My dog Olive is a constant companion on my outdoor adventures. Any time I’m climbing, camping, or hiking, she’s happy to come along for the ride. As excited as Olive is to hike for miles or spend the day sniffing around at the crag, she also wants to be comfortable. At age 11, naps have become a key part of her daily routine.
For years, I’ve used a child’s sleeping bag I found at a thrift store for her bed while camping. While this certainly was an economical option (it cost $15), she could do with something more supportive. For the last several months, both at home and outside, she’s used YETI’s Boomer Dog Bed ($200), and if a dog could give something five stars, Olive would give this bed that high of a score. The Boomer bed has an ergonomic bolster design and a weatherproof bottom that can stand up to wet weather conditions.
In short: Sure, the Boomer bed has a high price tag, but like most products from YETI, it’s built to last. It’s become my dog’s favorite place to relax, both at home and outdoors.
Specifications
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Rubber bottom stands up to wet conditions
- Removable, washable top
Cons
- Expensive
- Heavy
YETI Boomer Dog Bed Review
Design & Materials
The Boomer bed has a pretty simple square shape with rounded edges and a bolster that extends up 2 inches. The main body of the bed is foam, with a polyester twill fabric on the top and a water-resistant TPU bottom.
The bed comes in two sizes: small and large. Olive, a German shepherd-corgi mix who weighs about 20 pounds, fit perfectly on the small size. YETI says that the small can fit dogs 35 pounds or smaller, but if Olive were any bigger, she wouldn’t have fit. I’d adjust that recommendation to say dogs larger than 25 pounds should use the large size.
The top fabric zips off and can go in the washing machine. I washed it on cold, and then hang dried it, and it easily zipped back on. Olive sheds like it’s her full-time job, so, unsurprisingly, a trip to the laundry didn’t get rid of all of the dog hair, but it was a marked improvement.
Testing
Olive is a bit of a velcro dog, and always needs to be in the same room as me. To test to see if she really liked the YETI bed, I left all her dog beds (she is spoiled and has many) strewn across the floor of the office where I work remotely. I took a seat at my desk and left her to choose where she wanted to rest, and time and time again, she chose the YETI bed.
She even picked the Boomer over her favorite spot in the house. I have an IKEA chair that she likes to sit in, and, years ago, I bequeathed it to her and all her dog hair. It’s right next to the couch where I watch TV so she can be near me, and even when I was napping on the couch, she chose the Boomer over the chair. It’s quite unusual for her to choose something farther away from me, which shows just how comfy she found it.
I think one of the key reasons she consistently chose the Boomer was the bolster. It acts like a little pillow that she can rest her head and neck on. I’d frequently find her dead asleep, body laid out horizontally on the bed with her nose up on the bolster.
Just before I got this bed, my 16-year-old chihuahua Bailey passed away. All Bailey wanted in life was to be cozy and comfy, and I feel confident saying he would’ve loved this bed too.
Using the Boomer on Camping Trips
The Boomer was relatively easy to travel with. I have a taco (a piece of durable fabric connected to the front and rear headrests) in the rear seat of my RAV4, and the small size of the Boomer fit snugly in it. Olive happily laid on it while we drove our usual 2.5 hours to Jackson Falls in Illinois to climb.
When it came to set up my tent, it fit nicely in my three-person Marmot Tent alongside my extra-large EXPED mat. To fit two people and this dog bed, you’d need a four-person tent. At bedtime, Olive immediately hopped into the YETI bed and curled up into her usual doughnut shape.
As much as Olive loves this bed, it doesn’t come with us to the crag. Because it weighs over 5 pounds, it stays at the campsite. I bring along the child’s sleeping bag (which is lightweight and compact) for her to rest on at the crag.
Compared to my usual method, the YETI bed definitely did a better job of keeping her off the cold, hard ground and providing support and insulation. The rubberized bottom meant that even while camping on damp ground, the foam and topper of the bed stayed dry. It’s also easy to rinse off the bottom with a hose or wipe down with a damp paper towel.
Two Drawbacks
If there is one thing I’d add to this bed, it would be a handle of some kind. Often, my campsite isn’t located directly next to my car, which means I have to carry all my stuff a bit of a ways. The bed is large and heavy enough to be kind of unwieldy to carry while you’re also trying to carry a sleeping bag or tent. A cloth or rubberized handle for easy grip and carrying would be extremely helpful.
There’s also no way around the fact that $200 (and $250 for the large size) is a steep price to pay for a dog bed. That’s about as much as a high-quality tent, sleeping bag, or sleeping pad would cost. There are plenty of other outdoor-oriented dog beds on the market that cost far less; Fur Haven’s travel, compressible dog bed, which Olive also uses, only costs $32.
Who’s The Boomer For?
The Boomer is versatile and can pull double duty as a dog bed at home and on the road, but it’s still absolutely a luxury item. For folks who primarily car camp and road trip, the Boomer is an easy choice to bring along.
The durable plastic bottom can withstand all manner of conditions, and the topper is easy to wash (even if some dog hair stays behind). If you’re looking to spoil your pup with next-level comfort, this is a solid investment. And after all, good girls and boys like Olive deserve a bit of spoiling.
