What to Consider When Selecting a Dog Seat Cover

Style

For canine protection, there are five main styles of covers available to shield the interior of a vehicle from a dog’s tendencies—hammock, bench, cargo liner, bucket seat, and door. Some products offer multiple styles of coverage by adjusting straps and connection points. The style you select should fit in your car, stay securely in place, and provide your dog with a comfortable space.

Waterproofing

Most covers claim to provide waterproof or water-resistant protection, but some work better than others to repel liquids from a car’s interior. The fabric composition is an essential key to waterproofing, but slits/openings for seat belts may also allow water to seep through spots. Access to seat belts and buckles is necessary for a dog’s safety, so look for flap covers or zippered access points if waterproofing is very important to you.

Cleaning

All of the dog car seat covers on our list can be wiped clean and vacuumed to keep the liner tidy. A few can also be cleaned in a washing machine and either hung to dry or placed in a dryer. It’s important to check the care instructions for the cover you select because some features, like waterproofing, may not function correctly if cleaned improperly.

How We Tested

We acquired 18 of the latest and top-reviewed dog car seat covers in a variety of styles to address different needs and vehicles. Each car seat cover was given to a tester with a dog to be used in their car for three weeks. From muddy paws and messy snacks to shedding and scratching, each participant recorded and photographed their experience, documenting how well the cover functioned as a barrier between their dog and the interior of their car.

Our testers followed a precise methodology written with the help of pet experts—we consult veterinarians, vet techs, animal behavioral researchers, manufacturing specialists, and other expert sources while developing our testing protocols. Our criteria for evaluation of these dog car seat covers focused on functionality, size, ability to be cleaned, ease of installation, and overall value. Any special features, such as a mesh window, were also included in the assessment.

After the testing period, our editors dove into the data to identify the top-performing dog car seat covers. Our final picks were selected with a combination of experiential descriptions and the scoring averages provided by our testers.

Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

This roundup was updated by Anna Mejorada, a writer for The Spruce Pets, who shares her home with a lovely Pomeranian named Gidget. Before researching and writing about pet products for a living, she embarked on a self-mandated, ongoing quest to find the optimal items for her dog. She is now delightfully devoted to helping humans discover and select the most favorable products for their pets.

A previous version was written by Mary Jo DiLonardo. She has a rescue dog and has fostered more than three dozen dogs and puppies. She’s transported lots of them in her vehicle, which means a lot of dog hair and other messes. Pet health and safety are very important to DiLonardo and she’s always researching the latest products to keep the dogs in her care healthy and safe.