The Coolaroo Is A Great Bed, But It's Not Non-Skid, And Here's The Real Problem
Is the Coolaroo Elevated Dog Bed really the "breathable, durable" choice the marketing makes it out to be? Well, I've had the large size in my backyard for three summers now, and my 95-pound golden, Biscuit, has used it almost every single hot day. The truth is, the bed itself is fantastic for what it does, but the assembly is a genuine two-person fight, and the outdoor screws will rust on you. Let me get into the specifics, because this is a bed you buy for a decade, not a season.
EHEYCIGA Orthopedic Dog Bed Medium Size Dog, Waterproof Washable Pet Beds
Cheap, washable, decent crate liner for a puppy
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EHEYCIGA Orthopedic Dog Bed Medium Size Dog, Waterproof Washable Pet Beds
Pressure-activated cooling works without freezing
Visit on Amazon →How I Tested
I don't do lab tests. I live with this stuff. Biscuit is a six-year-old, 95-pound golden who chews for sport and digs at his bed before lying down. Maple, my three-year-old, 60-pound golden, has sensitive skin and is a much gentler sleeper, so she's my control group. I've had the Coolaroo set up on my back porch since May of the year before last. I've washed the MidWest pad exactly as the manufacturer instructs, twice. I measure foam compression and cover wear with a notebook and a ruler, not with feelings.
The Coolaroo Elevated Bed: The Last Bolt Under Tension
Let's get the biggest problem out of the way first: the assembly. The Coolaroo is advertised as simple to put together, and that's a bit of a stretch. The frame is aluminum, and the fabric is a woven mesh that gets stretched tight over it. That tension is what makes the final step so maddening. You get all the bolts started, and then you hit the last one, and it simply will not align. It's under so much torsion that you need three hands: one to hold the frame, one to hold the plastic "nest" piece that the bolt goes into, and one to turn the screwdriver.
I nearly threw mine across the yard. A buyer named Ang figured out the trick that saved me on my second attempt. You have to leave a little wiggle room. Don't tighten any bolt fully until every single one is started and threaded a few turns. If you tighten as you go, the frame locks up and the last bolt will never seat. With that trick, the second time I assembled it took me about seven minutes. The first time took closer to thirty and a lot of muttered swearing.
There's also a design flaw with those plastic "nest" pieces. They aren't attached to the frame caps, so they fall out while you're trying to screw. One buyer solved this by gluing them down with E6000 before assembly. I did the same thing on my second build, and it makes a world of difference. It's a stupid workaround for a stupid design, but it works.
Once it's together, though, it's brilliant. The large size fits Biscuit with room to spare, and it gets him off the hot concrete of the porch. The mesh fabric is breathable, so air moves underneath him. He chooses it over the grass on hot days, which is the only test that matters to me. The frame is sturdy, no wobble, even when he jumps on and off. It's lightweight enough that I can drag it around the yard to follow the shade, and when it gets dirty, I just hose it off. It's genuinely the best outdoor bed I've found.
But I have to be honest about the long-term issues. Carolyn L., who has owned Coolaroos for ten years, pointed out that the screws rust when you use them outdoors year-round. I'm seeing that now. After three years, there's visible rust on the bolts, and I'll likely need to replace them soon. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's a maintenance cost. Also, if you have a dedicated bed digger, don't expect the cover to last forever. Biscuit has managed to wear a hole in one cover, but the replacement covers are inexpensive and easy to find, which is a huge plus.
Choose the Coolaroo if you need a bed that survives a large dog on a hot porch and you're okay with a frustrating 20-minute assembly. Skip it if you need something for a senior dog with joint pain, because this is not an orthopedic bed. It's a suspension system.
The MidWest QuietTime Deluxe Pad: A Lesson in "Non-Skid" Lies
I bought the MidWest QuietTime Pad to use as a crate liner for Maple. The price was right, and it looked plush. The first thing I noticed is that it's much thinner than the pictures suggest. It's basically a quilted mat with a bit of padding. That's fine for a puppy, but for a 60-pound dog, it's not much more than a blanket on the floor.
The biggest issue, though, is the "non-skid" bottom. It's a lie. This thing slides on every surface in my house. It slides on the hardwood, it slides on the tile, and it bunches up in the corner of the crate the second a dog scratches at it. A buyer named sgt. pepper said the exact same thing, and noted that the sides curl up after washing, even when you follow the cold water, gentle cycle, low heat instructions to the letter. I did the same, and mine curled too.
I measured it, and it runs at least an inch too small all around. If you're buying this to fit a specific crate, get the next size up, or you'll be returning it like GSDGal did.
The positive reviews are real, but they're for a different use case. It is soft and it is washable. I now use it as a base layer under Biscuit's orthopedic bed in the winter, and as a waterproof barrier on the floor when the dogs come in from the rain. It's excellent at being a cheap, disposable mat. It is terrible at being a non-skid bed.
Choose the MidWest if you need a temporary, cheap, washable mat for a puppy or as a barrier. Don't choose it if you want a real bed for a large dog. For that, you're just donating money to the landfill in a few months.
The K&H Cool Bed III: Still On The Fence
I haven't made a final call on the K&H Cool Bed III. The concept is great. It's a pressure-activated cooling pad that doesn't need to be refrigerated, which is perfect for a dog who is hot but doesn't want to be elevated. The reviews are polarized, though, which tells me there's an inconsistency in quality. Some buyers love it, and some had it fail quickly.
I've had one for a few weeks now, and I'm watching it. Biscuit is a hot sleeper, and he's taken to it, which is a good sign. But I want to see how the cooling gel holds up over a full summer. The one-star reviews are a red flag I take seriously, and I won't recommend it until I've lived with it for at least 30 days. My current advice is to wait, or to go with the Coolaroo if you need a solution today.
The Bottom Line
If you need a bed that will survive a big, hot, destructive dog, the Coolaroo is the one to buy. The assembly is a pain, and the screws will rust, but it's a bed you'll own for a decade. The MidWest is not a bed for a large dog; it's a mat, and a slippery one at that. I don't track prices day to day, so I won't pretend to know next week's deals, but the cost-per-day math on the Coolaroo wins every time. A $70 bed that lasts three years and counting is cheaper than a $30 mat that dies in six months. That's just the arithmetic.