Last updated: August 20, 2026
A rattan bed for dogs is bought for the room as much as for the dog. A woven basket in a living room reads as furniture, while a nylon bolster bed reads as a nylon bolster bed. That is a fair reason to buy one, and it is also where the warnings start.
This guide covers which dogs a woven bed suits, how to size one, what the common shapes do differently, and how to keep it clean.
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Quick Answer
Rattan dog bed: which dogs does it suit, and which not?
- Best for calm adult dogs and cats, meaning animals that sleep rather than chew.
- Skip it for puppies, teething dogs and chewers. Splintered strands do not belong in a dog bed.
- Measure your dog stretched out, then buy on the inside dimension, not the outside one.
- The weave is not machine washable, so the removable cover does the real work.
- A high rim suits dogs that lean on something; a low side suits stiff older dogs.
Is a rattan dog bed right for your dog?
For a calm adult dog or a cat that curls up and sleeps, a woven basket works well and looks like it belongs in the room. For a puppy, a teething dog or a dog that chews when left alone, it is the wrong material, and supervision does not fix that. Match the material to the animal first.
Chewing is the deciding factor
Woven rattan is made of strands that can be pulled, and a dog that finds one loose end keeps going. Once a strand splinters you are picking sharp pieces out of a bed your dog sleeps in. If your dog has ever taken apart a laundry hamper or a chair leg, buy a molded or heavy canvas bed instead.
Dogs and cats that suit a woven bed
Settled adult dogs, small breeds that nest, and cats are the natural fit, as are rooms where the bed has to look like furniture. If you already own woven pieces, a basket bed slots in visually in a way almost no purpose-made pet bed manages.
Our picks by dog and situation
These are situation labels rather than a ranking, because the right basket depends on your dog’s size, age and habits more than on any feature list. Read the label that matches your dog, then check the listing for the inside dimension and for whether a cushion is included, since many baskets ship as the frame alone.
🧺 Best all-round woven basket
An oval or round basket with a moderate rim and a fitted cushion covers most calm adult dogs. It reads best in a living room and most often ships with a cover you can remove.
🐕 Best for small dogs and cats
Small nesters want walls on all sides and a snug floor area. Look for a tight weave with no exposed strand ends. The same bed suits a cat.
🛏️ Best high-rimmed basket
Dogs that sleep with their back or chin pressed against something settle faster in a deep-sided basket. The trade-off is entry height, so this suits agile dogs.
🌿 Best elevated rattan frame with a cushion
A low woven frame with a flat cushion keeps the bed off a cold floor and gives a larger dog room to stretch out. Check the frame joints and base support on the listing.
✨ Best washable cover to buy alongside
The basket is not going in a washing machine, so the cover is the entire hygiene plan. A spare keeps the bed usable on wash day.
Sizing: measure the dog, then read the inside dimension
Measure your dog lying fully stretched out, nose to the base of the tail, then add room at each end so the bed is not exactly dog-sized. Now find the inside dimension on the listing. Woven walls are thick, so a basket described by its outside measurement can be noticeably smaller inside than the number suggests.
Why the outside number misleads
Between the frame, the weave and a rolled edge, real space disappears on every side, so two baskets with the same advertised width can differ inside. If a listing gives outside dimensions only, treat the inside as unknown and size up. A deep cushion also raises the floor and shrinks the usable area.
Which rattan bed style fits which dog
Four shapes cover almost the whole category: the round or oval basket, the rectangular basket with lower sides, the elevated frame holding a flat cushion, and the hooded basket. Each suits a different sleeping habit, and one very common situation is best served by not buying rattan at all.
| Dog or situation | Rattan bed style that fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Small dog or cat | Round or oval basket with a raised rim, or a hooded basket | Inside diameter, and a tight weave with no loose strand ends |
| Large dog | Rectangular basket with lower sides, or an elevated frame with a flat cushion | Frame joints and base support, plus a cushion that reaches the corners |
| Senior dog with stiff joints | Low entry, or an elevated frame the dog steps onto easily | Ask your vet what entry height suits your dog, and read the maker’s cushion notes |
| Heavy chewer | None, choose a different material | Rattan is the wrong pick; splintered strands are not worth the styling |
| Bed sits in the living room | Oval basket in a natural or washed finish matching your other woven pieces | A removable cover, a finish that will not clash, and a footprint that fits |
Rim height, hoods and how your dog sleeps
Rim height is the feature most owners get wrong. A high rim gives a nesting dog something to press against and makes the bed feel enclosed, which is what some dogs want. For an older dog that steps in carefully, that same rim is an obstacle at both ends of every nap, and awkward beds get used less.
When a hood earns its place
A hooded basket suits small dogs and cats that already sleep under things, behind the sofa or beneath a chair. For a larger dog it mostly costs floor space. If your dog sleeps in the open, on their side, skip the hood and buy extra length instead.
Cleaning: the washable cover does the work
A woven basket cannot go in a washing machine, and soaking natural rattan is a good way to loosen the weave. All routine cleaning therefore lands on the cushion cover, which should be removable, zippered rather than sewn shut, and listed as machine washable. If a listing is vague on that point, assume the answer is no.
Getting hair out of the weave
Hair collects in the gaps of a weave in a way it never does on flat fabric. The routine is dull but quick: tip the basket over a hard floor, knock the loose material out, then go over the weave with a vacuum brush attachment weekly. For marks on the rattan, use a barely damp cloth and dry the spot right away, as our guide to cleaning wicker furniture explains.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Buying woven for a chewer anyway. The bed looks good for a week, then becomes splintered strands. Choose another material.
- Ordering on the outside dimension. Thick walls eat real space per side, and a bed the dog does not fit in goes unused.
- Ignoring entry height for an older dog. A rim a young dog hops over becomes a daily obstacle later.
- Treating the cushion as an afterthought. The cover is your only washable part, so check that it comes off and goes in a machine.
- Putting a natural rattan bed on a porch. Natural woven material is an indoor product, and damp treats a dog basket like any other rattan piece.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can dogs chew through a rattan dog bed? Yes, and a determined dog will do it quickly. Woven rattan comes apart once one loose end is worked free, and splintered pieces do not belong in a bed. Dogs with a chewing history need a molded or heavy fabric bed instead.
What size rattan dog bed should I buy? Measure your dog stretched out, nose to the base of the tail, then add room at each end. Compare that to the inside dimension of the basket, not the outside one, because woven walls take up more space than listings suggest.
Can you wash a rattan dog bed? The basket cannot go in a washing machine, and soaking natural rattan risks loosening the weave. Cleaning means knocking out loose hair, vacuuming with a brush attachment, and wiping marks with a damp cloth. Only the cover goes through a wash cycle.
Do rattan dog beds trap hair and smells? Hair collects in the gaps of the weave more readily than on flat fabric, so a weekly vacuum comes with the territory. Odor sits in the cushion rather than the rattan, another argument for a removable cover.
Is a woven basket a good choice for a puppy? Usually not. Puppies chew because they are teething, and a basket edge is an obvious target. Most owners do better with a hard-wearing bed and buy the woven one once that phase has passed.
Will a rattan bed work for a cat? It works very well. Cats nest, they rarely dismantle woven material the way dogs do, and a small round basket with a raised rim suits how they sleep.
The Bottom Line
A rattan dog bed is a design purchase with one condition attached: your dog has to be a sleeper rather than a chewer. Get that right and the rest is straightforward. Buy on the inside dimension, match the rim height to how your dog gets in and out rather than to how the basket looks, and treat the washable cover as the part that keeps the bed usable. Get the chewing question wrong and nothing else saves it.