Dog Bed With Stairs for Small Dogs: 2026 Buying Guide
Small dogs sleep close to the ground and close to you — but the gap between the floor and your mattress is often too steep for short legs to clear safely. A dog bed with stairs for small dogs solves that by pairing a secure bedside bed with a low-rise step, so your small dog can climb up on its own instead of jumping or getting lifted every night.
- The Close To Me Nest bedside pet bed paired with a 1Step Pet Stair is the safest dog bed with stairs for small dogs setup in 2026.
- Small dogs under 25 lbs do best with a step rise under 8 inches — anything steeper strains hips and knees.
- Close2Me Pet Bed adjusts to fit bed frame gaps, so it stays snug instead of shifting when your dog climbs in.
- Skip freestanding stairs narrower than 12 inches — small dogs slip off untethered steps at night.
Who this is for
This guide is for owners of small dogs — Chihuahuas, Yorkies, Dachshunds, Pomeranians, small mixes under roughly 25 pounds — who sleep near or on the bed but can't safely jump the height of a mattress. It's also for anyone with a senior small dog, a small dog recovering from surgery, or a puppy still building joint strength. If your dog already jumps fine and you just want a comfortable spot on the floor, a standalone bed without stairs is the simpler answer.
Why this matters
A small dog jumping down from a 24-inch bed lands with force multiplied several times its body weight on tiny joints. Vets commonly flag repeated jumping as a contributor to knee and disc problems in small breeds, especially long-backed dogs like Dachshunds. Pairing a bedside bed like the Close To Me Nest with a low step gives your dog a controlled way up and down, night after night, without asking your back to lift a squirming 12-pound dog at 11pm.
What to look for in a dog bed with stairs for small dogs
Step height and rise
For small dogs, each step should rise no more than 6-8 inches. Anything steeper turns the "stair" into a mini jump, which defeats the purpose. A single 8-inch step is usually enough clearance for a bed roughly 18-20 inches off the floor.
Bed attachment and stability
A bedside bed that clips or straps to your bed frame won't shift when your dog steps in and out of it. Loose, freestanding beds tend to slide across hardwood or tile, creating a gap your dog can fall through mid-climb.
Non-slip tread surface
Carpeted or textured step surfaces matter more than they look like they should. Smooth wood or plastic treads get slick fast, especially with damp paws after a walk, and a slip on a step is worse than a slip on flat ground.
Storage integration
A step that doubles as a storage box under the lid earns its floor space back. It's not a safety factor, but it's the difference between a stair your household tolerates and one everyone actually keeps in place.
Washable liner
Bedside beds see nightly use, so a liner or cover that comes off and washes easily keeps the whole setup from turning into a dust magnet within a few weeks.
Size fit for small breeds
A bed sized for a 60-pound dog wastes space and gives a small dog too much room to slide around in. Look for a bedside nest sized to hug a small dog's body, roughly 20-26 inches across.
Top picks for 2026
Close To Me Nest — the anchor pick. This bedside bed attaches directly to your bed frame, closing the gap that small dogs otherwise have to jump. It's sized for small and medium dogs and priced at $99.95. Pair it with a single-rise step and you've solved both the sleeping spot and the climb. Buy for owners who want the simplest, most secure bedside setup.
Close To Me Oval Nest — the space-saver. Same bedside-attachment concept as the standard Nest, but in an oval footprint that tucks into tighter bedroom layouts. Also $99.95. Small dogs that like curling into a rounder shape tend to settle into this one faster. Consider it if your floor space next to the bed is limited.
Close2Me Pet Bed — the adjustable premium pick. This one adjusts to fit snugly against your bed frame instead of using fixed straps, which matters if your mattress height doesn't match a standard bed size. At $159.95 it costs more than the Nest models, but the adjustable fit reduces the chance of a gap opening up over time. Buy if your bed frame is nonstandard height or you want the most secure attachment on the market.
1Step Pet Stair with Storage — the low-rise stair. A single step at roughly 8 inches of rise, built for dogs and beds where one small step closes the gap. It hides a storage basket underneath, so it earns its spot on the floor even when your dog isn't using it. At $39.95, it's the lowest-cost way to add safe climb access. Buy for small dogs and lower beds.
2Step Pet Stairs with Storage — the taller-bed pick. For beds too high for a single step to bridge safely, the two-step version splits the climb into smaller rises so no single step exceeds the 8-inch guideline. It carries the same hidden-storage design as the 1Step. Buy if your mattress sits higher than about 22 inches off the floor.
What to avoid
- Freestanding stairs under 12 inches wide. Narrow steps wobble and give a small dog nothing to steady itself against mid-climb.
- Single steps taller than 8-10 inches. If the "stair" is really just one big jump in disguise, it doesn't solve the joint-strain problem you're trying to fix.
- Smooth-surface steps marketed as decorative. They photograph well but turn slick the moment a paw is even slightly damp.
Verdict comparison
| Product | Best for | Step/Rise | Price | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close To Me Nest | Standard bedside setup | Pair with 1Step | $99.95 | Buy |
| Close To Me Oval Nest | Tight floor space | Pair with 1Step | $99.95 | Consider |
| Close2Me Pet Bed | Nonstandard bed height | Pair with 1Step or 2Step | $159.95 | Buy |
| 1Step Pet Stair with Storage | Beds under 22 inches | Single ~8 inch rise | $39.95 | Buy |
| 2Step Pet Stairs with Storage | Beds over 22 inches | Two rises | $49.95 | Buy |
FAQ
What's the best dog bed with stairs for small dogs in 2026?
The Close To Me Nest bedside pet bed paired with the 1Step Pet Stair with Storage is the top combination for 2026 because it closes the mattress gap and keeps step rise under 8 inches. Together they cost under $140.
How tall should a pet step be for a small dog?
Keep each step rise at 8 inches or less for small dogs under 25 pounds. Beds over 22 inches off the floor usually need a two-step design instead of a single step.
Is a bedside bed better than a floor bed with stairs?
A bedside bed that attaches to the frame removes the gap entirely, so your dog climbs directly from the step into a secured nest rather than onto open mattress edge. A floor bed with stairs works fine if your dog prefers sleeping lower.
How much does a dog bed with stairs cost in 2026?
Expect $99.95 to $159.95 for a bedside pet bed and $39.95 to $49.95 for the matching stair, so a full setup runs roughly $140 to $210 in 2026.
Do small dogs actually need stairs, or can they just be lifted?
Stairs matter most for repeated nightly use, since lifting a squirming dog every night isn't sustainable and jumping down repeatedly stresses small joints over months and years.
Can the same stair work for two different beds?
Yes, as long as the step height matches your bed's floor clearance. A 1Step suits beds under about 22 inches; taller beds need the 2Step version.
What material should the stair treads be?
Textured or carpeted treads grip better than smooth wood or plastic, which matters most right after a walk when paws carry moisture.
One last thing
The detail owners skip most often is checking the gap between the bed frame and the mattress edge, not just the floor-to-mattress height. A bedside bed that attaches snugly, like the Close2Me Pet Bed, closes that gap directly instead of leaving a narrow slot a small dog's paw can catch in mid-step.