Best dog bowls

A simple stainless steel dog bowl is one of the best ways to feed your pet. Stainless steel is rust resistant, doesn’t retain any odors and is healthier and more durable than plastic. One of the best stainless steels dog bowls we found is the simple AmazonBasics Stainless Steel Dog Bowl. The price is reasonable and the quality is great. The stainless steel is light and soft and can get these bowls in singles or two packs (although the two packs are sometimes sold out), with each bowl holding up to 32 ounces (its quite large). Stainless steel bowls like this are excellent for dry kibble, wet food, treats or water. This bowl also has a rubber ring on the bottom to protect your floor and to prevent the bowl from sliding while your pet eats. The way the edges slant outwards also helps to prevent the bowl from tipping accidentally which is a big problem with many other bowls. Overall you’ll be very pleased with this bowl, as long as your pet doesn’t eat too fast and get indigestion frequently. If it does, we recommend going with a slow feed bowl instead which you can learn more about below.
Cute and slightly smaller at 28 ounces is the Bella Bowls Dog Bowl. This is another high quality, stainless steel bowl we highly recommend. The bowl has a nice weight and has a soy based rubber ring on the bottom to prevent sliding and spilling. They also stack well and are easy to clean. It does also come in a smaller 16 ounce size and a huge 51 ounce size, but the medium 28 ounce (3 cups of water goes to the rim) is good for most pets. There are also a number of different colors you can choose from that usually have different prices, so take a look at the cheapest option that you prefer.The Durapet Dog Bowl is another simple but excellent dog bowl. It has high quality stainless steel, thick and highly durable walls, a bonded rubber ring on the bottom and a lifetime guarantee. While the bowl isn’t fancy it has a great overall design and will hold enough water to last your pet all day.The Fossa Double Dog Bowl includes two removable stainless steel bowls surrounded by an anti-mess proof tray to contain any splashes and spills. We really loved this design and its a useful alternative to the typical dog bowl. While you could buy a feeding tray to go with your dog bowl, this design integrates everything seamlessly.  It is really good at containing any messes and prevents your pet from tipping their bowls or playing with their food. You could also feed two pets at once or use each bowl for water and food. The material is BPA and lead free silicone while the bowls are stainless steel. The medium size is for puppies, Chihuahuas and smaller breeds. We would recommend the large size for any medium to large breeds.

The extremely popular MidWest Stainless Steel Snap’y Fit Water and Feed Bowl offers great value and convenience. The stainless steel bowl comes with a bracket that easily locks onto the side of a cage or crate and the bowl ‘snaps’ in and out of the holder. You can either attach the bowl on the inside or outside and fill it with food or water, although its more useful as a water bowl to help keep your pet hydrated. The no-tip design prevents your pets from making messes in their crates and is extremely difficult for your pet to remove or knock out the bowl. Sometimes your pets treat their bowls like a toy and spill water and food everywhere, but this will bowl will withstand pulling and biting better than other cage bowls we’ve seen. This style of bowl also works well for whenever you need to leave your pet caged for long periods of time or for crate training. Fill this bowl with water and add a frozen Kong with treats and your pet will feel much more relaxed. You can see the size comparison below, but we suggest 1 or 2 quart bowls for dogs, and the 10 or 20 ounce bowls for cats, rabbits and other small animals.

Snap’y Fit size comparison: 2 quarts, 1 quart, 20 ounces, 10 ounces

What are slow feeders?

Slow feeders are dog bowls that are specifically designed to slow down your pet’s eating habits. Modern dogs often engage in unnatural eating speeds, eating their entire meals too quickly compared to their ancestors who foraged for food. Eating too quickly can cause dangerous health issues including bloat, indigestion, vomiting, overeating and obesity. Bloat alone kills over 20,000 dogs every year. Veterinarians highly recommend slow feed bowls for any pet that eats too quickly and has unhealthy eating habits. By prolonging the feeding process, your pets are able to digest their food properly and reduce their risk for bloat and regurgitation.

These slow feed bowls often include ridges, crevices, obstacles and even puzzles to slow down overeager eaters. Eating becomes a game or a hunt for their food as they have to sniff out and work for their meal. The amount of food doesn’t change, it simply forces the dog to become more engaged and mentally challenged and rewards them for their efforts. Think about if you were eating every meal extremely fast and how it would effect your health and digestive system. So take care of your pets and add a little fun to their meals!

Best slow feeder dog bowls

The best and most popular slow feeder dog bowl is currently the Outward Hound Fun Feeder. It comes in two different sizes (small and large) and three different designs — teal drop, orange coral and purple flower. The large size holds up to five cups of dog food and has a 12 inch diameter with a 2 inch height (except the teal drop which is 3 inches tall). The small size holds 2 cups of dog food with a 9 inch diameter and 2 inch height (all designs). The Fun Feeder has some of the best non-slip grips we’ve seen and works well in preventing the bowl from sliding during feeding. There are four separate feet, one in each corner and each foot has five small rubber pads that grip.

Outward Hound claims this bowl will force your dog to eat 10 times slower compared to normal dog bowls. We found eating speeds to be about 5-6 times slower depending on how much food and how fast your dog normally inhales their food. This is a very good number and all three designs were successful in slowing down eating. The purple flower design is the easiest for your dog, having more low ridges and more places they can reach. The orange coral is the most difficult because it doesn’t have any low spots and has tall walls all the way around in a spiral, with it being taller closer to the center. Our personal favorite of the three is the teal drop which is deeper in the center and shallower towards the outside edges. It also has breaks in the walls that allow your dog a bit of access and offers a good balance of difficulty. The overall design is reminiscent of a drop of water hitting a liquid surface and looks pleasing to the eye. The material is also easy to clean and is BPA, PVC and Phthalate free and top rack dishwasher safe.The Guzzle Muzzle Slow Feeder Bowl is a bone shaped, slow feeder that will force your dog to slow down and chew its food instead of gulping it. The darker brown edges are a durable SPA free rubber silicone that also acts as a slip-resistant base, while the tan color is ABS plastic. This slow feeder bowl is shallower compared to other bowls but this gives it a low center of gravity making it very difficult for your dog to flip it. The small size holds up to 3/4 cup of dog food while the large version holds up to 1 ½ cups. It works great for puppies and small to medium sized dogs, but we’d suggest a larger and deeper slow feeder for big breeds.

The Siensync Slow Feeder Bowl is a great slow feeding bowl for dogs with long or narrow snouts. It is very deep compared to other bowls and the crevices are too narrow for most dogs to get their muzzles in far. This forces the dog to lick their food out, slowing them down considerably. This deep bowl is contrasted against shallower dog bowls. It all depends on what kind of dog you have and if you would like a deeper or shallower dish. It will hold up to 2 cups of dog kibble and is made from ABS, food grade plastic. One thing to note is that it does not have a non-slip bottom.

The Northmate Green Slow Feeder has a unique design for slowing down your pets eating habits. It simulates hunting for food in grass and provides a slower and more natural eating experience. This is a great interactive slow feeder that offers a little bit of a challenge as your pets sniff out their food. Scatter their wet or dry food across the ‘blades of grass’ and watch their natural instincts kick in. It has quite a large diameter so make sure that it can fit in the feeding area you need. This slow feeder works great for both cats, dogs and other small animals.The Aikiou Junior Slow Pet Feed Bowl is a great slow feed puzzle bowl for wet food or dry food. There is less mess with food spilling everywhere and the puzzle design forces your dog to eat each section without exposing the other compartments. Underneath the the detachable lid, there are six areas you can store your pet’s food. The lid rotates exposing only one section at a time, drastically slowing them down and making them work for their food. The plastic is BPA free and the bottom has three non-slip grips. This bowl can hold up to 2 cups of wet or dry dog food (although we found wet or frozen food works best). As a side note, this bowl is too big for most puppies and is better for adult dogs.The DuraPet Slow Feed Dog Bowl is a simple, durable stainless steel slow feed bowl. The depth is about 2 inches with a 1 inch rubber ring around the base. The center is raised creating a sort of circular trench around the bowl. The bottom part of this trench is narrower than the upper parts which causes your dog to take smaller bites instead of big mouthfuls or inhaling their food. This is an excellent bowl for larger dogs, older dogs and in situations where you want your dog to slow down eating a little bit but not make if too difficult for them.

The DentaDish has one of the more interesting slow feed designs out there. It is specifically designed to clean teeth while slowing your dogs’s eating. This bowl has a raised center with a circular trench and unique bristles sticking out to clean teeth of plaque and tartar. These bristles act like small rubber toothbrushes and really help with preventing tartar build up. These are also really great for getting rid of stinky doggy breath.The Dogit Go Slow Anti-Gulping Dog Bowl has another simple but effective design. Great for both wet and dry food, this bowl holds about 20 ounces and encourages slower feeding habits. It comes in a range of colors and is made from high quality, food grade plastic (dishwasher safe). We recommend the large size for smaller dogs and puppies (this bowl won’t hold enough food for bigger dogs). The small size should only be used for very small dogs.The Simply Pets Online A-Maze-In-A-Bowl is a highly durable, eco-friendly slow feed bowl made from pet safe materials. The unique part of this bowl is that its made from bamboo fiber and rice husk and is 100% recyclable. This bowl is also large with a stimulating and deep maze that slows down feeding without frustrating your pet. Its most suitable for medium to large breeds. As a side note, it does not have non-slip grips on the bottom.The Outward Hound 3 in 1 Up Feeder has three feeding heights — floor, 6 inches and 10 inches — that can be adjusted to your dog’s natural feeding position. A removable slow feed insert has ridges and crevices to encourage slower feeding and holds up to four cups of food. The base is slip resistant and the retractable legs fold out from the inside.The Loving Pets Gobble Stopper sticks to your existing dog bowl to slow them down while they eat. Its a simple premise, simply attach the suction cup part to the inside of your pet’s bowl and it will get in the way of them eating too quickly. This works great as a training device and can be easily removed from any bowl for cleaning. Just be sure to monitor your pet when they first start feeding with this so that they don’t think its a toy to be chewed on.

Best portable food and water bowls

The Comsun Collapsible Dog Bowl is one of the best portable food and water bowls you can find. It sits at 5.1 inches wide and 2.1 inches tall and can hold up to 12 ounces of water of 1.5 cups of dog food. This bowl allows collapses flat to about 0.5 inches tall for easy storage and convenience. It includes matching carabiners to clip onto a backpack or crate so its always there when you need it. The material is a high quality and flexible food-grade silicone that is easy to clean and maintain and also keeps it very light. These are inexpensive and great to keep in your car or bag whenever travelling with your pet. The bright colors also make them easy to find wherever you keep them stored.The Outward Hound Port-A-Bowl is another fantastic and high quality collapsible food and water bowl. Its different from other portable bowls in that it is made from a rugged and waterproof nylon that folds flat and dries quickly. You can easily fold this bag and quickly store it in a jacket pocket when hiking or going on a long walk. It comes in 24 or 48 ounces for different breed sizes. This bowl is not meant to hold water for long periods of time but is meant to provide your pet some quick drinking water, then to empty it and fold it and to be on your way. The bottom is also wider than the top which allows the water and food to sit better and be bottom heavy to prevent spilling. This bowl is definitely one of our favorites.The Vittles Vault Travel-Tainer Kit is a multi-purpose feeding container. It’s compact and easy to carry with a large sturdy C-handle. Pop off the handle and remove the top and bottom bowls and use one for kibble and the other for water. You can store up to 3 pounds of food in this airtight container which makes it excellent for long trips and travel. It really makes travelling with your pets much simpler and convenient. It is also perfect if you’re dropping your pet off at a daycare or a friend’s place for a short period of time. Just make sure to hand wash this occasionally and never place it in the dishwasher.The Lixit Waterboy Travel Water Bowl is designed to keep your pet hydrated while travelling or even just as a convenient place to store water whenever your pet needs it. It holds about half a gallon of water and is great for bringing to the park, keeping in the back of your vehicle or even in the backyard. The amount of water that comes out at any one time is relatively small to prevent water from spilling and splashing easily. However as your pet drinks, the blue cap area will slowly refill. The depth of the blue drinking area is about 3 inches so they are able to stick their nose in to drink. The other great thing is that you can fill this once and it will last a long time — you won’t have to worry as much about refilling their water and your pet getting thirsty. You could even put a bit of ice inside it to keep it cold for long periods of time.Another ingenious design is the Road Refresher Dog Bowl that prevents spilling and pet slobber. It is designed to to dispense water even while in a moving vehicle. It holds up to 54 ounces of water but only a small amount is dispensed out at any time due to a floating plate. In case of sudden braking or turning corners, the plate helps prevent water from surging or splashing out. There is also a velcro base to secure it to carpet for stability. While it is designed for providing water in vehicles, its also suitable for indoor use and is great for pets that drink too fast or make big messes. It is particularly good for reducing slobber and drool after your pets finish drinking.The H2O4K9 Dog Water Bottle is exactly like it looks and sounds. It’s really just like any other stylish 18/8 stainless steel water bottle except the lid serves as a drinking bowl. The twist top lid is made from tough BPA plastic and is shaped to naturally fit a dog’s snout for easy and quick drinking. It also lets you pour back in any water they don’t finish. Refill up to a generous 25 ounces of water before going on long walks, dog park trips or anywhere your pet will get thirsty.The Gulpy Water Dispenser is a very simple and portable water supply. Flip it open and start dispensing water. If you finish all the water in the container, you can also attach any standard water bottle. This works great for long walks and short adventures and can fit in a big coat pocket or a backpack. It comes with a belt hook but its not very effective. Works best for small and medium sized dogs.While this is our last travel bowl recommendation, it’s still very good. The Prima Pet Collapsible Food & Water Travel Bowl can hold up to 5 cups and collapses down to 0.75 inches. The food grade silicone is light and tough and easy to clean. Excellent for travel, simple and works as described.