Every dollar for pet business startups seems valuable. Every decision counts. Start by the selection of the fabric that will be the main fabric for your custom dog bed order. You will realize that the pet business is not as simple as you thought. Plush fabric is very cozy and soft and can bring a sense of security to four-legged friends. Yet it won’t survive the gnawing and pawing of destructive dogs. Oxford fabric is more scratch-resistant, but it does not have the comfort of shaggy fabric.

Each of these decisions impacts the final price of a dog bed order. About textiles, the answer to evaluating whether it is appropriate as a dog bed cover fabric varies depending on the dog and the dog. For example, a quiet large breed dog can also choose a shaggy soft dog bed. While playful and destroy small breed dogs may need the more scratch-resistant fabric such as Oxford fabric. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. There is no absolute BEST fabric. Pet beds can be consumable items that are delicate and fragile or durable cheap daily necessities. It all depends on your brand niche – which customers your end market is targeting. Figuring out what is the best material for your dog bed cover may be holding you back in your pet business. But we’ve simplified it for you, this tutorial will help you choose the right pet bed fabric for your pet’s market.

The following list of 7 fabrics is commonly used in dog bed covers. And classified by the pros and cons of each fabric and its similar fabrics, so that you can make a better decision.

1. Shaggy Long Pile Fabric

I’m sure you’ve seen this material used in pet cushions countless times on Instagram or Amazon’s bestseller rank. Through the screen, you can sense how cozy this fabric is. The furry exterior can contribute to maintaining the pet’s body temperature. With the self-warming effect, the plushy fabric is very suitable for pets who are afraid of the cold. Besides, soft faux fur material will give pets the impression that they are sleeping in their mother’s cradle, bringing a sense of security. So, almost no pets can refuse this type of material mattress. If you go to browse the Amazon reviews, you will find out that photogenic material, reasonable price, pets love etc. are all the reasons why customers do not hesitate to praise and repeatedly repurchase.

Pros:

• Soft and cozy: This plush fabric subtly mimics the fur coat of the mom, which hardly any animal will refuse.
• Self-warming: Keeps the four-legged members warm, ideal for cold areas and pets that are afraid of the cold.
• Premium feeling: Easily matches home decor.
• Reasonable price: Attractive looking with a reasonable price. Barrier level for pet business.
• Machine washable.
• Compressible: The plush fabric can be compressed directly with the dog bed insert to save shipping costs

Cons:

• Difficult to clean: Shaggy materials can collect mud and dirt. If your dog likes to eat in the bed, food crumbs can easily get caught in the fur of pet mattresses. Pet owners will need to vacuum before putting pet bed cover in the washing machine.
• Easily damage： Destructive dogs or cats that dig and scratch the nest can easily destroy faux fur fabric, resulting in shedding.

Similar fabric: Sherpa/Curly Fur (or swirly faux fur fabric)/Faux Rabbit Flush/Chenille/ Rosebud Flush

2. Flannel Fabric

Made from cotton, wool, or other synthetic fibers, flannel is more durable than long-pile fabrics because of its tight weave. Actually, the flannel still belongs to the loose weave fabric and has the shedding problem. It is commonly used in pet pads and lounger dog beds. The soft, fuzzy texture makes many four-legged animals can’t help but want to get closer. Not to mention it is good-stretch, not easy to shedding ( compared with shaggy fabric), wear-resistant( not waterproof ), and machine washable without worrying about damaging this type of fabric.

Pros:

• Luxurious feel: Tender and comfortable to the touch, this type of fabric is also commonly used in human bedspreads. Pets also love it.
• Moisture-wicking
• Easy to clean: Can be machine-washed directly. You can also use pet hair remover to clean the surface hair.
• Compressible: The flannel can be vacumed with the dog bed mattress to reduce packaging cost and transportation cost of dog bed shipping.

Cons:

• Warm-keeping: Flannel is perfect for keeping warm because of its slightly raised texture that can trap air.
• Absorbs stains and hair: In dry climates, flannel is very prone to statics, leading to the attraction of many hairs and dust.
  Mildew: The advantage of moisture-wicking is also its disadvantage, once washed and not timely dried, it may lead to mildew.

Similar fabric: Corduroy/ Velvet/ crystal super soft fabric/ Polar Fleece/Arctic Fleece

3. Faux Suede Fabric

Faux suede is a thin fabric that is faux leather and constructed of ultra-fine fibers. The texture is soft, and the fabric has a delicate and fancy feel and surface. The faux suede fabric surface can barely see the fuzz and can be felt with a light touch. This leather-like suede is quite soft and gentle in multi-directional light, so it has an in-born sense of luxury.

Pros：

• Touch and premium feel: Suede has a lint-like, smooth feel, light texture, excellent touch and high-end feel
• Tight weave: suede fabric surface is plump and detailed, can prevent water drippingHeat insulation and retaining warmth: the micro-porous structure enables the static air inside the fabric to warm up.

Cons:

• Hard to clean: Machine washing is not acceptable as it tends to destroy the fleece on the surface. We recommend that you use a brush and shampoo to clean the stains in the correct direction of the hair.
• Show off stains: The lighter color will highlight any dirt or stains

Similar fabrics:

peachskin

4. Canvas

Canvas is a thick fabric made from cotton and linen or polyester. Durable and wear-resistant is the main advantage of the canvas fabric. The dog bed with polyester-cotton canvas covers provides a comfortable touch, stretch and wear resistance. And the polyester-cotton is well colored. We know that our bed sheet cover has over a hundred colours, also there are a wide variety of vintage or cute patterns to choose from. Likewise, pets can also have their own flavor. Many dog beds with good looking patterns use printed poly-cotton canvas, which is not easy to fade and can give customers more options.

Pros:

• Durable: The heavier-duty canvas cover is resistant to tearing and chewing, especially dog beds made from durable duck canvas
• Coloring: Not easy to lose color. Creative patterns contribute to the sale of dog beds.
• Suitable for outdoor dog beds: By processing, the canvas can become water-resistant or even waterproof, making it a great outdoor fabric.
• Machine washable

Cons:

• Noisy: The fabric was noisy when their dogs shifted around.
• Not warm: Better suited for summer dog pad cover.

Similar fabrics:

Vinyl Oxford fabric/ Bamboo fabric/ Sofa Fabric

5. Polyolefin

Polyolefin is also known as olefin. Polyolefin fabrics are commonly used in home decor products and in sports and outdoor markets, such as backpacks and tents. It is also known as Shade Cloth Fabric. This fabric is very strong, heavy-duty, quick-drying and sun-resistant. Outdoor dog beds or elevated dog beds often use this fabric as a dog bed cover. dog bed with olefin cover have obvious noise when the dog switch sleeping position. But usually, this kind of dog bed is being used outdoor so it does not bother the owner.

Pros:

• Strong: Synthetic fabrics are reputed for their durability and strength. Dog mattress with shade cloth fabric repels most dog scratches and chews.
• Long service life: Stain, sun and odor resistant fade-resistant, which means olefin dog beds can be made to last.
• Fast drying
• Cool: Helps dogs cool off in the summer heat

Cons:

• Noisy: when the dog changes its sleeping position, there is very noticeable noise.
• Not suitable for winter use: olefin material is not effective in heat preservation, more suitable for use in summer.
• No vacuumed: Can not be directly compressed, need independent packaging.
• Not comfortable and soft enough: anti-chewing fabrics often come at the sacrifice of comfort.

Dog Bed Liner Cover

Some purchasers consider that pet owners need to clean the dog bed cover, provide an extra layer, the liner cover, to protect the dog bed cushion. The following two fabrics are commonly used:

6. Polyester Taffeta

Poly-taffeta is a synthetic fiber, not easy to wrinkle or shrink

Pros:

• Machine washable
• Waterproof: the material can be specially processed to make it waterproof
• Long service life

Cons:

• Does not have moisture absorption, easy to cause static adsorption hair
• Bad air circulation
• Slightly higher cost compared to the nonwoven fabric

Similar Fabric: Nylon Taffeta

7. Non-woven Fabric

Pros:

• Low price
• eco-friendly material: also known as non-woven fabric, the non-woven fabric can be used again after recycling and processing.
• Moisture resistant and breathable

Cons:

• Not washable
• Non-woven fabric is not durable and may tear easily

If you already have a potential fabric in mind, but don’t know how to name it. Or if you want to produce a pet bed directly from your intended fabric and get a quote. Please give us a call or e-mail us, we are willing to provide you with our professionally knowledgeable answers to your questions, quotations, etc.

Starting a business is risky and you need to have knowledge of every detail of the pet product’s composition. If there is anything else you would like to know about pet bed products, feel free to leave a comment below.