If you live in an apartment, high-rise, or a place with brutal winters, you know the specific agony of the “3 AM elevator ride” just so your dog can pee. You have likely tried the artificial turf pads (which smell like a locker room after three days) or the blue puppy pads (which look ugly and slide around).
Enter the Real Grass Subscription. Both Fresh Patch and DoggieLawn promise a solution: a square of hydroponically grown, living grass delivered to your door that absorbs odor naturally and instinctively tells your dog, “Go here.”
I have navigated the world of indoor dog potties extensively. While these two services look identical on the surface (both ship grass in a box), they offer slightly different experiences. Fresh Patch aims for the ultimate “no-touch” convenience, while DoggieLawn offers more customization and value. Here is the breakdown of which green square deserves a spot on your balcony.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Feature | Fresh Patch | DoggieLawn |
| Primary Philosophy | Convenience: The box is the tray. | Sustainability: Reusable tray + grass refills. |
| Grass Type | Hydroponic (Dirt-free root mat) | Hydroponic (Dirt-free root mat) |
| Size Options | Standard (24″ x 16″), XL (24″ x 48″) | Four Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, XL |
| Packaging | Wax-coated cardboard box (fully disposable) | Cardboard box (grass intended for plastic tray) |
| Price | Slightly Higher | Slightly Lower (better value per inch) |
| Odor Control | Excellent (until the cardboard gets wet) | Excellent (depends on tray cleaning) |
| Best For | People who want zero cleanup/scrubbing. | People who want specific sizes or lower cost. |
My Experience With Fresh Patch
Fresh Patch is the brand you likely saw on Shark Tank.
Their claim to fame is simplicity, and in my testing, they absolutely deliver on that.
When the Fresh Patch arrives, you don’t really “assemble” anything.
You cut the lid off the box, and voila—the bottom of the shipping box is a water-resistant, wax-coated tray holding the grass.
You place it on the floor, and you are done. There is no transferring a roll of grass from a box to a plastic tray.
The grass quality was consistently lush and thick.
Because it is grown hydroponically (in water, not soil), there is no mud to track around your house. My dog took to it instantly because, well, it’s real grass. It smells like the outdoors.
However, the “box is the tray” design has a lifespan. After about 10-12 days of use by a medium-sized dog, the cardboard corners—despite the wax coating—can get a little soft if your dog tends to pee near the edges. When it’s time to toss it, you just pick up the whole box and throw it in the dumpster. It is the laziest solution possible, and I mean that as a compliment.
Pros Of Fresh Patch
- The “Zero-Clean” Factor: This is the biggest selling point. You never have to scrub a plastic urine-soaked tray. When the grass is dead, the entire unit (box and grass) goes in the trash/compost. It is hygienic and easy.
- Grass Quality: In my shipments, Fresh Patch seemed to have slightly denser, darker green grass that felt a bit more “premium” out of the box.
- No “Installation”: You don’t have to touch the grass or unroll it. If you are squeamish about touching the root mat, this is the one for you.
- Aesthetics: The branded cardboard box looks neat and tidy (at least for the first week).
Read more: My Thoughts On Knead Cat Bed
Cons Of Fresh Patch
- Limited Sizes: They really only have “Small” and “Huge.” If you have a 25lb Frenchie, the Standard might be too small, but the XL is massive and expensive. They lack a middle ground.
- Leakage Risk: If you keep it longer than recommended (2+ weeks) or have a heavy wetter, the cardboard will eventually fail. You need to be diligent about replacing it on time.
- Cost: You are paying for the convenience of the disposable tray structure, making it slightly more expensive per delivery than DoggieLawn.
Maintenance Tips For Fresh Patch
- Don’t Overwater: The instructions say to mist the grass, but be careful. Since the tray is cardboard, you don’t want standing water at the bottom. A light misting every other day is enough to keep the grass alive without soaking the box.
- The “Additional Tray” Trick: If you are paranoid about leaks, buy a cheap plastic boot tray from a hardware store and sit the Fresh Patch box inside it. This gives you the convenience of the disposable box with the safety of a plastic catch-basin.
My Experience With DoggieLawn
DoggieLawn feels less like a product and more like a service. While they also ship hydroponic grass, their model encourages you to buy a reusable plastic tray once, and then simply receive “refill rolls” of grass.
The immediate advantage here is choice. DoggieLawn offers a “Medium” (24″ x 20″) and “Large” (24″ x 24″) size that Fresh Patch doesn’t. This was a game-changer for my testing with a Pug—the Standard size was a bit cramped, but the Medium gave him just enough room to do his “spin before you go” ritual without stepping off the grass.
The downside is the “swap day.” When a new DoggieLawn arrives, you have to put on the included gloves, lift the old urine-soaked grass out of your plastic tray, throw it away, rinse the plastic tray (which might have some residue), and then unroll the new grass. It’s a bit more “hands-on” and definitely smellier than the Fresh Patch method.
Pros Of DoggieLawn
- Sizing Granularity: The existence of the 24×20 and 24×24 sizes is a massive pro. It allows you to fit the potty to your dog’s size without paying for a massive XL slab you don’t need.
- Cost Effectiveness: Because you aren’t paying for a wax-coated, leak-proof box every time (just the grass roll), the subscription is generally a few dollars cheaper per shipment.
- Customer Service: DoggieLawn is famous for their support. They include a “poop bag” dispenser and gloves in the box, and they actually offer free training consultations if your dog refuses to use the grass.
- Sustainability: You are throwing away less cardboard. You just compost the grass roll and recycle the shipping box.
Cons Of DoggieLawn
- The “Yuck” Factor: You have to handle the old grass. There is no way around it. Lifting a sodden root mat out of a plastic tray is not the highlight of anyone’s week.
- Tray Cleaning: You must wash the reusable plastic tray between uses, or it will start to smell of ammonia, defeating the purpose of the grass.
- Messier Setup: Unrolling the grass often releases a little bit of loose dirt or grass blades onto your floor. It’s not “dirty” per se, but it’s not as self-contained as Fresh Patch.
Maintenance Tips For DoggieLawn
- Paper Towels Under the Mat: A pro tip is to lay a few sheets of paper towel or a pee pad under the grass inside the plastic tray. This absorbs the excess liquid that filters through the roots, making the tray much easier to clean on swap day.
- Rotate the Roll: If your dog always pees in the same corner, rotate the grass roll 180 degrees halfway through the week to ensure one spot doesn’t get oversaturated and die.
Read more: My Thoughts On Lapcatz Nest Bed
Comparison With Other Brands
- Porch Potty: This is the “luxury” option. It is a large, elevated platform that often uses a synthetic grass top with a drain hose (or a catch basin). It is a $200+ investment. It’s great for a permanent patio setup, but it requires manual rinsing. Fresh Patch/DoggieLawn are better for convenience.
- Artificial Grass Pads (PetSafe/Generic): These are cheap upfront but expensive in “labor.” Artificial grass retains odors aggressively. You have to scrub them with enzymes daily to keep the smell down. Real grass (Fresh Patch/DoggieLawn) naturally breaks down the urine smell, making them superior for indoor use.
- Bark Potty: A different concept entirely. It uses real bark/wood chips in a box. It lasts longer (up to a month) and smells like mulch. However, some dogs don’t like standing on the chunky texture, and they might try to eat the wood chips. Grass is more universally accepted by dogs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
It is rare, but yes, it can happen. Because it is a living plant, you might occasionally get gnats (fruit flies) if you leave the grass for too long, especially in humid summer months. Changing the patch promptly every 2 weeks usually prevents this.
Yes. Both Fresh Patch and DoggieLawn are biodegradable. You can put them in your green waste bin (if your city allows pet waste in compost—check local laws) or your regular trash.
Realistically, 1 to 2 weeks. If you have a tiny dog (under 10lbs), you can stretch it to 3 weeks. If you have a 50lb dog, you might need a weekly replacement. Once the grass turns yellow and dry, it stops absorbing odor and starts smelling like a barn.
DoggieLawn is generally cheaper. Because they focus on the “refill” model rather than the “disposable box” model, their base subscription price is usually lower, and they offer better value on the mid-sized options.
Conclusion
The choice between Fresh Patch and DoggieLawn comes down to how much you hate cleaning.
I recommend Fresh Patch if you want the ultimate convenience. If you are the type of person who happily pays a premium to avoid scrubbing a pee-tray, Fresh Patch is the winner. The “box is the tray” design is brilliant, leak-proof (for reasonable timeframes), and makes disposal a 10-second task. It is the cleaner, simpler experience.
I recommend DoggieLawn if you need custom sizes or want to save money. If you have a dog that is “in-between” sizes (like a Pug, Beagle, or Frenchie), DoggieLawn’s Medium/Large options are a godsend. It is also the better choice if you are eco-conscious and prefer reusing a tray rather than throwing away a waxed cardboard box every week.