Start Pill
Can a dog bed qualify as the next best thing since sliced bread? One of our editors here at Startup Pill urged me for weeks to try out this suped-up pooch pad and I finally caved. I reached out to Leena Chitnis, founder of Timberdog, and requested the medium-sized Stormy RuffRest™ which came in a gray “storm cloud” base color, accompanied by a sky blue trim. (Other colorways include the Sporty, which is dark blue, teal, and tangerine, and the aptly-named Camptastic, which comes in moss green, teak, and rust.)
Before I proceed, I want to disclaim that I did some recon by perusing the reviews at Timberdog.com, and admit that I completely ripped off a customer’s review title. After all, I can’t think of better phrasing than ‘masterpiece’ to describe what we’re dealing with here. The RuffRest Ultimate Pet Bed may appear sleek and unassuming, but it’s really a monster that completely disrupts the dog bed market and status quo.
See, dog beds have been around for 30,000 years, since wolves became domesticated animals. From a pile of straw in a cave, to its more modern avatar invented by Eugene Kruck in 1954, dog beds haven’t come very far. Today, they’re basically an oval or rectangular-shaped cut of foam with a zippered cover on top.
RuffRest
The RuffRest arrived at my door a couple of days after I ordered it, covered in saccharine packaging. I’m not big on cutesy stuff, so I could have done without the “Oh Happy Day!” slogan emblazoned in large lettering across the front of the box. But I understood the whole “joy experience” Timberdog was going for, and forgoing my Grinchy attitude, opened it up.
Packaged very well (thick cardboard box, followed by a thick plastic bag to protect the bed from moisture), my RuffRest emerged unharmed, albeit a bit wrinkled with a flattened pillow, which I was able to fluff back up. Unzipping the dog bed, I was truly delighted to stumble across unexpected goodies: a Thank You card with a 20% discount towards a future purchase, a red flyer that encouraged me to view a demo via a QR code, and two free gifts – a small microfiber towel for muddy paws, and a large nylon stuff sack to store my RuffRest or keep it clean while traveling. Very thoughtful.
I then spent some time handling the bed and examining its stitching and craftsmanship (excellent); the solid feel of its military-grade nylon; the softness of the Sherpa fleece; how it zipped via its best-in-class YKK zippers; and the squishy thickness of its 3-season sleeping bag. On all accounts, RuffRest is a high quality dog bed.
But RuffRest passed the most important test when I called my dog, Gracie, over. After a few curious sniffs, she plopped herself down on it, and soon fell asleep.
On the Road Again
The RuffRest arrived right before my road trip to Colorado. I was looking forward to trying this dog bed out and seeing if it was more than just a novelty. Would there be too many annoying pockets? Was the bed easily cleanable? Would it repel moisture? Would one of its many parts break down en route?
When the day came to pack, I was grateful that the included medical ID card (found in the organizer) had a travel checklist on the back. Loosely following it, I was able to pack a jacket, a gallon-sized Ziplock of food, two sandwich bags of treats, a roll of poo bags, a tick comb, a small towel, several bully sticks, a ball, collar light, meds, squeaky plush toy, paw wax, collapsible bowls, small first aid kit with a container of styptic powder, toothbrush, toothpaste, and some wet wipes!
All of this fit beautifully into the conveniently see-through organizer, and right then and there, I stood back and knew I would never go back to the haphazard way I used to throw Gracie’s stuff into a backpack. I immediately felt a sense of being organized, responsible, and safe, because nothing was amiss. And having an organizer full of necessities and nice-to-haves was so gratifying.
After placing the packed up organizer inside the RuffRest, I rolled everything up and secured the bed via the integrated compression straps. Clicking shut the Duraflex buckle fasteners, I remembered Leena telling me that they’re the best, and come standard on equipment sold at trustworthy retailers such as REI, The North Face, and Patagonia.
Gracie Travels First Class
Along the drive to Breckenridge, Gracie and I stopped at a couple campgrounds and a rustic AirBnB cabin. I was thrilled to be able to deploy the hidden blanket and drape it over my dog during the days, when it was wind-whipped and cool, and zip it up to form a 3-season sleeping bag at night, when temps dropped (note that you cannot use the sleeping bag in extreme temperatures and Timberdog’s website even advises that you should additionally suit up your dog in warm wear).
At night, the RuffRest performed both inside and out of the tent. Outside, it proved itself worthy with its moisture repellent nylon and reflective elements, the latter preventing me from tripping over the bed– a pretty handy safeguard against your blazing campfire nearby.
Gracie is a shorthaired mutt and sleeps cold, so once we bedded down inside the tent, I made sure to zip up the temperature control vents at the bottom of the sleeping bag and snap shut the buttons – this took some elbow grease – to seal the bag to the bed. The sleeping bag is very amply-spaced inside, and though I love the freedom it gives Gracie, I stuffed one of my sweaters in there with her to close off some of the gaps. Now, don’t take this to mean that I’d have rather had a tighter sleeping bag. Bigger dogs often don’t like being covered, and when they do, they sure as heck don’t want to feel hemmed in.
The next morning, both of us were well rested. I could tell Gracie had had a particularly restful night by how much energy she had during a short game of fetch.
Conclusion
RuffRest, where have you been all my life? I cannot leave the house without you.
Jokes aside, RuffRest at a median price of $279 is worth every penny, especially when compared to other travel dog gear which are either sleeping bags OR roll-up travel mats OR dog travel bags. Additionally, competitors dog beds have NO features, nothing’s “all-in-one,” and they’re still priced between $100-250!
Just do it, get yourself this dog bed/luggage/sleeping bag/travel system and you’ll never look back.
RuffRest® by Timberdog – Good to Know:
- Comes in Small (4.6 lbs), Medium (6.5 lbs), and Large (10.4 lbs) – size guide on www.timberdog.com
- Highly reviewed and/or awarded by Rover, Field & Stream, Gear Junkie, New York Times and more
- As of this writing, it’s patent pending – there’s nothing like it on the market
- Aiming to be the first carbon negative pet brand by planting not one, but two trees per RuffRest sold
- Unlike other companies, Timberdog’s journalist reviewers receive NO affiliate marketing compensation, which means they have no incentive to say the great things they’ve said about RuffRest. In fact, they often return the dog beds, as they find it unethical to keep them as gifts.
- Biodegradable and non-toxic PU coating to keep the bed moisture-resistant
Pros:
- EVERYTHING, including customer service and the company’s mission objective. A feel-good product which encourages adventure and traveling more often with your dog, and a feel-good company, too.
Cons:
- Not the prettiest when rolled up, but who cares? It looks great otherwise and works wonders for my purposes
- Hydration pocket is awkward and floppy when deployed, but not a huge issue since this is a “nice-to-have” feature and still does the job
- Too much plastic covering for a company that’s working really hard to be eco-friendly – but they said they’re working on this
- Website reads like an endless Kickstarter scroll and though very informative, can obfuscate their call-to-action buttons, making it a bit difficult or annoyingly confusing to buy their pet beds
Additionally, like Apple, Timberdog never runs sales, but may have an occasional giveaway or banner discount. Currently, if you sign up for their newsletter, you can use code LOVEMYPUP10 at checkout to receive 10% off your first RuffRest purchase.
