Using a cooling mat in the car and away from home
Tessa Larkin · Writer, pet wellbeing and pet gear
Tessa lives with a Labrador and two cats on the Texas Gulf Coast, one of the hottest and most humid corners of the country in summer. For several seasons she has been testing, in real conditions, what actually helps animals through the heat and what only looks like it does.
On the road, three technologies out of four stop working
At home you can argue about which technology is preferable. In the car and on a trip the choice makes itself, because that is where each one shows its limit.
| Technology | The problem on the road |
|---|---|
| Gel | Under pressure, or if the cover is damaged, it can seep onto the seats and the trunk floor. A stain on the back seat costs more than the mat did. |
| Water-filled | Has to be filled and emptied, weighs a lot, and a seam that gives way means water in the car. |
| Freezer type | Needs a freezer. In a rental, maybe. In the car, never. |
Ice silk, on the other hand, folds up, weighs little and holds no liquid to spill: this is the one use where it is not merely equivalent to the others but clearly better suited. The full comparison between technologies is in gel or ice silk.
The drive: back seat, trunk or crate
On the back seat the mat lies flat over the upholstery. Seats store heat and cannot release it downward, and that is exactly where the difference shows most.
In the trunk of a wagon or SUV you generally want the L or XL, because the dog nearly always lies stretched out there. A sunshade on the rear window matters more than anything else: direct sun through the glass makes the trunk the hottest part of the car.
In the crate heat builds up faster than anywhere else, and the floor is almost always hard plastic. The mat folds down to the size of the crate and does not slide.
For the drive itself the usual rules apply: air conditioning or open windows, stops in the shade, water within reach. The mat works alongside all of that, and it makes usable the one surface your dog actually lies on for hours.
The trip: what is worth packing
A rental is almost never set up for an animal. The floor is unfamiliar, the usual spot is not there, and on the coast the temperatures are often higher than at home.
What helps is ordinary and it works: a familiar surface, one that smells of home and can be put down anywhere. That is exactly what a mat that folds is for. The practical tip is to start using it at home a few weeks before you leave: when the time comes, your pet lies down on it because they already know it, in a room they do not.
With that go a collapsible bowl and the habit of moving walks to dawn and evening. The rest is in how to cool down a dog, and for cats in how to cool down a cat.
Sand, hair and salt water
After the beach: shake the sand off while the mat is dry, that is when it comes away best. Salt water needs rinsing, because over time salt attacks the fibers.
For a deep clean a cold delicate wash is enough, then air drying. Not in the dryer, and no fabric softener: softener leaves a film on the fibers and gets in the way of the one thing the mat has to do, which is take heat up and carry it off.
A word about rest stops
The most common situation in which the rule above gets broken is not a day out, it is a stop: a bathroom break, a quick coffee. Five minutes becomes ten because there is a line at the register.
Take the dog with you, even when it is awkward, or travel with someone and have one of you stay in the car with the engine running. There is no version of that situation where a mat solves the problem.
Frequently asked questions
Can I leave my dog in the car for a moment if he has a cooling mat?
No. A parked car gains around 20 °F in the first ten minutes and around 40 °F in an hour, almost regardless of the starting temperature: at 86 °F outside, the interior goes past 120 °F. No mat compensates for that, because a passive mat never gets colder than the air around it: if the air reaches 120 °F, sooner or later so does the mat. Cracking a window changes almost nothing.
Which cooling mat suits car travel?
One with no liquid inside. Gel mats can seep onto seats under pressure or if the casing is damaged, water mats have to be filled and are heavy, and freezer types need a freezer you do not have on the road. A sewn fabric folds up, weighs little and has nothing to lose.
How do I clean the mat while travelling?
For sand, dust and hair a damp cloth is enough. For a deep clean, a cold delicate wash and air drying, not a tumble dryer. It dries quickly enough to be usable again the next day.
Can I put it in the crate?
Yes, and it is one of the places it does most good. In a closed crate heat builds up fast and the floor is almost always hard plastic. The mat stays flat, does not slide, and folds down to the size of the crate.
What to do if heatstroke is already under way is on the page about heatstroke in dogs. This text does not replace veterinary advice.
Folds up, weighs little, holds no liquid
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