Hamsters need bedding.
One of the unavoidable duties of owning a hamster is to provide them with that bedding.
This shouldn’t be a problem… unless you or your hamster are allergic to the bedding.
The two types of allergies most pet owners have an issue with are dust allergies and wood allergies.
This article will recommend the best hypoallergenic beddings for hamsters that don’t contain either of these allergy-causing substances.
Let’s start with a quick look at our top picks, then keep reading for all the glorious details.
- Top Recommendation: So Phresh Scented Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding
- Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Crumble Bedding
- CritterCare Natural Pet Bedding
- Small Pet Select Unbleached White Paper Bedding
- Back2Nature Small Animal Bedding
Don’t have time? Here is a quick comparison of our favorites!
Here’s a quick video review!
5 Best Hypoallergenic Beddings for Hamsters (Review)
1. Top Recommendation: So Phresh Scented Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding
Out of all the hamster bedding options I’ve examined, the SoPhresh Scented Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding is the best choice for people or hamsters who are allergic to dust or wood [2].
Benefits & Drawbacks of So Phresh Scented Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Free of wood and virtually free of dust. This bedding should not cause allergies to flare up. | It’s on the pricier side. As of my writing this, a 40-liter bag costs just under $29. However, because it won’t flare up your allergies and absorbs odors better than the alternatives, I think it’s worth the price. |
| Very absorbent and effective at odor control. The primary issue I found with most hypoallergenic paper bedding options was that they were bad at absorbing liquids and controlling odors. This bedding performs both of these jobs exceptionally well, so you won’t have to change the bedding as often as other kinds. | |
| The crumbled paper is fairly soft. There are no coarse or rough edges, so your hamster playing and nesting in it. | |
| No evidence of quality control issues. The bedding quality seems to remain consistent from batch to batch, and no customers have reported issues with bugs contaminating the bag. |
- Odor-Control Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding from So Phresh
- Scented paper blended with baking soda for outstanding odor control
- Made of 95% post-consmer paper collected from recycling centers and the PaperGador Recycling Program
- 99% dust free and 100% non-allergenic
- Completely non-toxic and biodegradable
READ MORE: Is pine bedding safe for hamsters?
2. Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Crumble Bedding
If the So Phresh bedding costs too much for your liking, some other options are available. One of these is the Vitakraft Fresh World Ultra Strength Crumble Bedding.
This is a cheaper option that will prevent allergy flair-ups and absorb odor moderately well.
Benefits & Drawbacks of Vitakraft Fresh Bedding
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| It’s made out of unbleached recycled paper, so it’s free of wood and dust. | Some customers have noticed a a recent decrease in bedding quality. It seems Vitakraft has updated their formula, which has led to a noticeable increase in an unpleasant smell |
| It’s considerably cheaper than So Phresh. As of my writing this, a 34-liter bag costs $16.99. This is quite a savings compared to the $29 40-liter So Phresh bag. | |
| It absorbs odors quite well. Vitakraft advertises up to 14 days of odor control before the bedding needs changing. Real-world experience shows that it actually lasts about 5-7 days before it needs changing, which is still pretty good. |
Check out this video on Vitakraft Fresh Bedding.
- SUPERIOR ODOR CONTROL: Up to 14 days of odor control to keep your home and your bunny, chinchilla, guinea pig, or hamster's home smelling clean and fresh
- EXTRA ABSORBANT: Fresh World is heavier and more absorbent than normal bedding with up to 3x expansion, making it paper bedding small animals and their parents can rely on
- SAFE AND COMFORTABLE: Extra soft for easy comfort, 99.5% dust-free, and free of baking soda. No more sneezing for your small pet, no more worrying for you
- ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: Made from 100% real recycled paper that you can see and smell. Biodegradable and compostable
- LOW MAINTENANCE: With regular spot cleaning, the Ultra Strength formula can control odor for up to 14 days. Change bedding when wet, or once the odor blocker is no longer effectively controlling odors
3. CritterCare Natural Pet Bedding
CritterCare Natural pet bedding is another decent alternative.
Benefits & Drawbacks of CritterCare Natural Pet Bedding
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| It’s made out of hypoallergenic unbleached white paper, which is free of wood and has a low amount of dust. | As I mentioned, the odor control seems to have gone down in quality. |
| It has decent absorbency and odor control. However, some customers have noted a decline in odor control quality, so you might experience issues if you don’t change the bedding often. | Some customers have also mentioned a bad smell coming from the bag when they first opened it. |
| The bedding is extremely compact. So while the bag only contains 12.5 liters of bedding, it expands to more than 30 liters when spread around the cage. |
ALSO CHECK: Can you use straw for hamster bedding?
4. Small Pet Select Unbleached White Paper Bedding
This Small Pet Select unbleached white paper bedding is another bedding made for allergy sufferers.
Benefits & Drawbacks of Small Pet Select Unbleached White Paper Bedding
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| Its paper-based material is free of wood, and almost completely free of dust. Allergy sufferers should be able to use this bedding without consequence. | It doesn’t absorb odor too well. If you don’t change your bedding regularly, that could become a problem. |
| This bedding is also extremely soft and compact. Your hamsters will love the soft-as-clouds feeling on their feet, and they’ll also enjoy using it as nesting material. | The quality control at Small Pet Select isn’t the best. Multiple customers have reported small black bugs inside the bedding bag. So if you do buy this bedding, make sure to inspect the bag for bugs before opening it |
| The white color makes it easy to spot and remove soiled bedding. You won’t have to do full bedding changes to remove odor-causing trouble spots. |
- White bedding makes it easier to spot "used" Litter and clean up only messy areas
- Soft and absorbent - Made with unbleached paper fiber
- 99% dust free and is safe and comfortable for small pets
- Sludge free and never recycled print
- Paper bedding is measured based on volume not weight, as the density of paper varies so much. Jumbo 178L white bedding will always expand to at least 178L usable volume. Weight should have variance between 8lb-12lb.
5. Back2Nature Small Animal Bedding
Rounding out our list of hamster bedding for allergies is the Back-2-Nature Small Animal Bedding.
Benefits & Drawbacks of Back2Nature Small Animal Bedding
| Benefits | Drawbacks |
|---|---|
| It’s made out of recycled hypoallergenic bedding. So once again, no wood and very little dust. | At $40 for 20 liters, it’s the most expensive bedding on this list. |
| It handles odor and absorbency exceptionally well. | |
| There is no evidence of quality control issues or bug infestations. |
- Natural Odour Control
- Highly absorbent
- Made from 99% recycled paper
- Soft on little feet
- Contains no nasty chemicals or additives.Made in UK, Packaging may vary
ALSO READ: How Often to Change Hamster Bedding?
Hypoallergenic Hamster Bedding: What To Look For
There are a few criteria any hypoallergenic [1] hamster bedding needs to meet to consider it “good” for people with allergies.
- The bedding needs to be free of wood and virtually free of dust.
- The bedding needs be soft enough for your hamster to comfortably live and nest in.
- The bedding needs to have a decent level of absorbency to mask the urine and fecal matter smell that your hamster will inevitably create.
There are a few options that meet all of these criteria. However, I’ve found that some of the most popular hypoallergenic bedding choices have some quality control issues:
- The bedding quality from some brands can be inconsistent. Some batches will have soft high-quality bedding, while others will have coarse low-quality bedding. It seems these brands have built up a good name for themselves with high-quality bedding and are now attempting to use that reputation to raise their profit margins by producing a lower quality product.
- Some customers have reported bugs infesting their bedding bags.
While it’s impossible to say whether any bags you order will have the same problem, I will note this in my recommendations.
MUST READ: Do Hamsters Bite?
FAQs
Do hamsters need bedding?
Hamsters need beddings [3] to make nests. Bedding also absorbs moisture and urine, which keeps the cage clean.
Do hamsters eat bedding?
Hamsters will stuff their bedding in their cheeks so they can carry it and build a nest with it.
What bedding is bad for hamsters?
You should avoid using aspen shavings as they aren’t soft and don’t absorb moisture that well compared to other beddings.
- Odor-Control Crumbled Paper Small Animal Bedding from So Phresh
- Scented paper blended with baking soda for outstanding odor control
- Made of 95% post-consmer paper collected from recycling centers and the PaperGador Recycling Program
- 99% dust free and 100% non-allergenic
- Completely non-toxic and biodegradable
Resources
- 1. Hypoallergenic: What Does It Means and How to Find Safe Products [Internet]. Healthline. 2019 [cited 2022 Jan 20]. Available from: https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/hypoallergenic
- 2. Do Hamsters Have Allergies? – General Care [Internet]. Hamster Hideout Forum. [cited 2022 Jan 20]. Available from: http://hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/79629-do-hamsters-have-allergies/
- 3. Reebs S. 2006. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6777267_Preference_for_bedding_material_in_Syrian_hamsters
For you, what is the best hypoallergenic bedding for hamsters? Let us know in the comments.
My name is Ben Roberts, and I absolutely love animals. So, naturally, I love writing about them too! As far as my animals, I have a Pit-bull, a Beagle-lab mix, a Chihuahua, and one old cat. Each one of them provides me with a new adventure every day. And the best part is they’re all best friends. Well, except the cat when he gets a little annoyed.
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