Best artificial grass for dogs: our ranges ranked

Every grass we sell is safe for dogs. Not every grass is easy to live with alongside one. This guide ranks our ranges for dog owners by what matters in practice: how fast mess lifts off, how well the pile recovers, how the backing drains, and what you pay per square metre. If you want the reasoning behind these choices, our companion guide artificial grass and dogs: what to look for covers the installation and cleaning side.

The short answer

For most homes with a dog, Dan 38mm at £8.99 per m² is the one to order: dense, soft enough for the family, short enough to clean. For a dog run, side return, or a house with two or more large dogs, Rocco 18mm or Talya 30mm. If you want the lawn to look as good as it feels and you will brush it monthly, Rum 40mm.

What we ranked on

• Clean-up: how easily solids lift off and how quickly a rinse clears the spot. Shorter, denser pile scores higher.
• Recovery: how well the pile stands back up after a dog has run the same route or lain in the same corner. Density and fibre shape decide this.
• Drainage: all our backings are perforated; the ranges tagged pet-friendly have the most open drainage pattern.
• Feel: for the humans. A garden is for the whole household.
• Price per m² and roll widths, because a 1m roll for a side return saves a join.

The ranking

#	Range	Pile	Widths	Price/m²	Best for
1	Dan	38mm	2, 3, 4, 5m	£8.99	The all-round family lawn with a dog
2	Talya	30mm	2, 4, 5m	£8.00	Two or more dogs, heavy use, easiest upkeep that still looks like a lawn
3	Bul	35mm	2, 4, 5m	£9.00	Hard-wearing with a fuller look than Talya
4	Rocco	18mm	2, 4m	£7.49	Dog runs, side returns, kennels, rentals
5	Val	38mm	2, 4, 5m	£11.00	C-shaped fibre that springs back; softer than Dan
6	Rum	40mm	1, 2, 3, 4, 5m	£10.00	The best-looking budget option if you will brush it; 1m width for paths
7	Lux	30mm	1, 2, 3, 4, 5m	£12.50	Premium short pile, every width, for a smart garden with a dog
8	Ens	38mm	2, 4, 5m	£13.50	Richer colour blend at 38mm for a lawn that is looked at as much as used

1. Dan 38mm

Dan is the grass we point most dog owners to. At 38mm it is soft enough to sit on with the family and short enough that solids sit on top rather than working down into the pile. The fibres are a mix of emerald and lime straights with green and yellow curls, and the curly thatch is what makes it recover after a dog has flattened a patch. It is £8.99 per m², comes in 2m, 3m, 4m and 5m widths, and is tagged both best for pets and best for kids, which is the combination most households need.

2. Talya 30mm

If you have two or more dogs, or one large dog that uses the garden hard, Talya at 30mm is the more sensible choice. It is a shorter, tougher pile that rinses clean fast and does not need brushing to stay tidy. Two green tones with brown curls stop it looking flat. At £8.00 per m² it is also the cheapest lawn-height grass we sell.

3. Bul 35mm

Bul sits between Talya and Dan. It has a fuller look than Talya at 35mm and the yarn is built to stand tall, so it copes with the same route being run all day. Good for a medium garden with one energetic dog. £9.00 per m².

4. Rocco 18mm

Rocco is not a lawn substitute and does not pretend to be. It is a short, neat, hard-wearing surface for the places a dog uses most: a run, a side return, the strip by the back door, a kennel area. Mess lifts off it in seconds, it dries fastest of all our ranges, and it is £7.49 per m². Many customers use Rocco for the dog's own area and a longer pile for the rest of the garden.

5. Val 38mm

Val uses a C-shaped fibre that springs back quickly after use, which makes it the easiest 38mm to keep looking fresh. It is a little softer than Dan and a little dearer at £11.00 per m². Choose Val over Dan if softness for the family matters more than the price difference.

6. Rum 40mm

Rum is our best-selling grass overall and the one to choose if you want a lawn that looks properly lush and still works with a dog. At 40mm it needs a monthly brush against the pile, and mess sits a little deeper than on the 30mm to 38mm ranges. In return you get the most lawn-like look on this list for £10.00 per m², and Rum comes in every width from 1m to 5m, so a path or side return can come off the same roll as the lawn with no join.

7. Lux 30mm and 8. Ens 38mm

Both are premium versions of ranges above: Lux is a denser, C-shaped 30mm in every width, and Ens is a richer-coloured 38mm. They belong on the list because they combine dog-friendly pile heights with the look of our premium ranges. If budget is not the deciding factor, they are the step up.

What we left off, and why

Orf 45mm, Onto 40mm, Aris 40mm and Dluxe 40mm are superb lawns, and they are all fine with a dog. We left them off the ranking because at 40mm to 45mm with a dense premium pile, they hold more mess and need more brushing than the ranges above. If you have a calm older dog and you want the best-looking lawn we sell, order a Dluxe sample alongside a Dan sample and compare. The artificial grass for dogs collection shows everything tagged pet-friendly.

Build it right and it will never smell

The grass is half the answer. Urine drains through the backing into whatever is underneath, so a 40 to 50mm sub-base of compacted MOT Type 1 with a sharp sand blinding is what keeps a dog lawn fresh. Straight onto clay, or flat onto slabs with no fall, and any grass on this list will smell in a hot week. The installation guide gives the depths, and the accessories page has the membrane, pegs and adhesive for the job.

Let the dog choose

Order five free samples: we would suggest Dan, Talya, Rum and two of the others that appeal. Put them on the ground where the lawn is going and see which one the dog lies on. Then measure up with the calculator, or call 0161 399 1792 and tell us the breed and the garden.