The fabric of a dog bed matters as much as its foam. It must stand up to claws, hair and washing, and go with your living room. Corduroy and bouclé each have their strengths: here is how to choose to suit your dog and your home.
What you expect from a dog bed fabric
Before comparing the two materials, let us set out the criteria. A good bed fabric should:
- resist rubbing, because the dog turns, scratches and rolls on it every day;
- be easy to clean, ideally thanks to a cover that goes in the machine;
- stay pleasant to the touch, in summer and in winter;
- fit in the room, since the bed stays in view all year.
The Purré Nino bed comes in both fabrics, with the same shape and the same foam. The corduroy is a POSO fabric of 350 g/m², tested to 35,000 Martindale cycles. The bouclé is a CORAL fabric, tested to 45,000 Martindale cycles. This test rubs the fabric continuously and counts the number of cycles before it wears through: the higher the number, the better the fabric resists rubbing. In both cases, the zipped cover washes at 30 °C. The rest comes down to texture, everyday care and style.
Corduroy
Corduroy is made of fine parallel ribs, soft to the touch. It has a neat, structured look, with a slight sheen that changes with the light.
Its strengths
- An even surface, on which claws slide without catching.
- A well-kept look, which stays smart after months of use.
- A soft, warm feel, appreciated by dogs that like to rub their head against the edges.
Good to know
- Short, stiff hairs sometimes lodge between the ribs. A rubber glove passed along the ribs brings them up.
- Corduroy can keep the mark of where the dog lies. A stroke of a soft brush lifts the fibres.
Bouclé
Bouclé is woven with a yarn that forms small loops. It has a soft, uneven texture and a cosy look that recalls 1970s armchairs as much as today's Scandinavian interiors.
Its strengths
- A texture that makes hairs and small marks less visible between cleans.
- A plush, enveloping feel, which makes you want to snuggle into it.
- A very current style, easy to pair with pale wood, linen and neutral tones.
Good to know
- Bouclé resists rubbing better in the Martindale test, but a long claw can catch in a loop. If your dog scratches for a long time before lying down, keep their claws short.
- Fine hairs cling to the loops. A pass with the vacuum and its upholstery brush, then a rubber glove, removes them well.
Choosing to suit your dog
- They scratch and circle a lot before lying down: corduroy, which is more even, is the most reassuring choice.
- They shed a lot: bouclé makes hairs less visible, corduroy brushes clean faster. Choose according to what bothers you most.
- They feel the cold and like to burrow: bouclé, which is more enveloping, will often appeal to them.
- They are a chewing puppy: no fabric holds up for long against teething teeth. Leave chew toys near the bed, and calmly steer them towards these when they go for the fabric.
Choosing to suit your interior
Your dog's bed stays in the living room. It may as well match the rest.
- Corduroy goes well with warm interiors: dark wood, leather, earth tones, furniture inspired by the 1960s and 1970s.
- Bouclé pairs with light, soft interiors: pale wood, linen, ceramics, white or beige walls.
- Pick up a colour already in the room, that of a cushion, a rug or a curtain. The bed then looks chosen along with everything else.
- Think about the coat: a fabric close to the colour of your dog makes hairs less visible.
To compare, look at the Nino bouclé bed and the Nino corduroy bed. Same shape and same memory foam, from XS to L. For size, our guide to choosing the bed size helps you decide.
Looking after the fabric over time
- Vacuum the cover once or twice a week.
- Wash it at 30 °C, with the zip closed, using a mild detergent. Avoid strongly scented products, which a dog's nose copes with badly.
- Follow the label for drying, and let the cover dry completely before putting it back on the foam.
Our guide to washing your dog's bed gives the method step by step.
In short
- The Martindale test measures resistance to rubbing: 35,000 cycles for the Nino corduroy, 45,000 for the bouclé.
- Corduroy: even surface, claws that slide, hair that is easy to brush off.
- Bouclé: a texture that hides hair better, an enveloping feel, claws to keep short.
- Choose the material for your dog, then the colour for your living room.