A pet bed is judged after the first wash. If the cover shrinks so the zip no longer closes, the filling clumps into one corner or a seam opens where a dog digs before lying down, the bed comes back as a return, whatever the photograph looked like.

This guide is for pet product brands, retailers and online sellers who want beds, mats and cushions made to their own design by factories in Asia. It sets out the decisions a factory needs from you, in the order it needs them: construction, filling, cover fabric, washability, sewing, base, packing and labels.

💬 Planning a pet bed or cushion range? Send us your sketches, sizes and the fabrics you have in mind, and we will look for sewing factories in Vietnam and elsewhere in Asia that already make this kind of product. Tell us about your range.

Choose the construction before you choose the fabric

The construction type decides the pattern, the filling, how the bed is washed and how it packs, so fix it first and quote every factory on the same construction.

Most pet beds fall into a handful of constructions. Each one asks something different of the factory.

ConstructionWhat it isWhat to settle with the factory
Flat mat or padA quilted or stitched flat cushionQuilting pattern, filling weight per size, edge binding
Bolster or donut bedA raised rim around a cushion baseWhether rim and base are one piece or separate, rim filling, how it keeps its shape after washing
Box or mattress bedA foam or fibre block in a zipped coverFoam type and density specification, cover fit, zip position
Cave or hooded bedA covered bed that a cat or small dog can get insideWhether the hood holds its shape on its own, how it folds for packing
Raised or cot bedFabric stretched on a frameFrame material and finish, fabric tension, assembly parts
Crate mat or travel matA thin pad sized to a crate or car seatExact sizes for the crates you list, roll-up straps

A sewing factory that makes cushions and bedding for people can often make flat mats and bolster beds. Raised frames add a metal or plastic component, so ask whether the factory buys in the frame or works with a supplier it already uses.

Give every factory the same drawing with dimensions in centimetres, the size range, and a note of which sizes sell best. A quotation for “medium” means nothing if one factory’s medium is another’s large.

Specify the filling as a material, not a feeling

Filling decides comfort, weight, washability and price, so name the material, the form and the quantity per size instead of writing “soft” or “premium”.

The common filling families are polyester fibre (loose, clustered or as a wadding sheet), polyurethane foam (as a block, a shaped insert or shredded pieces) and combinations of the two. Each behaves differently after use and after washing.

FillingBehaviour to check on samplesWhat to write in the specification
Polyester fibre, looseCan clump or migrate after washingFibre type, fill weight per size, whether it is in an inner bag
Polyester fibre, clusters or ballsTends to stay more even than loose fibreSame as above, plus whether the inner bag has baffles
Wadding sheetHolds a quilted shapeWeight of the wadding and quilting pattern
Foam blockHolds its shape, not usually machine-washedFoam type, density and hardness as the factory specifies them, thickness
Shredded foamFills irregular shapes, can be topped upParticle size, fill weight, inner bag closure

Ask for the filling to be weighed per size and written on the specification sheet, then check it at inspection. Fill weight is one of the easiest places for a quotation to save money without anyone noticing until the bed goes flat.

Avoid describing a bed with words that suggest a health effect for the animal. “Orthopaedic”, “calming” and similar wording can be read as a claim about the pet’s health. Describe what the bed is made of and how it is built, and confirm the current rule in the market where you sell before you use any wording of that kind.

Inner bags make washing possible

If the filling sits inside its own zipped inner bag, the owner can take it out and wash the cover alone. For larger beds this is often the difference between a bed that is washable in practice and one that only says so. Ask for the inner bag fabric, its closure and whether it can be washed separately.

Make “washable” a test, not a word on the label

Agree how the bed or cover is to be washed, run that wash on pre-production samples, and record what the factory must match in volume.

“Machine washable” on a listing creates an expectation the factory has to meet. Settle these points before you approve the sample:

  • What is washed. The whole bed, the cover only, or the cover and inner bag separately.
  • How. The washing temperature, programme and drying method you intend to put on the care label.
  • What must not happen. Shrinkage that stops the zip closing, colour bleeding onto a light panel, pilling on plush, filling clumping, or a non-slip base peeling.

Wash the samples at least as the care label will instruct, then refit the cover and photograph the result. If you sell in markets with different care-label systems, the symbols must match the instruction you tested; our guide to garment care and content labels by market explains how Japan, the US and the EU each handle care labelling. For the laboratory tests a sewn product can go through before shipment, see fabric and garment testing before shipment.

💬 Want the wash test run on the samples before you approve volume? We coordinate sample rounds and specification changes with the factory and keep a record of what was approved. Send us your specification.

Sewing, zips and the parts pets attack first

Pets dig, scratch and chew at the edges, the zip and the corners, so specify those points in more detail than the rest of the bed.

A bed can pass a visual check and still fail early in use. The weak points are predictable:

  • Seams on the sleeping surface. Ask for the seam type and stitch density the factory proposes, and whether seams that take digging are double-stitched or bound.
  • Zips. A concealed zip with a flap or a zip placed on the underside is harder for a pet to reach. Specify the zip size and the slider type, and check that the slider cannot be pulled off by hand.
  • Piping and decorative trims. Loose trims, tassels, buttons and pom-poms invite chewing. If you want decoration, ask how it is attached and pull-test it on the sample.
  • Corners of box beds. Foam corners wear through thin cover fabric first. A reinforced corner panel or a heavier fabric on the base helps.

There is no single standard that defines how strong a pet bed seam must be. Write the method you will use on samples (for example, pulling a seam by a set method and checking for opening) and agree that volume production must match the approved sample.

Cover fabrics

Short plush, faux fur, canvas, woven polyester and coated fabrics are all common. Ask the factory for the fabric composition, weight and any coating, plus a swatch card of the colours it already stocks. A fabric the factory stocks usually means fewer complications than one dyed specially for you.

Non-slip bases and coatings

A non-slip base is often a coated fabric or a dotted print, and in the EU the material of that coating can bring it inside a chemical restriction.

Non-slip bases are usually made by printing or coating the underside fabric with a polymer. Ask what the coating is made of and how it behaves after washing.

In the EU, entry 51 of Annex XVII to the REACH Regulation, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2018/2005, limits four phthalates in the plasticised material of articles, and the recitals of that amendment name non-slip coatings, polymer foams, printed designs and inks among those materials. That reaches parts of a typical pet bed. Our article on pet product materials and labelling by market sets out the limit, how it applies across markets and what test reports to ask for.

Compression packing and how the bed arrives

Vacuum-compressed or rolled packing cuts freight volume, but the bed must recover its shape when opened, so test recovery on samples before you choose it.

Many pet beds are shipped compressed in a plastic bag and rolled or folded into a carton. This can make freight and parcel delivery cheaper, but:

  • foam and fibre do not always recover fully after long compression, so open a compressed sample after it has been packed for a while and compare it with an uncompressed one
  • tell the customer how long to leave the bed to recover, and print it on the pack
  • raised and frame beds need inner packing that protects frame ends from cutting through the fabric

If you sell through online marketplaces, the parcel size and the barcode on the outer pack matter as much as the bed itself. Our guide to packaging for online marketplaces covers barcodes, carton marks and drop-testing, and the same principles apply to pet beds.

Labels the factory sews in

Ask the factory to sew in a durable label with your brand, the fibre content, the care instructions and a batch or model number, then confirm which of these each market requires.

Which labels are mandatory for a pet bed depends on the market, and it is not always clear that a pet bed falls under the same textile labelling rules as bedding for people:

  • In the EU, Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011 on textile fibre names applies to textile products, and Article 2(2) treats products containing at least 80% by weight of textile fibres as textile products. Whether a particular pet bed meets that test depends on its construction.
  • In the US, the FTC’s textile rules list “Cushions” and “Beddings” among the products subject to the Textile Act (16 CFR 303.45). The list does not mention pet beds, so confirm with counsel or the FTC before you rely on either answer.
  • The EU General Product Safety Regulation requires a type, batch or serial number and the manufacturer’s name and postal and electronic address on the product, or on the packaging where that is not possible.

For the full picture by market, read pet product materials and labelling by market. If you are building a brand around the range, our guide to launching a private-label pet products brand covers range planning, packaging and listings.

Before shipment, inspect against the approved sample: dimensions, fill weight, seam and zip function, colour, labels and packing. Our guide to pre-shipment inspection and AQL explains how to set the sampling level and the defect list.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can one factory make both pet beds and pet toys?
Sometimes. Factories that sew cushions and soft goods may make plush toys too, but toys bring their own tests and material questions. Quote each product type with a factory that already makes it.

2. Should pet beds use foam or fibre filling?
It depends on the construction and on how the owner will wash it. Fibre in a removable inner bag is easier to wash; foam blocks hold shape better. Sample both before deciding.

3. How do I make sure a “machine washable” bed really is washable?
Agree the wash method you will print on the care label, run it on pre-production samples and record the result. Volume production must then match the approved, washed sample.

4. Do pet beds need a fibre content label?
It depends on the market and on whether the bed counts as a textile product there. Sew in fibre content and care information anyway, and confirm the current rule in the market where you sell.

5. Can the factory copy a bed design I saw from another brand?
You should not ask for it. Designs and brand names can be protected. We develop beds from your own drawings and do not arrange copies of other companies’ designs or logos.

Summary

A pet bed specification starts with the construction, then fixes the filling by weight, the cover by composition, the wash method by test and the weak points by detail. Factories across Asia that sew cushions and soft furnishings can make most pet beds; the work is in writing a brief they can quote on identical terms.

Sunsho Trade is a trading company, not a factory. For pet beds and cushions we find and vet the factory that fits your brief, collect quotations on identical terms, manage samples and inspection, and arrange shipment.

💬 Ready to develop pet beds or cushions under your own brand? See our pet products OEM service, or send us your designs and we will come back with factory options.

Sources

Checked on 26 October 2026.