We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.
Ready to buy now? Shop the best:
Our dogs and cats might be clever and capable most of the time, but occasionally they need a helping hand, whether due to an injury, illness, old age, or simply their diminutive size. Pet ramps are perfect for aiding your four-legged friend onto spots they usually can't easily reach.
Picking out the perfect pet ramp isn't as simple as it might first seem. You need to get the right ramp for where you plan to use it and select one that's suited to your pet. Our top choice is the extra-long PetThem Folding Dog Ramp for Car, which features a nonslip rug surface for their safety.
Editors’ Favorite
Dimensions: 71” L x 17.2” W | Weight: 19 lb | Material: Aluminum | Portable: Yes
The PetThem Folding Dog Ramp for Car not only makes it easy for senior and injured dogs to get in and out of the car but also helps protect their joints in the process. It’s nearly 10 inches longer than similar ramps, which means it doesn’t create as steep an angle and reduces the stress on your pup’s hips, knees and hocks. It has a folding design, though, which reduces its size to just 19 inches long and makes it easy to store in your car or beneath furniture.
This ramp is made of high-quality aluminum alloy and features reinforced sleeves, making it incredibly stable and durable. It can support up to 250 pounds without shaking, so it’s an ideal option for large-breed dogs. However, it weighs under 20 pounds and features a carrying handle, making it easy to take the ramp on the go.
We also appreciate the PetThem Dog Ramp’s walking surface. It’s covered with a textured fabric rug that provides excellent traction, so your dog can walk confidently on the surface without slipping, even in wet weather.
Great Value
Dimensions: 63” L x 17.3” W | Weight: 13.5 lb | Material: Aluminum | Portable: Yes
The HerCcreta Portable Dog Ramp is a sturdy, durable option for dogs of all sizes, yet it is still extremely lightweight and portable. Made of premium aluminum, it features a load-bearing crossbar that keeps it stable even when supporting up to 250 pounds, making it suitable for small, medium and large pups. However, it weighs just over 13 pounds and folds up for storage, so you can easily take it with you when traveling with your pet.
The ramp is comfortable for dogs to use, too. The surface features a nonslip, textured carpet that provides effective grip for your pup’s paws. It’s also shock-absorbing, thereby reducing stress on dogs’ joints and keeping them comfortable. The plastic carpet fibers are tear-resistant, too, so they hold up well to regular use.
In addition to its antislip surface, the ramp offers other safety features to keep your dog secure. It includes a safety tether and carabiner that let you secure the ramp to your vehicle, ensuring it is as stable as possible for your pet.
Easiest to Store
Dimensions: 62” L x 16” W | Weight: 10 lb | Material: Plastic | Portable: Yes
The PetSafe Happy Ride Folding Dog Ramp is ideal for pet owners with limited storage space. Made of lightweight plastic, it weighs only 10 pounds, making it easy to move from the house to the car. It also folds for easy storage in your trunk or under furniture. It locks in its folded position, too, and even has a safety latch that keeps your fingers from accidentally getting pinched.
Despite its portability, the ramp is still incredibly sturdy and durable. It can support up to 150 pounds without shaking and can withstand drops and falls without cracking. It can also extend up to 62 inches, so it’s compatible with cars, SUVs and vans.
The ramp also features a high-traction walking surface with treads that prevent your dog from slipping. Additionally, it features nonskid feet to keep the ramp in place, as well as rails on the sides to keep senior and injured dogs secure.
Best for Beds
Dimensions: 51.12” L x 19.69” W | Weight: 21 lb | Material: Wood | Portable: Yes
If you’re looking for a ramp that allows your senior or injured dog to join you in bed or on the sofa, the Chuiendi Dog Ramp is an ideal option. It offers five adjustable heights, ranging from 19.29 to 27.17 inches’, which makes it suitable for small, medium and large dogs and beds, couches, chairs and vehicles of various heights.
This ramp is made of solid pine wood, so it’s heavier than other models. However, it folds for easy storage and portability and even has a leather carrying grip. Its wood construction makes it extremely sturdy and durable, too, supporting up to 250 pounds without rocking or shaking.
Its safety features don’t stop there, though. It features a nonslip rubber pad that provides effective traction, as well as three guardrails that keep your pet from falling sideways while climbing.
Best for Furniture
Dimensions: 14” L x 17” W | Weight: 15 lbs | Material: Wood | Portable: No
If you’re looking for a ramp for your small dog to use strictly around the house, the DoggoRamps Step-Ramp for Dogs is perfect for helping pets jump up on furniture. It’s designed to resemble a step rather than a ramp, so it takes up less space than traditional ramps, making it ideal for apartments and small homes. It offers just enough height for pups to easily get onto couches, ottomans, easy chairs and more.
The DoggoRamps Step-Ramp is made from solid, locally sourced maple hardwood, so it is extremely durable and sturdy. It also features an antislip walking surface with superior traction that outperforms most carpeted surfaces.
The step ramp arrives fully assembled, so you can use it right out of the box. It also has a cubby hole built into the area beneath the step-ramp, which is perfect for storing your dog’s toys and accessories or other items, like books, to help maximize space around the house.
Stationary pet ramps
Stationary pet ramps are designed for helping your dog or cat get onto furniture they can't easily reach, such as your bed or couch. They tend to be made to stay in one place long term, so they may be made from heavy, solid materials, such as wood. They let your pet have more independence, as they can climb up and down whenever they please.
Portable pet ramps
Portable pet ramps are designed to help pets into cars. More specifically, medium and large dogs who are too heavy to lift (you can simply pick up a small dog and put them in the car, and cats usually travel in a carrier). Portable pet ramps are useful for elderly or injured dogs who aren't able to jump up on their own, or for use in large trucks and SUVs that are too high off the ground for your pooch to jump in and out of safely.
Foldable vs. telescoping
If you choose a portable pet ramp, it will be either foldable or telescoping. Foldable options fold either once in the center or in two places, depending on the overall length of the ramp. With telescoping models, you make them longer or shorter by sliding one part over the top of the next, much like how a telescope extends. Telescoping pet ramps tend to be easier to extend than foldable models, especially if you're doing it solo. However, they are also generally more expensive.
Adjustability
The majority of pet ramps are either height adjustable or are designed in such a way that they can be clipped onto items of varying heights (though the incline will be steeper when affixed to taller items). However, some stationary pet ramps are of a fixed height. Of course, if you choose a fixed-height pet ramp, you'll need to check it matches the height of the item your pet needs to climb up on.
Traction
A pet ramp should have a nonslip surface with plenty of traction. Not only does this help avoid accidents due to your pet slipping, it will also make them feel more confident climbing the ramp. If they start to walk up it and find themselves with little or no grip, they're more likely to retreat and refuse to go near it again.
Textured rubber is perhaps the most common surface choice, and generally provides adequate traction, as long as it has a quality tread. Carpet is another common option, but it should have a thick shag to provide enough grip. We've seen some other options out there, too, such as textured plastic and fake grass.
Incline
The incline refers to how steep or shallow the ramp is. Generally, pets will be happier climbing a gently sloped ramp than a steep one. Gentler slopes are also safer, especially for senior, injured, or disabled pets. Pet ramps with a fixed height will have a fixed degree of incline. However, adjustable ramps or ones that can be attached to items of different heights will be steeper the higher you adjust them. You can remedy this by choosing longer ramps. For instance, if you need a ramp so your dog can get into the trunk of your SUV, which is a few feet off the ground, a four-foot ramp would give you a much steeper incline than a six-foot ramp.
Stationary pet ramps start around the $50 mark. They can cost as much as $300 to $400 for high-quality solid wood options, but most mid-range models are priced between $80 and $120. Portable pet ramps can cost as little as $50 to $70 for shorter models made from plastic, but sturdier metal models cost more like $100 to $150. Some extra-long, extra-durable models are priced as high as $200 to $300.
Check if your chosen ramp is wide enough for your pet. If it's too narrow, there's a chance your pet could fall off with a slight misstep. Large pets are also quite likely to be nervous about climbing a narrow ramp.
Choose the right pet ramp for how you will be using it. For car use you'll need a portable, foldable ramp that you can take with you to use at the other end. You can choose a larger stationary model for in-home use.
Think about the stability of your chosen pet ramp. It should be well-constructed from durable materials. Rubber feet help prevent them sliding around or wobbling. If a ramp doesn't feel stable, your pet won't be comfortable climbing it.
Decide what material you'd like your pet ramp to be made from. Plastic and aluminum are the most common options for portable pet ramps, with aluminum being the sturdier option. Solid wood is great for stationary pet ramps, as it's strong, stable, and attractive. You also need to lift/move it, so take weight into consideration, too.
A. Steps are great for some pets, but can still cause issues for very small dogs or dogs and cats with serious mobility issues. A ramp with a gentle incline is easier for some pets to climb up than a set of stairs. Although you can find some portable pet stairs, portable pet ramps are more prevalent, and tend to be more reliable and easier to use, too.
A. Portable pet ramps can be a bit of a pain to fold and unfold, especially when you've got some inpatient dogs waiting to climb in or out of the car. That said, it's certainly possible for the majority of people to manage it alone. If you're worried about folding up your pet ramp, you could opt for a telescoping model, instead.
A. You'll find a range of scenarios in which pet ramps are useful. For home use, they're great for toy dog breeds who are too small to jump up onto furniture by themselves. You might choose to use them because you want your pooch to be able to access your couch or your bed freely, or you might be worried that they'll attempt to jump up while you're not around and end up injuring themselves. Stationary pet ramps are also handy for old or infirm dogs or cats who can no longer jump easily, letting them get into their favorite spots, despite their mobility issues. Portable pet ramps are predominantly used for helping dogs in and out of tall cars, particularly if those dogs are too large for you to pick up.
With so many pet ramps to choose from, finding the best fit for your furry friend can be challenging. To identify the best pet ramps, we analyzed user reviews from various online retailers to determine which models best fulfilled pet owners’ needs. Specifically, we considered how easy the ramps were to store and transport, how comfortable they were for pets to use and how durable they were. Ultimately, we evaluated more than a dozen pet ramps and selected the top models based on durability, portability, versatility, traction and other safety features.
