Disclosure: Your support helps keep this site running. We may earn a referral fee for some of the services we recommend on this page.

Best Chinchilla Sand for 2022

Chinchillas rely on a dust bath to keep their fur dense, fluffy and free of matting. So, a chinchilla sand bath should always be a part of every chinchilla cage setup.

The sand is designed to reflect the terrain chinchillas naturally use to clean themselves in the mountainous South American regions of the Andes. Ultimately, this sand must be soft to the skin, a great absorber of oil and dirt and also be able to successfully reach the roots of their thick hair.

You can buy an all-natural, high-quality dusting powder made for chinchillas, which is known as Chinchilla Dust. This is fine grey sand. The alternative is the superior option, Chinchilla Bath Sand. This is a 100% natural volcanic mountain pumice that is dust-free. Sand for other animals isn’t usually suitable, as it is too rough.

In addition to the sand, they will need a sand bathhouse. This is a large plastic or ceramic (we always recommend the latter) bath. It should be enclosed, to reduce the sand going everywhere. This also increases the contact they have with the sand. Around 1-2 inches should be used.

Finding specific chinchilla sand isn’t too hard. However, finding one that is actually quality and good for your pet can be harder.

Navigate this Article
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    Our Top Picks

    Image Product Details
    Tiny Friends Supreme Science Bathing Sand
    • Ultra-soft, absorbent sand
    • 100% natural
    Check Price
    Dehner Rodent Accessories Chinchilla Sand
    • Clay chinchilla sand
    • Non-clumping, fine dust
    Check Price
    Bathing Dust Powder for Chinchillas
    • Naturally deodorising
    • Great reviews
    Check Price

    The Top Chinchilla Sands Reviewed

    1.
    Tiny Friends Supreme Science Bathing Sand

    Scientifically tested for the perfect grain size and density, Tiny Friends’ rodent bathing sand for chinchillas, degus, hamster and gerbils is a bacterially clean product which ensures a dust free atmosphere come bath time.

    The sand is fine enough to effectively penetrate the thick structure of a chinchilla’s fur, helping them achieve healthy clean skin and the grain itself is so soft that their fur will remain undamaged. However, unlike many other fine grains, Tiny Friends’ product does not create a cloud of dust with every chinchilla tuck and roll, ensuring less mess and that no dust gets in your chinchilla’s eyes!

    But as well as being a great cleanser, it also acts as a kind of glorious hair care, as a Tiny Friends sand bath will pick up dirt particles and soak up any excess oil in your chinnie’s coat, leading to a more glowing, attractive sheen.

    Features

    • Ultra-soft, absorbent sand
    • 100% natural

    Specifications

    • Weight: 1 Kg
    • Dimensions: 21.6 x 12 x 6.6 cm

    2.
    Vitakraft Chinchilla Sandy

    Vitakraft’s Chinchilla Sandy Special contains mineral sand with specially rounded grains to ensure your chinchilla gets the smoothest, most silky bath of their life, everyday of their life!

    The grains keep a chinchilla’s fur naturally soft and luscious, making them feel comfortable in their cage and the grains themselves are also coarse enough to prevent too much dust from forming while your chinnie bathes.

    Helping them keep clean and stay looking ferociously fluffy, it’s a bathing sand that promotes a healthy lifestyle for your cherished chinchilla while also being a pleasurable daily experience to look forward to!

    Features

    • Hygienic sand
    • Fine, round grits

    Specifications

    • Weight: 1 Kg
    • Dimensions: 21.6 x 12 x 6.6 cm

    3.
    Beaphar XtraVital Chinchilla Bathing Sand

    Beaphar are one of the most trusted and beloved pet-care brands in the UK, especially when it comes to providing health care tools at home.

    So naturally, it’s no surprise that their XtraVital Chinchilla Bathing Sand is just about the most scientifically sound bathing dust on the market!

    Aiming to provide optimal fur care for your chinnie, XtraVital bathing sand blocks out large amounts of moisture and excess oil secreted by your chinchilla’s skin, preventing hair from becoming matted or dirty. It also helps remove any existing dirt particles from the fur itself to ensure a clean and shiny coat for your little chubby chin after every bath!

    Unlike a lot of other bathing sands, XtraVital also aims to toe the line in terms of it’s coarseness, aiming to be not too thick but also not too fine either. This is because although fine dust makes it easier for the particles to glide through the hair and reach the skin, the dust created from your chinchilla thrashing around can get in their eyes.

    A finer dust also means more mess for you, so a little extra coarseness should always be welcome!

    Features

    • Easy to use bottle container!
    • Absorbs moisture & excess oil

    Specifications

    • Weight: 1.3 Kg
    • Dimensions: 9.2 x 12.2 x 26 cm

    4.
    Dehner Rodent Accessories Chinchilla Sand

    If you’re looking to get some bang for your buck when browsing chinchilla bathing dust, it doesn’t get much better than Dehner’s Chinchilla Sand, a mammoth 5 Kg pack to last you a lifetime!

    Unusually made of clay, Dehner’s product is a lot finer than you’d imagine, with a pleasant and natural feel your chinnie will just love thrashing around in!

    But come bath time, it’s also an ideal grooming tool, as it’s smooth granules allow it to really penetrate into the chinchilla’s coat, absorbing moisture and excess fat to create a soft, dense and beautifully thick fur which will make your chinnies the envy of the Andes!

    Also suitable for degus, gerbils and hamsters, it’s a pet-friendly pumice for all rodents!

    Features

    • Clay chinchilla sand
    • Non-clumping, fine dust

    Specifications

    • Weight: 5 Kg
    • Dimensions: 34 x 25 x 4 cm

    5.
    Bathing Dust Powder for Chinchillas

    Chinchillas are native to the Andes Mountains, and so the natural pumice of the region’s sandy terrain is how chinchillas do their washing in the wild.

    That’s the very reason we need to buy bathing dust for our chinchillas so that they can act out their instincts and keep clean through an addition of some of their natural habitat!

    B&D is a mineral absorbent clay powder that’s uniquely designed for the bathing of your chinchilla and to help your chinchilla to stay clean and grease-free without causing any harm to your pet.

    Features

    • Naturally deodorising
    • Great reviews

    Specifications

    • Weight: 3 Kg
    • Dimensions: 22 x 16 x 12 cm

    Buying Guide

    How we chose the best bathing sand for chinchillas

    Firstly – we ensured the sand was specifically made for chinchillas.

    While other rodents don’t necessarily need a sand bath, it is a daily necessity for chinchillas, and so they need a certain quality sand to help them effectively clean themselves.

    While many people may buy any old bag of sand for their rodent, chinchilla owners must always buy bathing sand that expressly labels it as being suitable for chinchillas! That way you are ensuring your chinchilla is always getting the best possible care, as normal sand or sand for reptiles will likely not be able to penetrate a chinnie’s fur or absorb dirt and oil properly.

    While mammoth packages of chinchilla dust are available, just remember these are very heavy, annoying to store and not necessarily practical. Chinchillas require a bath of just around an inch to two inches deep, which isn’t very much sand at all! So while we looked at bulk buys which are great value, we bore in mind that there are more practical options out there. But many on our list do offer you a choice in size when you click through.

    Rolling around in sand can often create a kind of sandstorm or dust around a chinchilla, especially if the grains are incredibly fine. This often causes a lot of mess and can occasionally irritate a chinchilla’s eyes and be breathed in by them, which isn’t particularly healthy. So, while all chinchilla sand should be dust-free naturally, we ensured it really is.

    You want to try and find a product which uses natural pumice or ash as its ingredients as this most closely reflects the terrain chinchilla’s use to clean themselves in the wild. Too gritty and too coarse a mixture will not be comfortable for your chinchilla and in a worse case scenario might actually damage their skin or fur!

    This might not seem like a very important aspect when buying chinchilla sand, but remember, sand is a messy substance which gets everywhere, and so having secure packaging is an absolute must!

    The best and most secure packaging are plastic bottle containers or plastic sealed wrapping. Unfortunately, though, you’ll find many high quality products using paper packaging, which has a higher risk of leaking sand. Plastic is obviously also bad for the environment. So, you may want to come up with your own storage solution.

    Other Buyers Ask...

    Where can I buy chinchilla sand?

    Unfortunately, when it comes to shopping online, it’s slim pickings for quality chinchilla sand across most pet sites.

    Amazon seems to have the largest range of different products, and they will probably be your best bet if you’re looking for delivery. Pets at Home is also a good choice.

    Otherwise, you’ll need to have a nosey in your local pet store or a specialist pet store to find what you’re looking for!

    How much is chinchilla sand?

    For a standard 1 Kg bag of chinchilla dust, you shouldn’t usually have to pay more than £10 and in a lot of cases, it tends to be more around the £5 mark.

    Larger bags tend to stretch to around £20.