Bad posture (especially true for larger dogs) can cause a number of problems, especially as a dog ages. Biometric studies have proven that larger dogs have slower metabolisms than smaller dogs, pound for pound.
As nature adapts and evolves over time to face environmental challenges, living beings adapt to challenges that their body faces. For larger dogs to make up for the slower metabolism they possess, their bodies devote less metabolic energy to less important body maintenance needs, like balance and posture. That is often why you’ll notice large dogs have long thin legs. Over time evolution has adapted their bodies to face more important needs first. Bad posture in dogs can lead to bad backs, problematic necks, bad hip joints, and muscle issues, especially as dogs get older.
Raised dig bowls can help with posture for all dog sizes, by reducing daily repeated stress on the body from stooping to eat off the ground (reducing wear and tear on back, neck, hip bones, muscles and joints from). For many dogs, raised dog bowl benefits don’t end there, however. Modern raised dog bowls are also designed for ease of cleaning and maintenance leading to less food born or bacterial-related illnesses. Modern raised dog bowls also aid with digestion in dogs as they reduce the air that dogs ingest when they eat. This test has examined and compared hundreds of the best and most popular raised dog bowls on the market to find the best food bowls available for you.
#1 Raised Dog Bowls (Premium): Adjustable Raised Pet Dog Feeder – w/ Silicone Mat & 4 Stainless Steel Bowls by PandPal, Elevated Food & Water Tray Stand, Bamboo Feeding Station w/ 3 Height Levels for Puppies/Large Dogs
What is included: This premium raised dog bowl includes an adjustable stand, a silicone mat to protect the body of the stand and for ease of cleaning, and 4 dog bowls. Each dog bowl holds up to 6 cups of food. The elevated stand only holds 2 dog bowls at a time, so the other 2 are back-up dog bowls in case you ever need them.
- Raised dog bowl materials: This modern raised dog bowl is built to last the test of time and it is made with safe materials only. The 4 bowl inserts for feeding are made of stainless steel. The bowls are set into and easy to clean, durable silicone (BPA free) insert that protects the wooden body. The base and body of the raised dog bowl itself is made of 100% bamboo, no MDF or wood filler to protect the stand and your dog from mold or bacteria.
- Cost: The Adjustable Raised Pet Dog Feeder with Silicone Mat and 4 Stainless Steel Bowls (all included) costs $34.99.
- Company: Pandpal is a green friendly company that designs and builds healthy, sustainable, safe bamboo products. The company is located in Seattle and has a young but excellent reputation. Their raised dog bowls are recommended by vets and pet care professionals
- Raised dog bowl; Benefits for the dog: The Adjustable Raised Pet Dog Feeder with Silicone Mat and 4 Stainless Steel Bowls made by Pandpal has many benefits for dogs of most any size. Aside from not having to bend to eat, helping with posture, this raised dog bowl is great for digestion. It is adjustable so can easily be adjusted with 4 screws, meeting your dog’s ideal height. This helps stop indigestion and stomach discomfort. The silicon and bamboo design also prevent mold and bacteria from developing.
- Raised dog bowl; Benefits for the owner: The Adjustable Raised Pet Dog Feeder with Silicone Mat and 4 Stainless Steel Bowls is easy to carry, with two built in handles, is light, and is easy to adjust. It’s also easy to clean and easy to store. Furthermore, it comes with extra bowls you can switch out.
- Customer feedback: Reviews of this product are generally outstanding, with many loving the durability and ease of cleaning as strong features. Plus it is safe and healthy for dogs, and environmentally friendly as well. We tested the product and loved the sturdiness and overall feel of quality.
- Cleaning and Maintenance: Adjustable Raised Pet Dog Feeder with Silicone Mat and 4 Stainless Steel Bowls is easy to clean, the bowls can be machine washed as can the mat, and is designed for easy breakdown and re-assembly.
#2 Raised Dog Bowl (Budget): IRIS Airtight Elevated Storage Feeder with 2 Stainless Steel Bowls
A convenient and space-saving product from US company made from high quality BPA-free plastic.
- What is included: This modern raised dog bowl is great for saving space. It comes with two dog bowls set into a self-contained storage unit. Each bowl can hold up to 2 quarts. The top and bottom fasten together with a clip that also acts as handles on each side of the raised dog bowl. They come small, medium or large depending on your pet’s size.
- Raised dog bowl materials: The two dog bowls that come with the IRIS Airtight Elevated Storage Feeder are made of stainless steel. The body itself is made of a BPA free plastic with rubberized feet on the bottom to prevent slipping.
- Cost: The IRIS Airtight Elevated Storage Feeder costs $27.96, which includes the unit and the two stainless steel, bowls.
- Company: IRIS USA, Inc. is a storage and space organization product company that has a line of pet products (food storage, cages, elevated feeders, etc.). The company has been in business for over 2 decades and has an excellent reputation for developing safe, durable, useful products.
- Raised dog bowl; Benefits for the dog: This excellent modern raised dog bowl provides a number of health benefits to dogs, aiding with posture and better digestion, and providing a safe storage space that is air tight to keep the dog’s food fresh and bacteria free.
- Raised dog bowl; Benefits for the owner: Aside from helping your dog with better health, pet owners get a lightweight (5 lbs.) easy to store unit that actually creates storage space. The air tight storage chamber in the body is easily secured with snap lock latches. The storage space is designed to hold 64 oz. of dry dog food. However, many customers report that it easily holds 5 lb. bags of dog food and much more.
- Customer feedback: This earned its ranking as the best budget brand of raised dog bowl on the market for its ingenious design and the abundance of rave customer reviews. Most people love the storage and ease of use of the unit, and often claim it is far sturdier and can hold more than even ISIS claims.
- Cleaning and Maintenance: The IRIS Airtight Elevated Storage Feeder can be easily cleaned with hot water. The plastic is designed to not bond with food and is easy to clean.
#3 Runner up: Raised Dog Bowl (premium): PetFusion Elevated Pet Feeder in Premium Solid Wood. FOOD GRADE Stainless steel bowls
This is another excellent modern raised dog bowl. The traditional raised dog bowl was essentially an elevated stand built for very large dogs, but large dogs are not the only dogs that gain health benefits from good posture and better digestion.
The PetFusion Elevated Pet Feeder in Premium Solid Wood FOOD GRADE Stainless steel bowls are made for large and small dogs, as they produce a short (4”) version and a tall (10”) version.
The smaller version costs $39.95 and the larger version runs $59.95. This safe, healthy raised dog bowl is green friendly, made by a socially conscious, reputable company (PetFusion). The raised dog bowl itself is made of sustainable plantation raised New Zealand pine with three safe stain coats to prevent mold and bacteria. The PetFusion Elevated Pet Feeder comes with 3 stainless steel bowl, the third being a shallow 1.1” bowl. This is an added bonus for pet owners that also have cats, as the shallow bowl is designed to prevent whisker fatigue, a common and irksome condition common to cats.
#4 Runner up: Raised Dog Bowl (Budget): Pet Zone Designer Diner Adjustable Raised Dog Feeder
The Pet Zone Designer Diner Adjustable Raised Dog Feeder is the runner up in the budget category of raised dog bowls, and is highly popular among all retailers.
The elevated stand itself is made of easy to clean, safe plastic with two stainless steel bowl inserts. The bottom of the stand is equipped with skid proof rubber lining.
The entire raised dog bowl and stand is machine washable and very easy to clean. The legs are adjustable to allow for an ideal fit for your dog, and they also come off for simpler storage.
Also as your dog grows, you can raise the dog bowl so that it matches your dog’s ideal height, saving you money from having to re-purchase new bowls. The legs adjust from just less than 3 inches tall to a full foot in height. Each individual unit costs $24.99.
Criteria used for this study.
This study was an exhaustive research project that examined countless (over 50) top-rated raised dog bowls to find the best, safest, most popular and most unique raised dog bowls on the market. Modern raised dog bowls not only help with posture, they help dogs with digestion and provide other benefits, like added storage.
They are also designed to be useful for dogs of all sizes, and not just extremely large dogs.
While studies show that large dogs benefit the most from raised dog bowls, and really need them, especially as they age, all dogs can benefit from better posture and improved digestion (dogs don’t gasp for air when they eat from elevated bowls).
The research gathered was taken from product testing, customer feedback, reviews, public information, and many articles, blogs, and online databases. Only safe and healthy raised dog bowls were considered for this study, then quantifiable data, such as cost, added benefits, company reputation, materials used, and other factors were considered. Furthermore, a few factors were broken down into categories:
- Cost: Budget versions (units that cost $30 or less) and premium versions (products that cost over $30) were broken down and identified, with the two best in each category, as identified by the parameters of the comparison, then named in this study.
- Benefits: Benefits were broken down by benefits for the animal (safety, health factors) as well as by benefits for pet owners (ease of storage, ease of cleaning, etc.). While these were not direct comparisons, or apples to apples, added benefits were given credit for the positives that they offer customers.
- Quality of materials: We searched for products made from high quality materials that are designed to last and be safe for your dog in the long-run (e.g. high quality wood that won’t start to crack and take-in food products that will cause bacterial overgrowth, sturdy plastic that’s BPA-free and won’t gradually seep out chemicals into your dog’s food and water)
