Personally, I like to use playsand and other sand substrates like Repti-Sand by Zoomed. I tend to go with playsand more, because shelling out the money for enough Repti-Sand, to fill my cage, just isn't in the budget. 

If you're wondering Repti-Sand isn't a calcium sand. It is just a fine grain, washed and screened sand for use in reptile cages. It's kind of like using playsand with out having to do all the prep work like screening it. The cost probably wouldn't be that bad with one cage, but I have more than one cage and also many baby dragon bins to fill. Using  Repti-Sand would be really cost prohibitive for me.

These are just some random substrate thoughts on my part. My substrate choices might not be the best, but they work for me. What you choose to use is totally up to you.

Harsh Bearded Dragon Substrate Opinions

I mentioned others opinions earlier, because some can be down right frightening to a first time dragon owner. The last thing that you want to do is harm your pet, and some opinions can make it seem like you are if you don't follow them. I know this from experience. I have let other peoples opinions dictate what I did.

I have since then found more information and learned from my own experience. I now take others opinions with a grain of salt. I have found it best to really research and learn as much as I can, instead of just taking one side of the story.

I have found that the best sources of information come from breeders. Who else knows more about care of bearded dragons, someone who is a hobbyist or someone that breeds and cares for hundreds or even thousands of dragons? 

Some of my favourite breeder sites are my bearded dragon.com, dachiu, sandfire dragon ranch, and fire and ice dragons.

What Substrates Can I Use?

Here are some of your substrate options. I have either tried or used most of these. I can recommend most of these, but not all of them.

The final choice of what substrate you'll use will be yours. There are advantages and disadvantages to all of them, so weigh them before deciding.

Some good substrate choices will be easy to spot clean, economical, pleasing to the eye and beneficial for your dragon. They also shouldn't harbour bacteria.

Sand

You dragons cage can have a more naturalistic look by using sand for bearded dragons. Besides the way it looks, it is easy to maintain as well. Wastes dry out quickly and then can be easily scooped out. 

Sand also holds heat very well. It also encourages your dragons natural instincts. If you put several inches of it in your cage, your dragon will burrow down into it. It can get heavy though, so be sure that your enclosure and whatever your enclosure rests upon can take the weight.

Another downside to using sand for bearded dragons is that it may cause an impaction. This happens when a dragon ingests too much sand and are unable to pass it through their system. 

I have seen many accounts of bearded dragons dying due to impaction. Whether sand is the biggest culprit remains to be determined. 

There are highly credible sources that link impaction more to intestinal parasites than to sand itself. I tend to agree with this theory. I have seen no adverse side effects from using sand with my dragons.

Using Playsand

Some people have recommended children's play sand. While there are some others that say there are inconsistencies in the quality of the sand. They also don't recommend it due to the fact that it may be ingested and cause impaction.

While there are some that don't recommend play sand, there are plenty of people out there that do. This is why it's hard to figure out what substrate to use. 

There is hardly ever a clear answer on this subject. That's why it's best to form your own opinion and do what's best for your pet.

If you do use playsand, make sure that you sift it, with a screen, to remove large rocks and pebbles. Make sure that any large sized grains of sand are screened out.

There are professional breeders that keep their dragons (even babies) on play sand, and have great success. I also use playsand for my dragons.

If this is what you decide to use, it is very economical. Playsand can be found at most hardware stores such as Home Depot or Lowes and also stores like Walmart. 

In Closing

I have found that using sand for bearded dragons works fairly well for a substrate. This is just my opinion and feel free to form your own.

There are a lot of harsh opinions about using sand for bearded dragons. You might find yourself having to wade through negativity and speculation to find the truth. When you do you will become a wiser and more knowledgeable bearded dragon owner. 

Shelf Liner

Is bearded dragon shelf liner the answer to the substrate enigma? Could it be true? Is there really a cage bedding that all bearded dragon owners can agree on? Is this the miracle that beardie owners have been waiting for?!? 

Hold up there for a second. Don't go getting yourself all worked into a frenzy. 

I know that it is an exciting prospect to have a safe bedding that can be used in our dragons home. I for one think that it sounds terrific, but I have had no experience using it. 

I think that this is a very good option for using with your bearded dragon. Is it 100% fool proof? Well, not exactly, but it does come fairly close.

It seems to be a trend in the bearded dragon community to shy away from sand substrates. Which is fine, if that's the way you want to go. 

I also know that what might be praised today can be loathed tomorrow. This has happened with different substrates. Can anyone say Calci-Sand? This is the reason that I find it hard to put the ominous moniker of "best" on any substrate choice.

Though, I might not call bearded dragon shelf liner the "best", it certainly is a worthy choice to line the bottom of your bearded dragon's cage. 

I have not used shelf liner myself yet, but I would have no qualms in doing so. It has the advantages of newspaper, but without the drab, nasty look to it. If you are looking for a substrate that will reduce the risk of impaction, you might want to give shelf liner a try.

What are Some of the Pros?

The biggest thing that bearded dragon shelf liner has going for it, is that it reduces the risk of impaction. This in itself is a very big plus. 

Though, it isn't the only thing to look for in a good substrate. Impaction seems to be one of the most feared bearded dragon illness out there, although parasites are making headway. 

Shelf liner appears to be fairly easy to keep clean. I have found that there are numerous types of shelf liner on the market, but the ones that are suggested for a bearded dragon substrate are the non-adhesive kind.

The shelf liner will also have a little padding and a smooth surface that are easy to wipe clean. Even though it's easy to clean, you will still have to keep up on maintenance.

If waste is left, it will be run through and spread by your dragon. This point applies to every type of substrate, though.

It seems that shelf liner is fairly cheap. A very good selling point. I like nothing more than saving money and getting something of value. 

Since shelf liner is economical, and it can be changed frequently without being a big financial burden. Though, newspaper just might be the end all of a penny pinching cage substrate. 

Using a substrate that isn't too pricey will ensure that it gets changed when it needs it. Being able to keep the substrate clean, and changed when needed, is a huge plus in my book.

What are Some of the Cons?

There are cons for just about every substrate, and bearded dragon shelf liner is no different. 

The main con is that with older, larger dragons the harder surface can lead to bent toes. This might be lessened by the fact that there is a little bit of cushion with the shelf line. Even so, this can still be a risk when using a harder surfaced substrate. 

Your dragon might also have overgrown nails. The shelf liner really doesn't provide anything to help keep your dragons claws filed down. I have noticed that sand does an excellent job at this. 

This isn't a huge drawback, though. You can clip your dragon's nails yourself. I have never done this, but my wife has. It seems too fragile a job for me, but my wife does an excellent job. I am going to have her write a "how to" on clipping dragons' nails in the near future.

If you place rocks or similar items in your cage, this will help file down nails as well. This will also give your dragon some things to climb and bask on.

In Closing

I think that using bearded dragon shelf liner is a good option. If you're afraid of your dragon getting impacted than this might be your best choice (behind newspaper). If you want something that looks better than newspaper, then check this out.

As with just about every substrate choice there are pros and cons. It is up to us as bearded dragon owners to weigh these and choose what is "best" for our dragons. I really want to stress choosing for yourself.

Don't let anyone choose for you or guilt you into using something that you don't want to use. I have gone down this path, and it just brought frustration. 

If you're chasing the ever elusive "perfect substrate", bearded dragon shelf liner isn't it. If you want a good substrate that is readily available and affordable, you have found what you're looking for.

Newspaper

Newspaper is a bare-bones, functional substrate. Though, it is far from attractive, it is readily available, cheap, absorbent, and easy to clean. It must be replaced frequently, though. 

Supposedly, if ingested by your dragon it will pass through the digestive tract without harming them. 

There are some people that say baby-bearded dragons should only be kept on it, until they get older. This is just one opinion, and believe me there are a lot of differing ones out there. 

I think that this is a great substrate if appearance isn't going to matter much to you. However, if you are like me and want to show your bearded dragon off in a naturalistic enclosure there are better substrates to use. 

As with any substrate that is a hard surface, bent toes can occur. You will also need to keep an eye on your dragons nails. They might need to be clipped periodically, because newspaper won't wear them down like sand will.

This is definitely one of the "safest" substrates out there to use, but as I said earlier it isn't all that attractive. It works really well when you want to quarantine an animal or when nursing a sick dragon back to health. 

The ability to change often as need is a plus. The fact that it is cheap to come by is an attractive feature.

Reptile Carpet

There are different brands of reptile carpet made for enclosures, like Repti Cage Carpet. These are fairly easy to spot clean, not too pricey, and if you have more than one you can do a quick change out. Some of them will even come in different colours.

Though they are not the most naturalistic looking, they still don't look that bad. 

Using a plastic Astroturf type or other carpeting, not specifically made for reptiles, is not recommended. They can be abrasive to the soft underside of a bearded dragon. The loose fibres can also be ingested by a dragon.

There really isn't that much to say about using reptile carpet for bearded dragons. It is a fairly safe substrate that doesn't look all that bad. 

With all substrate options that don't offer cushion, your dragon can get bent toes. This will only happen with prolonged living on hard surfaces. I guess this is the only drawback to this substrate choice.

Alfalfa Pellets

I have seen people suggest using alfalfa pellets for bearded dragons as a substrate. I have even seen some dragon owners suggest that it is the "best" substrate.

I have no doubt that alfalfa or rabbit pellets might make a decent substrate for bearded dragons, but I wanted to dig a little deeper on this subject.

With this information I present here, please take it with a grain of salt. This is what I have come across and I want to paint a fair picture of this substrate from both perspectives. 

There is also a little of my own opinion thrown in here as well. It is hard to be impartial when you yourself have already formed an opinion.

Now that I have said that, back to the issue at hand. I have never used alfalfa pellets for bearded dragons, and I don't plan to anytime soon. 

The information that I present here will be what I have read and not from personal experience. I haven't tried everything that is suggested for use with bearded dragons, and this is just one of those things that has never appealed to me.

Are Alfalfa Pellets the "Best" Substrate?

No, alfalfa pellets do have drawbacks just like most other substrates. These have been used by numerous bearded dragon owners who will swear by them, but there also numerous dragon owners that swear by other substrates. The substrate issue on a whole is very confusing sometimes. I know that it is to me anyway.

I don't know if there is any one substrate that can be considered the best. Each has it's positives and negatives. I personally like to use washed and screened playsand, but there are others that say sand is "of the devil". Who's right and who's wrong? That question remains to be answered.

What are the Benefits?

I really don't know what benefits there are for this substrate. Alfalfa pellets never seemed like an option that I wanted to use for my bearded dragons. 

They probably do well with spot cleaning waste and also have a reduced risk of impaction. I think that reduction in the possibility of impaction is the biggest selling point this substrate has.

If reducing the possibility of impaction is important to you, I think that either newspaper or shelf liner would be a better choice. Though, these two substrates have some drawbacks too. What substrate doesn't?

What are the Drawbacks?

I think that the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits for this particular substrate, at least for me they do. 

Some people can develop allergies to alfalfa. The pellets also give off a strong odour when wet and can crumble into a dust that can get into your home. There is also a risk of flour beetles infesting your home.

Some veterinarians believe that there is a correlation in respiratory disease with reptiles and using alfalfa pellets as substrate. 

When wet the alfalfa pellets will mould and your dragon may inhale mould spores causing respiratory disease.

This information is referenced from The Bearded Dragon Manual. Check out the book for more great information on caring for bearded dragons. This information and also other sources of information are the reasons that I have not used alfalfa pellets.

I have seen some posts on forums that say the information in The Bearded Dragon Manual is wrong or that it is outdated. T

hat may or may not be true, but I would rather trust someone that is somewhat of an expert in their field. I have nothing but great respect for the people that have helped compile this book.

In Closing

There are people who do fine using alfalfa pellets for bearded dragons as substrate, but I am not one of them. Whether you use this as a substrate or not is entirely your decision. 

You might find that it is the "best" substrate. Then again you might find that it doesn't suit your needs at all.

As you might have guessed, this is not my favourite substrate. Though, there are people who love using alfalfa pellets for bearded dragons enough to call it the "best" substrate. Who's right? That's what you'll have to decide.

As I said earlier, please take this information with a grain of salt. I am presenting what I presently know about using alfalfa pellets as a bearded dragon substrate. 

I, by no means, look down upon anyone who uses this substrate. If it works for you and your bearded dragon is doing well, then it might just be the "best" substrate.

Other Substrates

There are other substrates made for reptiles on the market that don't fit into the other categories. These consist of different things like crushed walnut shells, or varying plant materials. 

Desert Blend and Lizard Litter are a couple of these. Both of these where specifically made for use in reptile enclosures. I have used both and they both did alright.

They both are easy to spot clean, not too pricey, and easy to change. They, however, don't match the naturalistic look of sand, but do look naturalistic in their own right. Desert Blend comes the closest to looking like sand.

Crushed Walnut Shell Warning

There are a quite a few people that say using walnut shell isn't good. The edges of the walnut shell can be sharp and jagged and if ingested can tear up your dragons insides. 

I have not experienced any problems with this, but I also can see how it could be harmful to a bearded dragon. 

I'm kind of adding this warning out of frustration as well. It seems that no matter what substrate you use, there is always something wrong with it. I'm putting this information in here because I don't want to put anyone's bearded dragon in danger.

I have used crushed walnut shell without any problems, but I don't use it anymore. I guess I would rather be safe than sorry

Others

I have heard of some people also using alfalfa pellets (rabbit food) as substrate. The jury is still out on this too. Some people will swear by it, but I have read from a very credible source that these are prone to growing mould. Also, some people can acquire a bad allergy to alfalfa.

I have also heard of shelf liner being used and everyday cotton towels. I have never tried either of these and don't really know if I would. These are just some options that you might want to consider.

These are just substrate options that I know about and have tried. I know that as time goes on, new products will be developed and come to market.

I will continue to update this site when I find new information. If you have any suggestions let me know and I will be sure to add them.

If you decide to use a certain substrate and it doesn't seem to be working, you can always change it out and try something else. There might be some trial and error before finding what works best for you.

When you do find what works good and your dragon is thriving, don't be dissuaded by others opinions.