Choosing a Pet Bed Mat

When your furry friend wants to sleep, a cozy pet bed mat is often their best choice. It offers a safe, soft place for your pup to plop down while they snooze, plus it's an easy-to-clean solution that can be used anywhere in your home, from the living room to the backyard or even inside of their dog or cat crate.

There are thousands of options out there for a pet bed, so it's important to choose one that fits your pet's size and sleeping habits. For example, if your dog or cat tends to sleep curled up into a ball or buried under a blanket, consider a dog bed with bolsters or a doughnut-shaped model.

A good pet bed should also be durable and washable. As veterinarian Dr. Shelly Zacharias points out, dogs that chew or gnaw on bedding items can risk swallowing the material, which could lead to a blocked digestive tract or worse. That's why she recommends choosing a chew-resistant pet bed like this one from Orvis, which is crafted with two layers of tear-resistant nylon that are bonded to a micro-velvet upper layer.

If you're looking for a pet bed with an easy-to-clean cover that's resistant to spills and stains, the KROSER Fancy Dog Crate Pad Dog Bed Mat Reversible is worth considering. It features a nonslip bottom and comes in small, medium and large sizes to fit most pets. And because it's machine-washable, it's also super convenient to keep clean.

As for the reversible feature, this is helpful if your pet prefers a cooler or warmer sleeping surface. The cooling side helps to regulate their body temperature while the warm side keeps them comfortable, no matter what season it is.

While it's not as affordable as other dog beds, the Armarkat Pet Bed Mat is still relatively reasonable. It has a cushy insert and fuzzy, faux-fur-like cover that both appear to be high quality. And it's the kind of bed that your pup will probably love to lounge on, says beauty director Caitlin Kiernan of her French bulldog Gordon.

Plus, she loves that it's easy to spot-clean if it gets wet, which is ideal if her pup is prone to accidents. Royah Nunez, a trainer at Quing Canine, agrees, noting that if urine stains aren't removed quickly, they can attract your pet back to the same spot again and again.