2023 Select Pet Awards: the best products under $25

Apr 10, 2024

We love to spend money on our furry friends, but sometimes that can get expensive. Who knew that pet toys, treats, beds, leashes, carriers, harnesses and food could really add up. Enter: the Select Best of Pet Awards, which are the culmination of many hours of having our animals (and humans) find our favorite products in categories like grooming, sleep, apparel, toys and food. To share our findings (which include a dog bed that could cradle a 120-pound and his owner), we rounded up winners that cost $25 or less for anyone who wants a pet product that won’t break the bank but still checks all the boxes.

Find even more Select Best for Your Pet Award winners in our cleaning, care, play and food categories, as well as winners sold on Amazon. To see a full list of our winners, visit Select’s Best for Your Pet Awards homepage.

First and foremost, our editors compiled all Select’s pet content across play, care, food and cleaning categories. From there, we chose products that were featured in our articles and did a competitive market research analysis on new and additional products, including ones that are expert-recommended and highly rated.

Products underwent a five-week trial period before being selected as our favorite in their respective category. We utilized our editors as shopping and trying experts, along with medical professionals, who provided us with information and advice they give their pet patients and parents. For sensitive product categories like dog food, cat treats, etc., our team relied exclusively on our pets’ previous experience and the recommendations from our medical experts.

When we look at any products, especially pet items, we look at them comprehensively. To be our favorite in a category requires fulfilling a multitude of our readers’ needs. We want to provide products that perform well, but we also want to share ones that allow our readers to upgrade their lives. Among other things, we specifically looked at price, ingredients and overall quality and effectiveness. Each category required different criteria to consider during our trial period.

Award: Best Nail Trimmer | Pet Type: Cat

Frisco’s nail trimmer uses high-carbon steel blades to trim your pet’s nails. “The rubber-like grip on the scissors made them more comfortable and easy to use,” says NBCU page Alexis Lambert. That said, Lambert has spent years trimming cat’s nails and mentions there may be a learning curve for those cutting their pet’s nails for the first time. The scissors themselves are fairly compact, only about 4.5 inches long so you can take it with you on the go.

Award: Best Brush | Pet Type: Dog

Maxpower’s Planet Pet Brush is affordable, durable and was easy to incorporate into Select updates editor Mili Godio’s 16-pound Havachon’s daily grooming routine. “The durable, stainless steel teeth on each side are curved, so they get each individual tangle and mat in Bella’s curly, hard-to-tame coat that other combs simply can’t,” she says. Just make sure not to use it on your dog’s legs, head or tail to prevent any cuts, according to the brand.

Award: Best Shampoo | Pet Type: Dog

This dog shampoo left Bella’s coat looking soft and feeling clean, says Godio. “The shampoo lathered very nicely, which made it easy to get every inch of her coat.” The scent is also not top overpowering and even though the shampoo is not labeled as hypoallergenic, Godio says it didn’t irritate her dog’s sensitive skin. It has aloe vera extract, vegetable glycerin, witch hazel extract and naturally derived fragrance

Award: Best Wipes

These wipes contain shea butter, aloe vera and chamomile, making them moisturizing and gentle on pets’ skin and fur, according to Malin. They effectively wipe her one-year-old mixed breed cat’s paws and nose clean. “Wanda gets litter stuck to her feet sometimes and I use these to wipe it off,” she says. Godio also uses these wipes to clean Bella’s paws after a long walk in the city, when her pet’s paws are grey and covered in dirt. You can choose between scented and unscented wipes, although Malin suggests using the scented ones as they’re better at masking odors.

Award: Best Water Bottle

This 25-ounce water bottle is made from stainless steel and is very portable, according to Select social editor Sadhana Daruvuri. “It was very easy to pour the water into the lid,” she says. “However, pouring extra water back into the bottle was a bit of a challenge.” There’s also a clasp to attach this water bottle to your bag or belt. Just remember: this water bottle is hand wash only.

Award: Best Litter | Type: Multi-Cat

“My favorite thing about this litter is that it gives off very little dust, minimizing sneezing and allergies for me,” says Select editorial projects associate Rebecca Rodriguez. “It’s great at minimizing odors for a multi-pet household.” The litter also forms solid clumps that don’t break apart when you scoop them, according to Rodriguez.

Award: Best Ball | Pet Type: Dog

Chuckit’s ultra ball was a little too big for Daruvuri’s 10-pound Maltipoo Bandit, but she did say that it was very durable. “Bandit didn’t play with it as much as his other ball toy, but he did throw it around the apartment quite a bit,” she says. “There were no signs of damage on the ball.” While it might not be best for a small dog, she says it might be better suited to a bigger pet.

Award: Best Interactive Toy | Pet Type: Dog

This toy is a great product for teething puppies: “Shep has been obsessed with his Kong since the first day he tested it — we now prepare one every morning to use whenever we need to keep him occupied for some time,” says NBCU page Mikhaila Archer about her Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy.. You can fill the toy with snacks or even peanut butter to keep your pet stimulated. In the week since her puppy started using it, the toy has no broken pieces or damage — except for a few gnaw marks of course.

Award: Best Enrichment Toy | Pet Type: Dog

“When I'll need to leave my puppy home for a little while or just need some space to focus on work, I can trust the Pupsicle to keep him entertained for at least thirty minutes,” says Archer. You can fill the toy with Woof’s Pupsicle Pops and Archer recommends “sometimes throwing them in the freezer beforehand to help the toy last even longer.”

Award: Best Puzzle Toy | Pet Type: Dog

Daruvuri’s Bandit loved playing with this toy and getting the individual individual squeak toys out. “He would gravitate to this toy often and bring back parts of it to his bed to nibble on and squeak,” she says. The puzzle could take anywhere between a minute to five for her pet to solve. It’s pretty durable, withstanding Bandit’s pulling and chewing over the test period. That said, it might not be the best toy for a teething puppy as Archer’s puppy did manage to unravel the stitching of the toy with everyday use.

Award: Best Stuffed Toy | Pet Type: Dog

This is a stuffed dog toy that dogs can carry around, catch and snuggle with, according to Malin. “The toy doesn't have a lot of stuffing and it’s kind of floppy, which I think Chance likes --- it doesn't take up a lot of room in his bed, he can easily grab it and hold it in his mouth and he can lay on it,” says Malin. It also has a chew-resistant lining for durability, according to the brand. “I pulled on it and didn't notice gaps in the seams, which is a good sign,” says Malin.

Award: Best Laser Toy | Pet Type: Cat

“I use it with my cat Wanda to distract her while I do something and she wants to play,” says Malin. “It turns on and off at different intervals and I can switch it on before I leave for work so it can occupy her while I’m gone.” It also has an auto shut-off feature and can be connected via USB cable or through AA batteries.

Award: Best Stuffed Toy | Pet Type: Cat

“When I brought this banana toy home, my 8-year-old cat started acting like a kitten again,” says Select editorial director Lauren Swanson. “He spent 5 hours licking it and throwing it in the air until I had to take it away.” Each toy contains 100% organic catnip that’s individually stuffed, according to the brand.

Award: Best Puzzle Toy | Pet Type: Cat

We recommend this cat puzzle toy for how durable and mentally stimulating it is. “It’s highly engaging for cats because they really have to work to get the treats hidden underneath the little doors,” says Malin. “Wanda is so determined to get her treats and watching her figure out which piece to move and which angle to approach it from makes clear how mentally stimulating the toy is.” It’s made from rigid plastic and the movable pieces securely lock in place, according to Malin.

Award: Best Tunnel Toy | Pet Type: Cat

This pop-up cat tunnel is great for playing hide and seek with your cat. “It’s much more engaging than a one-way tunnel -- this one is designed with three tunnels that connect in the middle, and there are hanging balls she can whack at, plus an opening on the top she loves jumping through.,” says Malin. It simply folds down when you need to store it and requires little to no assembly — just pop it open.

Award: Best Teaser Toy | Pet Type: Cat

If you need an interactive teaser toy, choose the Rainbow Cat Charmer. “My favorite thing about this charmer is that it is felt and not ribbon/string which tends to break and fray,” says Rodriguez. “Enzo (15 pound short haired cat) will literally carry this wand around with him.” The teaser itself is made from an anti-fade fabric, which should keep the color from fading over time, according to Cat Dancer Products. It’s also made for both cats and kittens.

Award: Best Food Bowl | Pet Type: Cat

Made from ceramic and bamboo, this tilted bowl is designed to reduce back pressure on your pet, according to the brand. Malin uses this bowl to feed both wet and dry food to ger cat. “The stand is very sturdy and does not move around at all when cats are eating from it,” she says. It’s also easy to clean: “You can wipe off the bamboo part with a gentle cleaning solution or damp cloth, and the ceramic bowls are smooth, making them easy to hand-wash,” says Malin.

Award: Best Treats Pet Type: Dog

These baked light biscuits are a favorite of Dr. Coston as they taste good and have fewer calories. They’re chicken flavored and are recommended for adult dogs — so don’t feed them to your puppy. They also have no artificial colors or flavors and contain vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients according to the brand.

When a product carries the Select badge, you can trust that our team of editors as shopping experts and professionals vetted the item thoroughly. We are journalists, first and foremost, which means we will always do our research and reporting.

To ensure our product picks are more than just editor-approved, we used a panel of experts, including veterinarians, pet groomers and veterinary technicians to give buying advice for each category. When conferring with our experts, we asked them for advice they would give to their patients or clients. Some members of our expert panel recommended individual products. Other products we gave awards to are ones we use in our own lives. You can learn more about our expert panel on our Best for Your Pet Awards page.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Nishka Dhawan is the associate commerce editor at NBC Select.