The 4 Best Elevated Dog Beds

Best Overall Elevated Dog Bed

Helinox Elevated Dog Cot

Available Lengths: 35.5", 39" | Wash: Hose or spot clean

Our testers were intrigued upon receiving the sleek and well-designed Helinox Elevated Dog Cot. Our dogs approved of the purchase, choosing this bed above the others for sprawling out and lounging. Our human testers appreciate that it checks the most important boxes—it's easy to assemble, lightweight and packable, durable, and it's not an eyesore. Weighing under three pounds, this lightweight bed is as travel-ready as much as it is suitable for daily use. The bed is made with an incredibly breathable nylon mesh material wrapped around an aluminum frame. While the material is black, heat collection wasn't an issue during testing due to the thin and breathable nature of the material. This same thin material still held up to our durability testing, coming away with no noticeable marks or damage. The bed is relatively easy to set up with the help of instructions. No additional tools are necessary, and while the top material requires some stretching to get across, Helinox utilizes a lever system to latch it into place, making it simple to assemble and disassemble as needed. This model is also a cinch to clean by simply spraying it down with a garden hose.

We had no notable gripes with this bed's functionality, but your wallet will feel the ding. It is expensive compared to other beds available, but it's also a better product with a higher level of design and nicer materials overall. We were also somewhat disappointed to see that it is only available in one color and two sizes (Medium and Large). However, if you enjoy the sleek look of the Helinox Elevated Cot and you're willing to shell out the cash, both you and your canine friend should be happy and cool with this elevated choice for use at home and on the go.

Best for Comfort

K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot

Available Lengths: 22", 32", 42" | Wash: Machine washable

The K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot did not disappoint. It utilizes a mesh center for air circulation, similar to most of the competing beds, but its bolster is what sets it apart. The bolster is a stuffed pillow of sorts that borders three sides of the bed, providing comfort for dogs who like to snuggle into something — many of our dogs like to lay their heads against it like a pillow. It also makes the bed look much more furniture-like. This bed's mesh center is much softer than the others we tested, with multiple layers that feel comfortable to the touch. It is this softness, combined with the bolster, that earns this model our top praise for comfort. The material also held up well in our durability test and showed no signs of wear after five minutes of continuously scraping it with a fork to simulate a dog's nails on the bed.

While this bed earns high marks in the comfort category, there are still a few things we don't completely love. First, the bed only comes in one color scheme: black mesh with a chocolate border. While this may not matter to some, this dark color makes the material of the bed absorb heat. If it's left in direct sunlight, its cooling effect diminishes significantly. The bolster is removable and machine washable (win!), but the multiple layers of mesh on the bed make it a bit more difficult to clean than some of the other models. Overall, we were very pleased with the bed, its furniture aesthetic (especially nice if you plan on having it inside, too), its high-quality comfort and feel — and it was certainly approved by the majority of our canine testers. If your dog prefers a bed where he or she can rest their head on the side or snuggle into a corner, the K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot is our top recommendation.

Best Bang for Your Buck

Amazon Basics Cooling Elevated Pet Bed

Available Lengths: 22", 28", 36", 44", 52" | Washing: Hose or spot clean

When searching for an elevated dog bed on a budget, the Amazon Basics Cooling Elevated Pet Bed should be high on your list. One of the more affordable beds on the market, it offers a lot of value. It was sturdy enough for both a human tester and a dog to sit on, held up to our durability test well, and is simple to clean with a hose when it gets dirty. While the setup process is best completed with two people, once set up, it is easy to move around the house and yard as needed.

The main issue we had with the Amazon Basics bed is that its utilitarian, simple looks aren't going to win many folks over. It also lacks many color options. Although there is a large range of sizes to best suit your dog, if you're particular about how you decorate your home or backyard, you might find the options lacking. Also, because setup is tricky, we wouldn't want to disassemble and reassemble it often. If you get the larger sizes with hopes of travel, this model will be more difficult — to fit a size Medium in a Subaru Forester, we had to fold the seats down. That being said, if you are not too picky when it comes to color, this model will treat both you and your furry friend to a durable bed for use outdoors to keep your dog cool or indoors for a nap (we even tried it with a soft bed on top with great success) at a very reasonable price.

Best for Chewers

K9 Ballistics Chewproof

Available Lengths: 29", 35", 41", 47", 50" | Washing: Hose or spot clean

If you have an active chewer on your hands, you know how frustrating it can be to spend money on a high-quality dog bed, only to have your furry friend rip it to shreds. That's where the K9 Ballistics Chewproof bed comes in. It's constructed with ultimate durability in mind. Its frame is aluminum, making it unattractive to the chewing-inclined, and the ripstop bed fabric seamlessly connects to it, leaving zero gaps for a dog to put their mouth or catch a paw. The durability was further proved during our testing after we were unable to break through the material after five minutes of scraping it continuously in our abrasion test. Although this test did leave some marks on the surface, its structural integrity did not seem to be affected, and we did not see any visibly broken fibers. This bed was one of the simplest to set up, only taking us 40 seconds to screw the legs of the bed into the metal frame and making it easy to take apart and put in your car, storage, or move around.

Unfortunately, the K9 Ballistics ranked lower than others when it came to breathability. While the material is thin and did not get hot to the touch when left in the sun (we tested the light, sandy color; this may differ for the darker colors), it does not have any perforation or mesh, which limits airflow through the actual bed. It also comes in only a small handful of color options, and some of our human testers found them a little lackluster. Still, if your dog is a super chewer, but still needs a reliable bed to keep them off the ground and comfortable, we highly recommend considering the K9 Ballistics bed.

Compare Products

Compare select up to 5 products to compare

	Score	Product	Price
	86	Helinox Elevated Dog Cot Best Overall Elevated Dog Bed	$180
	78	K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot Best for Comfort	$95
	76	Amazon Basics Cooling Elevated Pet Bed Best Bang for Your Buck	$30
	76	Coolaroo The Original Elevated Pet Bed	$43
	72	K9 Ballistics Chewproof Best for Chewers	$159
	71	Best Choice 36-Inch Outdoor Raised Mesh Cot	$55
	60	Veehoo Cooling Elevated Dog Bed	$55
	50	Kuranda All-Aluminum Chewproof Bed	$130

Why Trust GearLab

Our testing process began with elaborate research into the elevated dog bed market, comparing specs, materials, and price before purchasing several models to compare head-to-head in our backyards, bedrooms, and decks. Our crew of dog and human testers spent weeks sprawling out on each bed. We often left out several beds to see which our dogs picked to nap in. We washed each one to see how easy and effective cleaning was, and we used a hair dryer to test the amount of air movement each bed material facilitated. Our durability test involved scraping against the bed abrasively to simulate weeks' worth of dog nails, recording which ones survived, which ones got scuffed up, and which ones were left with a hole. We strive for the most thorough and exhaustive test methods so that your tired pet can have the best rest possible.

Our testing of elevated dog beds is divided across five rating metrics:

• Comfort (25% of overall score weighting)

• Durability (25% weighting)

• Ease of Use (20% weighting)

• Cooling (15% weighting)

• Style (15% weighting)

Together, Sarah Sherman and her canine companion Indy, have made it their mission to bring you honest and insightful reviews across a range of topics. Sarah has been writing in-depth gear reviews for several years, and Indy brings two and a half years of expert dog-napping experience into the mix. Indy is a 40 lb mixed breed dog, who is either running miles at a time or napping in the yard; there is little in between. Indy is a “bed dog,” who prefers any surface more than the ground and seemed more than happy to test each bed out. Having gone through the frustration of trying to purchase the best dog toys, dog collars, dog harnesses, and more for a picky dog, Sarah understands the desire to provide the best for your dog as well as the desire to find the right product the first time. To ensure that their testing was as thorough as possible, Sarah and Indy not only tested each bed themselves (sometimes sitting and napping on them together) but had several of their human and canine friends join in, too. From Cali the Husky to Nala the Weimaraner to Pacha the Everything Mix and other mixed breeds, our top selections each received a paw of approval.

Analysis and Test Results

We scoured the internet for the top-rated elevated dog beds and sorted through other reviews to narrow down our selection to eight beds to be tested in person. We tried to test each bed with the needs of different kinds of dogs in mind. These needs were broken down into five measurable metrics that resulted in the final rating of each bed. These metrics were Durability, Comfort, Ease of Use, Cooling, and Style. We highlight the top performers in each area below.

What's the Best Value?

If you're seeking a good price-to-performance ratio, check out the Amazon Basics Cooling Elevated Bed. This affordable raised pet bed is supportive, easy to clean, and won't break the bank. The Cooleroo The Original Elevated Pet Bed is a similar design and comes in more color options than the Amazon Basics. And though you'll pay a bit more for it, we love the K&H Original Bolster Cot and think it's a good value for its long-term durability, and our dogs loved the bolsters for additional comfort.

Comfort

If you're buying a bed for your dog, odds are, their comfort is important to you. This metric was highly considered during our review process since it affects the likelihood that your dog will want to use the bed, feel safe in it, and choose to sleep in it. While we could not directly ask our pups to write the notes for us, we took it upon ourselves to sit on each bed, feel the material, and consider any other features of the bed that might enhance a dog's comfort. We also gave our dogs the choice of multiple beds to see which ones they gravitated toward most frequently.

The K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot, for example, ranked very high in this category not only because of the bolster, which acts as a pillow for the dog, but also because its mesh material is the softest to the touch of the bunch.

Our pups also seemed to prefer the comforts provided by the Best Choice bed. The Cooleroo, which excelled in other categories, is made of a scratchy material that was unpleasant to the touch, so it scored lower here.

Durability

If you are going to invest in a dog bed that is likely to be used outside, it's essential that it can stand the test of time, and dog paws. For the sake of the testing process, we needed to speed up the process of wear and tear that beds may undergo, and simulated it through what we're calling the Fork Test. For this test, we scraped a salad fork across the same 6" area of the bed continuously for five minutes while applying moderate pressure.

Not only was this a great arm workout, but it also gave us some insight into what a dog's nails might do to the surface of the bed after prolonged use. While some of the beds showed more signs of stress during the test, this test revealed that others, such as the K9 Ballistics Bed and Kuranda All Aluminum, showed very little signs of breaking down. The K9 Ballistics and Kuranda are the best models for heavy chewers, with metal frames and very difficult-to-chew bed materials. Although we expect both to last a similar amount of time, the K9 Ballistics stood out a bit more in other areas over the Kuranda, making it our favorite model for big-time chewers.

The Helinox Elevated Dog Cot also stands out regarding durability. Despite being the lightest model in our test group, it's clear that the designers of this bed didn't cut corners. This bed is sturdy. With a weight capacity of over 300 pounds and no signs of instability during testing, we are very impressed with this nimble yet strong model.

Ease of Use

Ease of use is inherently a human metric. While our dogs are the ones who will be using the bed, as owners, it is important to know how easy the bed is to set up, transport, clean, etc. If there is a special feature of the bed, is it easy to use? We timed each model's setup process since we suspect some people may want to travel with their bed, which could require frequent disassembling and reassembling. Our dog friends also helped make each bed dirty, and we then cleaned them, assessing the ease of doing so. The beds were moved up and down stairs, inside and outside, and extra features were utilized. We considered all these things to help ensure that you find a bed that is good for both you and your dog.

An example of excellence in this category can be found in the K9 Ballistics Bed, which took under a minute to set up, and its smooth surface meant it was simple to clean by spraying with a hose or spot cleaning with a towel.

Similarly, the Helinox cot cleans off quickly with a spray of water and sets up quickly. Best of all, this is our favorite model to take with us, whether heading to a friend's house or on a camping trip. It packs down small into its convenient carrying case, and, weighing under three pounds, it's easy to port around.

Cooling

For many, the reason for purchasing an elevated dog bed is to attain superior cooling capabilities over a stuffed bed. To test this, we took a blowdryer on full blast and placed it directly next to each bed. We then use our hands to feel how much air would pass through to the other side of the bed. If more air can permeate and flow through the bed, then we assume greater cooling ability.

Our highest-ranking beds for this metric were the Helinox Elevated Dog Cot and the Coolaroo Elevated Dog Bed. Both of these beds are entirely made with mesh surfaces that are breathable and allow for air to easily pass through (you could even feel your breath through them). The Best Choice Products Raised Mesh Cot with Canopy also scored well because it has a mesh center for airflow, combined with a canopy to protect your dog from the rays of the sun.

Style

While style may not matter to your color-blind dog, it's probably more important to you. A dog bed is essentially a piece of furniture in your home, and for some, the aesthetics make a difference. For style, we considered the general look of the bed and what different options are available to choose from.

Some beds (like the Cooleroo and the Veehoo) come in a wide array of color options, giving the purchaser more freedom to match their preferences. Others, like the K&H Pet Products Original Bolster Pet Cot, only come in one color option, meaning you are stuck between that color or not getting the bed, so it scored lower.

Conclusion

During our weeks of rigorous testing processes, we weeded out the bad and mediocre to help you find the best elevated dog bed options for your canine friend(s). Whether you are looking for a durable outdoor bed, something to keep your furry friend cool on hot days, a raised bed for a pup with aging joints, or simply intrigued by the idea of a dog bed that rests above the ground, we hope this review helps you find the right bed to suit you and your dog's needs.