Quik Shade Pets Instant Pet Shade Review
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When we humans go camping, we utilize camp chairs or picnic tables to sit elevated above the dirt, grass, and rocks. Now your four legged friend can enjoy the same comforts while car camping with you, thanks to the Quik Shade Pets Instant Pet Shade. The Instant Pet Shade is a portable dog bed that features a canopy design and is available in three different sizes: small (24″ x 24″), medium (24″ x 36″), and large (30″ x 42″). Our dogs, Aspen and Stella have been testing out the large model at home and on our weekend getaways at various Colorado campgrounds.
Instant Pet Shade Portability
The Quik Shade Instant Pet Shade bed is truly portable. Despite folding out into a large elevated dog bed, the Quik Shade Pet Shade bed packs into a stow away bag that is the size of a large camping chair. When packed away, the size large Instant Pet Shade measures approximately 32 inches long x 8 inches wide x 7 inches deep and weighs about 10 lbs. It is easy to carry the bed thanks to a nylon shoulder strap.
Instant Pet Shade Set-up
The set up of the Quik Shade Pets Instant Pet Shade takes about 1 minute. The first time you use the Instant Pet Shade, you need to attach the slanted canopy. The canopy snaps onto the top posts and can be left on during future take-downs and set ups. The steel frame easily unfolds in a few seconds, just ensure that you have a nice clear area and don’t knock anything over. There are two corners, labeled with red hang tags that remind you to ensure that the locks “click” and prevent the bed from folding on-to itself when your dog climbs aboard. I found it difficult to get these locks to click with just my hands; I therefore stepped on the bed webbing and pulled up on the canopy until it clicked into place.
The Quik Shade Pets Instant Pet Shade allows your dog to lounge about 6″ off the ground, keeping them cool and clean. Our dog Aspen took some coaxing to get up on the bed at first. We both felt that the webbing was a bit too loose and it meant that the middle of the bed sunk in with Aspen’s weight. It was almost as if the webbing needed to be tighter or a support strap needed to run along the bottom of the bed. The edges of the dog bed also features the steel supports all along the edge which limited the places that the dogs could put their paw to get on/off of the bed. Not a big deal, but these posts are not soft on the paw. Once on the bed and situated, Aspen did enjoy sleeping in the shade with the canopy blocking out the sunlight. The canopy is designed to repel rain as well, but we found that during storms rain doesn’t usually come straight down and the dogs wanted to be wherever we were, under tarps or in the car or tent.
Take down of the Instant Pet Shade
Quik Shade Pets Instant Pet Shade is a cinch to stash away. Simply press in at the locks on the opposite two sides and fold the bed onto itself. Then place the bed in the carry sack which is slightly larger than the bed and means that it is easy to put away without wrestling with it, like some camping chair carriers.
As mentioned above, the Instant Pet Shade is available in three separate sizes. It is important to note that even though your dog may fit into the dimensions of the various sizes, they each have a weight limits. Size small = 25 lbs, size medium = 60 lbs, size large = 85 lbs. Our boy Aspen, weighs in at 78 lbs and is already approaching the limit for the large bed. I believe that many dog owners out there would be disappointed that their dog could not enjoy one of these beds. Perhaps, Quik Shade Pets will develop and extra-large version for the bigger breeds. If you are in the market for an elevated dog bed to equip your pooch, please check out www.amazon.com/quikshade.
