5 Best Faux Grass Picks for Balconies With Pets (2026): Tray Systems and Turf That Keep the Floor Dry
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On a balcony, the grass is the easy part; catching the urine before it drips onto the floor below is what matters.
If you live high up with a dog, the balcony potty is a lifesaver at 6 a.m. in January. But it comes with a neighbour problem. Lay a plain grass mat on a balcony, and urine runs straight through it, across the floor and, eventually, over the edge onto the balcony below. That's a conversation nobody wants to have with the building manager.
So these picks are built around catching and draining urine. We compared seller-listed specs on Amazon and read buyer review patterns, plus balcony pet advice from OodleLife.
Before the picks: for balconies in general, see faux grass for balconies. For indoor and yard toilet spots, see faux grass for dog potty areas.
Quick picks: the best faux grass for balconies with pets
| Best for | Pick | The spec that decides it |
|---|---|---|
| Small dogs | LOOBANI Grass Pad with Tray, 16 × 20 in | Tray catches urine, 2 grass pads, 4 sizes |
| Medium and large dogs | LOOBANI Large Grass Pad with Tray, 35 × 23 in | Roomy 3-layer tray |
| Self-draining premium | Porch Potty Premium | 14 ft drain tube to a basin or drain |
| Replacement mat for trays | CooZero Dog Grass Mat | Cut to size, rubber backing with drain holes |
| Cats and balcony play | LOOBANI 3 × 5 ft Turf | Grooves and drain holes, 15 sq ft patch |
Why does a balcony pet setup need a tray?
Without a tray, every drop goes onto the balcony floor and often over the edge.
A grass mat works like a sieve. Urine passes through the blades and the drain holes, then lands on whatever is underneath. In a yard, that's gravel and soil. On a balcony, it's a concrete or tile floor that slopes toward a drain, or toward the edge. OodleLife calls a tray essential for balcony grass pads for exactly this reason.
A tray catches the urine under the grass. Better trays add a pee pad layer that soaks it up. The best systems drain the tray through a hose to a set point. Either way, your floor stays dry and your downstairs neighbours stay happy.
Laying turf across the whole balcony floor is possible, but only if the balcony drain stays clear, you rinse it often, and your building allows it. See faux grass for apartments for building rules.
What size pad does your dog need?
A pad should be long enough for the dog to turn around and squat comfortably.
| Dog size | Example breeds | Pad size to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Toy and small | Chihuahua, Yorkie, Shih Tzu | About 16 × 20 to 20 × 25 in |
| Medium | Beagle, Cocker Spaniel, Corgi | About 24 × 35 in |
| Large | Labrador, Golden Retriever | 35 in or more, or a large self-draining unit |
Ranges are based on common listing sizes, like LOOBANI's 16 × 20 in and 35 × 23 in trays and Porch Potty's 52 × 28 in Premium. Measure your dog from nose to base of tail, and add room to turn.
So if your dog circles a lot before going, size up. A pad that's too small means paws, and urine, land off the edge.
The 5 best faux grass picks for balconies with pets
These five picks keep pets happy and the balcony dry.
1. LOOBANI Grass Pad with Tray, 16 × 20 in — Best Balcony Potty for Small Dogs
Size: 16 × 20 in (4 sizes available) | Includes: 2 grass pads, tray | Backing: highly drainable
For a small dog, a simple tray system in a balcony corner does the job.
LOOBANI's tray holds a grass pad over a catch tray, so urine drains down off the grass and stays in the tray. Two grass pads come in the set, so one can be washed while the other's in use. LOOBANI says you can rinse the pads with a hose, wash them in warm soapy water, or rinse the whole thing in a sink. It comes in four sizes, so you can size up as a puppy grows.
On a balcony, you'll carry the tray to a sink or tub to clean it. Plan for that every day or two.
Skip it if you have a medium or large dog. Go to #2.
Our take: from our hands-on work with artificial grass, short pads that get rinsed every day hold up best when you have a spare to swap in, so the two-pad set matters more than it looks; a single pad never fully dries between uses.
Check price on Amazon · Read our LOOBANI review
2. LOOBANI Large Grass Pad with Tray, 35 × 23 in — Best for Medium and Large Dogs
Size: 35 × 23 in | Design: grass, washable pee pad, tray (3 layers) | Includes: 2 replacement grass pads
Bigger dogs need bigger trays, and more layers to handle more urine.
LOOBANI's large tray is 35 × 23 in, enough room for a medium dog, or a large one that doesn't circle much. It uses three layers: grass on top, a washable pee pad in the middle and a tray underneath. That middle pad soaks up urine so less sits in the tray, and the grass stays drier for the next visit. Two spare grass pads come in the box, and buyer feedback is warmer than for the small tray.
But it's a large thing to carry to the bathroom to clean. And for very big dogs, even 35 in can be tight. Watch where your dog stands, and move up to a self-draining unit if paws keep landing off the edge.
Skip it for toy breeds. #1 takes less space.
Our take: in our experience handling turf, grass that sits wet stays matted and starts to smell, so a soak-up layer under the blades is the detail that keeps a big pad looking and feeling like grass.
3. Porch Potty Premium — Best Self-Draining Balcony Potty
Size: 52 × 28 in | Drainage: self-draining, 14 ft drain tube (brand claim) | Sold: direct from Porch Potty
Tired of carrying a tray of urine through your apartment? A self-draining unit stops that.
Porch Potty's Premium drains urine through a 14 ft tube, so you can run it to a balcony drain, a basin or a large planter. Nothing pools under the grass, and nothing needs carrying indoors. Porch Potty sells a separate sprinkler timer that rinses the grass automatically. At 52 × 28 in, it suits large dogs. Buyers consistently praise the brand on Shopper Approved.
Canine Bible named Porch Potty its premium pick.
But it's a premium product sold direct, not on Amazon. One owner noted the grass can shift in the tray depending on how the dog steps on. And check your building allows a drain tube to run to the balcony drain.
Skip it if your dog only uses the balcony now and then. #1 or #2 costs far less.
Our take: from our work with artificial grass, turf that's rinsed on a regular cycle and drains away freely stays fresher and more upright than turf left to dry in a tray, which is the real advantage of a self-draining setup.
4. CooZero Dog Grass Mat — Best Replacement Grass for Balcony Trays
Size: 47.3 × 31.5 in (other sizes available) | Backing: rubber with drain holes | Cut to size
Every tray's grass wears out. CooZero's mat lets you cut a replacement to any size.
At 47.3 × 31.5 in, one mat can be cut down into replacement pads for most trays, or used whole inside a larger tray. CooZero says it can be cut to any size. The rubber backing has drain holes, so urine still passes through to the tray below. Owners in a review analysis praised its durability and quick rinsing.
But some owners felt it could drain better, and others noted a strong smell when new that fades after a few days. Don't use it alone on a balcony floor, because without a tray urine runs straight through.
Skip it if you don't own a tray yet. Start with #1 or #2.
Our take: from our hands-on décor work, rubber-backed turf cuts cleanly with a sharp knife from the back, so trimming one big mat into tray-size pads is an easy job; just let a new mat air out before it goes indoors.
Check price on Amazon · Read our CooZero review
5. LOOBANI 3 × 5 ft Turf — Best Faux Grass for Cats and Balcony Play
Size: 3 × 5 ft | Fiber: PP | Backing: grooves and drain holes
Not every balcony pet needs a toilet. Cats and lounging dogs just want somewhere green to lie in the sun.
LOOBANI's 3 × 5 ft turf gives them 15 sq ft of grass. LOOBANI says the backing has grooves and drain holes, so a rinse drains and dries quickly. It's sized to fit most balconies without covering the drain.
Use it as a play and lounging patch, not a toilet. For potty use, go back to a tray.
But it's polypropylene, so it's firmer than PE turf and fades in strong sun. Lift it now and then so the balcony floor underneath dries.
Skip it if your dog will pee on it. Go to #1 or #2.
Our take: in our experience, polypropylene turf is a fair choice for a lounging patch, but it feels stiffer than PE and loses its colour sooner in full sun, so it suits a shaded or part-sun balcony best.
Check price on Amazon · Faux grass for cats
Synthetic or real grass pad?
Real grass pads smell less, and synthetic pads last longer.
| Real grass pad | Synthetic grass pad | |
|---|---|---|
| Smell | Less, the soil absorbs urine | More, needs regular rinsing |
| Lifespan | Replaced every few weeks | Months, with cleaning |
| Cleaning | None, you throw it out | Rinse every day or two |
| Cost over time | Ongoing subscription or purchases | Lower, mainly replacement pads |
| Dog appeal | Smells like real grass | Fine once the dog learns it |
OodleLife's view matches the trade-off: real grass pads smell less and need fewer cleanings, but you replace them often. In hot summers, synthetic pads need more rinsing to keep smell down. Some owners use synthetic for most of the year and switch to real pads in peak summer.
Balcony pet grass questions
These are the questions apartment pet owners ask most.
How do you clean a balcony dog pad without a hose? Pick up solids, then carry the grass pad to the shower or bathtub and rinse until the water runs clear. Wash it with an enzyme cleaner once a week. Rotate two pads so one is always dry. See our faux grass cleaner guide.
How do you stop smell in summer? Rinse more often, use an enzyme cleaner, and swap the grass layer sooner. Shade the potty corner if you can, because heat speeds up smell. A pet-safe deodorizer helps between washes.
Want more dog options? See best faux grass for dogs, or go back to the best faux grass.