Review: Where To Get A Good Fleece Dog Jacket

Sophie in the Climate Changer

When Sophie was a puppy, I stumbled across Ruffwear, the company that makes outdoor gear for your dog. I bought Sophie their Climate Changer, a lovely recycled fleece zip-up that had a great side zipper design and fit, as well as their K-9 Overcoat (which is also great). At that time, they only offered the Climate Changer in a cool mossy green color or black, so we chose green. I’d wished they’d had a feminine pale pink or a bright orange, both of which look great on Sophie, and actually emailed them a suggestion to expand their color choices.

The Climate Changer became a staple of ours for the past two winter seasons. That thing must’ve been washed dozens of times.  The fleece held up nicely and the chunky zipper was easy to operate. The fabric flap behind the zipper prevents you from catching their hair, which can be painful for the dog. We were very happy with it on those chilly days when it was too cold to go without anything and too warm to wear a full-on winter coat.

Between last winter and this fall, Sophie filled out, and her Climate Changer became a bit too snug in the chest and waist, bless the little girl.  She’s still a long-bodied, twig-legged pup (we call her a supermodel), but now with a solid chest. So, as a fan of the first one, I revisited the Ruffwear site and, to my pleasant surprise, saw the NEW Climate Changer, now available in a Graphite Gray, Purple Dusk and…a Burnt Orange, which is more like a toned-down bright orange. Yay! I was excited (sometimes, it’s the little things, ok? 🙂 ). I ordered her a new one and, after I tried a larger size first and it was too big, the proper size arrived. The fleece had the same great design with all of those seams and panels that make it conform to a dog’s body just so. And it still had that great side zipper with the under flap for protection.  I loved that it was made from an eco-friendly material, their recycled poly.

But there were differences, too. The fleece fabric Ruffwear are now using is lighter, less nubby, thinner. I guess you’d call it a sleeker fabric. And, there’s now a contrasting lycra blend trim around the edges that finished the jacket with a bit more pop. The older one had the same color trim. That big chunky zipper I loved is a bit smaller, making it a little difficult to close sometimes. But, there’s also lovely reflective trim on either side down the back. It’s clear they still use great quality fabrics and the workmanship is really good.

My experience was that the fit is a bit tricky. Sophie used to be a perfect XXS. The old fleece fit her to a T. The new XS we first ordered was way too big and the XXS is still a bit snug around the chest/waist. So, it seems she’s now a size somewhere in between an XXS and an XS. The fit of the XXS is much better around the rest of her body so we leave the zipper open slightly at the bottom to give her some breathing room and that seems to work out fine. And, even with the thinner fabric, it still keeps her warm on those chilly days and seems to be comfortable for her to move around in.

All in all, I really like the new and improved Climate  Changer (especially the color), but I do miss our old one, too.

Pros:

• excellent design
• good workmanship
• eco-friendly fabric
• great coverage on the dog
• quality materials
• great new colors
• easy to care for; machine washable
• reflective seams on the back
• great customer service

Cons:

• slightly smaller side zipper harder to get closed
• sizing may be tricky for some dogs

Rating:

4 out of 5 for the zipper issue and my personal preference for the old fabric. The fit issue may just apply to a small number of dogs, so I would follow the site’s Fit Guide. And, they have great customer service if you are unsure and have any questions. All in all, the pros outweigh the cons for me.

Price: $59.95

Buy the Ruffwear Climate Changer here.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. Would love to hear from you!

Until next time…