I’ve been on the hunt for a new mattress for a while now. At the same time, I’ve also been looking for a new dog bed for my 130# dog. He deserves a high quality bed also, especially since I have hard floors throughout the house. Using what I’ve learned here, I inquired about the foam density ratings in one of the dog beds I’m looking at, which is 7" of foam. Below is the response I received. I’m not entirely sure that my question was understood, but I know for a fact I don’t understand the answer. I tried to Google the rating that was given to me, but did not find any information. What I’m actually trying to find out, is how good a quality foam they are using.
I know they have a proprietary blend of American-made foam. Their website lists the bed base at 2" of H10 Comfort Foam, above that is 3" of Hight Density Core H45 Support Foam, above that is the Bed Surface of 2" H10 Comfort Foam. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
EMAIL ANSWER FROM THE COMPANY: Thanks for asking. Density is a stat used in memory foam. We use American made polyurethane based orthopedic foam. It’ll last much longer than most memory foam used in dog beds, and it’s more comfortable (in our opinion). The two ratings are H10 for the outer comfort layers and a middle support layer of H45. That’s the amount of pressure needed in a small area (about the size of your palm) to compress the foam by 25% (the 10 in H10 is 10 lbs, 45 in H45 is 45 lbs). The H10 is chosen because larger dogs will sink in deep enough for the foam to form around joints and pressure points. And the middle H45 layer is resilient enough to make sure that no dog ever sinks anywhere close to the floor. This is what makes a bed orthopedic, the dog must never ever feel pressure from the floor on his or her joints. I hope that helps!
I’m a fellow dog lover and have also looked into foams that may be more adequate than the cheap polyfoam eggcrate that is commonly used in dog beds.
I hadn’t heard of this H rating either, and based on my research it’s a UK rating system. I was able to find that H40 is a luxury, high density medium to medium firm foam often used in household seating (like couch) cushions. So, H45 is going to be a firm, high density foam.
I could only find the H10 in reference to dog beds, but my guess would be this is a much softer foam that allows the dog to sink into the firmer layer…but that probably isn’t adequate for human purposes. Ultimately it sounds like they believe this blend will create the perfect cradle for your (or any large) dog.
Thanks for the info KikkiTMU! That bed, a 7" Big Barker, was one of my top two choices, but, after getting info on the other top contender, I think the Big Barker is my first choice.
After asking 3 times, I got the density ratings on the other bed I was considering, a 5" BuddyRest. They finally emailed me the info today (they had all but accused me of being a corporate spy for asking). The layers from bottom to top are as follows on the BuddyRest: 1.15# poly foam (advertised as HD support foam on the website), 1.2# poly foam (they said it was a mobility layer), 4# memory foam and a fluffy comfort layer of still unidentified material. If I understand everything correctly, those poly foams are low quality that will deteriorate more rapidly, and the memory foam is mid-range at best. Do I about have that right?
With my dog weighing in at nearly 130#, I have to make sure I am getting him a superior bed that will last… just like I would do for myself
It’s awesome that you were able to get that information. Yeah…a lot of companies don’t want to give out this sort of information because they think 1.) the world is out to steal their design or 2.) you’re going to blast it to the world that they use low quality components. They know they use low quality components and try to keep from sharing that knowledge with the world by hiding behind “proprietary” blends and things like that.
So, if we were considering your dog the way we consider a human, we’d be determining whether or not these components would be durable for his BMI. I know he’s weighing in at 130 - but I don’t know how tall he is! Is he a Great Dane or is he just a hefty boy?
I found this dog BMI calculator and tested it using one of my dog’s stats…and it converted his BMI to 24.56 which in the normal range…so, a 1.8 lb poly foam would be the minimum in terms on quality/durability, and 4 lbs for memory foam. If your dog’s BMI comes out to over 30 then you’d want a 2.0 lb density out of poly foam/5 for memory foam, and if it comes out to less than 20, then you could get away with 1.5 lb for poly foam and 3 lb for memory foam.
That’s awesome that you found a dog BMI calculator! Thank you!
I used to it calculate his current BMI, it came out to 94.23 (80-90 being ideal). He is a Kuvasz, and a large one. He’s 30" at the withers, and his weight fluctuates between 115 & 130 lbs.
I had not considered a DIY, I’m not sure where I’d start. That is definitely something to consider though!
I have never heard of this breed! I had to look it up and wow, what a beautiful dog!
Since yours is a little on the hefty side, I’d say for support and durability sake, 2.0 lb density out of poly foam/5 for memory foam is probably your safest bet.
I look forward to any more updates/information you may come across in the world of dog beds.
NikkiTMU
