10 Best Turtle Substrates 2025: According to Reviews | Chewy

The 10 Best Turtle Substrates

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How we created this turtle substrate list

We leveraged input from our veterinarians and artificial intelligence to identify key considerations to help you find the best turtle substrate.
We scanned thousands of customer reviews and ratings and scored each product based on its performance against each of the key considerations. We then considered how popular a product is with Chewy customers and combined that with its key consideration scores to create the list of the best turtle substrates.

Key turtle substrate considerations

Absorbency

Durability

Non-toxic

Texture

1
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count
Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count

Zoo Med Eco Earth Compressed Coconut Fiber Expandable Reptile Substrate, 3 count

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
483
$7.09Chewy Price
($2.37/ea)
Promo, Buy 3, get 4th free- mix & match

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.6/5
Excellent

Durability

4.4/5
Great

Non-toxic

4.4/5
Great

Texture

4.6/5
Excellent

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Litter & Bedding Type

Coconut Fiber
2
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag

Zoo Med Forest Floor Natural Cypress Mulch Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
387
$24.98Chewy Price
Promo, Buy 3, get 4th free- mix & match

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.5/5
Great

Durability

4.6/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.6/5
Excellent

Texture

4.7/5
Excellent

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Litter & Bedding Type

Cypress
3
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal
Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal

Zilla Terrarium Liner, Green, 40/50-gal

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
116
$11.99Chewy Price
($11.99/ea)
Promo, New Customers Only: Spend $49+, Get $20 eGift Card

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.9/5
Excellent

Durability

4.9/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.9/5
Excellent

Texture

4.8/5
Excellent
4
Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt

Frisco Fir Bark Reptile Bedding, 24-qt

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
31
$23.56Chewy Price
Promo, New Customers Only: Spend $49+, Get $20 eGift Card

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.7/5
Excellent

Durability

4.8/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.7/5
Excellent

Texture

4.7/5
Excellent

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Material

Wood

Litter & Bedding Type

Douglas Fir
5
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag

Zoo Med Premium Repti Bark Natural Fir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt bag

Rated 4.8 out of 5 stars
322
$24.99Chewy Price
Promo, Buy 3, get 4th free- mix & match

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.6/5
Excellent

Durability

4.5/5
Great

Non-toxic

4.4/5
Great

Texture

4.5/5
Great

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Litter & Bedding Type

Douglas Fir
6
Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate, 24-qt bag
Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate, 24-qt bag

Zoo Med Eco Earth Loose Coconut Fiber Reptile Substrate, 24-qt bag

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
369
$23.39Chewy Price
Promo, Buy 3, get 4th free- mix & match

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.7/5
Excellent

Durability

4.7/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.6/5
Excellent

Texture

4.7/5
Excellent

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Litter & Bedding Type

Coconut Fiber
7
Zoo Med ReptiSoil Reptile Soil, 10-qt bag
Zoo Med ReptiSoil Reptile Soil, 10-qt bag
Zoo Med ReptiSoil Reptile Soil, 10-qt bag
Zoo Med ReptiSoil Reptile Soil, 10-qt bag

Zoo Med ReptiSoil Reptile Soil, 10-qt bag

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
97
$8.99Chewy Price
Promo, New Customers Only: Spend $49+, Get $20 eGift Card

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.6/5
Excellent

Durability

4.6/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.7/5
Excellent

Texture

4.5/5
Great
8
Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt
Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt

Frisco Coco Coir Reptile Bedding, 24-qt

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
33
$26.84Chewy Price
Promo, New Customers Only: Spend $49+, Get $20 eGift Card

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.7/5
Excellent

Durability

4.7/5
Excellent

Non-toxic

4.9/5
Excellent

Texture

4.7/5
Excellent

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Material

Plant Material

Litter & Bedding Type

Coconut Fiber
9
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt
Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt

Galapagos Live Oak Leaves Reptile Litter, Natural, 4-qt

Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars
30
$14.99Chewy Price
Promo, Save 10% with code EARLY10

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.4/5
Great

Durability

4.5/5
Great

Non-toxic

4.6/5
Excellent

Texture

4.5/5
Great

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Material

Plant Material
10
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count
SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count

SunGrow Hermit Crab & Snail Catappa Leaves, Dried Treat & Mineral Supplement, 10 count

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
41
$5.97Chewy Price
($0.60/ea)
Promo, New Customers Only: Spend $49+, Get $20 eGift Card

Our ratings

Absorbency

4.2/5
Great

Durability

4.5/5
Great

Non-toxic

4.3/5
Great

Texture

4.3/5
Great

Is this turtle substrate right for my pet?

Aquarium Type

Freshwater

Fish Type

Betta, Goldfish, Cichlid, Tropical Freshwater...