Kinship’s Best in Show Pet Product Awards | Best Beds, Crates, Cat Towers, and More · Kinship

Skip to main content

Lounge

Here are the beds, dog crates, cat towers, and everything else your pet needs to curl up and catch a snooze. Or stare at you from their cozy perch while you fulfill their every need.

by Kinship
October 6, 2022
Man sitting with cats, surrounded by flowers
Splash and Anchor are still looking for their forever homes! Adopt them at Cat’s Cradle Rescue.
Photo: Robbie Augspurger

Your pet looks like a literal angel when they sleep. Regardless of whether they stay that way in their waking hours, you want to give them the best, most comfortable places to lay their adorable little heads (and paws and soft, sweet tummies).

We have pulled together a list of the best beds, crates, hammocks, cat towers, and more — where your cat or dog can enjoy their dreams of chasing birds and squirrels...or world domination. Your pet deserves the best snooze possible, and you want to give them a cozy place to do it. This is a good start.

Adopt Splash and Anchor here.

Best Cat Bed

knit bed in grey

Finding the right bed for your cat can be a challenge. You want them to sleep in the elegant mid-century style bed frame you spent a fortune on; they want to sleep in the cardboard box it came in. Hey, love is about compromise, and this cozy, eco-friendly knit bed is probably your best bargaining chip.

“The Vevo bed is a big hit among cats,” Mau founder Joel Dickstein tells Kinship. “The adjustable sides add a layer of warmth and snugness for kitties, but when unfolded to make the bed a bit taller, they almost create a sense of enclosure for cats who like to hide.” Mau uses only the best knitted fabrics available. (You wouldn’t want to sleep on itchy polyester, either.) Plus, five percent of Mau’s proceeds support animal welfare and environmental conservation, so you can feel good about where you’re spending your mulah. —Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen

Best Designer Dog Bed

colorful dog bed

Ellen Van Dusen’s signature bold, color-blocked prints are featured on everything from towels to tissue boxes and duvets to dog beds. They have even done some notable collabs, including a Dims chair, Uniqlo tee, and Keds kicks, and their products have shown up as TV show props in Girls and Broad City. It’s a shame dogs are all but colorblind because the Dusen Dusen designer’s black-and-white Boston Terrier, Snips, is living in a vivid world. But while Snips may not be able to fully appreciate the geometric, multi-chromatic patterns, Snips inspired it all as Dusen’s muse and product tester.

Van Dusen tells Kinship: “I started making dog beds after I got Snips because every dog bed I could find was either boring or ugly. A dog bed is something everyone with a dog has, and it’s sort of like a piece of furniture. It’s always out and takes up a good amount of space on the floor. It makes a huge difference to have something that is nice to look at.” We couldn’t agree more. —Avery Felman

Best Cat Tower

wood cat tower

Tuft + paw produces furniture so chic, sculptural, and Scandinavian-inspired that it doesn’t look like it was designed for cats — which is kind of the point. Striking and minimal, tuft + paw’s Grove tower doesn’t have every bell and whistle out there, but it sure is sleek. Not only will it harmonize with your decór, it might actually elevate it, too. At least that’s what founder Jackson Cunningham intended. When shopping for furniture for his own cat, Jiggity, Cunningham says “the furniture was...ugly, something you’d want to hide. It seemed strange to me that cat products were held to such a low standard, despite the love we have for our cats. I knew we could do better.” With the Grove tower, your cat can perch on the the faux-shearing top level or curl up in the padded interior: it’s like a kitty dream house. What could be better than that? —Helin Jung

Best Orthopedic Dog Bed

white luxury dog bed

Just as we can no longer handle crashing on floors and couches after we hit our 30s, our dogs need a sleep upgrade. The Animals Matter Raine Puff Companion-Pedic Luxury Dog Bed is built with a NASA certified, Companion-Pedic memory foam bottom to relieve pressure on puppy joints. “I think this is a great way to provide comfort while they’re resting, especially for senior dogs. As they age, most — if not all — will eventually develop some form of arthritis, and this can help decrease any pressure on hips, knees, and elbows, versus a firmer type bedding,” explains Kinship Collective member Dr. John Iovino. All Animals Matter products are vegan, eco-friendly, and made in the U.S. —Sean Zucker

Best Basic Crate

soft sided crate in beige

If you get the details right, a dog crate can provide a safe haven for your pup. What’s more, The Association of Professional Dog Trainers recommends using a crate as a short-term training tool for puppies and dogs, then as a safety precaution later in life. There are tons of options out there — the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly — which is why it’s important to make sure you get the right one for you and your pup’s lifestyle. This crate is basically a glamping tent for your dog. It’s lightweight, well ventilated, and durable. When folded up, you can literally throw it over your shoulder to carry it. That’s just about everything you need in a nap station for your dog. —Amy Marturana Winderl

Best Designer Crate

crate in wood and white

If you’re gearing up to bring home a new dog, chances are “buy a crate ” is on your to-do list (right in between “choose a pet food ” and “secure an Instagram handle with my dog’s name ”). With so many options out there, dog crate furniture is an example of form and function. “If you don’t like the look of crates, there are ones designed to look like end tables and bureaus, so they are both decorative and functional,” says Dr. Elizabeth Shines. “As long as your dog won’t chew their way through wood, it’ll work great.” With puppies, crate training can help with housebreaking and managing access to objects they are tempted to chew (a.k.a. most things). This sleek option from Fable is a great choice that can extend beyond those bite-y puppy years. —Kate Sheofsky

Best Sustainable Pet Bed

striped pet bed

[Lay Lo] began on Etsy as a home-grown solution for pet owners who wanted more design-forward offerings. Since then, Lay Lo has offered capsule collections that are locally made (sometimes with upcycled, low-waste, or recycled materials), including collaborations with textile designer Warren Aldrich and French fashion designer Joseph Altuzarra. Each bed comes with orthopedic mattresses, which you can swap out with any comfy bed-filling of your choice. Because pets are synonymous with “mess,” the breathable duvet-type covers can be washed and replaced, so you never have to throw away the entire bed. —SZ

Best Cat Tree

flower scratching post

One thing new cat parents learn pretty quickly is that felines possess an instinctual need to scratch sh*t up. If you don’t indulge this primal need — by way of strategically placed cat trees — they may turn their claws on your couch. Your cat isn’t trying to destroy your furniture, trust us. Scratching is a healthy expression of emotion — or rather, a range of emotions from excitement to stress.

“The best example of a good cat scratcher would be a tree,” Dr. Iovino says. “It’s tall enough to allow cats to stretch their full bodies. It’s heavy, sturdy, and won’t move while cats forcefully scratch to sharpen their nails and mark their territory. Lastly, it has a rough texture helping to remove the outer portions of the nail to help them sharpen.”

Once you’ve got the basics down, you can start to look for one that pleases your design sensibilities, like this adorably whimsical 70s flower power cat tree. Each cherry-blossom inspired tree is handmade from real, treated wood branches. This one may not appeal to clandestine cats, but if yours is no wallflower and loves basking in the sun, it could be perfect. —HJ

Best Cat Hammock

window hammock

If we could ask cats what they want in the way of home furnishings, they would nearly all mention places to perch up high. Luckily for them (and for our home’s delicate scheme of decor), tuft + paw launched an easy to install, felt window hammock that’s suitable for cats up to 30 pounds. You might suspect this cat hammock is bound to become another in a long line of gifts your cat rejects, but according to cat behaviorist Pam Johnson-Bennet, that’s not likely: “Cats are natural heat-seekers. A perch at a sunny window is appealing to just about any cat. Plus, it offers the added benefit of visual enrichment in the form of watching birds, squirrels, and other wildlife activity.”

Indeed, a window offers your cat a view of the world that’s, let’s be honest, a lot more interesting than whatever you’re doing inside. Think of a window perch as a recliner and your cat is preparing to veg out for a whole season of Succession. “Cats also love to be up high,” Johnson-Bennet explains. “Since cats are both predator and prey, the ability to access elevated areas gives them more visual warning time to see approaching danger, as well as the ability to see more of their environment in case potential prey appears.” The hammock’s matte black powder-coated metal frame is understated and elegant, and the clear plastic suction cups practically disappear against the window it’s stuck to. Plus, there’s an option to top it with the brand’s Floof Blanket for an added level of comfort and coziness. —Elizabeth Geier

Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)

Author placeholder

Kinship

Kinship editors.

Related articles