This is the original Vetbed, and the construction is worth understanding because it explains why the thing works. The pile is 100% polyester, deep enough to give a dog something to settle into, and the backing is a non-carboxylated foam that grips rather than slides — which is what makes it usable on laminate, tile, the floor of a crate or the back of a car.

It is 40 x 30 inches, in charcoal with cerise hearts and white paws. Vetbed describe it as hygienic, non-irritant and non-allergenic, and it machine washes at 40 degrees, which is the specification that matters on anything a dog sleeps on. The deep pile is there for comfort and reassurance rather than for cushioning.

• 40 x 30 inches
• Charcoal with cerise hearts and white paws
• Pile is 100% polyester
• Non-carboxylated foam backing for grip
• Machine washable at 40 degrees
• Hygienic, non-irritant and non-allergenic

It is bedding, not a mattress. Vetbed gives warmth, grip and a surface that survives weekly washing — what it does not give is depth. An older dog with sore joints lying on a hard floor will want a proper pad underneath it, and this on top. Vetbed publish no thickness or weight figure to us, so we cannot tell you how deep the pile actually runs; what we can tell you is what it is made of, which is above.

Who it's for: crates, car boots, whelping boxes and hard floors — anywhere bedding needs to grip, stay put and go through the machine regularly.