Dog Cooling Vest

Product Description

The Ruffwear Swamp Cooler utilizes naturally evaporative technology to keep your dog cool. Soak it in cold water, wring it out, and fasten around your dog. The evaporative cooling technology replaces the dog's heat as water evaporates from the coat's reservoir. During the phase transition from liquid water to water vapor, temperature drops, mimicking the cooling effect of human sweat. The Swamp Cooler's light color is designed to reflect heat from the sun. Combined with the evaporative cooling effect, the Swamp Cooler will keep dogs comfortable and ready to run that extra mile. Auto-lock buckles on each side of the jacket provide easy on/off. The Swamp Cooler is available in 6 sizes. Select the correct size based on your dog's girth (measurement around the widest part of the rib cage). XX-Small: 13-17 inches (33-43 cm); X-Small: 17-22 inches (43-56 cm); Small: 22-27 inches (56-69 cm); Medium: 27-32 inches (69-81 cm); Large: 32-36 inches (81-91 cm); X-Large: 36-42 inches (91-107 cm). For in between sizes, choose the larger coat for more coverage. Washing Instructions: Secure the fasteners; Wash with cold water on gentle cycle with mild detergent; Hang dry. Do NOT bleach, iron or dry clean.

Features

• THREE LAYER CONSTRUCTION: The Swamp Cooler's 3-layer construction uses natural evaporative cooling to keep your dog cool. A reflective, wicking outer layer facilitates evaporation, an absorbent middle layer stores water for evaporation, and a comfortable inner layer transfers the cooling effect from the jacket to the dog.
• ACTIVE FIT WITH REFLECTIVE TRIM: The Swamp Cooler is designed to allow for full range of motion, making it easy for your dog to run, play and enjoy the outdoors with you while staying cool The reflective trim helps you keep an eye on your dog, even in low-light environments, and includes a light loop for attaching the Ruffwear Beacon Light (not included) for additional visibility.
• EASY ON AND OFF: The Swamp Cooler features side-release buckles that allow you to easily put it on and take it off of your dog.
• DESIGNED FOR HEAT REFLECTION: The light Graphite Gray color of the vest reflects the heat from the sun which, coupled with the evaporation process, helps to keep your dog cool.
• SWAMP COOLER SIZING: The Swamp Cooler is available in 6 sizes (see images for sizing chart): XX-Small: 13-17 in (33-43 cm); X-Small: 17-22 in (43-56 cm); Small: 22-27 in (56-69 cm); Medium: 27-32 in (69-81 cm); Large: 32-36 in (81-91 cm); X-Large: 36-42 in (91-107 cm). Choose the right size based on your dog's girth. Girth can be determined by measuring around the widest part of the rib cage. For in between sizes, choose the larger coat for more coverage.

Top Reviews

Surprisingly perfect
by tasha M (4 out of 5 stars)
June 2, 2016

I was unsure if this would work but I am now glad I purchased it. My dog is 75lb with a 31" girth. Large is a little big but it adjusted great on waist. I pre-refridgerated it for about 10 min after wetting it and then took him on a walk in 85 degree heat. Normally he doesn't do well in hot weather and we end up going back after only a mile. This let him get to 2.5miles. I recommended this to anyone with a heat sensitive dog
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Spray it with the hose! Works great!
by Tana Cefalu (5 out of 5 stars)
May 16, 2017

This vest has made a great difference for my boys! I have two Siberian huskies (size L). One is a plush coat and he especially struggles in the heat of NE Tennessee where we live. This summer, the temps have been consistently in the 80s and 90s with a humidity of at least 50% on most days. Both of my boys were getting worn out on their daily walks after about 20 minutes, dragging their feet towards the end. Before this vest, I was getting by with dousing them in cold hose water to keep them cool, but they would dry so fast that I'd end up hosing them every time we passed the house, so every 4 minutes or so, something like five times a walk. This vest takes that concept and improves it, allowing more comfort for the dog (as you are wetting the vest, not the fur), and lasting much longer.

In my personal experience, I've achieved best results when pouring water directly on the vest while already outside. I've tried soaking the whole thing in the sink before and then wringing it out before putting it on my dog, but this results in the vest drying out fairly quickly, water dripping all over the house, and discomfort for the dog, as the inside of the vest gets wet. Instead, I prefer to put the vest on my dogs while it is still dry, take them outside, and then spray the outside of the vest with the hose without wringing. The vest will be soaking wet on the outside, but the dogs do not really mind this, as it is only permeable one-way. In other words, the lining of the vest is waterproof, so their fur doesn't get wet underneath, unless you miss with the hose! Because the absorbent material on the outside of the vest holds more water when you don't wring it, the cooling/drying process happens more slowly, keeping your dog cooler for longer.

I have seen some people say that the vest works for up to two hours before needing to be "recharged," depending on your region/weather. I do not know what region or temperature that is in, but mine seems to dry faster than this, so keep in mind that YMMV depending on where you live. My dogs are very fluffy and are never outside long enough for me to test just how long this vest actually lasts on a single charge, but I do know it makes a difference and could probably last at least an hour, MAYBE two, in my conditions when fully wet. I prefer to rewet mine when I can, to keep the dogs extra cool.

I've noticed that my boys show more energy and excitement when wearing this. They don't pant as hard or drag their feet like they did before the vest. As I said, this can last a good long while, but for good measure, I personally like to rewet the vest every 15-30 minutes, even though it's still cool and wet. Again, YMMV, but I like it!
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This means that he is no longer able to cool himself by panting
by Grandma Bee (5 out of 5 stars)
May 17, 2017

We live in very warm Marietta, Georgia and our laborador retriever who is 11 1/2 years old has a partially paralyzed Larynx. This means that he is no longer able to cool himself by panting. That could lead to a terrible situation. I purchased this vest from Amazon and have begun using it as it is unusally hot early here in Atlanta. It seems to be working well. I soak the vest in the garage sink and then place it on Murphy. Then I spray him down with the garden hose just to make sure. He is cool to the touch went we return from about a 1/3 mile walk. He seems to stop panting sooner once returning home than he had without the vest. Hope this helps some senior laborador.
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A little early but I'll update..
by Ann (5 out of 5 stars)
June 17, 2014

I never post a review before I've had some time with a product but this vest is currently doing a fantastic job. The heats getting more intense and generally when it starts getting over 70 degrees our black Mastiff starts to heat up, he's 9 months and over 100 lbs. When he's uncomfortable at night he doesn't sleep and I don't sleep. He goes as far as sitting in the bathtub barking until I hose him off when the last shower cooling ended. I researched and reviewed reviews last night and bought this to be delivered today and had in on him in 10 minutes. At first he wasn't thrilled and then as soon as he started cooling down, the excessive panting and general discomfort stopped and he just laid down and napped like a king.

So far Pro's (for XL in terms of sizing review)
- Both sides of the vest have adjustable straps, at 100 lbs I had to pull the straps in a lot for a better fit but there's more than enough room to adjust so as he gets bigger he'll still fit in it comfortably. I was really happy with the amount of room for his deep chest and the length is perfect. The straps even pulled in for a better fit still sit past his rib cage.
- After 4 hours of putting it on him the vest still cool and he's still cool
-Extremely easy to put on - out of the box, run it under cold water - wring it out really well and just put it on your dog.

Cons - none so far, it looks like a jacket but it's not a jacket, so if you get any flack about having a jacket on your dog in the summer simply inform that person it's a cooling vest or ignore the comment. It's for the dog, not you.

I will update after a few months but otherwise our Mastiff is much much more comfortable now and back on his couch and out of my bathtub.

UPDATE: July 1, 2014

Still giving it 5 stars - it's not built for humid days or environments but still great for IL weather. Our Mastiff loves it on just hot days, humid days he just gets hosed off in the yard or shower like I mentioned above without the jacket. Still very happy that I found it and would definately buy again.
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The good: The vest works seems to work really well
by Delius (4 out of 5 stars)
July 27, 2016

The good: The vest works seems to work really well, keeping my big setter much more comfortable in the heat. As the day heats up I wet it and put it on him and keep it on him for the rest of the day, both outdoors and indoors. I need to thoroughly re-wet the vest every two hours or so.

The bad: No one else has mentioned this, but I find the buckles rather difficult to manage, partly due to my stiff, arthritic hands, but also due to the puzzling placement of the buckles inside small pockets on each side of the vest. Quite challenging for me when trying to fasten or unfasten the buckles on a big wiggly dog. I notice the photo of the xx-small size vest shows the buckles on the outside of the vest, which seems much more sensible, and wish that option were available on the larger sizes. Or some sort of velcro fasteners would also be easier for me.

Aside from the buckle issue, I think the vest is a great investment and so does my dog.
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amazing. best money spent for my dogs comfort.
by Heather Rae (5 out of 5 stars)
April 24, 2017

I can not say enough good things about this jacket. it is a complete game changer for my dogs during the summer. I bought an XL for my Great Dane and a L for my husky who are both easily effected by high heats. We were camping in Ocotillo desert this past weekend - last trip of the year until fall - and without these cooling vests they would've been confined to the air conditioned trailer. The jackets stay in place well while running around and keep their bodies cool, and one dump of a water bottle saturates them again.
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So far so good
by fedx8 (4 out of 5 stars)
May 29, 2017

My dog hates the heat and has a dark coat. We live in Texas, where much of the summer is over 100F. I ordered this to prevent him from being miserable on walks when the temp is close to 90F at 5:45AM when we walk, and for a nosework trial we're going to in August. I ordered a size up from his usual medium for full coverage. The only area where the large is too big is the neck, and he managed to get his front leg through the neck hole on a hike. I sewed about an inch of the sides of the neck opening together and now that part fits well and his entire back and most of his nub are covered.

As for cooling ability, so far I've used it on a few days above 100F with low humidity (~25%) and a couple mornings around 75F with ~70% humidity. My dog has been way more comfortable on all occasions. He's nice and cool under the vest, and clearly not hating being outside in the heat. It's a bit challenging for me to get it not dripping after soaking it 'cause I have tiny hands, so I usually soak it and hang it over the tub 10 or so minutes before I put it on.
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Just ok for French Bulldogs
by Connie (2 out of 5 stars)
April 16, 2017

Well, its ok. I bought this to put on our frenchie when we go hiking/camping in Western Michigan. We go in the late May time frame so it's mid to low 70s, but it can get very hot on the sand dunes where the sun just beats down and no wind. That could easily overheat him and makes hiking very slow and we were constantly pouring more water on him.

I bought the small size for him (first time got a medium, and it was too big), and the fit is just barely ok. Even with the clasps tightened all the way, it's loose on his belly and his back. Since it doesn't touch him through his chest, it didn't really cool him off all that well. He's 30 lbs, so a small should have fit. I'm not sure if a smaller size would have worked better because of their thick necks.

Overall we ended up using a cooling bandanna collar way more than this vest. I'm going to try and modifying this to see if I can make it more snug and try again.
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It Works!
by Anne C (5 out of 5 stars)
May 11, 2017

I was skeptical this would work. I have a dog that refuses to walk when it's sunny and above 60 degrees because she overheats so easily. Cloudy/light rain days, she's all about going outside, but sunny and beautiful, forget it. So I researched options and this product got good reviews, so I decided to try it. It actually works! I'm not completely sure how wet I should be getting it, or if I just soak the back or the whole vest because there weren't any instructions. So to just be safe, I get then entire thing wet and put it on my dog. At first she seemed unsure, but when she went out and didn't get hot, she never fights me to wear this! The only thing I'd like as an improvement is if it acted as a harness too. So we have to put the vest on and then a harness over the vest. So it seems like a lot - so a product improvement would be to make this dual purpose as a cooling harness vs, just a cooling vest. Other than that, this product works to keep my dog cool on those dreaded sunny days :)
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Cooling vest really works!
by Amazon Customer (5 out of 5 stars)
August 30, 2017

I bought this for my Golden Retriever and he loves it. He is about 80 lbs with a 33" chest and the large size fits perfectly. I've found wetting the dog, then putting on the wet vest works really well. The vest needs to be recharged with water as it evaporates, sooner if warmer, but that is how it works. The vest does require some attention to make certain it doesn't dry out, but it does work. It also reflects the heat. My dog and I ran a dog friendly half marathon a few weeks ago and at every rest stop, he jumped into the kiddie pool and recharged his vest. I can put my hand under the vest and his fur is nice and cool. I've noticed that when I put it on, his panting goes from a hard pant to a gentle pant and he seems much happier. The quality is excellent. It is easy to clean. If it is really warm out, I would also recommend booties to protect the dog's feet so that they don't get burned by the pavement.

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