The quickest way to keep a sofa presentable is to give the dog something better to lie on that also fits in the machine. A blanket does the job a throw never quite manages, because it is small enough to wash weekly and thick enough that fur, mud and damp stay in the fleece instead of working their way through into the upholstery underneath.

Sherpa on both sides is the useful part. The looped pile traps warm air, so a thin-coated dog or an elderly cat gets real insulation rather than just something soft to lie on, and the same texture holds shed hair instead of letting it drift across the room. It washes and comes back soft rather than matting flat after a few cycles, and it is light enough to fold into a car footwell, a crate or the end of a bed.

• Plush sherpa fleece on both sides
• Traps warm air for thin-coated and older pets
• Catches fur, mud and damp off sofas and car seats
• Machine washable
• Sizes XS, S, M and L
• Beige, grey and black

On sizing: As a starting point, choose by the area you want covered rather than by the size of the animal.

Who it's for: Households where the dog is on the sofa regardless, and pets who like to burrow under something rather than lie flat on top of it.