How to Measure Pet Stairs Height for Your Bed (2026)
Pet stairs look simple until the ones you bought sit unused by the bed because your dog won't trust the top step. Getting how to measure pet stairs height right the first time means five minutes with a tape measure before you shop, not a return label after.
- Measure bed height and your pet's shoulder height before buying anything — most step mismatches trace back to skipping this.
- Keep each step rise under 6 inches for dogs under 25 lbs and under 8 inches for larger breeds.
- Furmates' 1Step Pet Stair with Storage suits platform and low beds up to roughly 20 inches tall — Buy for low bed frames.
- A wobbly base or a steep incline angle is the top reason dogs refuse pet stairs in 2026 — test both before you commit.
Why this matters
A step that's too tall asks your dog to jump the gap anyway, which defeats the entire point of buying stairs. A step that's too short leaves a visible ledge between the top tread and the mattress, and most dogs stop halfway rather than commit to an unclear landing.
Orthopedic vets who write about senior dog mobility in 2026 consistently point to the same issue: owners buy stairs sized for the room, not the bed. Furmates builds stair units around real bed heights specifically because a stair that fits your décor but not your mattress line gets ignored within a week.
What you'll need
- A tape measure or yardstick
- A notepad or your phone's notes app
- Your pet standing in a relaxed, natural stance
- The bed or platform the stairs will lead to
- A pet stair unit with adjustable or known step height (this is where the 1Step or 2Step models come in)
The steps
1. Measure your bed height from floor to mattress top
This is the single number everything else depends on. Stand a tape measure flat against the floor next to your bed frame and read the height at the top of the mattress, not the top of the frame rail.
Most platform beds run 14 to 18 inches; traditional frames with box springs often hit 24 to 28 inches. Write this number down first — every other measurement in this guide gets compared against it. Skipping this step is the most common reason pet parents end up with dog beds with stairs for tall bed frames mismatched to what they actually own.
2. Measure your pet's shoulder height, not their length
Have your dog or cat stand square on all fours and measure straight up from the floor to the top of the shoulder blades (the withers), not the head. This tells you how far a single stride can comfortably reach upward.
A general rule for 2026 stair builds: each step rise should be no more than a third of your pet's shoulder height. A 12-inch-tall dog manages a 4-inch rise easily; a 24-inch-tall dog can handle 7 to 8 inches per step without straining.
3. Calculate total rise and divide it into steps
Subtract nothing here — your bed height number from step 1 is your total rise. Divide that number by your target step height from step 2 to get a rough step count.
Example: an 18-inch bed height divided into 6-inch rises equals 3 steps. If your pet's ideal rise is smaller, expect to need one more step, which matters when comparing a 1-step unit against a taller model.
4. Check the depth of each tread, not just the height
A short-legged dog can technically clear a 6-inch rise and still refuse the stairs if the tread is too shallow to plant all four paws. Look for at least 8 to 10 inches of tread depth for small breeds and 10 to 12 inches for medium dogs.
A tread that's too shallow forces your pet to balance on the edge of each step, which reads as unstable even when the structure is solid.
5. Test the incline angle with your hand, not your eyes
Set the stairs against the bed and run your palm up the slope. Anything approaching a 45-degree angle is closer to a ladder than a staircase for a pet's joints, especially for arthritic or senior animals.
A gentler 30-to-35-degree slope with more, shorter steps beats fewer, steeper ones almost every time for dogs recovering from surgery or managing joint pain.
6. Confirm the base footprint matches your floor space
Measure the floor space between your bed and any nightstand or wall. A stair unit needs enough clearance that your pet can approach at a straight angle rather than a diagonal squeeze, which discourages use fast.
7. Run a supervised trial climb before you call it done
Once the stairs are in place, walk your pet up and down three or four times with a leash and treats, watching for hesitation at any single step rather than the whole staircase. Hesitation at one step usually means that specific rise is still too tall relative to the ones around it.
Troubleshooting
- Pet stops at the top step and won't jump onto the bed. The final step is likely still too far below the mattress top — remeasure and add a step or choose a taller unit.
- Pet skips the middle step entirely. The rises aren't even; a step that's noticeably shorter than the others gets treated as optional.
- Stairs wobble when your pet climbs. Check the base footprint against a hard floor versus carpet — a unit steady on hardwood can rock on thick carpet padding.
- Pet approaches, sniffs, then walks away. This is usually about incline angle, not height — retest with your palm against the slope.
- Stairs fit the bed but not the room. Measure the approach space in front of the stairs, not just the height against the bed frame.
- A senior or arthritic dog uses the stairs once, then avoids them. Drop the target step rise below the general guideline and add a step; joint pain shrinks the comfortable range fast, a pattern covered further in guidance on training a dog to use pet stairs.
Tools and resources
- Tape measure or yardstick (any hardware store, under $10)
- A notepad for the two core numbers: bed height and shoulder height
- A stair unit with a known, fixed rise per step
- Treats for the supervised trial climb in step 7
What to do next
Once your measurements are confirmed, match them against the stair unit's listed dimensions rather than photos alone — listed rise and tread depth tell you more than any product image can. If your bed runs on the taller side, review sizing guidance built specifically around raised frames before you commit to a purchase.
FAQ
How do I measure pet stairs height for my bed?
Measure straight up from the floor to the top of your mattress, then divide that number by a comfortable per-step rise for your pet's size. A bed at 18 inches split into 6-inch rises needs about 3 steps.
What's the ideal step height for a small dog?
Small dogs under 25 lbs generally do best with rises under 6 inches per step. Anything taller and they tend to hesitate or skip the step entirely.
Can one pet stair unit work for both a dog and a cat?
Yes, as long as the rise suits the smaller animal's shoulder height, since a step comfortable for a cat is almost always comfortable for a dog too. The reverse isn't true.
Is a steeper set of stairs ever better?
No — a steeper incline saves floor space but strains joints, especially in senior or arthritic pets. A gentler 30-to-35-degree slope with more steps is the safer choice in 2026 stair designs.
How much does a pet stair unit cost in 2026?
Compact single-step units start under $40, while two-step models with storage run closer to $50. Larger multi-step units for tall bed frames cost more depending on materials.
Do pet stairs need to match my bed's exact height?
They need to reach within a step's rise of your mattress top, not the exact height. A small gap of an inch or two at the very top is fine as long as the last rise stays consistent with the rest.
What if my dog still won't use the stairs after correct sizing?
Check the base for wobble and the tread depth for stability before assuming it's a training issue. Most refusals trace back to the physical fit, not stubbornness.
One last thing
The measurement pet parents skip most often isn't bed height — it's tread depth. A stair unit can have a perfect rise and still get avoided if each step is too shallow for all four paws to land, so measure both before you buy in 2026, not just one.