Review of the Dog Cooling Mat

Review of the Dog Cooling Mat

 

There are a lot of ads and offers for various types of cooling mats this summer. All promise to make doggos more comfortable in the heat. We thought we had better do some research and check these out!

There are two primary types of cooling mats on the market: those that contain a gel and can be refrigerated and a multilayered fabric alternative. Many confusing ads on Facebook and Instagram claim features of both, but a little investigation shows these are not really from legitimate sellers.

We have examined both and decided the gel style version is potentially too prone to tear and may not be great for a dog if they are too cold. There is also the mess in and out of your fridge from where the mat and Dog have be resting.

The fabric ones are generally a Nylon Polyester Blend top layer and a mesh bottom, so it facilitates airflow, and the top will always be cooler than the surface it is on. This configuration seemed more practical to us, so this is the style of cooling mat in this review.

First Impressions

Straight out of the packet, the material feels strangely cool and soft.

The pattern of the nylon polyester top resembles the pattern of grandma's old bedspread or dressing gown had! 

dog cooling mat showing mesh underside from Dog Approved Co

 

The Testing

We had an XL size cooling mat for our test and tested this with both our testers; AmstaffX Woody and Beaglier Rocky.

The first challenge was the weather. When we started this review in December, Sydney was having an extremely wet and cool period. We had to wait for the more seasonal hot and fine Summer weather to return in January.

I will be the first to say that nothing beats a cool tile floor in the heat for a doggo. In the way our house is set up, the tiled floor would always be the goto place for the doggos in the heat. The cooling mat was placed on the carpet in the family room. Both dogs were left to explore this on their own.  

dog cooling mat showing cool top surface and mesh underside dog approved co

The result was during the day both doggos gravitated to the cooling mat, mainly when family members were present in the family room. Not an unusual thing for pack animals like dogs to be in the same room with the family, but interestingly they changed their usual "spots" to no be on the cooling mat. They still had time on the tiles, but the behaviour on a hot afternoon or early evening (when it is still light and hot with daylight savings) was they spent more time on the cooling mat.

dog on cooling mat in living room dog approved co

We have not done a scientific measure of temperature on the top of the mat vs the other surfaces. Putting your hand on the mat, it is noticeably softer and cooler than the surrounding surface. 

Summary

Pros

  • Cool and comfortable for your doggo.
  • Mesh backing is non-slip and promotes airflow.
  • Light and simple to put on flooring, chair, or lounge to protect these services from hair, drool etc. in the heat
  • Machine washable
  • Gives your doggo their approved spot to be in the room with the family.


Cons

  • Only a slightly cooler surface
  • Not a weighted mat, so will curl up on the floor with a wriggly doggo.
  • Only available in a light blue colour.

 

    Final Verdict - it is Dog Approved 😊

    The cooling mat is a convenient accessory to keep your doggo cool and comfortable in the hot weather and at the same time protect your furniture and flooring.

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