Dog boot liner, seat cover or hammock: which do you need?
31 October 2026
Car protectors all look a bit alike in photos, but they do different jobs. The right one comes down to where your dog rides. Here's a plain guide to boot liners, back seat covers, seat hammocks and booster seats, with the measurements of ours so you can check them against your car.
Start with where your dog rides
Dogs that travel in the boot need a boot liner. Dogs that ride on the back seat need a seat cover or a hammock. Small dogs that like to see out may suit a booster seat. If your dog does a bit of everything, you may want more than one.
Boot liner: for dogs that ride in the boot
Our boot liner covers the boot floor and the back of the rear seats, with flaps up the sides, because wet dogs lean on things. It's padded 600D Oxford fabric (according to the supplier), a bit comfier to lie on than bare plastic. Two straps go round the rear headrests, hook-and-loop tabs help hold the sides in place, and a mesh pocket keeps a lead or poo bags handy. It's one size, about 185 × 105 cm laid flat, which suits most hatchback, estate and SUV boots.
The part people underrate is the bumper flap, about 33 cm deep. It folds down over the back bumper while your dog jumps in and out, so claws and muddy legs land on the flap, not your paintwork. Fold it back in before you shut the boot.
Check it fits: measure your boot floor at its widest point, then from the back of the rear seats to the boot opening, and check the side flaps will have room.
See the Waterproof Car Boot Liner with Bumper Flap.
Back seat cover: for dogs on the back seat
If your dog gets the back seat, a seat cover takes the mud, water and hair instead of your upholstery. Ours is waterproof Oxford fabric, about 110 × 125 cm. Two adjustable straps buckle round the rear headrests, and the bottom edge tucks into the gap at the back of the seat. It fits cars with headrests on the back seat, though some seats don't have a gap to tuck the bottom edge into. When you get home, wipe it down with a damp cloth.
See the Waterproof Back Seat Cover for Dogs.
Seat hammock: when you want the doors and the gap covered too
A hammock clips to the front and rear headrests and makes a sling across the back of the car, so mud, hair and claws stay off the seats, the footwell and the doors. Ours has a main cover of about 137 × 150 cm and two zipped door flaps of about 40 × 45 cm each. There are openings for the seat belts, two pockets, and a mesh window in the part behind the front seats so your dog can see you.
It's quilted Oxford fabric with a padded layer and a non-slip, waterproof backing (600D Oxford with a PVC backing, according to the supplier). It suits most cars with headrests on the front and back seats, and it can also lie flat as a seat cover or go in the boot as a liner.
See the Deluxe Back Seat Hammock with Mesh Window.
Small dogs: a booster seat
Small dogs often travel better when they can see out of the window. Our booster seat is about 40 × 36 × 24 cm, for dogs up to 7 kg, and your dog should be able to sit and lie down comfortably inside. It straps round the headrest of a front or back seat. A short built-in lead clips to your dog's harness: always a harness, never a collar.
The back seat is the better place for it. If you do use the front, turn off the passenger airbag where your car allows. It isn't crash-tested, so don't rely on it for that.
See the Dog Car Booster Seat for Small Dogs.
Quick chooser
| Your dog rides… | Choose |
|---|---|
| In the boot | Boot liner |
| On the back seat, settled | Back seat cover |
| On the back seat, and you want the doors and the space behind the front seats covered too | Seat hammock |
| Small (up to 7 kg) and likes to see out | Booster seat |
| Boot some days, seat others | Both: the Muddy Walk Kit has a boot liner, a back seat cover and two microfibre towels |
The Muddy Walk Kit costs less than buying the three separately.
A liner protects the car, not your dog
None of these is a restraint. The Highway Code says dogs in vehicles should be suitably restrained, so they can't distract you while you're driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. It lists a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as ways to do it. Use one of those alongside your liner, cover or hammock.
Keeping any of them clean
Let the mud dry, then shake or brush it off outside. Dried mud comes off far more easily than wet. Vacuum up the hair and wipe down with a damp cloth, and make sure everything is completely dry before you fold it away. The booster seat cover hand-washes in cool water.
The less mud that gets in, the less there is to clean. Rinse paws before your dog gets in, and keep a towel and a bottle of water in the boot. There's more in our guide to keeping your car clean after muddy dog walks, and for the dog itself, see how to dry a wet dog fast.
Delivery
Everything is sent from UK stock by tracked delivery (Evri or Royal Mail) to England, Scotland and Wales: £3.99, or free over £40. Orders leave us in 1–2 working days and arrive in 3–7 working days. Shop car and travel kit.
