My 80lb dog has been having some joint pain, so I wanted to get him something with more support. A lot of beds that claim to be orthopedic are very thin, so it's hard to know what you're getting. This bed is really thick - there is still a lot of support between him and the ground when he is lying on it. The fabric reminds me of an old pair of jeans: it's soft, but very thick. He likes to "nest" before he sleeps, and it seems like it will really hold up to his big paws. We got the larger size and it's plenty of room for him to sprawl out.