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There’s nothing worse than taking your dog on a fun-filled wilderness adventure, only to realize (after the fact) that your soggy, filthy, and smelly pup ruined your car seats. Don’t let that happen to you.
Car seat protectors are an easy way to cover your seats, so they stay clean and odor-free. Luckily, there are a variety of options to meet your needs. Whether you are looking for the best dog car hammock, a back seat dog cover, or just a car seat protector for dogs, our experts can help.
Ultimately, the best dog seat cover is the one that works best for your dog in your vehicle.
Article Overview
Precautions To Take Before Your Dog Jumps In
While a car seat cover can undoubtedly save your upholstery, there are other precautions you can take before Fido even jumps on the seat to reduce wear and tear on your car, home, and nose!
- Clean muddy paws with this paw cleaner or paw wipes
- Dry your wet dog with a super absorbent towel
- Minimize wet dog smell with a spray-on odor remover
- Add floor liners to the floorboards
Best Car Seat Covers For Dogs
Some dogs will claw, chew, and rip through anything they can, including cheaply made dog car seat covers. (If you’ve ever had a cheap, flimsy cover that soaks your seats, you know what we mean). That’s why the most important features we considered in picking our best car seat covers for dogs were quality, durability, and waterproofing. However, we did take pricing into consideration for our budget-conscious readers.
4Knines Dog Seat Cover Review
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The 4Knines Dog Seat Cover With Hammock wins our top spot as the best dog car seat cover. Our experts also think this product is the best dog car hammock and the best back seat dog cover. In our opinion, it’s by far the best car seat protector for dogs on the market.
You may pay a bit more for 4Knines’ products, but it’s hard to beat their quality, durability, and ease of use. This dog car seat features everything you need — it’s waterproof (GSM rating over 190), doesn’t slip out of place or bleed onto your car seats, and is easy to set up and remove for cleaning (and durable enough for vacuums, hoses and washing machines).
This rear seat cover comes in a regular size that fits most cars and SUVs or an extra-large size designed for full-size trucks and huge SUVs. 4Knines also offers a custom rear seat, a front dog car seat, and a cargo liner — all of these products are tops in our book. We also love that the company donates all returned items and a percentage of sales to groups that advocate for animals.
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All of 4Knines products come with a lifetime warranty. Each product is available in black, gray, or tan.
- Rear Seat with Pet Car Hammock (regular: 54″ wide) – $59.99
- Rear seat with Hammock (x-large: 60″ wide) – $89.99
Pricing for other 4Knines Dog Car Seat Covers
- Bucket/Front Seat Cover for Dogs – $39.99
- SUV Cargo Liner for Dogs – $79.99
- SUV Cargo Liner for fold-down Seats (60/40 split and armrest pass-through compatible) – $99.99
- Dog Seat Cover without Hammock (60/40 fold-down seat and middle seat belt capable; regular size) – $89.99
- Dog Seat Cover without Hammock (60/40 fold-down seat and middle seat belt capable; x-large size) – $109.99
Plush Paws Pet Seat Cover Review
Plush Paws comes in a close second in the battle of the best pet car seat covers. This rear seat cover with hammock shares most of the same excellent features as our top pick — it’s waterproof-rated, consists of quilted heavy-duty material with no dyes or chemicals, has a non-slip backing, is machine-washable, and includes a lifetime warranty.
The main difference between Plush Paws and 4Knines is in installation. Although the Plush Paws seat cover comes with two harnesses and seat belt adapters, several consumers had trouble installing Plush Paws. This factor may not be a major deal-breaker for most, but it’s something to consider if you plan on washing your seat cover frequently.
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All of Plush Paws’ pet car seat covers come with a lifetime warranty.
BarksBar Luxury Pet Car Seat Cover Review
The BarksBar Luxury Pet Car Seat Cover is a good choice if you don’t feel like forking out so much dough for our top two picks — it’s one of the best dog seat covers for cars in its price range and a popular choice on Amazon. While some consumers complained about fraying straps and the cover starting to rip after a lot of use, this seat cover is as durable as you’re going to find at less than $50.
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Other Best Dog Car Seat Covers
The following pet accessory manufacturers didn’t make it into our top three picks, but the products we review below are still worthy of consideration if you’re looking for alternatives.
- Dog Cargo Liner Cover
- Door Panel Cover
- Front Seat Booster/Bucket Seat Cover
- Front Seat Car Cover
- Dog Seat Covers For Trucks
Best Cargo Liner Cover: F-color Review
Are you looking for a budget-friendly dog cargo liner for your hatchback or SUV? The F-color Cargo Liner Cover could be just the ticket. At half the price of premium cargo liners (like our top two companies carry), you get a quilted, padded, durable dog cargo liner that doesn’t slip around, and with two sizes, it fits well in most vehicles.
A potential drawback of this cargo mat is that it’s not machine washable; however, you can easily clean it by hand washing. Customer complaints include the suction cups and velcro don’t work very well and that it’s not 100% waterproof as advertised.
Personal Experience
We’ve had this cargo liner for over half a decade, and it’s still going strong. Many pups have ridden in the back with smiling faces and wagging tails (yellow lab mix, black lab mix, and Carolina brown dog). It’s easy to install, covers the back of my Ford Explorer SUV nicely, and is easy to clean with a vacuum. The neutral color also helps it from appearing too dirty. – Alex S., Canine Journal
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- Standard size (53.1” x 81.1”) $39.99
- Large size (55” x 91”) $45.99
- Both are available in black and khaki, large size also available in light gray
Best Dog Car Door Panel Cover: PetEvo Review
If your dog likes to stand up on your car doors to enjoy an open window, you may also want to protect your vehicle with these PetEvo door panel covers. You can install these anti-scratch, and water-resistant covers by inserting the tabs between your window and car door panel, and velcro strips help keep them in place. And you can still roll your windows up and down with the protectors attached. They come two to a pack at an affordable price.
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- $39.99 for a 2-pack
Best Front Seat Cover Pet Booster/Bucket: Flow.month Review
This affordable car seat cover can double as a semi-enclosed kennel seat for small dogs, complete with a pet seat belt to keep your pup extra safe. It has a non-slip rubber backing, seat anchor, and an adjustable strap to stay in place, but it’s not as secure in non-bucket car seats. If you have a small to medium-sized dog who likes to feel enclosed, this seat cover could be a perfect fit.
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Best Pet Front Seat Cover: HAPYFOST Review
The HAPYFOST Pet Front Seat Cover is a budget-friendly choice if you don’t want to pay premium prices. This seat cover is perfect for your front seat or any bucket seats in your vehicle. The HAPYFOST, made of heavy-duty polyester, is durable enough for any size dog. One unique feature is a front pocket you can use to store pet supplies conveniently.
This seat is a breeze to install with buckles for the headrest and backrest and seat anchors. Although we didn’t find any complaints about the material ripping, some consumers reported that the straps break easily and the waterproofing is faulty.
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- Dog front seat cover (45” x 21″) – $24.99
- Available in black or gray
Best Dog Seat Covers For Trucks: Active Pets Review
If you need a back seat cover that will work with your truck, the Active Pets XL dog backseat cover protector is our top pick. This cover has a custom design meant to work best in a truck or SUV. Installation is quick (60 seconds according to the manufacturer) and has four headrest anchors and two seat anchors to keep it safely in place. Unfortunately, this cover is not machine washable, and some customers complain that the anchor clips are not durable.
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- XL size customized for trucks and SUVs Check Amazon for availability
- Available in all black or black with blue, pink, or orange trim
Keep Your Pup Safe In The Car
This two-minute video from Cars.com gives some great tips for keeping your pup safe and happy while traveling in the car. If you want to dive a little deeper, check out our article on tips for traveling with dogs.
What Other Dog Car Accessories Do You Need?
Now that you’ve read our reviews of the best seat covers for dog hair and muddy or wet dogs, you may be wondering what else you need for your vehicle. If your dog is a regular rider in your car, several other accessories are available to make your life easier.
To get some ideas of what you might need, check out our recommendations for the best dog seat belts, car seats, and harnesses. We also review SUV ramps for dogs to help them get in and out safely. It’s crucial to keep your pup safe (and your car clean).
Do you have any tips to keep dog hair and odor out of your car?