to stand up to rain and sun, then checked up on them after a few rainstorms for any signs of corrosion or other indications they were not built for the long haul.
Durability testing was easy: Koopa tends to dig and chew on everything in sight, so all the candidates were really put to the test.
Finally, I took apart every one of the finalist beds for washing according to its care instructions to see how well it handled a wash cycle, both in terms of shedding and stains. I also evaluated each bed for cover shrinkage, which can transform an easy-to-assemble bed into a real pain.
All the beds provided for testing are either being returned to the companies that sent them or donated to local humane societies, where they’ll hopefully bring comfort to other pups in need.
