If you’ve had your pup for any length of time at all, you probably already know about something I call the dog-furniture-destruction-equation.
This refers to the inverse relationship between the length of time you’ve owned your dog and the condition of your furniture. Of course, this equation doesn’t apply to clever owners, who purchase and use couch covers – protective sheets of fabric that slip over your couch.
We’ll share five of our favorite couch covers and point out some of the things you’ll want to look for when making your choice below.
Best Couch Covers and Sofa Shields: Quick Picks
- #1 Orvis Grip-Tight Furniture Protector [Best Overall Couch Cover]: A premium couch cover that is available in a variety of sizes and designed to stay in place, protect your furniture, and look great.
- #2 PureFit Super Stretch Couch Cover [Best Stretchable Couch Cover]: Need COMPLETE couch coverage to protect your furniture? This slip-on, stretchable cover is the perfect choice (and it tends to stay in place!).
- #3 SureFit Pet Bed [Best Bed + Couch Cover]: This couch cover alternative allows you to create a dedicated bed for your dog right on top of your couch, allowing you to enjoy your couch without a cover.
Why Use a Dog Couch Cover?
Simply put, couch covers, uh, cover your couch. They form a sort of protective barrier between your four-legged family members and your sofa.
Couch covers are certainly a good idea for high-impact dogs, but you aren’t required to have a destructive dog to benefit from protective couch covers.
My Rottie is relatively well behaved and doesn’t chew on furniture or other off-limits items, but you can still see claw scratches and hair on everything I own – especially the couch. I finally started using a cover, but I wish we had started doing so earlier.
Little dogs that pee when over-excited can also compromise couches. You’ll be glad that you can simply remove and wash your couch cover, rather than having to have the couch cleaned, the next time you experience a pet accident on the sofa.
The Best Dog Couch Covers for Families with Dogs
It can be a little difficult to sift through all the couch covers on the market, but we’ve gone ahead and detailed five of the best options below. Give them a look and pick out the best one for your family’s furniture.
1. Orvis Grip-Tight Dog Sofa Cover
About: The Orvis Grip-Tight Dog Sofa Cover is a throw-style furniture protector made of textured polyester for lasting, comfortable coverage. And because it features weighted flaps and Orvis’ grip-tight back, you can be sure it’ll stay in place. Best of all, it doesn’t include any crazy snaps or buckles, so you can just drape it over your sofa and enjoy.
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Orvis Grip-Tight Dog Sofa Cover
A premium cover that’s equipped with Orvis’ grip-tight, non-slip backing, weighted flaps, and a water-resistant membrane.
Features:
- Weighted ends and grip-tight backing keep the cover in place
- Water-resistant internal membrane protects your furniture from pet messes
- Available in loveseat, sofa, and X-large and three colors: Wheat, Tweed, and Shale
Pros
- Owners loved the durability and reported that it is super water-resistant.
- The cover materials are much more comfortable than most other options.
- It’s easy to clean and machine washable (just be sure to hang-dry it).
Cons
- It’s not fitted, so it leaves a few areas unprotected.
- More color options would be nice since it’s basically offered in three shades of beige.
2. PureFit Super Stretch Slipcover
About: PureFit’s Super Stretch Slipcover easily slides into place and stays put, thanks to its elastic bottom and no-slip foam anchors. Additionally, this cover provides complete coverage, unlike some other protective covers that leave some portions of the couch exposed. Stretching between 66 and 82 inches (depending on size you pick), this cover works great with most three-seater sofas.
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PureFit Super Stretch Slipcover
A comfy, snug-fitting, slip-on cover that’s easy to clean and provides complete couch protection.
Features:
- Made from super soft, stretchable polyester
- It’s machine washable, making it easy to keep looking great
- Available in 21 solid colors and three sizes: Large, X-Large, and XX-Large.
Pros
- The cover fits very well and doesn’t sag like some other covers.
- The company offers a 6-month guarantee on all slipcovers.
- Most owners were quite impressed with the cover’s durability.
Cons
- A few owners reported that the foam pieces that keep the cover in place can slip out.
- The fabric tends to collect pet hair, making it a poor choice for super shedders.
3. SureFit Pet Bed
About: Here we’ve got something a bit different for you — the SureFit Bolster Pet Bed is a dog bed and couch cover in one! Basically, it gives your pup a dedicated place to lie down that isn’t directly on the couch. This allows you to get full use out of your couch, sans cover, while still protecting your couch from fur and claws.
This is the perfect solution for folks who don’t want to cover up their couch, but are still looking for a bit of a buffer between four-leggers and fabric.
Features:
- Non-slip backing helps keep the bed in place on top of the couch
- Removable pillow insert offers a comfy, cozy bolster for your pup to lean against
- Cover can be easily removed and machine-washed for cleaning
Pros
- Functions as both a dog bed and couch cover!
- Lets you still enjoy full use of your couch
Cons
- You’ll have to teach your dog to use the bed
- Some dogs might prefer snuggling with you over their own dedicated resting area
4. Sure Fit Deluxe Pet Couch Cover
About: The Sure Fit Deluxe Pet Cover is a quilted polyester pet couch cover that provides comfier accommodations than most other models. It also features a non-slip backing and provides more protection than some other options, as it covers your sofa’s seat, back and arms.
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Sure Fit Deluxe Pet Couch Cover
A soft and cozy couch cover that features a luxurious, quilted surface you and your pooch will love.
Features:
- Specially made protective finish helps protect the cover from stains and odors
- Non-skid backing keeps the cover in place
- Available in five colors: Burgundy, Sable, Ivory, Chocolate and Dark Gray
Pros
- It provides top-notch comfort, and most owner praised the soft, quilted feel of the cover.
- It’s easy to put on your couch and owners reported that it tends to stay in place.
- It seems to fits and perform better than many other couch protectors.
Cons
- This cover comes with a higher price tag than many other covers.
- It may slip and slide a bit on particularly smooth couches.
5. Celine Linen Reversible Quilted Dog Sofa Cover
About: The Celine Linen Sofa Cover is an attractive canine couch cover with a different color pattern on each side, which gives you the chance to change things up from time to time. The quilted design provides a very comfortable surface that your dog will enjoy snoozing on.
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CELINE LINEN Quilted Furniture Protector
A water-repellent couch cover that will allow you to protect your furniture without emptying your bank account.
Features:
- Made from soil-resistant polyester and coated with a water-repellent finish
- Extended back section to keep the cover in place when your pup jumps on the couch
- Available in 14 different color and pattern variations to match every home
Pros
- The included furniture straps keep this cover in place.
- The quilted nature is pretty cozy compared to many other covers.
- Many owners loved the colors and patterns — especially considering this is a “budget” model.
Cons
- Some owners found the sizing chart to be off.
- Because it’s a reversible cover, it may slip and slide on leather couches.
The Benefits of Couch Covers
At the end of the day, there are a number of reasons to use a couch cover, and very few reasons not to. They protect your sofa from a number of the indignities your dog will inflict upon it, and many of them look pretty snazzy too.
But for the sake of clarity, here are a number of the most important reasons to use a couch cover:
- Couch covers keep your couch cleaner. Look, as much as we love them, dogs are messy little creatures. You don’t want your dog rubbing drool into the cushions or walking across the couch with muddy paws (paw washers can help, but you’re bound to miss those toes sometimes). You don’t want little food crumbs getting into the cracks and crevices, nor the occasional droplet of pee soaking into the fabric. Couch covers provide some protection from all these things.
- Couch covers protect your couch from your dog’s nails. This is perhaps the most important reason to use a couch cover, particularly if your couch is made from leather or a similar material. Sure, there are a few strategies that might be able to help you fix leather scratches from your dog, but they don’t always work reliably. You can keep your dog’s nails trimmed, but that won’t protect your couch very much. There are also special kinds of dog-proof furniture designed to hold up against pets better than common fabrics, but if you already have a beloved couch, a cover might be the superior option.
- Couch covers can discourage chewing on the seams and corners. Lots of dogs – particularly bored or under stimulated ones – like to nibble and rip at various parts of couches. Couch covers can shield these places from your dog’s inquisitive and indefatigable mouth.
- Couch covers help shield your furniture from shed pet hair. No, most covers won’t protect your couch from all of your pup’s shed hair, as this isn’t what most are designed to do, but they will help to some degree.
Things to Look for in a Quality Couch Cover
There is a big difference in a high-quality couch cover and a worthless piece of over-priced fabric. To distinguish the good from the bad, consider the following characteristics and traits:
Look for a couch cover that is made from durable materials.
While this is an important consideration for all dog owners, it is especially important for those who have large dogs. The difference between a Great Dane’s claws and a Chihuahua’s are considerable, and you’ll need all the durability you can get to protect your couch from the former. Declawing a dog isn’t really an option, and while well-trimmed nails can help, your couch is still sure to suffer from canine wear and tear, especially if your dog is allowed up on the couch. A sofa made of durable materials has a much better chance of withstanding your pup’s claws and paws.
Take your time and select a cover that matches your couch and décor.
If you purchase a cover that doesn’t look good in your living room, chances are, you won’t use it as consistently as you should.
Choose a color that matches your dog’s hair to reduce the visibility of shed fur.
This may not be a huge deal for owners of greyhounds or similar, short-haired breeds, but your Siberian Husky, German Shepherd or other high-shedding breed will quickly coat the entire cover in hair.
Couch covers should be machine washable.
This should be a given, but some cheap couch covers are simply too flimsy to stand up to your washing machine. Avoid these entirely and just pick one you can remove and toss right in your washing machine (though many do require hang-drying).
Reversible furniture covers offer double the value.
Not only do reversible covers provide you with two different color and pattern options, they also give you a “backup” surface, should something permanently compromise the opposite surface (such as a big barf stain).
Good couch covers usually fit snuggly.
Various designs employ different methods for attaching to your couch, and it is important to select one that fits your couch well and doesn’t slide around when your dog jumps up on it. So, look for things like weighted flaps, elastic straps, and no-slip backings. Part of this involves sizing the cover properly too, so make sure you pay attention to the size of your couch and pick the correct size you need. This is especially important for owners who have an oversized sofa.
Make sure to wash your new couch cover in cold water, unless the care instructions specifically state you can use hot water. You don’t want your new protective sofa cover to shrink!
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Do you already use a dog couch cover? We’d love to hear all about it. Has it been working out? Does it stay put once it’s in place? Let us know in the comments below.
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