Dog car seats aren't a new invention. Still, some dog owners think they are just a silly luxury that only pampered pooches ride in. Dog car seats are actually similar to car seats for children. Products like the Fido Rido Dog Car Seat are specifically designed to restrain your dog during car trips and keep them from getting injured if you need to step on the breaks quickly.
If you've ever ridden with an unrestrained dog in your vehicle, you can understand what a distraction they can be. Most dogs get excited when going for a ride. They go from the front seat to the back seat and back and forth from window to window. Some dogs get agitated when taken for a ride, and they will pace around because they want to find a way out of the car.
While your dog is moving around in the vehicle, he might bump the shifter or try to climb into your lap. His constant movement will also be a big distraction to you and cause you to take your eyes off the road. In the event of an accident or if you need to hit the breaks quickly, your dog could also become a dangerous projectile causing bodily harm to both of you.
The best thing that you can do to protect yourself and your canine companion is to restrain him anytime you take him for a ride in the car. The Fido Rido Car Seat secures to the seat with the seat belt, and it comes with a harness and attachment straps to keep your bet stationary while he's riding in the vehicle.
Fido Rido Dog Car Seat Review
This is possibly the most unique dog car seat on the market. It's actually a patented 3-in-1 deign. The Fido Rido can be a car seat, bathtub or a bed! Personally, I don't use it as a bathtub, but I love the fact that it can also be a bed.
We bring the Fido Rido with us anytime we're traveling overnight with our Beagle, Molly. It's really easy to take this out of the car and bring it into a hotel room. It only takes about a minute to buckle it back into the car when you're ready to get going again in the morning.
I demonstrate how easy it is to buckle this dog car seat into your vehicle in my video review above. The Fido Rido Dog Car Seat is only available in one size, and it can hold dogs weighing up to 30 pounds.
I love that all the parts of this car seat are washable. The plastic booster seat and its cover are easy to clean. The faux wool cover is machine washable, and this dog car seat also comes with two-strap restraint system and a harness for your pooch.
You'll receive 3 harness – a small, medium and large. One of these will fit your dog, as long as he weighs less than 30 pounds. You can measure your dog's girth to find the harness that will fit him. The sizes are:
- Small –Â 8″ – 16″
- Medium –Â 16″ – 24″
- Large –Â 24″ – 30″
The harness has a unique design with a small D-ring on either side. As you'll see in my video review, the two-strap restraint system attaches to each side of the harness to keep your pooch in place.
This patented system is designed to equalize the pressure of a sudden stop.
Whether you have a large SUV or a small car, the Fido Rido Dog Car Seat will fit perfectly in your seat. Many dog car seats can only be used on bucket seats, but this option can be used on bucket or bench-style car seats. The dimensions of the seat are 10” H X 18.5” W X 23” D.
I like the sturdy plastic base of this seat compared to other similar products. Many dog car seats are made with a foam base or a soft-sided basket that your dog has to sit inside of. The base of the Fido Rido seems more sturdy to me, and I think it would hold up much better in the event of an accident.
Molly also loves that the Fido Rido Dog Car Seat boosts her up to see out the window. The basket-style car seats that your dog sits down inside don't allow her to have a very good view. She always seems to be trying to climb up on the armrest of the door to get a better look out the window. With the Fido Rido, she's able to sit comfortably and still get a good view.
As you can see, this car seat offers a lot of features that other similar products do not. Of course, these features also add to the price. At the time of this review, the Fido Rido Dog Car Seat is selling on Amazon for $105.66.
You can find other similar style car seats for about half of that price, but they're usually made of foam or other less durable materials. Also, keep in mind that this car seat can also be used as a doggy bathtub or travel bed.
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