A puppy can work through several disposable pads a day for months on end, which adds up to a surprising amount of money and a genuinely depressing amount of plastic in the bin. A washable pad changes the arithmetic completely: buy two, use one while the other is in the machine, and the spending stops after the purchase. That is the case for reusables, and for anyone house-training from scratch it is a strong one.

The build is three parts doing three jobs. A quick-absorbing top layer pulls moisture off the surface so paws stay dry, an absorbent core holds it there, and a waterproof non-slip backing keeps everything off the floor while stopping the pad skating across laminate when a dog steps on the edge of it. The whole thing goes into the washing machine and comes back out ready to use again, which is the entire difference from a throwaway pad.

• Quick-absorbing top layer over an absorbent core
• Waterproof, non-slip backing
• Machine washable and reusable
• Sizes from S through to XXL
• Six patterns to choose between
• Suits crates, beds, car seats and floors

Worth knowing. Ignore it, because that text belongs to a disposable product and treating a washable pad as single use wastes the whole point of buying one. Wash without fabric conditioner as well: it coats the fibres and measurably reduces how much the pad will take up afterwards.

Who it's for: puppy owners house-training, and anyone managing an incontinent senior dog or a dog recovering from surgery.