You finally feel it; your dog is excited about it, too: warmer days are coming. With most of us now working from home, whenever there’s a beautiful day outside, it seems like a waste that your dogs can’t go and enjoy it with you outdoors.

Sure, they can lay on the ground, but even grass can get too hot for their sensitive skin. So, what do you do? You invest in the best outdoor dog bed you can find. 

But, getting an outdoor dog bed isn’t as straightforward as one might think. You really have to research and see the different options out there to figure out what you need.

To help you out, we’ve rounded the four things your outdoor dog bed needs to have to become a hit. Funny enough, they just happen to be things that our LAY LO beds take into consideration. 

Pictured: White Rain Boho Dog Bed or Bed Cover

1. Water-Resistant Dog bed Cover

Above all, you need a water-resistant dog bed cover that will withstand the elements of being outdoors. It doesn’t matter where you live. You’ll have rain at some point or another. Even if you try your best to bring the dog bed inside during the rainy season, showers happen, you forget, it gets complicated. 

When you’re looking for the best outdoor bed, you want to go for the ones with water-repellant, water-resistant, and weather-resistant fabrics that can stand up to the weather. Stay away from covers with “fuzzy” or “plushy” materials. These are breeding grounds for bacteria that can harm your dog. 

Pictured: Ecru Striped Altuzarra Dog Bed or Bed Cover

2. Outdoor-friendly Insert

Now that we have the covers out of the way, let’s look at what’s inside. Even the most amazing water-resistant bed won’t withstand the force of a rainstorm. If water should happen to get in, a great outdoor dog bed will repel water to prevent mold it completely dries. Plastic and foam-based fillings are more resistant to mold and retaining water. Stay away from materials like fleece or cotton that just soak up water and retain it forever. 

Of course, even with an outdoor-friendly insert, it won’t hurt to give your dog beds a good dry after a rainy day. You can squeeze the bed’s insert to remove as much excess water as possible. If you can, leave them in the sun for them to dry quickly. Getting a water-resistant or accident-resistant insert will make it easier to dry when it pours vs. a foam mattress with no protective covering at all.

3. Removable & Washable Cover

You might be able to keep your home tidy up and clean most of the time. But the great outdoors is dirty, messy, and uncontrollable. With rain, leaves, dust, and everything else in between covering your floors, you bet that beautiful dog bed is going to be dirty quickly. 

Imagine having to vacuum and dry-clean that dog bed every week. A dog bed without a replacement dog cover that’s not removable and washable is not meant for outdoor use. LAY LO dog beds have an easy-access zipper that helps you quickly remove the cover, toss them in the washer so that you can clean your bed as often as you need to. No dry cleaners are involved. 

Pictured: White Terrazzo Mid-Century Modern Dog Bed

4. Designs That Won’t Fade

This is something you don’t really think about when choosing an indoor dog bed. But, outdoor dog beds are exposed to the elements. Over time, they might fade. And, no one likes a washed-out dog bed in their striking patios, after all.

Look for dog beds with fabrics that will withstand the elements and not discolor over time. When you choose high-quality woven fabrics over printed fabrics, this is an issue you don’t have to worry about since the designs are interwoven using pre-dyed  threads.

5. Portable

Ideally, you want to have two beds, one indoors and another one outdoors. But, we know this isn’t always possible. Still, you can get yourself a portable dog bed that won’t weigh a ton so that you can move it from the house to the outside without too much effort. These are also great for traveling or keeping around if you’re taking your pup to a dog-friendly restaurant near you. 

For example, LAY LO dog beds come with a sewn-in handle, and they’re lightweight enough to be carried by virtually anyone from one spot to the other. So, even if you’re sitting outside and your dog wants to stay out of the sun, you can easily pick up their bed and move it to the shade. 

The best outdoor dog bed is the one that takes into consideration all the factors of being outdoors. Forget about leaving your poor dog sitting out on the hot floor. Choose an outdoor dog bed and enjoy the summer days together.