If you have a dog, you probably have some sort of bed for him. And if you're like me, you've been looking for a good-looking dog bed since he was a puppy. My dogs are both ten years old now and they've been sleeping on various dog cushions their entire lives. Sigh.
The trouble, you see, is that dogs have terrible taste in furniture. They either want to sleep on our bed (not an option) or some version of a faux-fur doughnut. This is not my favorite look, so I sort of gave up and compromised with a semi-stylish pair of black and ivory cushions on top of some rather uninspiring fuzzy ones. No prizes for guessing which ones they prefer!
They let me know by redecorating each night. They pull the chicer ones off and end up sleeping on the acrylic fur. It’s become one of our little daily rituals to reorder their cushions.
Current Sleeping Situation: Not Good
But recently, I’ve kicked my search into high gear. I am determined to find something they’ll be happy with but won't hurt my eyes when I look at it.
I spent months scouring the Internet for a great dog bed. It was such an epic journey that we decided to make it into a regular feature on the Home Journal. Each week (or so) we're going to help folks on the hunt for an impossible-to-find, well-priced, yet stylish household item. Send us your wish list here.
Our criteria: As with all things, we rated these beds based on these 5 fundamental criteria:
- Design
- Practicality
- Price (or value for money)
- Comfort/Ease of Use
- Sustainability/Durability
For our inaugural Stylehawk Search, we’re delighted to bring you the:
Best 5 Dog Beds
BEST DESIGN
pros: This bed features a great-looking, modernist design that won't clash with your furniture.
cons: Yes, this one is expensive, but not if you think of it as a genuine piece of furniture, not a temporary purchase that you'll toss in a few months.
BEST CUSHION TYPE
pros: The flat cushion style is arguably the most versatile, and easy to wash, and they tend to be slightly less expensive than more structured beds. I like the durability of this one and the preppy good looks of this one.
cons: No sides, so cushion styles are more “napping” beds than actual beds. Then again…this is a dog bed we’re talking about.
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BEST WOODEN
pros: I love the idea of an actual, wooden bed frame for a dog. You can always swap out the cushions and keep the frame.
cons: This is real furniture, so they are expensive, but this one’s on sale now!
BEST ORTHOPEDIC
pros: Best for older dogs who need joint support and can’t climb up into an elevated bed.
cons: They are profoundly boring. This one, at least, has some interesting color options.
BEST VALUE
pros: This one is just slightly too big to squeeze 2 of them under the Laundry Room sink, but it's so good-looking,
cons: Limited sizes and colors available.
BEST OVERALL
pros: This one is such a good deal; we are eyeing it with suspension. It seems to have it all: Great style, removable fabric covers, and a Memory foam fill.
cons: We read the reviews, and there may be some quality issues, so make sure you read the return policy before buying. Available here and here.
