7 Best Dog Beds of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Oct 17, 2024

Memory foam, faux fur, an orthopedic bed and more choices for your best friend.

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Your dog doesn't like an uncomfortable mattress any more than you do. Having a good dog bed gives them a sleep spot that's all their own (well, unless the cat butts in) and might help keep them off the couch or your own bed. No promises there, but we've seen it work!

At the Good Housekeeping Institute our pet pros joined forces with the Textiles Lab — which gives expert advice on people bedding like mattresses, sheets and pillows — to find the best dog beds on the market. We know what makes a supportive, cozy bed (for humans or animals) and which materials are durable and even resistant to a dog that chews. Together, we tested more than two dozen beds, selecting the best from brands we know and trust. Each has unique features, tested well with consumer testers and received excellent online reviews from many happy customers.

Below, we list the price for a small dog bed. Prices for a medium, large or extra large version of any dog bed will cost more, and when you click on a retailer link you will see those options.

If your pup is a princess, this luxury memory foam dog bed by Casper may be the perfect throne. They'll have the most comfortable bed in the house (you might be a little jealous). The three sizes accommodate pups of most sizes, even large ones like Willow, shown. Willow is a Poodle/Great Dane mix sitting on the size large, which costs a little more than $100 over the size small.

"This is easy for Willow to get on and off, and it’s more like a mattress than a usual dog bed," said our tester family. "She loves human mattresses, so this was a good pick. Every evening she brings her toys and other prized possessions to it."

It's probably worth noting that in our best mattress-in-a-box roundup, Casper comes out on top. "I love how well this dog bed came packaged, just like a regular Casper mattress," another tester said. The five pieces of foam — base and four sides — come shrink-wrapped. Let them expand, then tuck them inside the cover.

Casper’s durable cover is designed to withstand a chewer. But one family said, "It was a little tricky to zip the cover on. I’m a little reluctant to take it off to wash it!" The cover is machine washable though, and a look through Amazon reviews shows that users have good luck washing it in cold water then putting it in the dryer on low.

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Six sizes and more than a dozen colors make it easy to customize this Amazon-favorite pet bed to fit your pup and your living room. This dog bed is ultra-fluffy faux fur and shaped like a bagel or donut to form a perfect little dog nest. Or a big dog nest! Quinn, shown, is an Alaskan Klee Kai in the extra-large, 45-inch size — still under $100.

If there are any accidents you can remove the shell and pop it in the washing machine on cold. Actually, the entire bed, inside and all, is fully machine washable if you buy the smallest size. If it gets really gunked up with mud or leaves, though, the shaggy cover will show signs of wear faster than some other dog beds.Also, this bed will keep your dog warm, so if you're looking for a cooling dog bed option, keep scrolling. Though the bottom of the bed where their tummy hits is not furry, those fluffy sides will toast a pup right up.This is available at Amazon, Chewy and Walmart, so it's likely easy to get where you regularly pick up your dog's supplies. The more than 58,000 five-star Amazon reviews speak for themselves.

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There's pressure-activated cooling gel on top of regular foam at the base of this Furhaven bed to help regulate the temperature of a dog that runs hot, and to soothe their joints. Rocky, shown, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, sits on the medium-sized version.

We found this to be a lighter weight than other dog beds and easy to move around. It's furniture-style, meaning there are three bolsters and an opening in the front that make it easy for your dog to hop on, like sitting on a sofa.

"This is my pet's go-to spot as soon as we get into our house. He loves lying in the corner and resting his head on the bolster," said a tester. Just a note that the brand warns this bed is not for chewers; it won't hold up to being gnawed.

If you think your dog might need even more support and could do without the cooling, the brand has an additional orthopedic bed with egg-crate-shaped foam at the bottom to soothe sore pressure points.

RELATED: Best Cooling Dog Beds

If you want the perfect Instagram-worthy spot for your pet, this flower-shaped dog bed will do the trick. Available in eight different colors including lime green and lavender, it's squishy and adorable. It's also perfect for small dogs, like Monty, a chihuahua mix, shown.

While testing, our experts liked that the bed immediately sprang from the box without needing any additional setup and reached its proper shape quickly and easily. The sherpa lining and raised floral rim make it cozy and comfy. The very smallest size is actually marketed as a cat bed.

If you're looking for something fully machine washable, this is it, though of course the smaller sizes fit better in your washer than the larger sizes. The non-skid bottom is great and keeps the bed from sliding around if your pup jumps into it.

The only con is that there's not an especially thick base to this dog bed. A heavy dog might want one of the memory-foam choices. This also does not come in any extra-large size.

Big dogs need a big bed. Big Barker is a made-in-the-USA brand entirely devoted to dog beds for large and extra-large dogs. That's an 82-pound Silver Labrador in a picture from the brand.

We like this orthopedic-foam version with a headrest on one end, though there's also a sleek version with no headrest for a little less money. The Orthopedic gets the most love from online reviewers including more than 5,000 five-star Amazon reviews.

Rather than being a fluffy nest, the Big Barker is a flat, supportive mattress with a machine-washable microsuede cover. Because this bed is necessarily large, it's more expensive than others.

The mattress is firm and designed to retain its shape and not flatten over time. However, the brand makes no promises about this being chew-resistant.

When it's hot outside your dog will appreciate having a comfortable place to lie that won't retain heat. This elevated dog bed provides increased airflow to keep your pup cool while lounging. It's water-repellant and made for indoor or outdoor use.

In testing, we found the mesh on this bed to be softer than other elevated beds we tried. We like the slip-resistant rubber feet, too. "My dog doesn't usually love elevated beds," said a tester. "But this one doesn't slide around as much with the rubber feet which makes it easier for him to get on and off."

Keep in mind that if your dog is new to an elevated bed, it might take them a minute to get used to it. Once your dog is using the bed, the fabric can be tightened if it starts to sag over time.

This elevated bed doesn't come in a tiny size; it's more common for big dogs to use this type. The hammock part comes off and can be machine-washed, or you can hose that and the frame down to give it a cleaning.

Your dog's crate is their safe space. Putting a soft, fleece dog bed inside their kennel can help make it an even comfier nook. This bed comes in many sizes to fit in different-sized crates. It's the same brand, MidWest Homes for Pets, as the top choice in our list of the best dog crates.

This has over 59,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, but plenty of people who grouse, too, pointing out that this thin choice is less of a "bed" and more of a "pad." It's so low-priced that we don't feel anyone is misrepresenting this as a luxury dog bed choice.

The brand says it is not for excessive chewers. But the entire pad can be run through the washing machine and the dryer.

Good Housekeeping Institute pet pros and Textiles Lab staff combined to test and review dog beds. Over the past four years we've reviewed more than two dozen dog beds in person and had them sent to consumer homes for real-life testing.

We made our final recommendations after assessing the materials, styles and practical uses of each bed, considering top brands and asking dog parents to rate comfort, ease of cleaning, durability and shape retention. We test dog beds with pups of different sizes, weights and breeds.

✔️ Measure your pup. The dog bed should be slightly larger than your pet to accommodate any position.

✔️ Note how your pup sleeps. If they sprawl out on the couch, a rectangular bed that gives them room to "starfish" might be best. But if they like to turn around in a circle a million times to create a little nest, they might do best with a donut-style.

✔️ Check the bed's material. If your dog loves to chew, look for something heavy-duty.

✔️ Consider your dog's age. Seniors might need a more supportive bed that doesn't put added pressure on their joints.

✔️ Does your dog run hot or cold? A bed that's elevated off the floor or a bed with cooling foam can bring a dog's temperature down a bit. A plush nest-style bed can warm them up.

✔️ Make sure it's washable! Always check the care label or packaging to make sure the dog bed or its cover can go in the washing machine.

For more than a hundred years, the Good Housekeeping Institute has been providing expert reviews and advice on consumer products. For pet parents, and specifically dog owners, there's everything from GPS trackers to no-pull dog harnesses.

Emma Seymour vetted many of the picks on this list. She's the Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab Associate Director at the Good Housekeeping Institute and has a Bachelor of Science in Fiber Science from Cornell University. Her roommate owns a chihuahua mix and that dog has tested dog beds in the name of research.

Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn updated this guide to include the latest tester notes and photography from home testers. Though she has cats, she shares a multi-family home with a cousin who has a dog. That little guy has gamely tested everything from automatic dog feeders to dog jackets.

Emma Seymour (she/her) is the associate director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles, Paper and Apparel Lab, where she has led testing for luggage, pillows, towels, tampons and more since 2018. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor of science in fiber science and apparel design and a minor in gerontology, completing research in the Body Scanner Lab on optimizing activewear for athletic performance.

Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents.

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