Review of Cool Bed, Large

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Cool Bed, Large
Average Rating: 2.5 Total Reviews: 7
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Have had WONDERFUL luck with this bed!

On: 2008-11-18

Im baffled about the bad ratings on this bed, as I have had TWO ENTIRE SUMMERS with this bed with no leaks or problems of any kind. Considering my horrible luck with the canine cooler beds (went through THREE of those, see my review), I wasnt expecting much, if any, improvement with this bed, but it has more than exceeded my best expectations!

The only thing I can figure is that the folks that had the bad experiences with this bed just had some bad luck, and God knows, Ive been through what they went through!

Like the canine cooler, it has a foam like layer in between the two sealed layers of vinyl; not gel. While its optimal to try to get out as much of the air bubbles as possible, its not necessary to go ballistic over a few small pockets here and there. When they come up, just work them over to the vent and let them out. Not a big thing. It works just like your normal waterbed, just minus the heater to keep the water warm. If your waterbed heater stops working, youll know it cuz it sucks the heat right out of your body, hence the efficiency of this mini model for your furry friends.

Im telling you, if I can go through two summers with this thing, ANYONE can. My dogs have done DANCES on this thing, and its still holding strong. Ive filled and drained it twice now, and Im hoping itll make it through next season as well. I never had to drain one of these before, as the canine cooler never made it past the first month or two.

As far as performance goes, my lab LOVES IT. It gets pretty freakin hot and humid in summer in IL, and this goes a long way to making my big boy comfy. I cant think of any reasons to give it any less than 5 stars, honestly. As of this writing its not available, and obviously not needed this time of the year up here in the US, but have highly recommended it to all my pet loving friends.

Cool bed 2 versus 3

On: 2008-09-05

Last summer I purchased the cool bed 2 for my great dane. It worked beautifully but alas such a big dog, he had it punctured by the end of the hot weather. It was worth the investment, just wish it had been a little more durable.

This year I upgraded to the cool bed 3, or so I thought. I even added the linen cover to help protect it from puntures. This bed doesnt seem to cool at all and my dog is not seeking it out this year. It was considerably more expensive than the cool bed 2 and I am pretty disappointed with the new one. If you want to try this product I strongly suggest trying the cool bed 2 first.

Horrible - DO NOT BUY

On: 2007-06-13

I set the bed up and within an hour, it was leaking all over the place from a small hole in the seam. Bed did feel nice and cool, but was very lumpy - gel "core" must have gotten twisted somehow and I didnt know how to get it untwisted. Really, I worked and worked with the bed only to find out that it leaked! I would never tell anyone to buy something like this! Perhaps for a smaller dog it would work better - mine was the largest they make and so probably made it harder to work with.

Keeps my two dogs cool in the desert heat

On: 2006-09-12

Much more than a mat! This bed has a nice cushioning effect, which is superior to the hard tile laid down in most Phoenix homes. Ive had my two beds for 7 months. I can put them most anywher, as long as they are out of sunlight, as that heats the beds - per manufacturers recommendations. It took me less than 5 minutes to set up each bed. I did it on commercial breaks while watching my favorite shows.

I bought two medium beds, but now I wish I had purchased two large beds. My chow/golden mix with her long, amber hair was always panting excessively during the summertime heat, despite Furminating to reduce her undercoat... It gets up to 115 out here! All that panting and getting on and off the bed was keeping me awake at night. Ultimately, I put one the beds onto my mattress and I frequently wake up to find both my dogs snuggling to fit on the one bed. I wish I had purchased the larger size to allow more room for sprawling. I often find the cats squeezing onto the Cool Bed as well and I must confess that I have been known to put my arms and legs on it to cool them down.

The bed feels a little like a water bed, if it is overfilled. Also, when I have moved my arms and legs off it, it has that "stick" sensation and my skin perspires slightly from the lack of airflow - as I have found with waterbeds. The cover is simply plastic, so that is a standard effect of plastic, but the paw prints are cute. I wonder if a cotton cover would help on some level with airflow.

I researched awhile, thinking I would be a Thermacool, but I found so many complaints about failing seems, and the reports which described the seem failure always described failure in the same place. When I contacted that company about my concerns (sending them copies of the complaints), they had little to say. They pointed out the 2 year warranty I was already aware of and claimed that it was the owners fault for moving the beds around. However, the reviews on the Cool Bed have no complaints about failing seems. I inspected the stitching thoroughly when I received the beds and find it to be well-reinforced. I figure I would rather have a Cool Bed than be constantly returning the Thermacool.

I do notice that my long haired dog does get warm a couple of times during the night. The water where she sleeps does eventually get warmer over the course of hours. She typically wakes up panting and then flops onto her other side at the other end of the mat. I suspect that part of this comes from the fact that we sleep on a futon, which tends to absorb and radiate heat. If there were greater airflow, as with a pillow top, I suspect this would be less of an obstacle. It is airflow which keeps the water in the beds core cool. Either way, I am able to set the thermostat to a higher temperature, which is more accommodating for me, my throat and my electricity bill.

I placed the other bed in the 3rd story loft, which is exceedingly warm during this time of year. When I go up there to work, both dogs immediately head for the cool bed and only settle for the regular dog bed when they feel there is no other option. For me, that reinforces how much they prefer it to the carpet, tile and other bedding options. In fact, other than the leather couch, my dogs would rather be on their Cool Bed.

Like I said, if only I had gotten the larger version... maybe then Nikki would stop trying to stretch across the bottom of the bed and take all the room. Instead, she would just stay snuggled on the Cool Bed even when Molly is sprawled out all over it. :)

Weve had the bed for 7 months and it has been a Gods send through the summer heat. Once temperatures drop below 90, I want to try it outside under the porch swing. (The manufacturer states that it is best under 95 degrees and shouldnt be in direct sunlight - duh, that heats up the water.)

Great for Huskies!

On: 2006-09-02

We have the large size Cool Bed and our 2 huskies love it. It is way cooler for them than laying on the carpet. Not a day goes by that my dogs are taking turns napping on the cool mat.

It's just a dog mat

On: 2006-08-17

Has nothing to do with keeping your pet cooler. Way over-rated AND overpriced. A complete rip off.

Unfortunately there is not a zero rating

On: 2006-07-19

This is the biggest piece of junk I have bought in many years. This is basically a prehistoric waterbed for dogs. It is merely a cheap plastic envelope thatis supposed to have a mystery gel inside to keep the bed cool. It takes forever to fill and then try to get the air bubbles out. The end result the bed is no cooler than the room you put it in. Sure it is cooler than the average dog temeprature of 102 degreees but so is my carpet.

DO NOT BUY - a total waste of money and time!

Unfortunately there is not a zero rating

On: 2006-07-18

This is the biggest piece of junk I have bought in many years. This is basically a prehistoric waterbed for dogs. It is merely a cheap plastic envelope thatis supposed to have a mystery gel inside to keep the bed cool. It takes forever to fill and then try to get the air bubbles out. The end result the bed is no cooler than the room you put it in. Sure it is cooler than the average dog temeprature of 102 degreees but so is my carpet.

DO NOT BUY - a total waste of money and time!