Looking for Safe Hamster Bedding

[heidii]

Hi. I've tried dozens of beddings at this point, so hopefully this could be of some help.

Kaytee is OKAY. I feel like their really hit or miss, but the white colour seems to hold the burrows best and is really soft. Sometimes I go with the natural bedding for the entirety of the cage, and just the white for their nesting as it is that much softer.

AUBIOSE is meh, wouldn't recommend it all over the cage. It's made of hemp, and chopped real fine so it just collapses. Good for added texture, great for a cheap alternative if things are tight one month or you rescue hamsters, but not good for burrowing.

MEGAZORB is alright. Bit dusty (you will be blowing out black snot for a while after) when you empty the bag, but in the cage it seems relatively dust free? I haven't bought it again due to the dust, but it can hold burrows as well as some of the kaytee products.

CHIPSI is by far the best for me. The unscented classic version is spruce (and I believe some pine, but the ratio is that small that CHIPSI is considered generally safe) and unscented, holds burrows great on its own or with layers of hay in between.

Aim for as much bedding as possible. I have a minimum of 20cm of bedding for my rescues, but studies have shown 40cm and 80cm make for really healthy hamsters.