Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2023-12-15 Origin: Site
All dogs need a good bath from time to time, especially if they enjoy spending time outdoors. Not only is bathing important for a dog’s hygiene, but it can help keep them smelling fresh.
It’s possible to bathe your dog using a regular bathtub, shower, or garden hose. However, a good dog washing station or grooming tub can help you do a better job in less time and with less mess. There are also numerous other benefits to using a proper tub, such as avoiding back strain/pain, making bath time more enjoyable for your dog, and potentially saving water.
So, with that said, which dog tubs are best?
Which tub is best really depends on what you’re looking for and we did a deep dive for you.
What to Consider Before Buying
Type of Dog Bath
The first main thing to consider when choosing a dog washer is whether you want a full-fledged commercial dog washing station or a smaller, more portable dog bath tub.
The former is typically the best option for professional groomers, those with large and/or heavy-shedding dogs, and anyone who needs a more heavy-duty setup.
On the flip side, portable tubs are less expensive, better suited to lighter-duty situations, and ideal for those who need more flexibility in where the wash tub can be used.
Size of the Tub
Most commercial dog baths are around 40-50 inches long, 15-20 inches deep (plus another 20 inches or so for the side and back splash walls), and about 20-30 inches wide. And as for the portable tubs, they are generally much smaller.
How do you know which tub is best for your size dog?
The first thing to consider is how big your dog is, which this dog size guide can help with. And below, I’ll show you what the dimensions for each tub we’ve picked are. That way, all you need to do is make sure your dog isn’t too big for the tub.
You don’t have to get too technical about this, though.
In general, most commercial dog washing tubs are designed to suit dogs of virtually ANY size and weight, but they are particularly suited to medium-to-large dogs. Whereas smaller, more portable dog tubs are typically better suited to smaller, lighter dogs.
Your Budget
As you might expect, there’s a big difference in how much you’ll pay for a commercial dog washing station and a small portable dog grooming tub.
On the one hand, commercial dog tubs can vary widely (between $1,000 on the low end to $5,000 on the high end). However, there’s no need to pay anymore than $2,000 to $2,500 for a really high-quality commercial stainless steel dog bath with all the bells and whistles.
On the other hand, small portable washers are considerably cheaper. So if that’s all you need, you’ll typically be looking at anywhere from $100 to $200 for a decent tub.
There are some cheaper options out there, but the question is whether or not those will work as expected or fall apart after a few months, which could end up costing you more in the long run. This is especially true if you’re running a business and a faulty tub causes downtime.
Other Things to Consider
Aside from the points I just discussed, the following are some of the key things we considered when evaluating different dog washers and deciding on our top picks.
● Indoor/outdoor use: Most of the dog tubs on this list can be used either inside or outside, but generally speaking, the commercial tubs are better suited to indoor use, given they are designed to be connected to your plumbing and drainage system. And while the smaller dog grooming tubs can be used inside, using them outdoors is often better, given they lack back and side splash walls, which help contain the dirt and dog hair.
● Height adjustability: Every dog tub featured in this list (except one) comes with a stand, so you can wash your dog without having to bend over, which can minimize the chance of back pain. But some are also adjustable in different ways. For example, some feature an electric lift, while others have adjustable floor grates inside the tub that accommodate different size dogs.
● Dog ramp: Aside from one tub with an electric lift, all of the commercial dog washers we’ve included have a dog ramp (or, in one case, stairs) that allow your dog to access the washer with ease, which can’t be said for the portable ones. So if you have trouble lifting your dog, consider getting a dog bathtub with a ramp.
● Tub material: The most common material commercial dog washing stations use is stainless steel, which is strong and rust and corrosion resistant. In comparison, most portable washers are made of either polypropylene, PVC, or plastic. What’s best depends on your preference and the individual tub, but generally speaking, stainless steel is better and more popular for heavy-duty use.
● Water drainage: We made sure all the dog tubs on the list come with proper drainage, so you can easily drain the water away when you’re done. And some come with the choice of a left- or right-hand side drain hole, a flexible hose, and a hair trap.
● Non-slip mats: When you’re in the middle of a washing session, the last thing you want is for your dog to be slipping all over the place, and that’s where anti-slip mats or slip-resistant floor grates can come in handy.
● Ease of setup: It’s one thing to choose a great dog washing tub, but it’s also important to choose one that’s easy to set up and comes with everything you need, including simple assembly instructions. Otherwise, you could end up spending more time and money than you bargained for getting it set up. As such, this was a key consideration with our picks.
● Maintenance: When you’re finished cleaning Fido, the last thing you want to have to do is spend more time than is necessary cleaning the tub itself. After all, that’s one of the benefits of using a dog tub in the first place; to minimize clean-up. That’s why we selected tubs that are very easy to clean and take the minimum amount of effort to maintain.
As you can see, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing a dog tub. It’s not like you need to remember each one of these before making a decision, but these factors can make a big difference as to which setup is best for different situations. And ultimately, they can impact how happy you are with your purchase in the months and years ahead.
That’s why we took these factors into consideration when choosing our top picks to share on this page. All told, we researched dozens (and dozens) of dog washing stations to find the best ones for both commercial and home use, based on the factors we just discussed.
