A dog cannot sweat. Panting is most of what they have, and it stops working well once the air itself is warm, which is why dogs go and lie on kitchen tiles in July. A gel mat gives them that cool surface anywhere else in the house, with no freezer, no fridge and nothing to plug in. The gel begins drawing heat away the moment their weight presses down on it.

The gel sits inside a quilted water-wave panel that keeps it spread evenly rather than pooling at one end, and the outer surface wipes clean with a damp cloth. Three sizes are offered, from 30 by 40cm for a cat or small dog, through 40 by 50cm, up to 50 by 65cm for a larger breed, in two designs. It folds flat when the weather turns and takes up almost no cupboard space over winter.

• Pressure-activated cooling gel, with no freezing or chilling needed
• Three sizes: 30 x 40cm, 40 x 50cm and 50 x 65cm
• Two designs: Sapphire Blue and Water Ripple
• Quilted water-wave surface that wipes clean
• Lies flat in a bed, a crate, a car boot or a sunny room
• Folds away at the end of summer

How these actually behave. A gel mat is not refrigeration. It absorbs heat until it reaches your pet's own temperature, then stops feeling cool until it has been left empty for a while to reset, so it works best as a spot a dog visits rather than a bed they lie on all afternoon. Do not leave one with a chewer unsupervised, because the gel is not meant to be eaten and a punctured mat is finished.

Who it's for: Dogs and cats who struggle in warm weather, particularly flat-faced and heavy-coated breeds, in homes without air conditioning.