For nearly a decade, my poor dog had been sleeping in the same sad, squashed bed I bought on the way home from the shelter. Enough was enough, and my wife finally stepped in and insisted we got an upgrade for her old bones (the dog’s, not the wife’s). Thankfully, I was looking into eco-friendly, non-toxic dog beds at the time, so I ordered a P.L.A.Y. dog bed to give it a whirl. It’s a hit! Here’s why.
P.L.A.Y. Dog Bed
Highlights: Comfy, very well made durable dog bed in upholstery-grade polyester. Filled with PlanetFill® polyfiber from recycled plastic bottles. Made by a B Corp and Green America Green Business that donates to charities. Free from PFCs and other stain repellent treatments. Can be machine washed and dried.
P.L.A.Y. Dog Bed at a glance:
| Country of Origin: | Made in the United States |
| Materials: | Materials: PlanetFill® recycled plastic bottle polyfiber, virgin polyester, lead-free zippers, leather logo patch |
| Certifications: | Certifications: B Corporation, FSC certified paper packaging (and plastic), Green America Green Business, |
Table of Contents
- Made from recycled plastic bottles
- Machine washable
- B corporation
- Upholstery grade fabrics
- Looks great
- Not made with natural materials
What I like about the P.L.A.Y. Dog Bed
Mostly because it was on sale at the time, I chose the Urban Denim Lounge Bed from P.L.A.Y., in a Large to accommodate my 50 lb. or so border collie cross. This bed has four elevated sides and a step-through front, and while I worried that it might be a bit too lofty for my slightly arthritic senior pup, she stepped in and got cozy right away.
The big selling point about the P.L.A.Y. bed is that it’s filled with PlanetFill® polyfiber. This stuffing is made from recycled plastic bottles and the company estimates that its saved close to three million bottles from going into landfill. An Extral Large bed in this style uses approximately 108 plastic bottles’ worth of recycled plastic.
I also like that the entire bed is machine washable. It takes a bit of effort though (more on that below).
The polyester cover is not recycled, alas. It is tough and durable, though, doesn’t stain easily and hasn’t ripped, faded, or become worn over 18 months of continuous use by a dog with pretty sharp claws. The cover isn’t rough to the touch and isn’t treated with any toxic chemicals such as stain or water repellents.
Other pluses are that the zips are very well hidden and the bed is made with upholstery-grade fabrics. Even-basting stitching is followed by permanent stitching, all by hand, making this really well made. My pup will have to work really hard to rip any seams or to chew on the hardware. Even if she did though, the zipper is lead-free, so there’s no risk of toxic exposure to this heavy metal.
I like that P.L.A.Y. is a certified B Corporation (rare in the pet industry) and a Green America Green Business. P.L.A.Y pays its workers fairly and donates 2% of profits to various charities. The company also donates beds and toys to homeless pets in need, and hosts senior dog adoption events.
While I chose the original dog bed design, the company also offers covers designed by artists in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles.
Sustainability features
P.L.A.Y. is a certified B Corporation (one of the first in the pet industry) and is committed to making more eco-friendly pet products and pushing the industry as a whole forward. Their dog beds are made with PlanetFill® recycled plastic bottle polyfiber and they estimate they’ve saved close to three million bottles from going into landfill. They also offer a Fill-a-Bed and Change-a-Cover system where you get the cover and a stuff-sack to fill with your own textiles.
See also: The best eco-friendly dog beds
The company also tries to minimize packaging and uses FSC certified paper. They’re a Green America Green Business, pay their workers fairly, donate 2% of profits to various charities, donate beds to homeless pets in need, host senior dog adoption events, and donate to human-oriented charities too.
The P.L.A.Y. dog bed covers are a bit more varied than those from Molly Mutt and other outfits, given that they’re largely designed by artists in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles, making for some rather unique dog décor.
Again, the key downside with these beds is that they’re not made with organic cotton or other organic materials, and the recycled plastic is still a source of undesirable chemicals that aren’t great for people, pups, or the planet.
Quick stats
The Urban Denim Lounge Bed has four raised sides with a lower front cut-out to make it easy for your pup to step in and get cozy. The bed is made with:
- Synthetic denim cover with leather logo
- Lead-free zippers
- Filled with high-loft PlanetFill® filler made from 100% post-consumer certified-safe recycled plastic bottles
- Machine washable and dryer friendly
- Since 2013, P.L.A.Y. has donated 3,055 beds and toys to shelters in the U.S.
The Urban Denim Lounge Bed is available in Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large sizes. P.L.A.Y. offers the following as size guidance as follows:
| Outer Dimensions | Inner Dimensions | Weight Recommendation | |
| S | 24″L x 19″W x 7″H | 16″L x 11″W | less than 20 lbs |
| M | 31″L X 25″W x 8″H | 21″L x 16″W | less than 50 lbs |
| L | 38″L x 30″W x 9″H | 27.5″L x 20″W | less than 90 lbs |
| XL | 44″L x 37″W x 10″H | 32″L x 25″W | over 91 lbs |
The company recommends trying to measure your dog while they’re nice and stretched out asleep, and then sizing up if in doubt.
The downsides
The main downside with these beds is that they’re not made with natural materials like organic cotton or hemp. However, even these materials would need to be covered with something waterproof to make the bed durable and hygienic. So, while the recycled polyester is still technically a plastic, at least it’s machine washable and not treated with PFCs or other toxic chemicals.
Unfortunately, likely due to the third-party vendor, the bed also arrived wrapped in plastic. Whether it was the bed or the plastic wrapper, there was a bit of off-gassing initially, so I aired it out for a day on the deck, after which it was just fine.
I do wish that there weren’t a leather logo on the cover, especially as P.L.A.Y. doesn’t specify that this leather is chrome-free, upcycled offcuts, or otherwise eco-friendly, non-toxic, or sustainable.
The other minor downside to the bed is that it’s a bit of a struggle to get back together if you do unzip the sections and take out the cushions. We did this to give the whole thing a thorough wash after a year or so, which included washing the covers and inserts separately. These can also be dried on low. The whole thing held up really well to being washed, but the front cushion was very difficult to get back in. Part of the struggle is that this is the oddest shaped piece but has to be the last one you insert. This is because of the way the all-round zipper fastens, leaving the front to last. It’s doable, but it’s not quick!
Final thoughts
The P.L.A.Y. Dog Bed has fared very well for the last 18 months or so, despite much licking, scuffing, and several rounds of washing (of all parts of the bed). Aside from the dog hair (which is easily vacuumed off the tight weave fabric), this bed looks practically new. I can see this holding up for many more years too, and even being used for a subsequent canine companion (though we won’t go there).
I like that my pup is sleeping on a comfortable bed that isn’t exposing her to nasty chemicals. And I like that the overall environmental footprint of this bed is pretty low, compared with a similarly sized bed made with virgin plastics.