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See details about: NEMO Helio Pressure Shower ReviewThe Ruffwear Undercoat is a lightweight wetsuit for your dog. Unfortunately it’s being discontinued. I discovered this when I looked up the current pricing for this review. I don’t know whether Ruffwear is planning on replacing it with another neoprene jacket, but this is a great little doggy wetsuit.
Made from 1 mm neoprene and spandex, the Undercoat offers your dog additional warmth while allowing complete freedom of movement both in and out of the water. When a dog’s fur gets wet, its insulating ability is reduced, and since water conducts heat away from the body so quickly, it’s great to be able to add a layer of insulation to your dog, over and above what a life jacket offers.
We bought our Ruffwear Undercoat at full price two years ago. So far River has worn it a couple of dozen times as a low-profile layer of warmth when in and around water. It’s been especially useful in the shoulder seasons when the water is colder; as well as in the summer, on days that she’s in the water a lot.
The fit is form-fitting and, with the cool spandex sleeves, she looks like she’s about to race the Tour de France. We found the size guide to be accurate: River is a XS in all Ruffwear apparel. The Undercoat and Float Coat (both in XS) pair well together when she needs buoyancy plus additional insulation.
It’s not a super speedy coat to put on a dog; but then again when is a wetsuit ever fast to get on? As the Undercoat has an athletic fit, you’ll need to pay attention when guiding your dog’s paws through the little sleeve holes since it’s easy for their nails to catch. The YYK zipper works well but since the coat zips closed on the dog’s side, gravity works against you to keep the zipper aligned and it can be a bit tricky to get the zipper started especially if your dog is moving around. The end of the zipper has a snap closure which helps to secure before zipping the jacket closed.
Mobility is terrific. The spandex sleeves allow ample movement for running and swimming, while reducing the risk of skin abrasion from moving against fabric. And River seems to stay warmer much longer than she does without the Undercoat. I gauge this from whether she still enjoys being in the water and whether she is shivering. She’s quick to hang out on shore when she’s getting too cold.
Mainenance-wise, the Undercoat is pretty quick to dry and to brush sand off it. Our zipper still works well and there’s no evidence of wear and tear on the jacket.
From our experience with the Undercoat so far, we’d recommend this jacket for dogs who easily get cold in the water or those who enjoy spring and fall water adventures. If a doggy wetsuit would be useful for your furry friend, you might consider the Undercoat. Julius-K9 also offers a wetsuit which looks effective and easy to swim in, but we don’t have any experience with it that one yet.
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