Feeding the dog is an oft-overlooked part of the day. Most people sling some kibble into a dish and call it good. For those of you out there who are a little more focused on your dog’s food delivery vehicle, read on.
There are plethora of designs and styles for your pup’s mealtime needs and as the consummate dog owner, you’ll of course want to see several of them before you come to a decision. Dog bowls should be durable and easy to clean first and foremost, but you might have other requirements, as well.
For example, perhaps you’re looking for a certain design or color to go with the rest of your home. Maybe your dog has issues eating and requires a special bowl. Your priority could be keeping food off the floor or it could just be keeping the price as low as possible. There are so many combinations of dogs and owners out there, what makes the best one varies by the circumstances.
For this list, we’ve selected a variety of options that tackle different angles. We’ve included a version of the classic stainless steel dog bowl, as well as raised eating surfaces, bowls that include storage, and those that try to limit the mess. Ultimately, a dog bowl is pretty simple, but this list should help you surface some ideas you may not have considered.
We’ve compiled a list of the best dog bowls to help you pick the one that works for your furry friend.
1. Martha Stewart Melamine Stainless Steel Pet Bowl Set with Lid
Martha Stewart
I use a variation on this bowl with my three dogs, but the ones I have are missing the important variation this one has: a lid. If your dog doesn’t have quite the appetite of the average black lab, this could be a strong contender for you. Not only could you use it with wet food, you could also deploy the lid between meal times just to make the whole thing look a bit tidier.
Alternatively, you could put a full day of food in there and only take the lid off when it’s time to eat. Finally, it makes for an excellent travel bowl, as well. The interior is made of stainless steel and the entire unit is dishwasher safe. If you like, they make a matching tray to go along with it. Both come in ivory, green, or blue, while the bowl itself comes in two sizes.
Price: $10.99 to $14.99
Buy the Martha Stewart Melamine Stainless Steel Pet Bowl Set with Lid here.
2. Super Design Dog Food Bowl with 15 Degree Slanted Anti-Skid Melamine Stand
SuperDesign
Halfway between a raised bowl and the traditional melamine offerings, this set features a slightly elevated eating surface which is also angled. The angle concentrates food at the bottom of this dish for easy eating. This won’t work for gulpers, but for dogs who can be trusted to eat slowly, it can ease some strain.
Choose from three sizes — half a cup, 1.5 cups and three cups — in your choice of green, blue, pink, or orange. Like the set above, this entire set is dishwasher safe.
Price: $14.94 to $32.94
Buy the Super Design Dog Food Bowl with 15 Degree Slanted Anti-Skid Melamine Stand here.
3. Neater Feeder Dog Bowl
Neater Pet Brands
If your dog bowl happens to be in a high-traffic area, I’m sure you’ve had the unfortunate experience of kicking or bumping it, causing the contents to spill. This bowl aims to fix that with high sides that prevent splashing. Water drains into a reservoir below, while food stays on top.
It’s available in small, medium, and large, depending on the size of your dog. You can also buy height extenders for it. Sure, it’s not exactly beautiful, but it should go a long way toward keeping your floor clean.
Price: $34.99
Buy the Neater Feeder Dog Bowl here.
4. KMG Designs Walnut Elevated Food Bowl Set
KMG Designs
Perhaps style is more your area of concern. Consider this handsome dish set, made of walnut finished wood with heavy stoneware ceramic bowls. The ceramic will give the set a certain weight without sacrificing ease of cleaning. This is a durable, designer set that is still a good, no-nonsense solution to dog mealtime.
Price: $29.99
Buy the KMG Designs Walnut Elevated Food Bowl Set here.
5. Catit Double Diner
Catit
With a smaller bowl for food and a larger bowl for water, this stylish dual bowl is a nice upgrade to almost any basic bowl. My dog had it for awhile before we moved 1,000 miles and we had to abandon it in our downsizing. It’s a great bowl and it’s easy to clean.
Price: $13.48 (39 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Catit Double Diner here.
6. Our Pets Store-n-Feed
Our Pets
This one has the major advantage of also being food storage. The container part holds a 25 pound bag of food, while the feeder itself is adjustable from eight inches to 12 inches depending which direction you set the top. You can also use one side as a self-waterer with the addition of a water bottle. A very handy set.
If you want an alternative version of this, try the Iris Elevated Feeder, which comes in three sizes.
Price: $18.59
Buy the Our Pets Store-n-Feed here.
7. Dexas Popware Adjustable Height Pet Feeder
Dexas
Staying with theme of adjustable-height feeders, this one is the deluxe solution. Adjustable between eight inches and 13 inches, you can increase the height as your dog grows. The bowls come in four playful colors and are also collapsible.
In fact, the whole thing breaks down to 2.5 inches tall for convenient storage or travel use. The company also makes a matching grip mat.
Price: $34.43 (21 percent off MSRP)
Buy the Dexas Popware Adjustable Height Pet Feeder here.
8. Dogit Elevated Dish
Dogit
Another raised option, this more closely resembles the SuperDesign set at the top of this list. This is a single dish with a tall melamine base that lifts your dog’s bowl up off the ground to reduce stress on the neck. The smaller version is 3.5 inches tall, while the large version is 6.7 inches tall.
The larger version holds up to 30.4 ounces while the smaller one holds 10.1 ounces. Depending on availability, all are made in blue, pink, white, and black. Otherwise, there’s a standard stainless steel bowl insert, which, along with the base, is dishwasher safe.
Price: $12.50 to $23
Buy the Dogit Elevated Dish here.
9. Outward Hound Kyjen 23001 Port A Bowl Collapsible Travel Dog Bowl
(Outward Hound)
Does your dog frequently accompany you on your various journeys? Use this Outward Hound travel bowl to feed your pup on the go. Made of quick-drying, rugged nylon, this bowl will fold flat for easy carrying. It’s available in two sizes — 24 or 48 ounces.
Price: $4.99
Buy the Outward Hound Kyjen 23001 Port A Bowl Collapsible Travel Bowl here.
10. Super Design Interactive Bloat Stop Slow Feeder Dog Bowl
SuperDesign
Of course, consideration must be made if your dog is a gulper. A fair amount of dogs will chow their food in two bites unless something slows them down, which can lead to a number of health issues. You’ll want a slow feeder bowl if your dog is among them.
While we have a full article dedicated slow feeders here, we included this one on this list because it’s a solid version worth a look. We like that it comes in four sizes from half a cup to four cups, as well as six different colors for you to choose from. Use this to slow your dog down just a bit.
Price: $9.94 to $24.94
Buy the Super Design Interactive Bloat Stop Slow Feeder Dog Bowl here.
11. Waggo Dipper Dog Bowl
Waggo
Occasionally, a dog might take to chewing plastic or melamine bowls. If that’s the case for your pup, you might consider something in an alternative material. These are 100 percent ceramic bowls with a simple but tasteful colored design.
Being ceramic, they are of course dishwasher safe and slightly weighted, which might keep your dog from dragging them all over the place. Choose from two cup, four cup, or eight cup sizes and the following seven colors: Light Grey, Mint, Rose, Cloud, Dolphin, Hello Yellow, or Vintage Grey.
Price: $20.99 to $24.99
Buy the Waggo Dipper Dog Bowl here.
12. Van Ness Heavyweight Jumbo Crock Dish Dog Bowl
Van Ness
While it’s somewhat aesthetically challenged and therefore unlikely to win any design competitions, this bowl is a standard choice that dog owners will recognize right away. These are meant for large dogs, both because of the cage 106 ounce capacity, but also because it’s heavier than the average bowl to discourage them from pushing it all over the place.
It’s made of food safe plastic that is, naturally, dishwasher safe. There aren’t any fancy features to speak of, but if you need a large capacity dish, this might be the one for you. It also comes in translucent blue, while two-packs of the 20 ounce size are also available.
Price: $9.42
Buy the Van Ness Heavyweight Jumbo Crock Dish Dog Bowl here.
13. AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Dog Bowl
Amazon
Of course, after reading through all of those options, if you just want to stick with the tried and true, you can always grab these stainless steel bowls. These are made by Amazon for their AmazonBasics line. They hold up to 32 ounces, are dishwasher safe, and have no-slip rubber bases. These offer good value for the money and you know they’ll do the job.
Bergan makes a cheaper alternative here, but they aren’t non-skid and are probably best used as inserts for some of the bowls elsewhere on our list.
Price: $10.99 for two
Buy the AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Dog Bowl here.
See Also:
- Best Slow Feeder Dog Bowls
- Best Dog Treat Dispensers for Stimulating Your Pooch
- Best Grain Free Dog Food Brands