To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories.
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more. Please also consider subscribing to WIRED Grey Dog Bed
AT WIRED, WE really love our dogs. We also love each other’s dogs, whether they’re adorable little nuggets in New York City apartments, pit mixes in the country, or loyal heelers that spend all day, every day within 6 inches of my left foot. For the past few years, my colleagues and I have been trading tips, tricks, and gear. These are the best dog accessories we’ve bought or tested for our very, very good boys and girls.
Don’t forget to check out our other pet guides, including the Best Dog Beds and Best Cat Toys and Supplies guides.
Updated April 2024: We’ve added the DoggoRamp, Neakasa S1 Pro, Eufy Pet Cam, and Blueberry Pet jackets.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get WIRED for just $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com, full Gear coverage, and subscriber-only newsletters. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
Getting a dog bed from a mattress company may sound like Too Much, but investing in your pup’s care and comfort helps keep them happy and healthy. I got the Casper Dog Bed for my 18-pound dog in 2023, and former product reviewer Haley Sprankle got one for her French bulldog in 2018, and it has held up exceptionally well over that time. The foam is supportive without adding much height to the bed. It’s perfect for any dog, but especially those with little legs or with arthritis or other joint and muscular issues. Lisa Mausbach, a licensed veterinarian, says, “Stepping onto a bed that’s high isn’t necessarily great for an arthritic dog who can’t necessarily get in and out of those very easily.”
The Casper Dog Bed comes in three sizes (small, medium, and large) and colors (blue, sand, and gray). The foam inserts are fully removable, so you can easily toss the cover into a washing machine. The downside? There are five foam inserts, which can at times be frustrating to fit back into the cover.
It physically pains us to recommend a $50 water bowl. But before our tester, Adrienne So, got it, she probably spent as much on mats and stands to keep cheaper water bowls from being kicked, stepped in, and splashed all over the kitchen. Yeti’s bowl is capacious and heavy enough to not get kicked over if you walk too close to it. It holds eight cups of water and has a nonslip base. You can also throw it in the dishwasher when it gets grody.
★ A cheaper bowl: Several WIRED reviewers have also tested Owala's Pet Bowl ($28) and it matches the quality of the Yeti but for nearly half the price. It's made of stainless steal, and there's a non-slip base that doesn't slide around too easily. You can get it in two sizes.
My Frenchies have next to no neck, making it tough for them to reach a regular bowl on the ground. A dog bowl that has some elevation helps alleviate strain on the neck, allowing them to safely eat and digest their food. Laura Robinson, a veterinarian at Antonio Animal Hospital in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, says, “If you think about the anatomy of their mouth going down into their esophagus and then into their stomach, [a raised bowl] makes more sense.”
I’ve used JWPC Bulldog Bowls with my pups, Winston and Parmesan, for a little over two years now and have had zero issues. We’ve used them for everything from kibble and fresh food to the ever-so-elegant boiled-chicken-and-rice meals. The bowls are just high enough off the ground for the dogs to comfortably reach them, plus they have a slim profile and are dishwasher-safe.
This Instagram-famous backpack (8/10, WIRED Recommends) hails from the owner of Instagram-famous Maxine the Fluffy Corgi. It comes in two sizes, the smaller of which worked best for WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu’s 17-pound dog. Loading your pet into it can be tricky—your pup will need some coaxing and encouragement—but once they’re in, they’ll be securely affixed to your back. That frees up your arms to carry groceries (or, let’s be real, a latte). Be prepared for the sudden increase in attention from passersby.
This backpack won’t work for every dog. (Talk to your vet if you’re concerned.) If your dog is 35 pounds or more, you likely don’t want all that weight on your back. Little Chonk also recommends limiting the amount of time your dog is in the bag to 50 minutes. In our testing, we found the backpack arm straps were hard to tighten, and one of the straps started to fray. The company says it’s making tweaks to fix these issues.
If a backpack won’t work for your pup, the easier option is a shoulder bag. I've been using Roverlund’s Out-and-About Pet Tote for several years. There’s plenty of room for my pup, and the base is stable and soft. The straps are thick and stay on your shoulders better than most bags, though you’ll still want to hold them in place for extra security. My only gripe is the abnormally tiny pocket on the side. You can fit some extra poop bags or treats and not much else. There is a built-in carabiner—handy for attaching a dog leash. Since I've tested this tote, the company has added new size and color options.
My wife and I have bought and used Blueberry Pet's jackets and hoodies for years now, and they're still in top condition. The hoodie is lightweight and not too tight for my pup, and he looks so dang cool. The waterproof softshell is thicker and offers more coverage from rain—it's 95 percent polyester and 5 percent elastane—and you can keep the hood clipped so it doesn't flop around. I've walked my dog in many a rainstorm with this jacket and his body doesn't get wet. There's also a hole under the hood so you can connect a leash to a harness underneath.
We have several items from Blueberry Pet, but these two have been standouts. Just make sure you measure your dog's length and follow the company's size guide before you buy.
It's important to keep your dog's joints as healthy and strong as possible as they age. One way to do this is to help them climb up and down from high surfaces. I tested the DoggoRamp (9/10, WIRED Recommends), which is a really expensive solution to this problem. Seriously, you can find stairs and other ramps for a lot less. But it's also beautifully made, and that might be very important if you want pet furniture to not look out of place in your home. It's also functional; you can adjust the height to varying angles and fold it flat to stow under a couch or bed. After a year of use, it doesn't look any worse for wear, unlike my old foam stairs that look super grubby.
This is the Couch Ramp, but I recommend you buy the Small Dog Bed Ramp or the Large Dog Bed Ramp for climbing up on a bed, as the incline isn't as steep. These are all made in North America, arrive fully assembled, and are made from solid hardwood.
Eufy's Pet Camera is our favorite of the many we've tested, with 2K video resolution and the ability to rotate 360 degrees. You'll never have to worry about your pup being out of frame. Naturally, as a pet camera, you can toss treats remotely through the camera, and it'll let you know when the treat reservoir is empty. You can remove this part of the camera and toss it in the dishwasher too.
Most importantly, there's local storage here so you don't have to pay for yet another subscription to get video history. That said, the video history is saved for about 15 days, depending on how many clips it saves in your activity log. The only annoyance is for anyone with multiple Eufy devices—you need to use a separate Eufy Pet app (Android, iOS).
What’s worse: your stinky dog or your dog’s stink eye? If your answer is both, then you’ll like the Aquapaw Pet Bathing Tool. It can connect to your showerhead via an included adapter (or to a garden hose). The showerhead adapter has a blue and black button to divert water from your showerhead to the tool—blue means the water will come out of the Aquapaw, and black means it’ll come out of your showerhead. When it’s time to bathe your dog, clip the sprayer/scrubber to your palm and press the On button. It cuts bath time down significantly and is less wasteful. Our dog tester Winston wasn’t doing his sad shiver since there was a constant stream of water keeping him warm. (Plus, now he smells great!)
When I first unboxed the S1 Pro, I was overwhelmed. There are a lot of components to this machine. After you get over this hump and learn how to use it, it's a game-changer. It's essentially a mini vacuum that sucks in hair as you comb, demat, trim nails, or shave your dog's fur. No more clumps of hair stuck to your clothes or all around your floor as you groom your pup! All of these attachments sit on a carousel so they're easy to find and grab. Best of all for the combs—you can comb your dog silently and then push a trigger to have it suck the hair out of the comb, allowing your dog to enjoy the experience without freaking out about the sound.
There will be a sound when you use some of the other tools though. I've predominantly used the clipper to trim my dog's butt hair (you get guide combs to adjust length), and there's a trim tool that's great for clipping hair in between his paw pads and nails. The nail grinder does a good job of whittling my dog's sharp claws down a bit. Overall, this is a better experience than the cheap pet electric razor I've used for several years with my dog. Clean-up is super simple, though you will need space to store it. You'll also need to replace some components over time, like the HEPA and sponge filters.
Your dog may have a fur coat, but that can only do so much when it’s blisteringly cold outside or pouring rain. Ruffwear’s Stumptown Quilted jacket quickly became my go-to for my dog. You’ll need to measure your pet to buy the right size. It’s made of 300-denier polyester ripstop with a DWR finish to make it water-repellant, and the inside is recycled polyester insulation for warmth. It’s not a hassle to secure at all, taking only a few seconds with the side-release buckles. Some extras include a reflective trim for extra visibility and a little cutout on the back to hook your leash to a harness underneath. When it gets dirty, toss it in the washing machine.
WIRED editor Adrienne So has also wrangled Ruffwear’s Cloud Chaser jacket over her dog, and he didn’t seem to mind it. It fits snugly, with the fleece-lined lower half trapping heat and the upper protecting him from rain (and eventually, snow).
★ A snuggly, sleeved option: When it's not snowing or raining, the WagWear Monkey Fleece Jacket ($75) is a cozy alternative with sleeves to keep their little legs warm.
WIRED associate editor Adrienne So’s dog, Roux, is a good dog. A really good dog. But like many pooches, she lacks impulse control. A squirrel or cat running away can send her into a frenzy, and she’s strong and not small. The Front Range harness is secure and padded, and it has two attachment points for the leash—one on the back for when Roux is in low-traffic areas, and another for the front of the chest for when you’re cautiously walking down Cat Alley. If she pulls, the front attachment means Roux will spin herself around backward to look at Adrienne, confused. It also has reflective strips for walking at night. She’s had it since 2020 and regularly throws it in the washer, and it looks none the worse for wear.
Taking out two dogs is no walk in the park. Or rather, it is, but a highly coordinated, complicated walk in said park. That's why former WIRED reviewer Haley Sprankle fell in love with the Zee.Dog in all its sturdy, customizable glory. You adjust the size of the loop by sliding the adjustment buckle up or down, making it the perfect size to go on your waist, over the shoulder, or even as a regular hand-held leash. It also features an “E-Zee Lock” buckle that lets you more easily clip your dog to your chair at brunch, or wherever they need to be stationary, without fully unleashing them. The only thing I don’t like is that the harness clip doesn’t lock into place. Just make sure it doesn’t get caught on anything.
Ruffwear’s Flagline leash is one of the lightest leashes we've tried with one of the sturdiest clips, so you don’t have to worry about your best bud breaking free like Troy and Gabriella when you're out on a run. The leash is made from Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene webbing, a type of fabric often used for sports like rock climbing, sailing, and military equipment. It also has a locking Crux Clip and a slim pocket for your poop bag stash.
Dog boots can help protect your pup's paws. Here are a few we like, though you must train them to walk with the shoes before going outside (give them lots of treats with every step!).
Best overall: WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So says she rarely goes camping without dog boots after an incident where she and her husband had to carry two 70-pound dogs back to the car after discovering bits of sharp, volcanic glass on a trail in Oregon. Her dog will wear Ruffwear's Grip Trex boots ($40) instead of flopping around like her paws have been cut off. They’re small and easy to slip on, and they have velcro around the ankle. They also have a breathable upper and a grippy Vibram sole. They’re washable and reflective in low light.
A summer boot: Snow and ice are the main cause of paw-related concerns, but so is hot pavement. We like the WagWellies Mojave ($49), which are like little Crocs for your pups. They come in seven sizes, and the straps around the ankles help the shoe fit better, while the holes keep their toes fresh and breezy. Our tester's dogs haven’t figured out how to walk in shoes but these stayed on their paws.
A stylish boot: The RifRuf Caesar 1 Dog Sneakers ($75) take the trendy, knitted mesh look many humans love, shrink it down, and offer it in six colors for your dog. The sturdy soles protect your dog from the elements, but the knitted body of the shoe can keep their paws cool enough on a regular walk. Our tester dog looked particularly cute in the Taro pair, even if she refused to walk in them.
If your dog sheds, a robot vacuum to chase down all those fuzzies is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. We have plenty of recommendations in our Best Robot Vacuums guide, but this Eufy vacuum has twin turbines that suck up twice as much dirt and dog hair as other robot vacuums. An absolute win for those of us who can’t ever seem to keep up with all the hair that accumulates.
Pet trackers come in all shapes and sizes. If you want a simple clip to keep track of your pet, we like the Jiobit (8/10, WIRED Recommends). But if you want a sturdy, comfortable collar that’s easy to use with smart features, WIRED senior editor Adrienne So likes the Fi. We tested the original Fi Series 2 collar, but there's a newer Series 3. The Fi uses a combination of your home Wi-Fi, cellular, and GPS networks to keep track of your dog at home and to pinpoint them if they get lost. It can also track their fitness. There’s a built-in light if your dog is off-leash in the dark. The metal device is much classier and easier to charge than the fiddly plastic Whistle. Her most memorable experience using the Fi was walking to a neighbor’s house, getting an alert that her dog had escaped, and looking up to see her dog right behind her down the road.
The Series 3 model is smaller, lighter, and offers real-time live GPS tracking if your dog is lost. The LTE signal has better range too, and this model has improved water resistance and battery life.
WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson's Jack Russell–pit bull mix is very, very protective of her people. She doesn’t have the best eyesight, which means she barks at everything, even plenty of things that aren’t there. But this collar helped curb that behavior.
Unlike electric fence collars, this one doesn’t shock your pup. It just sprays a bit of mist on their nose. Dogs find this mist annoying enough that they will do anything to stop it. Gilbertson’s dog barked exactly twice with this collar on. And after a few weeks of wearing it at night, she lost the barking habit. He says he no longer puts it on her, and she rarely barks at night. It might not work with every dog, but if you have a dog that’s keeping you (or worse, your neighbors) up all night, it’s worth a try.
Whether you’ve been playing fetch at the dog park or taking it easy in the house, your dog probably wants to cool down on a warm day. Cooper’s Treats makes a Pupsicle Starter Kit that includes a silicone tray to hold the treats and two different flavors. Making them was simple—mix water with the powder based on the directions, pour it into the tray, and freeze it for a few hours. The available flavors are beef and cheddar, turkey and cinnamon, and a grain-free option. Our dog testers love them, sometimes too much, so monitor your pup or break up the treat to keep them from swallowing it whole.
Virtual dog fences aren’t a replacement for real fences. If your dog needs to be fully restrained, get a real fence. However, if your living situation permits a looser barrier, this wireless fence gives you a hassle-free way to partially restrain your dog. Despite the name, this is not really plug-and-play. The device itself is: Just plug it in, set the perimeter distance, and you’re done. But you’re still going to have to train your dog to acknowledge the perimeter and get them used to stay inside the permitted space. Once that’s done, this fence works really well. It’s also portable, so you can take it to a campground or to an Airbnb that permits dogs.
Petsafe also makes a more permanent in-ground electronic fence we like even better because it’s cheaper and setting the perimeter is easier. The trade-off is that you have to bury the wire. The key to success is to train your dog to the fence. Don’t install it and expect your dog to figure it out.
It’s surprisingly hard to find good, affordable dog toys, especially if your pet can vaporize most of them in minutes. Tennis balls and tug ropes wear down teeth; small rubber toys break and can choke your dog—or, in one terrible instance, get caught in their anus on the way out. BarkBox designs toys and sends you two of them per month, in addition to two bags of treats and a chewy treat. WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu says his dog loved the toys and treats that came in the BarkBox, but it’s important to note that it ends up being a lot of toys and treats. Try it for a month first. There's no one-click way to skip a month, sadly.
Fluffy Dog Bed Does your dog vaporize every toy that comes into your house—even supposedly indestructible ones? You might want to try WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So's toy, which is … yes, a stick. Sticks that her dog Roux finds on walks. So simply throws them, and Roux fetches them! They're also free! If your dog isn't into sticks, or simply loves to play ball, you can try the ChuckIt ($5). WIRED's managing digital producer Kimberly Chua says her dog Rocket adores the little ball, and it has survived many pup pileups at the park.