The 5 Best Dog Beds of 2025
If you want a striking, durable dog bed that you never have to machine-wash: Le Dog’s Le Bed has a full-grain, slightly textured leather cover that will last longer than most fabrics; this may make it worth the steep price tag over time (the smallest size currently costs around $360). The cover doesn’t need to be machine-washed; in our tests, both mud and “vomit” came right off with a paper towel and a wet sponge. Nature’s Miracle neutralized a faint odor that lingered in the seams.
The zipper performed well, but its two pulls are dangly and exposed, which may be irresistible to dogs who like to mouth on things. The bed also lacks handles, so it’s annoying to move around the house. The leather is soft and supple, yet it stood up to our clawing and shredding tests, exhibiting only the faintest of marks. But because the material is slippery, it might slide around bare floors if a dog jumps on or off of it.
The interior has two layers of foam, consisting of roughly 3.5 inches of support layer topped by about 2 inches of cooling gel memory foam. In our tests, the foam had a slow springiness, which helped make this bed one of the most comfortable we tried, on a par with only the Orvis beds. If your dog prefers plush or furry fabrics that keep them warm at night, this bed isn’t a good fit. Otherwise, it’s an excellent option, as long as you aren’t bothered by the high price or the use of animal products.
If you want a bed made specifically for large dogs: Made in the USA, the Barker Beds Orthopedic Dog Bed is a thick, multilayered bed that’s designed for large and giant-breed dogs. We’re usually skeptical of dog beds touted as orthopedic. But this one offers plenty of support, with three layers of foam, totaling 7 inches overall—more than in any other bed we tested. The foam is light, but it’s dense and durable. This model is noticeably firmer than the other beds we tried, so it might be too stiff for lighter dogs.
The bed is made from CertiPUR-US–certified open-cell foam, which is supposed to allow air to move through it to help with temperature regulation. The cover, which is made of upholstery similar to microsuede, initially showed distinct lines where we dragged our claw and meat shredders over it, but those marks vanished when we rubbed a hand over the surface. The fabric was easy to spot-clean. We could initially make out a darker shade where we had saturated it with Nature’s Miracle, but that disappeared after the first wash.
The optional waterproof liner was a pain to put on because it wasn’t entirely clear to us which side was up (we’re still not sure). But it prevented liquids from penetrating to the foam layer, so we recommend springing for it.
The Barker bed is expensive, currently around $240 for the smallest size (which is still large enough for a golden retriever), but the company offers a 10-year warranty against the foam flattening. Damage to the fabric is not covered.
If you want a versatile, portable dog bed with lots of extras for traveling or camping: The Timberdog RuffRest is like the Transformer of dog beds. Currently costing $260 for a size small, it’s not cheap, but it has several features that make it a great option for anyone who travels a lot with their dog. It’s made of a 900D nylon shell and a sherpa-fleece bed surface. The medium and large sizes pack up into a tight, portable roll that you can carry with a grab handle or shoulder strap, but the small size is too little to fold up.
When this model is in bed mode, a zipper around three sides lets you open it like a book, to reach a hangable insert with several zippered pouches—for organizing things that your dog may need on your trip. Picture the dog version of a rollable garment bag, except instead of putting in a suit, you can fill it with kibble and toys.
The pillow area hides a mini blanket, which you can zip over your dog if they get chilly. And a clip-on shoulder strap, hidden in a pocket, can do double duty as a leash in a pinch.
The foam isn’t thick, but in our tests it still felt dense and cushy under the sherpa fleece top layer. While the sherpa fleece withstood most of our violent attacks, our sharp meat shredders carved up some of the soft material, leaving a slight dip in the surface. We also saw some discoloration from the mud and “vomit” left over after our spot-cleaning, but that came out after the bed went one round in a washing machine. The outer nylon shell is durable, but it makes a plasticky crumpling sound whenever a dog moves around on the bed. So if you need absolute silence at night, this bed might not work for you.
If you want a rugged, elevated cot that can stand up to most destructive dogs: The Kuranda Silver Aluminum Dog Bed is a durable indoor/outdoor cot. It has tough fabrics and a thick aluminum frame—intended to stymie even the most determined chewers. Made in the USA, this cot is heavy and expensive, but it might be worth the investment to avoid continually sending damaged beds to the landfill.
The frame and three of Kuranda’s four available fabric types are guaranteed to resist damage for up to a year after purchase, or the company will replace it. The only fabric not covered is the Outdoor Mesh, which we tested along with the Heavy Duty Vinyl version, the company’s best seller.
The Outdoor Mesh version’s open weave allows air to pass through, so it is a great option for dogs who run hot. Some mud and fake puke got stuck in the fabric, but most of the mess came out with a toothbrush and a strong jet of water from a hose. The Heavy Duty Vinyl version was easier to clean than the Outdoor Mesh material—everything wiped right off its nonporous surface. But it was also stiffer and less comfortable than the Outdoor Mesh model.
This Kuranda cot is the only dog bed we tested that requires tools (a wrench and a screwdriver) to put together. So if you’re handy and want a cot that can resist harsh treatment from dogs and weather, it’s a great choice.
If you want a cushioned outdoor dog bed that you can hose down: Of the outdoor dog beds we tested, Ruffwear’s Dirtbag Dog Bed was one of the easiest to clean, provided you have access to a hose.
The central bed surface is a 75-denier polyester mesh, surrounded by a rugged 300-denier polyester. The mesh panel lets dirt and water pass through to the foam layers beneath. Normally this kind of penetration might be something you’d want to avoid in a dog bed. But the Dirtbag bed is designed to funnel most of the filth and moisture out by way of three rectangular drain-hole panels sitting on the thin front edge.
After leaving the bed outside in rain and dust storms for a week, I stood it upright against the side of my deck so that the drain panels were facing the ground. Then I hit it with the jet from the garden hose. It was oddly satisfying to watch the water pour out of the bottom drains. The bed was mostly dry after it sat for about two hours in direct sunlight, on a 65-degree Fahrenheit day. But the area along the edge, where the drains were, felt damp for another hour or so. The mesh panel looked mostly clean, with some stray dog hairs left behind. The nonslip, water-resistant bottom surface still had some brown water-drop marks on it, but they faded after a quick wipe with a wet shop towel. It took a little more work to get the bottom to look fully clean.
The bed has three layers of foam on the interior that make it relatively comfortable for a thin, outdoor model. And the foam didn’t retain water or smells in our testing (though we’ll keep an eye on this in our long-term experience with the bed). The Dirtbag has a handle on the edge, opposite the drain holes, so it’s portable. But it doesn’t fold up like the Timberdog RuffRest, and it comes in only one size. It’s also pricey for a bed you’ll mostly use outside, but if you go camping a lot or take your dog on frequent outdoor adventures, this bed can give your dog a bit of comfort without being a pain for you to clean.
