6 Car Accessories Dog Owners Can’t Live Without
From interior protection and odor elimination products, to dog-friendly car seats and folding safety ramps, the market on pet travel grows larger everyday. Got a furry co-pilot riding shotgun this holiday season? Here are some top car accessories dog owners (and their pups) will love.
If dogs could talk, they’d probably ask for a car ride. Whether it be to the park, hiking trail, lake, or campsite, our four-legged friends are ready to go pretty much anywhere at a moment’s notice.
But is your vehicle ready?
There are several ways to guard your vehicle’s interior from fur, dirt, and wet dog grime, while also protecting your doggo. After all, the pet industry is big business. The American Pet Products Association estimates we will spend a whopping $109.6 billion on our pets in 2021!
With so many options, you want reassurance that your hard-earned dollars are spent on top-notch brands. After surveying all the dog owners here at The Engine Block, we rounded up the following assortment of must-have car accessories to keep vehicles clean, organized and safe for even the furriest inhabitants.
Floor Liners & Mats
Much like a well-placed boop, this one is a little on the nose. But it’s obvious for a reason: dogs are messy! From muddy pawprints to slimy drool, pups can do a number on a vehicle’s interior. A quality set of floor liners or mats can help protect carpeting from unsightly messes.
When it comes to choosing a brand — who better to turn to than the company named after the bona-fide ice-sledding dog breed? Husky Liners’ floor liners and mats are the company’s bread and butter for a reason, and the product line is a great place for dog owners to start. The Husky brand made its name by offering durable liners and mats that fit perfectly, stay put, and are guaranteed for life. The company has several style options to choose from, including:
X-act Contour Floor Liners
Don’t let the soft rubber fool you – these liners are made for the most active paws and claws. The softness and comfy cushion come from Husky’s DuraGrip material, while the FormFit Design process customizes the mats for specific vehicle models with laser precision. Owners of rambunctious dogs will love the StayPut Cleats. Lining the bottom, they keep the liner in place.
WeatherBeater Floor Mats
These liners, featuring a tough thermoformed plastic, offer a sporty yet rugged design. They were created to take on whatever the family dog or the outdoor elements could throw at them, proving to be just as soft, flexible, and strong years after purchase.
Heavy Duty Floor Mats
Made with big dog energy! These liners are ideal for dog parents whose jobs put just as much strain on their vehicles as their active lifestyles on the weekend. Available for virtually all of today’s top-selling vehicles, Husky Liners’ Heavy Duty Floor Mats also feature the soft-to-the-touch but resilient DuraGrip material, StayPut cleats, and a Driver’s Heel Pad that offers extra protection for those who log a lot of miles.
These mats include a raised ridge design to catch all the debris that humans and dogs drag in, as well as a raised perimeter to keep all the sand, dirt and grime contained.
Seat Covers and Pads
Floor liners are nice, but no self-respecting pupper stays on the floor of a car. Driving in style means riding on the seat with an explorative snout poking out the window. The only way to preserve your dog’s cool and your seat fabric at the same time is to invest in some nice seat covers.
Covercraft offers a wide array of seat covers, any of which are tough enough to do the job. However, the brand also has some sturdy solutions crafted specifically with dogs in mind.
Canine Padded Bucket Seat Protector
For those pups riding shotgun, we recommend Covercraft’s Canine Padded Bucket Seat Protector. Available in seven different color options, this heavy-duty waterproof cover fits most vehicle’s front bucket seats or SUV’s with rear bucket seats. The textured surface offers extra comfort for snuggling and extra stability when hanging one’s head out the window. Also available as a cargo area liner.
Back Seat Dog Bed
Pups who prefer to lounge in the backseat will want Covercraft’s cushy Back Seat Dog Bed. Designed to fit most car, truck, and SUV bench seats, this cover offers padded comfort and a 3-sided bolster to lean against. Easy to install, easy to remove, easy to love. Five woofs out of five.
Carhartt Custom Cargo Area Liner
Big dogs notorious for making big messes are likely posting up in the cargo bay. Covercraft keeps things clean with its Carhartt Custom Cargo Area Liner. Looking sharp with that classic Carhartt styling, this cover is custom-fit to your exact vehicle and offers exceptional protection, thanks to that tried-and-true heavy-duty Duck Weave fabric.
Doggie Seatbelt
Being the social beings that they are, dogs often try to force their way into their driver’s lap to see what their owners are up to. Some have even taken it upon themselves to actually learn how to drive! But this behavior can be dangerous and even illegal in some states.
It’s better to be safe than sorry when driving with a dog, and now there’s a plethora of options to keep your pup planted in the case of a dramatic speed change. Dog seat belts are designed to hook into a vehicle’s seatbelt system to comfortably restrain your dog. Some seat belts are simpler than others, with the most secure options featuring a full body harness.
We recommend checking out the Ruffwear Load Up Harness. Built with strength-rated hardware and components, the harness has been tested to withstand the rigors of a vehicle crash test. Plus, it features a quick-release side buckle for easy on and off — a godsend when you arrive at your destination after a long ride.
Hammock With Pockets
Once dog owners install a backseat dog hammock, they usually wonder how they ever lived without one. That’s because most hammocks are water resistant—keeping dirt and moistures off the seats and carpet—and are designed to cordon off access from the front of the vehicle or other passenger seats.
Most hammocks feature access holes for the seatbelts so backseat passengers can still buckle in. Another underrated feature that some hammocks include is pockets – these are especially important when lugging a lot of outdoors equipment, dog toys, or stowing items that might otherwise roll around.
Check out Kurgo’s Wander Hammock. In addition to being waterproof, stain-resistant, and flat-out stylish, this hammock boasts eight attachment points for a secure fit, as well as a center zipper so you can fold it in half when human passengers are tagging along for a R-I-D-E. The best part? The included carrying bag doubles as a backseat accessory-holder!
Dog Ramp
We’ve seen enough SEMA project vehicles to know that some drivers lift their trucks and Jeeps high enough to scrape the clouds. Implementing a ramp is a great way to take a load off your dog’s joints when entering and exiting vehicle, especially for those older pups who have grown too sophisticated for a big jump.
Dog ramps are typically lightweight and easy to stow — like the PetRamp from WeatherTech. Weighing only 16 pounds but supporting hefty doggos up to 300 lbs, the PetRamp is great for vehicles or just around the home. The whole thing folds up flat for compact storage, and features integrated carry handles on both sides. Nice touches like the skid-resistant surface and rubber feet at both ends ensure sure-footing for happy feet and no wobbling during use. Proudly designed, engineered and manufactured in the USA.
Odor Eliminator
Whoever owns the stink filling up your vehicle’s cabin isn’t as important as how you handle it. Instead of installing an overpowering air freshener, consider using an odor eliminating mist that takes out gnarly smells as quickly as they arrived. Products like Meguiar’s Whole Car Air Re-Fresher work by circulating through the ventilation system, replacing bad smells with a pleasant scent that can last for weeks.
What is the one dog-friendly car accessory you just can’t live without? Let us know in the comments!
