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Top 10 Collapsible Dog Bowls Reviewed & Rated
Standout Picks
Criteria Used for Evaluation
Durability
Generally, durability will be an important quality when evaluating any product that falls on the “guns” side of “guns and butter.” You don’t want to spend money on something that’s intended to be permanent, only to have it fall apart long before you’ve gotten full use out of it. With something as fundamentally functionally as a portable canine dish, durability is one of the main aspects that we’ve looked at. Apparently, it’s impossible to compare the strength of something like nylon against something like stainless steel; that is to say, it’s obvious which one wins. However, since there are advantages to using nylon, the durability of such fabric bags has been considered and compared against other fabric bags. In the same manner, silicone models have been compared to other silicone models for durability. There are a few models on this list, particularly silicone ones, that have overall high durability ratings but for one specific issue; in most cases, the company is willing to compensate for those issues.
Size
Collapsible is in the very name of the product, so the manner of how it’s collapsible is a critical factor. A few of the models on this list are capable of folding down into just about nothing at all, whereas others don’t so much collapse as simply stack within each other. If you’re chucking the whole apparatus in your luggage and setting up a collapsible set at your in-law’s guest house, then you might not care about exactly how small a dish can collapse down. However, if you’re backpacking the Rockies, and you’re carefully calculating how much room you have in your backpack for supplies for you and your canine, the exact amount of space the dish will take up is a very important factor.
Weight
Just like the size a dish collapses down to is important for the traveler on the go, weight is another critical factor. Every ounce you put into your backpack is another ounce that you need to carry around with you; the lighter you’ll be able to go, the better for your back in the long run. However, again, if you won’t be carrying the dish itself the majority of the time and just need a transportable set-up, then the weight will be less of a factor.
Volume is the tradeoff of compressed size. The smaller a dish is capable of compressing down, the less size it’s going to have in its expanded state. That does mean that canine with higher volumes will also be more difficult to store. However, it’s a tradeoff that you have to make if you have a bigger canine; the smaller dishes simply won’t be enough to feed them. No matter how much you’re trying to make the dish an efficient part of your backpack Tetris, you need to make sure it’s going to be big enough to take the onslaught of your canine’s snapping jaws.
Ease of Use
Some of the dishes on this list have a bit more complicated setup, requiring you to do a few things to put them together and compress them down. Others pop up and put away in literal seconds. Generally, the more comfortable to use that a dish is, the better for the consumer, although there are instances where less complexity means fewer features, and that means you’re getting less than you could out of your collapsible canine dish.
Features
A number of the dishes here have other things than just the collapsible dish itself to attract customers. Some of them are just gimmicky, but others are downright useful and practical. Things like carabiners to attach the dish to your belt, or attachments for water bottles to go directly on the dish, all serve the primary function of a collapsible canine dish, which is to make traveling with your canine more practical and more rewarding.
10 Best Collapsible Dog Bowls
1. Healthy Human Portable
Have you ever gone camping with a set of stacking cooking pots? That’s mostly what the Healthy Human Portable is, except for puppies. Not just one, but a set of three stainless steel dishes that stack together for storing purposes. Few sets of collapsible canine dishes are higher quality, although they do take up a bit of space in your backpack.
Stainless Steel Design
Have we mentioned that they’re made out of stainless steel? That is the biggest draw of Healthy Human Portable. They are sleek, well designed, and they’re the most durable dishes on the market, easily able to last your canine’s entire lifetime, and possibly longer.
Organization
Some other canine dishes must double for food and water; not so with the Healthy Human Portable. Not only do you have separate dishes for both, but the standard set also comes with another for further separation, whether you use it for toys or medicine or whatnot. If you want, you can order only two dishes, or get an extra for a set of four.
Cost and Value
When you get something made out of higher quality materials, you should usually expect to pay a bit more. The Healthy Human Portable is one of the more expensive options on the list, but in the realm of collapsible canine dishes, the prices aren’t incredibly high in the first place so that you won’t be breaking the bank or anything.
2. Petoga Couture Alfie Pet
The next all-fabric option on our list of collapsible dog water bowls is the Alfie Pet collapsible travel bowl, made by Petoga Couture. Like the Outward Hound, the Alfie Pet can fold up and be put away. There’s a bit more material with the Alfie Pet so that it won’t be stored as easily, but the tradeoff is that it can feed and water a much larger canine.
High Capacity Bowl
Many of the collapsible dishes on the market are aimed at smaller pups, probably because it’s easier to make a small dish portable. The Alfie Pet exists to fill in that gap, providing an easily portable option for those that have larger animals. Still, if you have something in the area of a Mastiff or a Great Dane, you might need an even bigger dish than this.
Convenient Storage
Not only does the fabric dish compress efficiently, but it also does so with a purpose. You don’t have to smash it all down to make it fit; it will zip up into its self-contained unit, easy to put away.
Cost and Value
Because it’s a bit larger and takes up more material, the Alfie Pet is more expensive than some of the options for smaller canines. When you need something that fits your pet, though, the cost is worth it.
3. Prima Pet Food & Water
If you’re looking for a sturdy, reliable collapsible dog bowl for hiking for a very reasonable price, then look no further than the Prima Pet Food & Water. Simple and straightforward, just like the name, the Prima Pet Food & Water is a reliable silicone dishes that can stand against decent wear and tear. It’s perfectly serviceable and functional, but don’t expect much else.
Silicone Material
The silicone that the Prima Pet Food & Water is made out of has the dual advantages of being inexpensive and durable. This means that the savings are passed on to you, and you’ll be able to have your dish for a long time.
Large Option
A lot of the dishes available here don’t have an option for unusually large dogs. Food & Water, however, comes in two sizes, small and large, and the large is more than three times bigger than the small. If you need to feed a big doggy on the go, the Prima Pet might be the dish for you.
Cost and Value
It’s hard to get much better value than the Prima Pet. Sitting at the perfect combination of inexpensive and durable, the Food & Water might be the best return on investment of any dish on this list.
4. Bonza Collapsible
So far, we’ve looked at options that skew towards medium or small dogs, with the occasional option for a larger model. The Bonza Collapsible dog water bowl set is designed with all of the bigger canines out there in mind, and it comes with two dishes, perfect for splitting up a meal or feeding a pair of canines.
Highly Compressible
For such large dishes, you would expect that it would take up much space, but the Bonza Collapsible is designed better than that. It compresses down very small, basically a flat disc, so it’s easy to tuck away in between uses.
Adjustable Capacity
There’s a reason, other than size that there is a need for smaller dishes; smaller canine can’t reach down as far as to eat or drink as big ones can. The Bonza Collapsible is adjustable, allowing for a depth of two or five inches, depending on how big your canine is.
Cost and Value
The Bonza Collapsible canine dishes are pretty midrange when it comes to pricing, not too cheap and not too expensive, pretty great value for what you’re getting.
5. Vittles Vault Gamma Travel-Tainer
This entry isn’t exactly a collapsible canine dish, but it’s close enough to the concept and reliable enough to merit a spot on the list. It’s not exactly a dish, although you can feed your canine from it. Instead, it’s a container for the food itself, one that has separate chambers and can make the entire process of feeding your canine on the go easier.
Keeps Food Fresh
You don’t want to eat stale food, and I assure you, your canine would rather not either, even if they can’t complain about it. The Vittles Vault will keep your canine’s food inside and keep it fresh and tasty.
Easily Portioned and Contained
The self-contained nature of the Vittles Vault Travel-tainer means that it’s a breeze to portion out your canine’s meal. Even if you have another dish for them to eat out of, the Travel-tainer might still be a good investment.
Cost and Value
Considering the wide amount of use that you can get out of the Vittles Vault Travel-tainer, it’s surprisingly inexpensive. It’s manageable to get this as well as another dish if you choose to.
6. Outward Hound Port-a-Bowl
The Outward Hound Port-a-Dish is quite possibly the single most convenient collapsible water bowl on the market. The best thing about it is merely how easily portable it is. It is made of fabric, so it can be flattened out, rolled up, and stowed away easily. Despite that, it’s quite sturdy, easy to clean, and perfect for a quick snack on the go.
Stowing Ability
The Port-a-Bowl is designed with one thing in mind: convenience. With a fabric body, an elastic mouth, and an area to clip on, you can keep it just about anywhere: in your purse, in your backpack, or just clipped onto your belt. Any time your pup is hungry, you can be ready.
Easy to Clean
One of the issues with collapsible canine dishes in general and fabric ones, in particular, is the difficulty of cleaning them out. With the Port-a-Dish, cleaning the dish is as comfortable as inverting it and giving it a quick rinse; it will dry out quickly of its own accord.
Cost and Value
If it weren’t the best product on this list, the Port-a-Dish would have probably made it in for best value as well. The Port-a-Dish, having no hard parts, is quite easy to manufacture, and the savings are passed on to you.
7. Ruffwear Bivy Bowl
Sometimes, you can travel to a room somewhere, set up your travel dish in the corner, and use that for the duration of your trip. Other times, like when you’re on a multiple-day hike with your canine, you need to be able to quickly set up and break down your canine dish several times a day, as you move from place to place. The Ruffwear Bivy Dish is an excellent option for the second scenario.
Ease of Setup and Breakdown
The Bivy Bowl pops up in seconds, going from totally flat to the functional canine dish, and it compresses back down again just as quickly. It’s perfect for the hiker on the go, but make sure to wash it when you get home since you won’t have time on the road.
Lightness
The Bivy dish is one of the lightest options on this list, yes the lightest one that’s made of more than fabric alone. Slip it into your backpack, and you won’t even notice the difference in weight.
Cost and Value
The highest price of any dish on this list, the design is what you’re paying for here. If you don’t mind splurging a little bit, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a dish that works as well and is as easy to use.
8. Roysili Large Size
Probably the best option around for particularly large canine, the Roysili Large Size Collapsible canine dish doesn’t have any other major features to boast of. It’s reasonably lightweight, reasonably durable, and reasonably priced, everything you need for a very large canine.
Capacity
Big dogs have big stomachs and need much nourishment. Most collapsible dog bowls won’t pack enough in to feed a bigger canine, which is why you would turn to the Roysili Collapsible in the first place.
Stand Up to Teeth
Big canines have big teeth and can tear apart a weaker dish very quickly. Not the most durable options around, but they possibly are the most durable in this size class.
Cost and Value
Price for these is pretty mid-ranged, about what you expect when you consider more materials go into making it and the durable design. Decent value for what you’re paying for.
9. IDEGG Silicone Dish
If it ain’t broke, then make it better. That’s the approach that IDEGG took towards making their Silicone Dish. Pretty much the same design as most other plastic collapsible canine dishes, NuDogs decided just to enhance the strength rather than adding anything fancy. Nothing special here, except a very sturdy dish that won’t quit.
Silicone Materials
When talking about a dish known for its durability, there’s no aspect that can matter more than the materials that it’s made from. In this case, it’s a particularly strong synthetic material, a silicone that will last for a very long time.
Carabiner and Water Bottle Attachment
To add to the sturdy design, IDEGG added a water bottle and clip-on attachment to make the Silicone Dish easier to use and take around with you.
Cost and Value
Pretty standard pricing here, if maybe a little bit on the expensive side. Since you’ll have it for a long time, you have to think of that price as an investment.
10. Comsun
Comsun Collapsibles are simple, straightforward, and to the point. They are made out of pure plastic, which makes them quite easy to produce. No bells and whistles here, the Comsun Collapsible is the bargain way to go when you just need to get your canine fed.
Set of Two
A Comsun Collapsible set comes in twos, so you can use one as a dedicated water dish and one as a food dishes, or use both to feed two different canines, as the case may be.
Safe to Eat
Your dog might be a bit indiscriminate when it comes to food choice: most canines are. Fortunately, despite being made of plastic, the Comsun Collapsible dog dish is entirely safe if your puppy happens to ingest some.
Cost and Value
Overall, you won’t get a much better deal on the market. The Comsun Collapsible is the best choice for traveling with a canine on a tight budget. It may not last too long, but it’s easy enough to throw them out and grab another set.
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