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There’s a lot to be excited about when those cold winter days are behind us. But for our dogs, summer weather often comes with some trade-offs, such as more panting and looking for a cool place to sleep again. An attractive alternative to a bath nap is a cooling dog mat.
Cooling mats can make all the difference in a dog’s summer comfort — and The market is full of optionsfrom long-lasting gel mats to ice freezer beds and soakable mesh pads.
To find the best, we tested the popular gel-based Green Pet Shop Cooling Pad and compared it to the most loved LHRXTY cooling pad on Amazon.
Reviews on Green Pet Shop Cooling Mat
The Green Pet Shop Cooling Mat is a versatile mat that can be used anywhere: in the dog kennel, on the living room floor, your dog’s favorite shady spot, and even in the car.
Because it’s filled with gel, the mat itself is heavy, with a hefty weight of just over 8 pounds. That weight makes it easy to stay in place; You don’t have to worry about this pad sliding across the hardwood or getting bunched up as your dog is sure to spin a few times before putting it down. We found it very easy to tow to a new spot in the house (though not a great option for your suitcase).
To test the Green Pet Shop Dog Cooling Mat, we put our resident bed tester, Ruby the Bernese Mountain Dog, to the test. She’s usually skeptical about new accessories and likes to “play cool” for the first few days. But even Ruby could not resist the attraction of this cooling pad for long. (It helped our air conditioner break down the week we started testing our product.)
Although Ruby usually spends the day within six inches of her favorite person (me), at night her long fur becomes too much for her, and she discreetly curls up. on the mat to try snooze. Here’s what we found over the next few weeks:
1. Green Pet Shop dog cooling pad does not need to be prepared in advance
Some cooling mats for dogs requires you to wet them or prepare cold packs in the freezer for a few hours. This mat requires no such preparation, relying instead on a pressure-activated gel to stay cool. The concept is actually pretty neat: underneath the easy-to-clean outer shell is a thick gel that cools down to your dog’s weight. I can feel it working as I embrace the impression Ruby left on the rug.
Its effect is not as impressive as ice-filled cooling pad, but it certainly provides a cool place to land, and two out of three of our testers traveled there regularly while they were hot. The mat’s cold lasts for two to three hours and only takes about 20 minutes to recharge. Ruby spent a whole night on the mat, which tells me it’s also quite comfortable for extended naps.
2. Green Pet Shop Dog Cooling Mat Is (Mostly) Portable
As I mentioned above, the mat is a bit heavy (let’s call it “sturdy”), but it can certainly be moved around the house and yard or put in the car for a trip. On a particularly hot day, we dropped it in the yard and let our good friend Hershey give it a test drive. He was up for the challenge and had no problem lounging on it while we watched the kids run past the fountains.
Hershey, live your best life.
We also tried the cooling mat in the crib. It provides a good amount of support and is a great choice for summer when you don’t want a rug with a lot of padding or material that just adds to the heat. Luckily, we found that the size for each rug correlates well with the crib size.
3. The Green Pet Shop Dog Cooling Mat Dog Stays Put
This may not seem like a big deal, but for Ruby, a moving rug is a deal-breaker. Ruby is not a graceful dog. She doesn’t lean back drearily; she plopped down as if the 90-pound block falling to the floor was NBD. This means the bed needs to be left alone or she doesn’t care. Sabine, our other dog, agrees; she is a multi spin and takes a minimum of five spins each time she lies down. If the pad moves, the process starts again.
Luckily, the weight of the Green Pet Shop pad and the material are just right for you to place it, whether it’s on a tile floor, on hardwood, or out in the yard.
Sabine the Spinner, finally solved.
4. Green Pet Shop dog cooling mat is a bit expensive
Ruby and Hershey are both on this cooling mat (Sabine is busy hug the giant soft soft bed for the dog we looked at it a while ago), but what they don’t know is that cooling pads are a bit expensive, especially if you need a larger size.
Given the price, we decided to find out if a cheaper cooler could offer the same benefits — so we gave it a try. LHRXTY cooling pad.
How does Green Pet Shop Dog Cooling Pad compare to LHRXTY?
The LHRXTY cooling pad is a less expensive model with a different design: it relies on lightweight silk, cotton and mesh for a “just flip over pillow” cool.
We wanted to see if there was a noticeable difference in our dogs’ preference for the mat, and if it could provide the same cooling sensation as the Green Pet Shop mat.
Here’s what we found:
- Prepare. As for the preparation, these mats are the same: there is no need to pre-cool both pads. (Though if you want to give it a try, the LHRXTY folds up and fits neatly in your freezer.) Result: Draw!
- Mobility. The LHRXTY cooling pad is highly portable. It is almost weightless and can be easily folded and packed. Result: LHRXTY wins!
- Keep Set. LHRXTY does not stay at all. With each of our dogs, it all gets folded and curled up every time the dogs try to lie on it. For this reason, we cannot keep the dogs up there for long periods of time. Result: Green Pet wins a mile!
- Cooling. The LHRXTY fabric feels cool to the touch, but that coolness doesn’t last, especially when used outdoors on a hot day. Green Pet provides a coolness that you can feel for a long time. Result: Green Pet wins!
- Price label. LHRXTY is more affordable. Result: LHRXTY wins!
Our dog testers noticed the Green Pet Cooling Mat more. They stay on it longer, it provides a perceptible coolness, and it stays in shape as they lie down.
Who will love the Green Pet Shop Cooling Mat:
- Dogs that need a mat that is moderately cold, lasts for a long time
- Pet parents want to put it out and forget it — no prep work or maintenance required
- The big pups like a mat that doesn’t move when they sit
Who wouldn’t love the Green Pet Shop Cooling Mat:
For LHRXTY cooling pad, we think it’s a nice crib pad for the summer, especially for older puppies, as it has a bit more padding and is still significantly cooler than a regular crate for your dog. But it doesn’t have the cooling capacity or stamina of a gel mat, and it can’t hold a candle (or an ice cube) to a freezer pad.
Shopping on Amazon
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Shop on Walmart
How do we choose?
The dog cooling mats here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing and a comprehensive review of customer reviews across multiple retail platforms. Our review prioritized effective and long-lasting cooling, portability, stability, and price. We are also guided by our own experience of living and playing with our own much-loved and steadfast pets, who are never stingy with their feedback. (Thanks, Ruby!)
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