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If you’ve got a dog and a car, a seat cover is a simple, must-have piece of gear. Somehow our household managed to live with a German Shepherd for years without realizing this essential fact. We tried DIY seat-coverage solutions like old sheets and mats, adding her dog bed in for comfort on longer trips. Years later—and now with a new dog, Pepper, in tow—we’re still vacuuming our beloved Shepherd’s fur out of the back of our car.
So yes, a dog car seat cover is a good idea. Fortunately, there are lots of options to suit your dog’s riding style and your car’s seating configuration. Since I’m new to the seat cover world, it was a perfect opportunity to test the Barks Bar dog seat cover. It’s made for the back bench seat of your car and can be connected so it covers just the seat or hooked up to form a sling.
Barks Bar car seat cover laid out—a perfect fit in our Subaru Outback Impreza.
Using the Barks Bar Dog Seat Cover
The cover was simple to attach, with plastic buckles like the quick-release buckles on your dog’s collar. I adjusted sizing via the straps. The seat portion of the cover is rubberized to help it stay put on our fabric seats, with the addition of two anchors (that look like handles) that you tuck into the crease of the seat to lock the cover in place. The crease is also where you’ll find Velcro openings through which to loop a seat belt to connect with your dog’s harness.
I liked the sling set up for the Barks Bar dog seat cover especially because it also provided a little barrier to the front, keeping paws and claws off the middle console.
Pepper got in and got comfortable very quickly.
We hit the road for a hike and a few other rides, and the Barks Bar seat cover stayed in place. Pepper was happy—and when I saw the amount of dog hair remaining on the cover whenever she hopped out, so was I. We tried it in its non-hammock form, and it worked just fine—but it meant more dirt on the already dirty floormats, and Pepper didn’t seem to be able to spread out as much.
Do We Recommend the Barks Bar Dog Car Seat Cover?
Definitely! The Barks Bar dog seat cover is a solid, easy-to-install cover that does its job well and will fit a variety of cars. It comes in two sizes: standard (54 x 58 inches) and extra-large (60 x 64 inches).
Pros:
- Convertibility from bench seat style to hammock style
- Durable water-resistant polyester
- Rubberized seat bottom
- Machine washable
Cons:
- The fabric was a little noisy as our dog shuffled around on it
- The rubber underside may not be suitable for all car seat materials (like leather or vinyl)
Barks Bar Hammock Convertible Seat Cover
A Note About Safety
While Pepper here wasn’t buckled in while we took photos, we wanted to note that in general, dogs should be secured in the car with a car harness. Some states even require that your dog be properly secured—take a look at this interactive map to see the status of canine car-safety regulations in your state. Car harnesses may save your dog’s life in the event of an accident. They can also keep your pup from leaping into seats they shouldn’t be in, jumping out suddenly when you open the car door, and leaning too far out an open window.
