Suspending a dog on a tensioned panel spreads their weight across the whole surface instead of letting hips and elbows press down into a hard floor. That is the genuine benefit of a cot bed, and it stands up whether or not you believe the rest of the marketing: no pressure points, no cold striking up through tile or laminate, and air moving underneath the dog on a warm night.

The frame is tubular with the sleeping panel stretched across it, and the bolsters around the edge unclip and go in the wash, which is the difference between a bed that stays in the room all year and one that gets thrown out in August. Two footprints are offered, both sitting 17cm clear of the ground, and the maker rates them to roughly 15kg and 30kg. The larger one is the buy for a long dog rather than a heavy one, for reasons worth spelling out below.

• Small size 66 x 45 x 17cm
• Large size 83 x 63 x 17cm
• Breathable mesh sleeping panel on a tubular frame
• Removable, washable bolster cushions
• Rated to around 15kg small, 30kg large
• Raised 17cm clear of the floor
• Suits indoor and covered outdoor use

Two things worth knowing. It is sold as orthopaedic and it is not. There is no memory foam anywhere in it. A suspended panel does distribute weight well, but a dog with diagnosed arthritis is usually better served by a thick foam mattress, and we would rather say so than take the sale. The maker also claims the raised design prevents stomach upsets, which it does not; what it actually does is keep a dog off cold, damp ground. Buy on body length: measure nose to tail base against the 66cm or 83cm figure.

Who it's for: short-coated dogs who overheat indoors, houses with tiled or laminate floors throughout, and gardens and caravans where a washable cot beats a stuffed bed.