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This feeder's legs extend to allow for elevated feeding, preventing joint stress and bloat while eating and drinking. Contracts down to 1.5-inches when not in use Read More
Durable, collapsible, and lightweight, these bowls clip to your bag or leash for a doggie snack or drink on long walks or hikes. Read More
This all-in-one feeding and drinking system holds up to 4-quarts of kibble or water. Read More
While you won’t want to tote this gas can-sized bottle around during walks, it’s an great for traveling with your pet. Read More
This bowl expands to hold up to 24-ounces, and collapses to less than 1-inch high. Read More
A leisurely vacation or an active, outdoorsy adventure it’s generally made twice as nice by the presence of your dog! But since room in one’s luggage (or packed-to-the-brim RV) is always at a premium, adding your pup’s belongings to the mix can seem a bit daunting.
That’s where super portable travel bowls come in. While furry companions can probably last a few days without their favourite blanket or artfully chewed stuffed toy, they’ll always need accessible food and water.
And no matter the type of trip, after testing the most popular travel dog bowls, we discovered the Dexas Popware Elevated Feeder (available at Amazon) should become your go-to bowl when you’re on the go. It comes with sturdy yet collapsible legs that fold out, so your pup can drink and sup from a safe and comfortable posture.
But we also found there are other great bowls available in Canada that are custom-made for specific types of travel, so we made sure to stress-test the best!
One of our favorite things about the Dexas Popware Elevated Feeder is its collapsible legs, which means your pup doesn't have to hunch over.
For testing, we filled the bowls with water and nudged them with our foot. We also tried to place each bowl inside almost full backpacks (or attached them by carabiners to the outside, to determine how bulky they were and the amount of weight they added).
I’m Sarah Zorn, and I’ve reviewed dog products, developed pet-friendly recipes, and written animal rescue stories for outlets like Rachael Ray Every Day and Animal Fair magazine for almost 10 years. This means that my 9-year-old hound mix, Rowdy, is truly living his best life, as official house recipe taster and product tester. Like many adoring pet parents, we take him everywhere we go, which increases the importance of having portable food and water bowls that suit every situation.
We first analyzed objective characteristics like the amount of spillage created, portability, ease of cleaning, how quickly the bowls dried, and how likely they were to get damaged by extended rough use. We filled them with water and nudged them with our foot, tried to place each bowl inside almost full backpacks (or attached them by carabiners to the outside, to determine how bulky they were and the amount of weight they added), dropped the empty bowls from about waist height, to see how sturdy they were, and washed them by hand, then timed how long they took to dry (we also made note of any bowls that were dishwasher safe). We then took stock of subjective characteristics, such as ease of storage, quality of build, the usefulness of special features, and overall experience using the bowls.
Since travel bowls are made for use on the go (often during restrictive activities such as hiking, camping or car riding), portability is of utmost importance. Bowls should be light enough to carry—either easy to stash inside or be clipped onto the outside—preferably collapsible, and can be stored in small spaces. Since these bowls will frequently be used when on rough, dirty terrain, such as on trails or in the woods, they should be made of easy to clean and quick-drying materials, that don’t hold onto odours/bacteria and are sturdy enough to sit on rocky, grassy surfaces (or on a hotel room rug) without tipping over. Certain bowls are also best for a specific type of travel—small, collapsible vessels made of silicone or cloth are ideal for hiking, bowls with long-term food storing options are best for camping, and bowls with non-spill features are especially equipped for planes, trains, and automobiles.
Stackable, airtight canisters are Ideal for camping
Clips to outside of bag for easy carrying
Affordable
Bulky
Perfect for long car or plane trips
Hold 3 quarts of water
Leakproof
Too bulky to take on basic walks
Made from food grade PVC and BPA-free silicone
Dishwasher safe
Lifetime Warranty
A bit unsteady, which can cause spillage
Unique side-by-side design
Contains spills
Dishwasher-safe
Awkward to store
Made from FDA-approved, BPA-free plastic
Dishwasher safe
Neither sturdy nor stable
Prone to spillage.
Great for camping
Dishwasher and freezer safe
Small per-bowl capacity
Too bulky for basic walks
Sarah Zorn
Contributor
Sarah Zorn is a food writer, cookbook author, and product tester for Reviewed, Wirecutter and the Food Network. She regularly contributes to outlets such as Saveur, Esquire, and Civil Eats, and has very much passed her food obsessions down, as her beloved rescue hound, Rowdy, regularly deglazes his kibble bowl.
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