Plush Ribbed Mattress Dog Bed

Dogs who sleep stretched out are badly served by round beds. A collie or a lurcher flat on their side needs length far more than they need walls, and a mattress gives them exactly that: a bolster-free shape that lets a dog take up the space they actually occupy instead of tucking themselves into a circle to fit. This is a flat ribbed faux-fur mattress, offered in three sizes and a beige finish.

The cover comes off, and that single feature usually decides whether a dog bed lasts. Beds die of smell rather than of wear, and one you can strip and put through the machine will survive the muddy autumn that finishes off a sewn-in cushion. The ribbed plush surface is warm to lie on for dogs who feel the cold, while a non-slip base stops the mattress skidding across laminate when a dog circles three times and drops onto it.

• Three sizes: 75 x 50 x 8cm, 89 x 56 x 10cm and 104 x 68 x 10cm
• Removable, machine-washable cover
• Ribbed faux-fur sleeping surface
• Non-slip base for hard floors
• Weighs between 900g and 1.4kg depending on size
• Works in a crate, on a sofa or on its own

On choosing a size. Measure your dog from nose to base of tail while they are lying stretched out, then add a little, because body length decides this and body weight does not. The largest here is 104cm long, which is a medium to large dog's bed, and a Labrador who sprawls will want every centimetre of it.

Who it's for: Dogs who sleep flat out rather than curled, and owners who have learned that a bed without a washable cover is a bed with a time limit.