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I first learned about Big Barker dog beds a few years ago and laughed at the price. $300 for an orthopedic dog bed? Please. I can make a memory foam dog bed for less than $100 and I set out to do just that! I made two large dog beds for Scout and Zoey for $80 each.
- 2-3 inches of high quality memory foam ordered from a local mattress store
- waterproof liner by Molly Mutt
- dog bed cover by Molly Mutt
It was easy to make dog beds, but they weren't as big or a sturdy as the Big Barker Bed (see image below).
About Big Barker Dog Beds
The Big Barker dog beds are…
- more than 2x the size of my DIY dog bed.
- made with memory foam that is 2x as thick as my DIY dog bed.
- beds that hold their shape even when two dogs are sharing the bed
- sold with a 10-year warranty.
- made with a headrest, or without
The only thing my DIY dog bed has in common with the Big Barker dog bed is that they're both Made in the USA.
If I were to attempt to make a DIY version of the Big Barker dog bed that Sydney enjoys, it would cost me more than $500 because I'd have to buy twice the amount of memory foam and have the cover and waterproof liner custom made. Yikes! This made the Big Barker dog bed much more reasonable.
Why This is a Biased Review
I will be honest and say that although I poo-poo'd Big Barker dog beds as over priced, I secretedly wanted one. I really really wanted one. And lately, I've been seeing their Facebook ads daily so when I received an email offering us a free dog bed for Sydney, I was over the moon. And when it arrived, I immediately fell in love with it and Sydney hadn't checked it out yet. So, yes, this review is biased. But it's also honest.
Pros of a Big Barker Dog Bed
I've been suckered into buying an expensive, therapeutic dog bed several times; they've all be a disappointment when the “memory foam” lost shape in less than a couple months. So whenever I see an expensive dog bed, I roll my eyes and think, “yeah, right.”
But Big Barker is the real deal.
Six weeks ago, I was in a car accident. Traffic on the freeway had come to a stop and the person behind me didn't notice until right before he slammed into the back of my car. I received whiplash and I'm still in pain daily despite pain medication, muscle relaxers, and weekly therapy. Laying on Sydney's Big Barker Bed while watching TV, reading a book, or just cuddling with one of my dogs is my new favorite hobby. This bed is more comfortable than our sofas and we have nice furniture.
I love our Big Barker dog bed because…
- It's huge and there's plenty of room for me and one of our dogs.
- It's comfortable and doesn't lose shape no matter how many of us pile onto the bed.
- You can't feel the floor when you're laying on it.
- Sydney has better mobility after a nap on this bed.
- The cover hides the drool and does a fantastic job of hiding dark dog hair.
- It's stylish and looks great in our living room.
- It comes with a 10-year warranty.
- Big Barker offers a payment plan.
Sydney's Mobility and How Big Barker Helps
Sydney has joint, back, and hip issues that were caused by a year of compensating after a partial cruciate tear. Although her leg has healed (thanks to acupuncture and laser therapy), she still has bad days. I put her on a diet, created a joint supplement regimen that works for her, and I feed her a raw diet that has fewer inflammatories to aggravate her joints.
She was sleeping on a bed from Costco and she loves her bed. It took some coaxing to get her used to the Big Barker bed.
- I removed her old bed and donated it to rescue (it was still in great condition).
- I placed the Big Barker bed in the space where her old bed lived.
- I would lay on the bed (she loves to cuddle).
It didn't take long and by the end of the first day with the bed, she was growling at Scout who DARED lay on her bed. Then she humped the air around him and walked off – I guess she told him. Each night, I began noticing her move to her bed to lay bedtimebed time. And each morning, I noticed that she'd get up and walk on all four legs to greet me and walk outside for a potty. Before the Big Barker, it took her a bit to become comfortable putting weight on her leg.
So I'm in love with this dog bed.
Cons of the Big Barker Dog Bed
The only con that I had with the Big Barker dog bed was that it didn't come with a waterproof liner, something that is necessary. We live in the Pacific Northwest where we're having record rainy days – yes, us and it sucks. And we live on a property with several ponds and a dog that loves to swim and come inside for a nap – where? On Sydney's Big Barker dog bed. Her NEW Big Barker Dog Bed!!!
But I was going through the paperwork and found that there are waterproof liners. They're $80 and I ordered one immediately! So SCORE!!! My “con” was resolved with a few clicks of the mouse.
Big Barker dog beds are the only therapeutic dog beds that hold their shape, are stylish and comfortable, and truly support dogs with arthritis. I feel that this dog bed will help Sydney heal more quickly than diet and supplements alone.
Choosing the Right Big Barker Dog Bed
Visit BigBarker.com today to see the options available to you. When choosing your dog bed, you'll want to consider what your dog needs, your dog's habits, and your budget.
What My Dog Needs
Although I could have gone with a smaller dog bed, I know that Sydney loves to stretch out on her bed and I love to cuddle with her so I purchased a bed that would be big enough for both of us. Also, Sydney loves to cuddle with pillows. We have throw pillows on our sectional that we bunch up at the end because she loves to sleep on them – it didn't take her long to figure out the use of the headrest – like 5 minutes.
- Choice: an extra-large bed with a headrest
My Dog's Habits
When Sydney drools at treat time. And there are new dribble spots on her bed daily. I love the burgundy, but it doesn't work with our decor. The chocolate would have blended well with our decor and hid the dark dog hairs, but the khaki would hide the drool spots. Now that we've had the bed for a couple weeks, I'm happy to say that the khaki also hides the dog hairs too. We vacuum it when we vacuum the area rugs so it stays clean.
- Choice: khaki
My Budget
We received our bed for free in exchange for an honest review. However, I purchased a waterproof liner with my money (and followed up with the purchase of a second bag a couple of years later). When compared with other therapeutic dog beds that I would need to replace every 6 months, I have thrown away the price of one of these dog beds at least twice in the past two years. It can be tough parting with $200 – $300 on a dog bed, which is why I like that Big Barker offers a payment plan.
Why Big Barker Dog Beds
Eric Shannon, the genius behind Big Barker, created this bed for his dog, Hank, after a diagnosis of early hip dysplasia. The options were surgery or…
“Do everything possible to keep stress off his hips. BE VERY careful with exercise. Keep his weight down. And keep him from sleeping on hard surfaces.”
This is exactly what Sydney's vet told me. Sydney is on a diet and slowly losing weight. She has daily light exercise to keep from re-injuring her leg, and although she loves her Costco dog bed, it didn't provide the support she needed to help her recover. Reading the story of Hank and how Big Barker came to be made me value these beds even more.
Within days, I saw a difference in Sydney's mobility and others have remarked on the difference as well. She's more playful, we have to slow her down when she decides to run or chase her siblings, and she's walking a lot farther. She still sleeps on the floor and on other beds from time to time and I notice a big difference when she stands – so I'm encouraging her to choose her Big Barker bed, and the longer we have it, the more it has become her first choice.
I wish I would have invested in one of these beds years ago.
Updated on Big Barker Dog Beds
We received our first Big Barker dog bed in 2017. A couple of years later, we purchased a second Big Barker dog bed. It's still my favorite dog bed in the house and, if I had the budget, I'd purchase a third.
Maybe there'll be a big discount on Black Friday weekend.
Since we've had Big Barker beds, we've added more uses to them…
- We've slept on the Big Barker dog beds with a dog.
- During a summertime heat wave, Johan pushed the beds together and made a bed so he could sleep on the main floor (which is were the AC lives).
- All of our dogs take turns sleeping on the beds. They love them.
And, four years after this review, the beds are still in great condition. We only had one mishap when Apollo chewed up a small section of one of the beds when I was washing the covers. An easy fix and the you wouldn't know if you were looking at the bed.
These beds are amazing and you can order your bed directly from their website or from Chewy.com:
- Big Barker 7″ Headrest Orthopedic Pillow Dog Bed with Removable Cover
- Big Barker 7″ Sleek Orthopedic Pillow Dog Bed w/Removable Cover
- Big Barker Backseat Barker Orthopedic Pillow Dog Bed
- Big Barker Headrest Edition Waterproof Dog Bed Liner
- Big Barker 4″ Orthopedic Sleek Dog Crate Pad
That sucks. Thanks for the heads up about the SUV bed, I have two of these now and love them and I’m lucky that my dogs love them too. Thank heavens they have a warranty, can you return them?
I purchased two of these beds – giant and XL and also the SUV bed. My giant dog refuses to sleep on it but will lay on it for maybe 5 minutes at a time if I coax him but he is a hard floor sleeper. My other large dog will lay on it for maybe 20 minutes but will not sleep on it – I don’t know why because they always loved their bolster beds from Orvis. The SUV bed is not at all as pictured on Big Barker website nor is it at all as pictured on amazon. The sides show in picture as being wide at the top and tapering down on sides but that is not true at all! The sides are thin/narrow all the wAy down and if it is even 2” inches thick all the way down, that is pushing it. I’m not happy – too many issues with the items I have ordered
I hear ya. We LOVE our Big Barker bed. I’m considering purchasing a couple more and replacing some of the worn beds in our home.
I want to buy for my grandson s Mountain Dog, 80#, overweight due to limited exercise. Has had surgery on both back legs 2 years ago and now limping with a painful front leg.Christopher has spent over $10,000 on Linkin and now he can’t run and especially can’t jump which he loved to do. He is only 4.. C works at home and Linken stays in office but what to do when he goes to living rm.? Beds huge, the price is low compared to Vet bills.
This are, hands down, the BEST beds on the market. Bonus – USA made. My only regret is that I didn’t find this product sooner. I recently bought one for my 14 y/o 95 lb GSD service dog and I cannot say enough good things about this product. I also bought the liner. They also generously gave me a 20% service animal discount. Amazing company – Amazing product.
I totally understand your excitement. When I first bought the Boys beds from Orvis, Doodle Dad and I had some words. He was not happy. We’ve had those beds for close to 6 years now #nolie Only had to replace the cover on one. Mattress and everything is holding up like new. At the time I didn’t even know I was buying the right mattress that would also help with older dogs (hips, arthritis, etc…) That was one of my best purchases ever. And I too, lay on their beds with them – they are super-doodle comfy. Enjoy – all of you 🙂