Dog Car 4x4 Travel Rear Seat Protector

Sick of dog mess through the back seat?

You come off a beach run or a wet paddock track and the dog goes straight in the back. Sand, mud and wet fur work into the seat fabric and down into the stitching, and that is where it stays until you spend a Sunday on it. Claws finish the job on the bolsters.

Then there is the other half of the problem. A plain flat seat cover leaves the footwell open, so a big dog spends the whole trip half in the gap, scrabbling for footing every time you hit a corrugation.

This one covers the rear bench and drops down over the footwell as one flat floor. Load-bearing plates run through a five-layer base so it bridges from the back of the front seats to the rear bench, giving the dog a platform 1298 mm across and 599 mm front to back. A 600D Oxford face takes the mud and the claws, and a dotted rubber backing keeps it sitting where you put it.

Be clear on what it is and what it is not. This is a cover and a barrier — it is not a restraint. Nothing here is crash tested, no standard is claimed and none is printed on it. A dog that needs restraining in a vehicle needs a harness tested for the job, and this is not one.

What It Does

• Farm and beach runs: mud, sand, salt water and wet fur land on a wipe-down Oxford face instead of your seat fabric and your stitching.
• Bridges the footwell: load-bearing plates through the base give a big dog one flat floor to lie on rather than a bench and a hole to slide into on a corrugated track.
• Keeps the cab clear: the raised front panel puts a wall of fabric between the rear bench and the front seats, so a restless dog has something in the way instead of a clear run at the gearstick.
• Dog can still see out: a mesh window is set into the front barrier, so the dog can watch the cab and air from the rear vents gets through instead of hitting a solid wall of fabric.
• Doubles as a boot liner: the supplier shows the same mat lining a wagon cargo area, laid on grass as a picnic mat and thrown over a tailgate.

Key Features

• Five-layer base: 600D Oxford cloth, sponge, load-bearing plates, Oxford fabric and a non-slip rubber backing, per the supplier cutaway diagram.
• Platform size: 1298 mm across the rear bench and 599 mm front to back, read off the supplier dimension drawing.
• Front barrier panel: 678 mm wide and standing 399 mm above the platform, with a see-through mesh window set into it.
• Rear back panel: 559 mm high, so the seat backrest is covered as well as the base.
• Mesh storage pocket: takes a lead, a brush, a water bottle or a couple of toys and keeps them off the floor.
• Non-slip dot rubber: the backing is a dotted rubber sheet that grips the seat rather than creeping forward under a moving dog.
• Headrest and roof straps: adjustable straps to the rear headrests, plus a triangular strap that hooks to a front headrest or the roof grab handle.
• Seatbelt openings: hook-and-loop slots let the rear belts and buckles through so the belts still work with the cover fitted.
• Seat anchors and buckles: tuck-in anchors and metal side buckles pull the slack out so the base sits flat instead of rucking up.
• Stated load: the supplier marketing image prints a figure of up to 181 kg. That is their number, not one we have tested, and no test method is given.

Limits

What this cover will not do, stated plainly.

• Not a restraint: it does not attach to the dog and it does not secure the dog. It is not crash tested, no standard is claimed and none is printed on it. A restraint harness tested for vehicle use is a separate item, and this cover is not a substitute for one.
• Not a cage: the front panel is a barrier, not a gate. A determined dog can still get over it.
• Water resistant, not waterproof: the supplier captions the fabric waterproof and we are not going to. No IP rating and no hydrostatic head figure are specified, the seams are stitched, and it is not a sealed tub. A big spill or a wet dog parked in one spot on a long drive will find the edges.
• Scratch resistant, not scratch proof: the supplier caption says scratch-proof. No abrasion rating is specified, so treat it as scratch resistant. It is not chew proof, and a dog that sets out to destroy it will.
• The load figure is theirs: 181 kg is printed on a supplier marketing image with no test method behind it. Do not plan a load around it.
• The space claim is unsourced: the supplier images claim 45 per cent more space. They never say more than what, so we are not repeating it as a specification.
• One size, one colour: black only, with no small or large option. Get a tape over your own rear bench and check it against 1298 mm across and 599 mm front to back.
• It fills the footwell: with the base fully out there is nowhere for a rear passenger to put their feet. The base is made in two sections with a fold across it, but the supplier does not state that the front section is meant to fold back for passenger use, so we will not tell you it does.
• The tether may not arrive: some supplier photos show a separate webbing tether with a seatbelt tongue and a swivel clip. It is not on the supplier contents list, so do not count on one turning up, and it would not be a tested restraint if it did.

Q & A

Will this hold my dog if I have to stop hard?

No. It is a cover and a barrier, nothing more. It does not attach to the dog, it is not crash tested and no standard is claimed for it. If you want the dog secured, that is a harness rated and tested for vehicle use, used as well as this cover rather than instead of it.

Will it fit my dual cab?

Get a tape over your own bench and check it. The platform is 1298 mm across the rear bench and 599 mm front to back. The supplier shows it suiting a sedan, an SUV, a family car and a pick-up, and it fits most dual-cab utes, 4x4s, SUVs and wagons on those figures. A much narrower bench will make it bunch at the sides.

Can I still use the rear seatbelts with it fitted?

Yes. There are hook-and-loop openings in the cover that let the rear belts and their buckles through, so you can still clip in.

Can I carry a passenger in the back seat as well?

Not with the base fully deployed. The platform covers the footwell, so there is nowhere to put your feet. The base has a fold across it and is clearly made in two sections, but the supplier does not say the front section is designed to fold back, so we are not going to promise that it does.

How do I clean it?

Wipe the Oxford face down, or hose it off and let it dry. The supplier specifies no washing instructions, no machine-wash guidance and no temperature, so we would not put it through a machine on the strength of a guess.

How long will it take to get here?

Allow 10 to 14 days from the day you order, and up to three weeks if you are regional or remote. Shipping is free to Australia and New Zealand.

Specs

In The Box

• One cover: the hard-bottom rear seat cover with its headrest straps, seat anchors and buckles attached.
• No separate tether listed: the webbing tether shown in some supplier photos is not on their contents list, so do not count on one arriving.