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Elevated dog bowls raise food & water dishes a few inches off the floor to give your dog a more comfortable eating experience. They’re especially helpful for large dogs, older dogs with arthritis, and dogs with joint dysplasia.
We scoured the internet for all the best elevated dog bowls: comparing features, prices, ratings, and design. Below we present to you our picks, along with some tips on what kind of elevated dog bowl will work for your dog.
Our picks at a glance
Best overall
URPOWER Raised Slow Feeder Dog Bowl, 4 Height Adjustable
What we like
What we don’t like
The URPOWER elevated dog bowl is a food & water bowl combo that comes with a lot of extra features — it’s adjustable to 4 heights, so your puppy can continue using it into adulthood. The base is sturdy & will not be easy to tip over; it’s also easy to wipe down. It comes with a slow-feeding bowl out of the box. It’s a simple black design, but it works, and it’s collapsible so you can store it in a closet until feeding time, if need be. Great value for the price.
However the bowl size is rather large at 7.7 inches (44 oz capacity), so this may be too big for smaller dogs.
Best adjustable
URPOWER Elevated Dog Bowl, 4 Height Adjustable
What we like
What we don’t like
This URPOWER elevated bowl is very similar to the one we listed above for our best overall pick, except it doesn’t come with a slow-feeding bowl. It’s such a great feeding stand, so we wanted to give the same option for fur parents who don’t want the slow-feeding bowl.
It’s a sturdy metal base that’s collapsible & easy to wipe down, with 2 stainless steel bowls, one for food & one for water, both measuring 7.7 inches in diameter (44-oz capacity). Again, this option is intended for large dogs only.
Runner-up
Romantic Bear Elevated Dog Bowl for Small Size Dogs and Cats — adjustable elevated bowls for small dogs are rather difficult to find, so we’ve included one here as a runner-up option. Also because it’s just so darned cute! It’s a bamboo stand that has slots to adjust the height, and 2 stainless steel bowls that are tilted for easier feeding. Plus, it comes with a spill-absorbent mat!
Best value
Joyopaw Bamboo Elevated Dog Bowl
What we like
What we don’t like
The Joyopaw bamboo stand with 2 steel bowls is our pick for best value elevated dog bowl. The sturdy base alone is worth the price, but the design is also sleek on top of that. This is an excellent option, especially if your dog is no longer growing.
You’ll have a choice to make for size — small, medium or large — since these stands aren’t adjustable. Each option will be a different height and different bowl size, so be careful to select the one that fits your dog. The bamboo stand will need frequent wiping to maintain its aesthetic, as water spills do tend to leave stains on bamboo.
Best for large dogs
Ciconira Elevated Slow Feeder Dog Bowl, 8° Tilted Metal
What we like
What we don’t like
The Ciconira elevated slow feeder is our pick for large dogs. It’s a black iron stand with a wooden holder for the 2 stainless steel bowls. The height of the bowl is adjustable, which is very handy if your dog is still growing. The slow-feeding insert is removable, so you can decide if that’s something you want to use. We like that it comes with a spill-absorbing mat, because spills are generally hard to avoid for large dogs. The name tag is a nice, personalized touch.
It will take up a lot of space, although with large dogs this may be an unavoidable problem. The design of this feeding station leans heavily into dark colors & might not suit everyone’s taste.
Best for small dogs
FUKUMARU Elevated Ceramic Bowls, Small Dog 15° Tilted
What we like
What we don’t like
There’s something about the ceramic bowls against the finished bamboo that just looks so aesthetic. This design will fit in with many spaces, and it also comes in a darker walnut finish. The bowls are tilted for easier access for flat-faced dogs, and the size is a good fit for most small dogs (5.4 inch diameter). Requires minimal assembly — a couple of screws into the leg stand (screwdriver included). Overall, we understand why this is such a popular choice among fur parents!
This is a feeding station designed for smaller dogs in mind, so there’s just one size. The bamboo is very nice to look at, but will need regular wiping to maintain its aesthetic. The tilt of the bowls is a plus but also a minus — you can’t fill it up more than halfway or its contents will spill over. This will be fine for food, but the water bowl may need frequent refilling if your pet is a heavy drinker.
Runner-up
Spunkyjunky 15° Slanted Ceramic Dog and Cat Bowl with Wooden Stand — a second option for small dogs, one with a larger bowl capacity so you won’t have to refill the water bowl as often. The pegs on the back of the stand that will cause the bowls to tilt are removable, so you can have one or both bowls laying flat if you wish. The base is non-slip, and the heavy ceramic bowls should help prevent slipping too, especially for small dogs. Comes in a variety of attractive colors.
Best design
Pawfect Pets Elevated Dog Bowl Stand- 7″ Bowl for Medium Dogs
What we like
What we don’t like
This Pawfect Pets elevated feeding station’s chief appeal is its attractive design. It’s a sturdily built bamboo stand that comes in different finishes, treated with a sealant so it’s protected from water stains. You get 2 sets of stainless steel bowls at purchase (total of 4 bowls), and the slots they go into have rubber stoppers to keep the bowls from wobbling around. The design will fit in with the aesthetic of most homes. Design-conscious fur parents, this might just be the one for you.
That said, the height isn’t adjustable. It stands at 7 inches, so will work for most, but not all, medium and large dogs. The bowl’s size & depth were also made with medium & large dogs in mind, so again, not for small dogs.
Runner-up
PetFusion Elevated Dog Bowls, Premium Anodized Aluminum Feeder — Stainless steel bowls with anodized aluminum stand; it’s also a very attractive design. This one comes in 2 sizes (4″ height & 8″ height), which will work for small & medium dogs alike. Comes with a 3rd shallower bowl for flat-faced dogs. Aluminum frame is resistant to water stains & easier to clean up.
Best for travel
Dexas Popware Double Elevated Pet Feeder
What we like
What we don’t like
Dexas’s collapsible double feeder is made of silicone and especially designed for travel use. It’s compact and comes in 2 sizes & 5 colors. Each bowl has a 1-cup capacity, and the stand has rubberized feet that prevent slipping (but not tipping over due to its light weight).
This will be an extra feeder to have around, as it’s not one intended for daily use. Large dogs may find it challenging to eat from, but drinking should be manageable. Unfortunately there aren’t too many choices out there for travel bowls, and realistically the main use for this kind of bowl will be for drinking water during longer walks/hikes. Will this work for meals during longer, multi-day trips? That’s would be a matter of personal choice.
Best single bowl
Dogit Elevated Dog Bowl, Stainless Steel
What we like
What we don’t like
For those that prefer a single elevated bowl, there are just a few options available on the market. The one we’ve curated is a plastic stand that comes in a few attractive colors, with a detachable stainless steel bowl (plus the option to purchase a slow-feeding insert!). We would recommend going up a size for small dogs, as the small bowl is not tall enough (3.3 inches in height) — which means the large bowl will be too short for large dogs. Still, it’s quite an affordable option for small dogs.
There are reports that the metal bowl clinks against the plastic sound, making a sound that can be startling for some dogs. Again, we would recommend against this option for larger dogs.
Runner-up
Felli Pet Raised Dog Food Bowl Stainless Steel Angled Oval Dish — we’ve included a second standalone bowl because it’s just such a nice-looking bowl. This is a sturdy, acrylic non-slip base, with a removable stainless steel bowl that comes in 2 sizes (0.5 cup and 1.5 cup) and 4 colors. But, again, the bowl really isn’t that tall (2.5 inches in height), so it may work for small dogs (and particularly for flat-faced dogs) but not for large dogs.
Best dog bowl stand
Zpirates Dog Bowl Stand
What we like
What we don’t like
If you’re looking for just a stand, this is your guy. Comes in multiple options for height and wood finishes, plus it’s adjustable in diameter to accommodate a variety of bowl sizes. A great option if you already have dog bowls you like.
Bear in mind, this is only a stand only. It does not come with the dog bowl. It may take some mixing & matching to find a dog bowl that will fit this stand, so pay close attention to the sizes.
What to look for in elevated dog bowls
Bowl height & bowl size
First things first, you want to pick the right bowl height for your dog’s comfort. You’ll want a bowl that is a few inches below your dog’s shoulders (while he’s standing on all fours). This is so your dog can bend over comfortably into the bowl, without having to bend too far over & straining his neck. As a rough guide, here’s the bowl elevation you’ll want based on your dog’s size:
- Small dogs: 2-4 inches
- Medium dogs: 7-10 inches
- Large dogs: 12-15 inches
The size of the bowl is of secondary importance, but still something to look out for — you’ll want a bowl wide enough to accommodate your dog’s snout, and deep enough that the food doesn’t spill over the sides.
Stability
There are 2 things to look out for here: a wide or heavy base and a non-slip bottom.
Most dogs get quite excited during meal times, and an elevated bowl is easier to tip over than one that’s flat on the floor. Picking one with a wide or heavy base will ensure your dog can’t knock the whole thing over. Almost all of these bowls will have non-slip pads on the bottom to prevent the frame from sliding around when your dog’s licking his bowl clean.
Other features
Carefully selecting the type of material the stand is made of will provide some added benefit. Certain materials are more durable (metal, wood) and will last you years if taken care of; other materials are easier to wipe down (metal, plastic) when water inevitably spills over. The bowls should be easily detachable and most of them will be dishwasher safe for ease of cleaning, but make sure to confirm that in the included instructions.
A lot of these elevated feeders will have extra features built in: slow-feeder bowls for dogs that eat too quickly, adjustable stands for dogs that are still growing, tilted bowls for flat-faced dogs, and absorbent mats to keep the feeding area clean. It’s just a matter of asking yourself which features are important for you & your dog.