Having a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences out there. The company, loyalty, fun, even the mischief is just a flavor of what our trusty canine friends give us.
As a result, it’s difficult to have to leave them at home while we go out and do whatever we need to do. Especially if the reason for doing this comes down to not wanting to dirty your car. It can feel a little trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Of course, it is possible to bring your four-legged companion with you without sacrificing the interior of your car. Car seat covers for your dog, or pets in general, is an easy and affordable solution to protect your vehicle while treating your pooch on a road trip.
Whilst there are a few car seat covers to choose from, picking the right one is usually the biggest challenge. But, never fear, we on hand to take you through some recommended options.
Reviews:
Best Dog Car Seat Covers
The BarksBar Pet Front Seat Cover for dogs is a car seat cover that is designed for use on the front passenger seats.
Pros
- Durable material
- Luxurious feel
Cons
- Reports of the clasp being a little weak, but this is rare
Material
This car set cover is made from quality durable and waterproof polyester. It has a quilt textured padding which adds to the comfort offered and gives this nice luxurious feel.
The material’s durability also manages to match the comfort and luxurious qualities.
A great thing to note is that the dye is colorfast and the material is said to be free of heavy metals and Azo dyes, making it safe for your pets.
Design
This is designed for the front seat of your vehicle and will fit cars, SUVs, and trucks. It has flaps that will cover the front and side of the seats, offering extra protection.
There is also a seat anchor with a quick-release clasp that is easy to use, and clips that fit underneath the seat.
The BarksBar Original Pet Car Seat Cover is a car seat cover that doubles as a hammock style cover and a standard car seat cover.
Converting the cover between hammock style and standard style is easy to do.
Pros
- Durable
- Waterproof
- Versatile – easily converts between hammock and stand seat cover
- Comes in Standard and XL sizes
Cons
- Standard size doesn’t cover large vehicles adequately so be sure to choose the appropriate size/version
- Standard size may appear too large for narrow width vehicles
Material
Durable material with waterproof polyester, making this a product that is built to endure the hustle and bustle of a busy pet lovers’ vehicle.
The dye is colorfast so the potential of bleeding is minimized. Also, the manufacturer also claims that the material is free of heavy metals and Azo dyes, making it safe for your pets.
Design
This is designed for the back seat of your vehicle and will fit cars, SUVs, and trucks.
Some have reported that the standard size struggles to fully cover large vehicles and SUVs so these owners should opt for the XL version which has excellent feedback.
It is always recommended to double-check the dimensions before purchasing.
Owners of smaller width vehicles have reported that the standard size is too large.
It comes a clever with 7-inch flaps that will cover the edges of your seats, ensuring decent coverage.
There are two compartments where things like toys, leashes, and other bits and pieces can be kept.
There are built-in Velcro openings that are designed to attach to the seat anchors and seat belts making this secure during long journeys.
The Meadowlark car seat cover for dogs is another more luxurious option, but also covers so many bases.
Pros
- Quality material
- Padded and thick for extra comfort and durability
- Flexible configuration
Cons
- Some have flagged that some stitching can fail after several uses
Material
Thick quilted and padded material give this car seat cover a more luxurious feel and provides extra comfort. It is also made of durable waterproof material.
The initial feeling will give you a feeling of quality.
Design
The Meadowlark car seat cover for dogs is non-slip and comes with side flaps that can fold upward to help protect the door interior.
Dimensions are 54Wx58L inches for the standard size, and 60Wx64L inches for the X-large variation, which should fit most large vehicles.
A flexible piece of kit that can be easily set into four different configurations:
- Full hammock style: will keep your pets safe during a journey
- Half hammock style: which allows a human to sit on one side while the other side remains as a hammock for your dog.
- Non-hammock style: which simply covers the seats
- Trunk cover: which allows you to set this up in the trunk of your vehicle if preferred.
A user confirmed that the standard size fits their BMW X5 without issue, so this should give a good indication of how large the seat cover can get.
6 things that make a good car seat cover for dogs
The right car seat cover needs to be fit for purpose. Otherwise, we’ll be defying the whole point of getting a car seat cover for our beloved pets. The following factors should be considered.
1. Quality
Overall quality should be of the utmost importance when choosing a car seat cover for your dog. Quality can encompass the following points:
- Comfort
- Non-toxic materials
- Workmanship
2. Waterproof
The material is one of the key factors behind whether the car seat cover is fit for purpose or not.
Whether your dog has a sudden urge to, shall we say, mark its territory or suffers a bout of travel sickness, it’s important that the mess can be cleared up as effectively as possible without staining the original car seat upholstery and interior.
Having a car seat cover with waterproof properties should allow you to either wipe down any mess or at least carry it out of the car with minimal leakage.
3. Durability
This leads us on to perhaps the second most important consideration – durability.
After all, what good is a carrier bag that splits under the load it should be carrying?
Car seat covers for use with dogs should be tough and ready for multiple heavy duty uses.
4. Flexibility
So, do you plan to use the car seat cover in different cars? Maybe you have more than one dog and need something that will accommodate them all at a go. Perhaps your pooch loves being a front seat passenger?
All of these considerations can require a solution that allows flexibility for a given situation.
There are options available that cover the whole back seat – ideal for multiple dogs.
Such options can also be easily adapted to a hammock-style seat cover, which can help keep your pet more secure in a moving vehicle.
5. Maintainability
OK, so it’s great that your car seat cover can handle any scenario you throw at it, but we don’t want to slave away spending more than it’s worth finding out the best way to wash the thing.
We recommend always checking the washing instructions and materials.
6. Portability
It’s always ideal that the car seat cover can be easily folded away and stored almost anywhere. It’s also worth considering how easy it to install it.
While most pet car seat covers are take no time to install, it always worth checking this.
Conclusion
So there you have it. A list of recommended cart seat covers that your pooch will surely appreciate. Whether they prefer the bask seat or front-seat passenger experience.
When choosing your next car seat cover for your pet, consider the 6 key factors listed earlier in this post, and you should find something that works for you and your dog.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I protect my car from dog hair?
The first thing to do is try to ensure that your dog is clean and groomed before taking them on a ride.
This is by no means easy to do, especially if you have been a long and potentially muddy walk with you four-legged pal, but is nonetheless the logical first step.
The next best thing to do is to use materials that are easy to clean and wipable.
On the floor, we would recommend using plastic or rubber-based floor mats or plastic lining.
Try using seat covers - there are loads of options on the market that are specially designed for dogs. Alternatively, you can use a plastic cover for your seats, which may not look as good as purpose made seat covers, but will certainly do the job.
Covering your car seats is especially effective if your original seat covers are upholstered.
Also, consider keeping a supply of cloths, lint rollers, air fresheners in your trunk, just in case.
If possible try to clean your car after your dog has been inside it. The initial effort will be rewarded as you will have less dog hair and smells to content moving forward.
Is leather or cloth better for dogs?
Generally speaking, leather is recommended over cloth upholstered seats.
Compared to cloth, leather is much easier to clean and wipe down due to being way less porous. Pet hair is also easier to gather on leather seats.
These non-porous properties also help leather to absorb less dog smells that upholstery as well.
When it comes to scratches from dog paws, again leather is better overall.
This is mainly due to there being less stitching and loose fabric for the claws to catch on to, which usually causes upholstered seats to fray.
How do you put on a dog seat cover?
It obviously depends on the type and brand of the car seat, but overall they are not complex to install.
Many dog seat covers can be installed as a basic cover, or hammock, and fitting time usually is no longer than 10 minutes.
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