If this sounds familiar
There's a pulled thread on the back seat and you know exactly which walk it happened on.
You bought a full hammock and now you can't give anyone a lift without taking twenty minutes to unthread it.
The car smells faintly of wet dog on every warm day and no amount of vacuuming shifts it.
Why you'll love it
A full hammock means your back seat belongs to the dog. Not every car can afford that.
Folds away in seconds
Covers one seat rather than threading through every belt and headrest. Out and into the boot in about ten seconds when you need the seat back.
Rated to 40kg
Enough for a labrador, a collie or anything short of a giant breed. Published capacity, not a guess.
Oxford wipes clean
A tight coated basketweave, so water beads rather than soaks and claws slide over instead of catching. Most of a muddy walk comes off with a damp cloth.
Double layer, medium-soft
Two layers of fabric rather than one thin sheet, so there's something to lie on and nothing works through to the seat underneath.
Claws and woven upholstery are a one-way relationship.
Car upholstery is a woven fabric stretched over foam, and a claw catching a loop pulls a thread that keeps running. Hair works down into the weave where a vacuum won't reach it, and wet mud sets into the pile and stays there. None of it comes out properly, and all of it shows on a trade-in inspection. A mat is the cheapest insurance there is.
How it works
What a dog actually does to car seats
Will it fit
up to a large dog
passengers keep the rest
water and scratch resistant
straight into the boot
Simple to use
Lay it, let him on it, fold it away.
Lay it over the seat and fix it
Smooth it flat across the seat and clip or tuck the fixings so it can't slide forward when you brake. A mat that shifts under a dog teaches him not to settle on it.
Let him on it with the engine off
Open the door, treat him onto it, let him sit there a few minutes, let him off. Twice before you drive anywhere. A dog whose first experience of it is a journey associates it with the journey.
Fold it when you need the seat
Shake it out, fold it, and it goes in the boot. That's the whole reason to choose a single-seat mat over a full bench hammock.
Great for
- Dogs up to 40kg
- Cars that carry people as well as the dog
- Protecting upholstery from claws, mud and hair
- Anyone who wants the cover out of the way in seconds
- Short trips, school runs and the kind of driving where the back seat has two jobs
- Keeping one dog on one side when you travel with two
Not ideal for
- Crash protection. This is a seat cover, not a tested restraint - you need a crash-tested harness or crate for that.
- Dogs over 40kg. The published capacity is 40kg and that is the number to go by.
- Covering the footwell. If your dog won't settle because of the gap, our rear seat platform bridges it.
- Front seats, where airbags make any pet position dangerous.
- Dogs who chew fabric. Oxford is tough, not indestructible.
Not sure? Send us your pet's measurements and we'll tell you.
Car mats, upholstery and what they don't do
Why claws and upholstery don't mix
Car seat fabric is a loop weave stretched over foam. One claw through one loop pulls a thread that keeps running, and there is no repair - it is a re-trim or nothing. Add hair worked down into the weave and mud dried into the pile, and you have damage that shows on every trade-in inspection and costs a great deal more than a mat.
What Oxford fabric actually is
A tight basketweave, usually with a coated back, which is what luggage and work bags are made from. Water beads on it, claws slide over rather than catching, and most of what a walk deposits comes off with a damp cloth. Doubled up it is soft enough to lie on and solid enough that nothing soaks through to the seat.
Single seat or the whole bench
A full-bench hammock threads through the belts and headrests and effectively lives in the car, which is right if the back seat is the dog's. This covers one seat and folds into the boot in seconds, which is right if you also carry people. If your dog refuses to lie down because of the footwell drop, that is the hammock's job rather than this one's - our rear seat platform bridges it.
It is not a crash restraint
Worth being plain about. A seat cover keeps your upholstery clean and gives your dog a surface he will settle on. It will not hold him in a collision. For that you need a crash-tested travel harness or crate - and look for published independent test results rather than the words on the box, because independent testing has found most pet travel products fail.
Product details
What's included
1 x single seat dog car mat
Care & maintenance
Shake it out after every muddy trip and wipe the Oxford face with a damp cloth — most of what lands on it comes straight off. For anything worse, hand wash in cool water with mild detergent and hang it to dry. Don't tumble dry it; the coating on the underside doesn't survive heat.
Shipping
Free on every US order. Most arrive within 7-12 days. Tracking by email as soon as it ships.
Returns
Damaged, faulty or wrong item - tell us within 7 days and we'll replace or refund in full. We can't take change-of-mind returns, which is why every page says who it isn't for.
Ask before you buy
Send your pet's measurements, breed and age and we'll tell you honestly whether this suits - including when it doesn't.
Questions
Before you order
Will it keep my dog safe in a crash?
No. It's a seat cover - it protects your upholstery and gives your dog a surface he'll settle on. It will not restrain him in a collision. For that you need a crash-tested harness or crate, and look for published independent test results rather than the words on the packaging.
How is this different from your rear seat platform?
That one covers the whole back bench and bridges the footwell with a support plate, so there's no gap for your dog to slide into - but it threads through the belts and effectively stays in the car. This covers one seat and folds into the boot in seconds, so you can still carry passengers.
How big a dog will it take?
Rated to 40kg, which covers most labradors, collies and spaniels. Above that you want something built for a giant breed.
Will it fit my car?
[DIMENSIONS REQUIRED FROM SUPPLIER - do not publish until added]
Does it slide about when I brake?
Not if it's fixed down properly when you fit it. Smooth it flat and secure the fixings before the first journey - a mat that shifts under a dog is one he'll refuse to lie on.
Can I put it on the front seat?
Please don't. Airbags deploy with enough force to kill an animal, and the front is the most dangerous seat in the car for a dog regardless of what's under him.
How do I clean it?
Shake it out and wipe the Oxford face with a damp cloth - most of what lands on it comes straight off. For anything worse, hand wash cool with mild detergent and hang it to dry. No tumble dryer; heat damages the backing.