I just made a second purchase of this bed, but I don't think I reviewed it the first time around. I bought the first one in July of 2014, and it is practically as good as new. I have a dog with incontinence problems, so I also bought both a second cover and two waterproof liners so I could rotate them out without having to wait until the covers were washed. This is a huge expense but there are not a lot of beds out there that provide the option for replacement covers and waterproof liners, and it looks to be worth it so far.

A bed the size I need is pretty much impossible to wash, so the removable covers and the water protection is a must. The previous beds from a different company I had were comfy, over 100 dollars each, and lasted ten months before they started to deteriorate to the point I felt they needed to be replaced, not to mention, not being waterproof. At that price, the quality was actually pretty good overall, but far inferior to the Big Barker, primarily due to the quality of the cover. My dog is a scratcher, and that is not a problem with this cover. The quality of the foam is also better in comparing it to my previous bed, though to be honest, the cheaper version's foam has held up pretty well, as it should at that price anyway. It's just that I have had to hand wash the foam, the cover was a royal pain to put on, and now is pretty much torn up, and I am not a seamstress to make new ones. They have been relegated to staying at a relative's house for weekend visits to try to get some more use out of them.

In contrast, the Big Barker foam is in great shape after a year and a half of use. I would say these are more like a fairly firm mattress instead of one that you sink into, and it took a while for my dogs to decide it was soft enough. I don't think there's been any appreciable flattening, though I guess I'll be able to tell more when I get the new one for comparison. In addition to incontinence issues, I have had to deal with other unpleasant incidents that I am going to refrain from describing, and the waterproof cover has protected the foam completely so far, even during what I can only call the great floods that have occurred a few times. (I am optimistic that we have recently found the right combination of medicines, by the way.) More than once I have taken the covers off dreading what condition I would find the foam in, only to be pleasantly surprised that it survived unscathed. The main cover itself is very good fabric, so it retards the moisture some itself, and the inner waterproof cover has done the trick. It is fabric, and not plastic, so of course it can't be 100% waterproof, but my experience so far has had the foam 100% protected. I try to wash them sparingly since I feel like repeated washing might reduce it's ability to resist water, but so far, so good! Note that this does not come with the waterproof liner; it is an additional expense, but at the price of the bed, I think it is worth it to provide the added protection even without the kind of issues I have faced.

The outer covers, as I said, have also held up well. In a moment of gastric discomfort, my dog was biting on things to try to relieve her distress and tore a small hole on one of the covers on the corner of the bolster. That's the only damage that has occurred, and a determined chewer could of course do more, but this really is a tough cover. It doesn't look brand new due to washing and doggy living, but it still looks good. I never seem to be able to get the cover situated right the first time when I change them out; in fact right now it is actually upside down on the bed because laziness, but when I do change them, they are relatively easy to change; there's none of the struggling and pushing and straining like there often is with foam covers. The large size does make it awkward, but it is still easily manageable for me alone if I just could remember which side is up!

That brings me to why I got a second one, which is for my second dog who has been sleeping on something else by preference, but has really been trying to take a turn on the Barker lately to the point I feel he needs one for himself. I bought the first with an eye to getting a second if it worked out, and the time has come. I have spent so much money on a succession of inferior beds with all kinds of padding that did not do more than a welcome mat would. The prices of the beds kept creeping up, but the durability just wasn't there. As these large dogs age, their joints really are going to need some protection to be comfortable, so the considerable expense of these beds is offset by not needing to replace them every six months to a year. My dogs will have to get a lifetime of use from them to make the expense justifiable, but I have no reason to expect that won't happen.

When I first read about this bed and did a little research (Thank you WorldMastiffForum.com!), I wanted one right away. After I saw the price, I had to think about it for a few months. We didn't really need another bed yet as I had been taking good care of the two most recent $100 plus orthopedic beds we had by keeping them covered with fitted sheets and fleece throws that I could take off and wash frequently, but the foam was gradually flattening despite my best efforts of flipping and rotating the beds. Finally, we decided our rescue babies, a 130 lb. female mastiff and 120 lb. male great dane/Labrador retriever mix, would get a giant Big Barker to share for Christmas this year!
Unfortunately, we found out in October that our male needed TTA surgery for a torn ligament in his knee. We decided to order the bed early so that he could get used to it and then have a comfortable place to recuperate after surgery. When it arrived and we finally got it unwrapped from all the plastic wrap that compressed it to about a fourth of its size, we were surprised at just how large and heavy it was! As per the instructions, it took the foam a few days to fully expand at which point my husband hauled the bed upstairs to our bedroom. We added the waterproof liner and the cover (it took both of us to do this), then topped it with a mattress pad and a sheet that can be taken off and washed a couple times a week.
At first the dogs weren't that thrilled with the bed, but over the course of a week, it became their preferred bedtime spot. Both of them can lay on it comfortably, and when only one dog is using it, they can stretch out as far as they want and still be supported. We moved the bed to the main level and surrounded it with a folding pen for use while recuperating and it has been wonderful for that purpose! There was more than enough room for our boy to stretch out, get up and turn around. We also had plenty of room to sit beside him and do passive range of motion exercises on his leg. I have to confess, we even stretched out beside him and snuggled for a lot longer than we would have had it not been so comfy! It's been two weeks since his surgery, the surgeon said he's doing remarkably well, and he's been given a little more freedom to move about. Guess what? After letting him out this afternoon so he could move into the adjacent room which is carpeted and contains two older hundred-dollar-beds that we restuffed, he chose instead to return to his Big Barker bed!
We are impressed with the quality and construction of our Big Barker giant bed with headrest (...which they use adorably!) and are very happy we made this purchase. Yes, it was expensive, but the beds we had been buying weren't cheap and those wore out. We even ordered memory foam mattresses and egg crate foam (again, not cheap) and cut that down to restuff a couple of beds hoping to get a bit more use out of them. With Big Barker offering an unheard of 10 year warranty, this bed will likely outlive many of the dogs for whom it's purchased. We'll be buying another Big Barker as soon as those other beds we have go flat ...or I get tired of stuffing, rotating and flipping them. ;)

Update: Since our original purchase of the GIANT Big Barker bed reviewed above (which is still as full and supportive as ever), we've expanded our collection. We bought an XL bed with headrest for our dog with knee problems to use downstairs and stacked the two existing ortho beds for our mastiff. It seems that even two regular beds can't compete with the comfort of a Big Barker though as she would find ways to get him off the new bed so she could steal his spot. The only solution was to order another XL bed, our 3rd Big Barker in 9 months! It's a huge testament to a product when your oversized lap dog chooses to lie on his bed in another room over laying with you on the couch, but that's exactly what happens most nights. We highly recommend Big Barker and look forward to more products from this company!

After several hours, over several days, researching orthopedic beds for my 7 year old Chocolate lab, who has developed hip displaysia, I decided to go with the "Big Barker" even though the price was much higher than some of the others. I based my decision on the excellent reviews that this product has received, the pressure mapping sensors study, the three stage Big Barker foam vs other memory foams and pet bed fillers and past experience with a bed that was touted as an orthopedic bed but was actually egg crate foam that did not do a good job of supporting her weight and started collapsing right away. Not to mention that the bed had a very chemical oder which is why I think that she insisted on shredding the bed. She chewed on it from day one and it wasn't long until it was in the trash. A lot of the reviews that I read mentioned that most of the cheaper beds have an oder. I only found one other company who would stand behind their beds for 10 years but I did not think that their construction compared to the Big Barker. Most beds out there, especially ones manufactured in China have no warrenty to speak of even though some of them were costly as well.
It did take, as you pre told, the bed overnight to fully expand after removing the shrink wrap but my dog slept on it the first night and has every night since then. When she disappears on me in the day time I find her napping on her new bed where before the bed came she would usually nap in what ever room I was in so I am thinking that in the future I will buy another one to put in my living room. Yes, it looks nice enough to put in my living room. I have not seen her use the headrest yet but I think that she will in time as lots of the time when she would be sleeping in our kitchen she would want fher fhead up on my foot or on the rungs of the chair.
We have ony had the bed for one week but at this point I would say that it is safe to say that she loves her new bed and she has not tried to chew on it. The bed has no oder or chemical smell. The memory foam used in the Big Barker is very good, she does not sink into it at all. I have a quitte expensive gel memory foam bed and I think that now my dog might just have a better bed than I do. I layed on her new bed just to see what it felt like and found it to be very comfortable for me and I did not sink in to it either and believe me I weigh a lot more than my lab. We ordered the large size for her and she has plenty of room on the bed. I am very pleased with this product and am happy that I went ahead and spent the extra money as the quality of this bed is unsurpassed. After sleeping on this bed for just one week, Mara Jade, seems to be moving better and getting up and down easier. If this bed can help relieve her pain and discomfort it will be worth every cent that it cost and so far it seems to be doing just that!
I love the fact that I can order a replacement cover for the bed as well. Made in the USA!!! Far superior to any of the other beds that I have tried for her.

I absolutely love this bed. The only thing I can say negatively about it is that the bed cover does not have a protective cover for liquids so if your dog gets something on their bed it will go straight through into the foam. This bed has made my pup move and sleep like she is a puppy again and at 9 years old I love it. The bed is the perfect size and the foam doesn't sink after having it for 6 months.

This bed was so worth the money. I bought the bed and waterproof liner for it nearly 10 years ago - both the foam and the liner are in perfect shape. I finally had to order a replacement cover, but that cover took a beating and even spent a lot of time under a covered patio. This bed has been well loved by two big dogs now!