Does your beloved pooch have stiff, arthritis-ridden joints that make it hard or impossible to jump up and down on furniture? Is he or she recovering from surgery and not allowed to jump? Or maybe you’re experiencing back problems and are having a hard time lifting Fido off and on the couch or bed.
If any of these are true, the ramp and stairs by Royal Ramps could make your & your pup’s lives easier. While none of these were true for my pups, we found yet another use for the ramp & stairs…more on that below!
Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Royal Ramps. K9sOverCoffee was provided with a free dog ramp and stairs to test, review & give away to two lucky readers (between April 10-24, 2017). Here on K9sOverCoffee, I only share information I feel is relevant to my readers & always provide 100% honest reviews. Royal Ramps is not responsible for the content of this blog post.
Who Is Royal Ramps?
Royal Ramps is based out of Las Vegas, NV, and has been manufacturing high-density, industrial grade foam pet stairs and ramps for over 10 years. All of their products are designed, manufactured, and assembled in the USA.
Lightweight & Easy Assembly
When the stairs & ramp were delivered, I was faced with two large packages sitting on the front porch and remember thinking to myself “oh boy, bringing them inside will be my strength workout of the day“.
I couldn’t have been more wrong. Each package was super lightweight and the assembly couldn’t have been easier.
Multiple Height Options Thanks To Strong Velcro
What makes the assembly such a breeze? The fact that the individual elements are attached to one another using strong velcro. So all I had to do was line up the 3 individual steps that form our stairs and “velcro” them together, and pawlà! The stairs were ready to be used. It was just as easy to put the ramp together.
Besides making the assembly process easy, the velcro also translates into multiple height options that can be interchanged to fit individual pets’ needs. So if I had purchased the 14″ 2 step stairs and then bought a taller couch later on down the road, I could simply add another step to adjust to the taller height. #Clever
Available In 3 Different Colors
The stairs & ramp we tested are a dark brown color called Chocolate Suede because it worked best with our furniture, but they are also available in Platinum Gray, Charcoal Gray, and Oyster Brown.
Stair In Platinum Gray
Stairs In Charcoal Gray
Ramp In Oyster Brown
Machine Washable Fabric Covers
According to Royal Ramps, their upholstery-grade suede fabric is impermeable to stains (“pet stains, soda, and even red wine easily wash off with mild soap and lukewarm water”). I didn’t test the soda or red wine claim, but did wipe off some drool that was caused by tasty treats handed out during our photo sessions 😉 That DID clean up very nicely!
In case the covers get soiled by something else or you simply feel like giving them a wash after having used them for a while, they ARE machine washable (in cold water & with mild soap & need to be air-dried) and come with an easily removable zipper closing.
Easily Removable Zipper Closing
The Ramps & Stairs Are Perfect For…
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- Tiny dogs too small to jump up onto a tall bed or couch
- Medium size dogs suffering from arthritis which makes it tough on their joints to jump on and off furniture
- Small & medium size dogs recovering from surgery
- YOUR back if you’re experiencing trouble lifting your pooch on and off furniture
In my humble opinion, they are also great to work on strengthening the doggie rear. How so? When Matthew from Royal Ramps contacted me about testing the stairs & ramp, my first thought was “sure, but the pups are neither bothered by arthritis nor recovering from surgery“.
A split second later, after having taken a look at the pictures of both products, my thought process expanded and went to “But wait! These would be great for rear leg strength training!“.
Bonus – Using The Stairs/Ramp To Strengthen Their Hindquarters
That’s because when dogs walk up a hill or stairs, their hindquarters have to work harder and as a result, the rear muscles are strengthened. Since older dogs typically lose the strength in their hind legs first, it’s super important to continually strengthen those hind legs throughout a dog’s life. #PreventionIsKey
When dogs hold a pose on a free standing element such as the stairs and also the ramp (= hill), they also work on their balance, which ultimately improves their confidence and body control.
Any Cons?
The ramp and stairs are made of foam, and while they’re made of industrial grade high-density foam, they are not as sturdy as similar products made of wood or metal, and they’re a little on the unstable side when walked on by larger dogs. The company does specify that their products (only) support dogs up to 75 lbs.
Buzz weighs about 70 lbs and made both the stairs and ramp wobble slightly, but he was still able to use them.
I weigh 130 lbs and definitely made both wobble, so neither are a good fit for large and extra large dogs.
The price tag for the tall 21″ ramp, $246.99, & stairs, $287.99, is on the higher end. The 7″ one step is the least expensive at $76.99 followed by the 14″ two step, $156.99, & the 14″ ramp, $208.99. The 21″ ramp with landing costs $369.99.
That being said, the quality of the stairs & ramp justify the price, especially since they’re a one time investment and should last for years.
How To Get Your Paws On The Stairs & Ramp
The pups are allowed on the furniture, but since neither Missy nor Buzz are arthritic or too small to hop on and off the couch and bed, you can enter for a chance to win the stairs and ramp we tested for you in the giveaway sponsored by Royal Ramps between April 10-24, 2017 (open to lower 48 US only).
Bottom Line
Royal Ramp’s indoor stairs & ramps are stylish quality accessories that come in a variety of colors suitable for different height furniture. They are designed, manufactured, and assembled right here in the USA.
They’re a wonderful solution for tiny to medium size dogs suffering from arthritis or who are simply not well equipped to jump on and off furniture. (I’m thinking Doxies, Basset Hounds, Corgis, Bulldogs…) #ShortLegProblems
Could your pup use a ramp or stairs to make life easier? As always, we’d love to hear from you in our comment section!
This would help me dog Annie because she has difficulty jumping onto the bed.
Good luck, Annie 🙂
My kids just got two little puppies! They are very tiny so this could come in handy! 😀
Yay for puppies! Good luck!
Not only would this help my Tuc get in and out of bed it will make it much easier for him to get on the couch when I am not around. He is almost 14 and he is now having a harder time with his hips and legs giving him the support to jump up on furniture.
Good luck, Tuc! I sure hope that my pups will be around for their 14th birthdays as well 🙂
This would really help Ace out to prevent any possible injuries. He jumps up on every piece of furniture in our house and we know we should get a product like this to allow him to safely get up on things.
Paws crossed for Ace 🙂
My dog would benefit because right now about 75% of the time she can’t quite jump high enough to get on our bed.
Poor pup! Good luck to her 🙂
That’s so great to see your pups using the ramps! Missy and Buzz look adorable in the pictures. Good luck to everyone in the awesome giveaway!
Thank you, Lindsay, also for getting us in touch with Matthew 🙂
it would help his joints and it would make it easier for him
Good luck! We can all use a little help sometimes.
These ramps are so helpful. Unfortunately it is a typical american product.
Over here in Germany it is not that common.
Looking forward to any improvement.
Greetings
Danni
Hi Danni, yes, I suppose they’re less common back home, although I found a website dedicated just to dog ramps (& a few stairs, too): http://www.hunderampe24.de
They’re not as nice as the ones from Royal Ramps though!
LG in die Heimat
Stetson will turn 11 this year and Linus 13. They are both on glucosamine and they are both doing surprisingly well considering their age. However, until we put them on glucosamine they both were slow starters in the morning. Ramps up to the bed and couch would be great for my old timers, but my guys are rather large and any wobbles would probably not be good for a somewhat unstable dog. I bet Royal Ramps would work great for my in-laws Yorkie!
I’m glad to hear that the glucosamine is working for both of your pups! I agree with you regarding the suitability of the ramp/stairs for your guys – I wouldn’t recommend them for full grown Labs/Goldens, BUT they would be perfect for your in-laws’ Yorkie 😉
Would love the great set for my mom’s aging dog. She whines and whine about until you pick her up and put her on bed.
There will be 2 winners – one lucky reader will get the stairs, and another one the ramp 🙂 Good luck!
Thank you :0)
@apollospack
(as Shelley P)
This would help my smaller rescued dogs be able to get up and down from the couch themselves. No more having to wait for me to lift them 🙂 They would love that!
Good luck for more couch freedom 🙂
My dachshund has such small legs it is hard for him to jump up onto the couch with us. Increasing in age it is getting much harder. This is essential right now.
The ramp would definitely be perfect for a Dachshund. Paws crossed!
We have our dogs in the bed and up on the furntiure with us..they are soooooooo spoiled..This would help them so much now they are getting older and its harder to get up here with us
Good luck to your spoiled pups 😉
I have a 12 year old Beagle who has trouble climbing now because he has arthritis in his hips. This would really help him out!
Our poodle sleeps in the bed. He is getting older, and it would help him get in the bed without help.
We recently adopted our dog, Hazel. She is 10 years old and seems to have a lot of pain. She wants to get up on the furniture so badly but she does not like to be picked up. These stairs and ramp would be perfect for her.
My dog who is a German Shepard has a bad hip and she has a hard time getting up on our couch and in our car and any other place that she has to jump up. Often we have to pick her up and help her and she is 90 pounds so this would help her and my husband and I. Thanks for the chance!
I have a dachshund she has short legs so this would let her easily get up on the couch
My dog is 14 and not moving around as well as he used too, so this would help him sooo much
Have 2 small dogs that I have to pick up and place on couch, chair or bed. With this ramp stairs they would have access to all of these and would not have to depend on me.
My baby would love these! He is so small he can’t get onto the bed.
It would make it so much easier for my dog to get in and out of the bed. She has lots of trouble jumping down.
My black lab turns 13 this year and her arthritis is really acting up. This would ne awesome for her!
This would help our shih tzus. They are very old and have a hard time getting up and down. This would tremendously help Their little bodies.
Our little dog cries to get on the bed. This would be a benefit for her as well as us! She will be 10 years old this year. These are awesome!
our Daisy is now over 14 she is really starting ro have issues jumping up on the couch with us now
perfect for both my animals!
I have a potbelly pig and so does my mom not only would this help my dogs jump on and off our bed at night, but would deff help our pigs get in and out of our car when we take them places to events and such like today we went to a Food Truck Festival in the area and getting them in the car is a pain sometimes. I love this and such a great idea. Thanks
my dog is a poeranian and he is 11years old. this would help so much with his athritis/ would love to win.
Being that I have 2 Senior Furbabies and they Can’t get on the bed or Couch by themselves…it would be WONDERFUL to have these so they could “come and go as they please” without causing any pain to themselves…..and without having to Ask us to put them up or down!!! I KNOW they would be THRILLED with the new independence that these would afford them!!!! Thank you so much for the chance!!!
These would help my dog get up in the bed, she struggles and we have to lift her onto the bed with us,
Once an animal reaches a certain age it becomes more and more difficult for them to jump up when necessary.
My cat is getting older. It would help her get to her favorite spot with ease–the couch
My new bed is to high for our fur baby this would help so much !!
This would benefit our dog because she’s old and it’ll be easier for her to get into bed rather than having to jump up high.
Our bed is quite high and our furbaby has arthritis, this would be a great help!
My 12 year old lab would benefit for sure! She’s slowing down.
With older dogs this is def needed
My ladybug is 13.5 years old and is a bit lame in the back right leg. I am currently sleeping with my mattress right on the floor so she doesn’t have to jump. We also use a reusable shopping bag turned into sling to help her get up the stairs. This would be so beneficial for our family! Thanks for the chance 🙂
I have two sweet furbabies. My Aria turns 5 years old soon, my Maggie turns 1 year old in June. This would be very useful and I would love to win!
my dog has broken her leg trying to jump from our couch to the floor so this would make things so much safer
I can see my cat enjoying sleeping on these, a different level each day!
My old girl Bella has one heck of a time getting into my bed. She’s mama’s girl and always has to be buy my side. She’d really appreciate this.
My black lab is turning 10 in Sept. I`m seeing him age; this would be wonderful for him! Thanks for the chance to win it.
I know these would help my Chihuahuas be able to get onto my bed easier because they are getting up there in age an have a hard time jumping up & my cats would also be able to use them to get onto the bed.
These would be great my dog is 10 and can no longer jump up so with these he could get on the couch or bed without waiting for me to lift him!
this would be a blessing. Twinkie is my service dog and for her to be able to get up on the bed without help would be awesome. Knowing that she could get to me sooner and safer would really help both us out.
The ramp or the stairs would be ideal for my little 10 year old Pomeranian. She has arthritis in her hips and it’s hard on her to climb anymore. Thank you so much for the opportunity!
We would benefit soooo much. My Chihuahua can’t jump anywhere especially our bed. I have to get up every night 3 and 4 times to pick her up from her jumping off the bed and not being able to get back on the bed. It drives me crazy especially since I’m trying to sleep. Winning these would be such a blessing. I would finally get a good nights sleep 🙂 Thanks for the chance. These are awesome.
I’ve actually been looking for something like this! We have a soon to be 13 year old 130 pound Mastador (mastiff/lab) who has pretty bad arthritis in his rear end, we recently had to load him into our SUV to take him to the vet and that was a huge and painful for him process! These would make life SO MUCH easier for getting him in and out of the car!