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Our upgrade picks, The Hurtta Torrent Coat and Hurtta Summit Parka, were discontinued. We’ll revisit our picks when we next update this guide. In the meantime, consider Hurtta's Expedition Parka, which offers a similar design ideal for winter weather like our discontinued picks.
A jaunt with your dog in cold, wet weather can be chilly for your best friend. A warm, waterproof jacket will ensure they remain comfortable and dry, no matter if they’re outside for a pee break or an extended session at the dog run. To find the best winter coat for your dog, we tested 10 dog jackets for insulation, waterproofing, warmth, and comfort. The WeatherBeeta 300D Deluxe Reflective Parka is the best cold-weather dog coat because it’s waterproof, well-insulated, durable, easy to put on, and adjustable enough to fit dogs of many different shapes and sizes.
The WeatherBeeta jacket fits a wide range of breeds and will keep them warm and dry in cold or cool, rainy weather.
The Ruffwear Sun Shower works when it’s rainy but it’s not very cold, such as in the Pacific Northwest or South.
The WeatherBeeta sits securely and will keep a dog warm and dry in all but the worst conditions. It comes in sizes that fit dogs between 12 inches and 32 inches long, in 2-inch increments for a close fit.
The WeatherBeeta jacket comes in sizes that can fit dogs as small as a terrier or as large as a Great Dane, and in our tests it stayed firmly in place through vigorous play sessions thanks to loops that go around the dog’s rear legs. The WeatherBeeta kept our pets as warm and dry as jackets that cost twice as much.
If you live somewhere wet but not overly cold, this model will keep your dog dry without overheating. It comes in six sizes that fit dogs with chest girths from 13 to 42 inches.
The Ruffwear Sun Shower is suited for conditions where it’s very rainy but not very cold, such as if you’re walking in the Pacific Northwest and don't want your dog to get soaked. It has functionally no insulation but stays in place extremely well, and it will keep your pooch dry even in a downpour.
The WeatherBeeta sits securely and will keep a dog warm and dry in all but the worst conditions. It comes in sizes that fit dogs between 12 inches and 32 inches long, in 2-inch increments for a close fit.
If you live somewhere wet but not overly cold, this model will keep your dog dry without overheating. It comes in six sizes that fit dogs with chest girths from 13 to 42 inches.
I’ve reviewed tech for the FanSided network and elsewhere for the past four years, aided and impeded by my two Lab mixes, Kaylee and Inara. As intense lovers of mud, snow, puddles, and general bad-weather adventures, they lent their expert opinions of the jackets’ viability for intense outdoor play sessions. They tested the jackets on long walks, hiking adventures, and romps in the dog park. I also consulted a bichon frise and a large chocolate Lab on the jackets’ sizing options.
For this guide, I interviewed Dr. Lori Bierbrier, medical director for the ASPCA’s Community Medicine department, and Kayla Fratt of Journey Dog Training in Denver, to learn more about dog safety in cold and wet weather. We discussed what breeds and types of dogs were more likely to need jackets, and what kinds of situations may call for them. Before testing, I researched a wide array of dog jackets, homing in on owner reviews and discussions of our testing pool as it narrowed.
If you live somewhere cold and wet and you want to take your dog out for more than just a quick pee break, it may need to wear a coat. And as cute as little bumblebee costumes are, they won’t cut it in the snow and rain. We specifically looked at dog coats that were designed for bad conditions: for keeping dogs warm in cold weather, dry in wet weather, and both during longer outdoor activities.
According to Dr. Lori Bierbrier of the ASPCA, the temperature at which a dog will need a jacket varies greatly depending on the breed, the size, the shape, and the length of its fur. Smaller, short-haired dogs, such as Chihuahuas, can benefit from jackets during the winter or year-round at northern latitudes. A husky might enjoy playing dress-up but probably doesn’t need an insulating coat. If you’re not sure whether your dog needs a jacket for your climate, consult your vet.
Whatever jacket you get, it should be waterproof. Dogs with thick coats can quickly get soaked if it’s raining or snowing—and that can chill a cold animal further, putting them at risk of hypothermia. As Bierbrier warned, “For wet climates, a waterproof outer layer may be best, as a wet coat may be worse than no coat at all.” Dogs with thick, warm coats may not need a jacket for warmth, but you may want to use a light, waterproof jacket anyway—it could save you a long drying and brushing session after your walk.
If you’re not sure whether your dog needs a jacket for your climate, consult your vet.
If you live where wet and cold weather conditions are part of the normal seasons, a dog jacket can also benefit your dog’s physical and mental health, according to Kayla Fratt of Journey Dog Training. In bad weather, a dog owner may be tempted to keep a dog inside more often, but Fratt told us that missing regular walks and play sessions could stress out a dog. A jacket allows for longer walks and outdoor play sessions. Fratt emphasized that if the ground is cold or salty, you should pair your dog jacket with dog boots.
Both Bierbrier and Fratt also pointed out the need for a jacket that fit well. Jackets with a poor fit can fail to keep a dog warm and dry; they can even chafe or injure a dog. Most dog jacket makers offer a sizing guide that uses measurements of length (collar to tail), girth (behind the front legs, around the widest part of your dog), and occasionally weight.
Insulated jackets are great for dogs in cold weather, but you may want to avoid using them for vigorous exercise in merely cool temperatures. We noticed during our testing that our dogs became tired and uncomfortable in thick jackets (like with our now discontinued pick, the Summit Parka) when the temperature was in the 50s. To prevent your dog from overheating, don’t use a cold-weather jacket for long periods of time in temperatures above freezing without consulting your vet. Choose a lightweight raincoat instead, and always supervise your dog while it’s wearing a jacket.
For this guide, we eliminated fashion dog jackets—they often use flimsy materials, aren’t waterproof or easily washable, and have insufficient insulation—and focused on practical models designed for the wet and cold. We compiled a list of jackets that were popular, came from reliable brands, were well-reviewed, and were widely available through multiple stores. Going by these criteria, we narrowed down our list to 10 jackets by looking for models with the following attributes and features:
This left us with 10 models to test: the Hurtta Summit Parka (unavailable), the Hurtta Torrent Coat (unavailable), the Kurgo Loft Dog Jacket, the Kurgo North Country Dog Coat, the Ruffwear Cloud Chaser, the Ruffwear Powder Hound, the Ruffwear Sun Shower, the Ultra Paws Fleece Lined Reflective Comfort Coat, the WeatherBeeta 300D Deluxe Reflective Parka, and the Zach & Zoey Nor’easter Dog Blanket Coat.
We did most of our testing with two energetic Lab mixes. Together they had several vigorous play sessions that allowed us to check the durability, comfort, and fit, and to see whether each jacket could stand another dog trying its best to remove it. We also took them for long walks in cooler weather on hiking trails and in parks; during these expeditions, we kept an eye out for any discomfort or restricted movement. We checked each dog for any rashes, burns, or other signs that the jacket wasn’t a good fit, and we examined the jackets for damage or wear after each activity.
To test insulation, we wrapped the jackets around 20-liter bags of water at approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and left them overnight in near-freezing conditions. We took readings every 15 minutes from Sen.se Peanut Bluetooth thermometers inside the jackets to calculate heat loss over time. Since a dog produces its own heat and tends to not be water-bag shaped, this test doesn't reflect what the actual temperature of your dog would be after a few hours in near-freezing conditions—but it does show the comparative insulation of each coat.
To test how waterproof each coat was, we put each jacket on a dog and then sprayed the dog with a hose (one of their favorite games) to see how much water got through and where. We also let the dogs run through wet bushes and roll in wet grass. How much of the dog a jacket covers depends a bit on the shape of the dog and the coat, but as long as it’s the right size, a good jacket should at least be able to keep the pet’s core warm and dry regardless of the dog’s shape, and it should stay in place while the dog is running and jumping.
For the second waterproofing test, we ran the jackets through a shower. We tested each jacket with a short spray to see how well it repelled water in general, and then we left it under the water for five minutes to see how it would hold up in very wet weather. We allowed some leniency for everyday-wear jackets; most pet owners won't leave their dog in a torrential downpour. But if you need a jacket for taking your dog out into the woods for hours, it needs to be waterproof enough to keep your dog warm and dry.
To test how easy the dog jackets were to wash, we doused them in vinegar water (for the smell), dragged them through the mud, and then ran them through the washer and dryer on recommended settings. Afterward, we checked to see if the wash had eliminated the stains and smell, and we washed them all multiple times to double-check that they stayed waterproof and didn’t get damaged during the cleaning. If the jacket was able to go in the dryer, we ran it through several cycles to see if that process deteriorated the waterproofing. For jackets that specified hang drying, we hung them immediately after the wash cycle and checked them in one-hour intervals to establish a drying time.
Some jackets had attachments or extra features such as reflective trim—when those were present, we made sure they worked as described, didn’t suffer damage from regular dog behavior, and didn’t get in the dog’s way by snagging on things or becoming chew toys.
The WeatherBeeta sits securely and will keep a dog warm and dry in all but the worst conditions. It comes in sizes that fit dogs between 12 inches and 32 inches long, in 2-inch increments for a close fit.
The WeatherBeeta 300D Deluxe Reflective Parka is the best jacket for walks up to an hour in freezing temperatures, longer jaunts in the 40s and 50s, and rain that’s heavy enough to make you put the hood up on your own raincoat. Well-insulated and durable, it’s easy to put on a variety of dog shapes, and it stays in place. Even though it isn’t the warmest coat we tested, its quality and insulation are on a par with those of jackets costing almost twice as much.
The WeatherBeeta will keep your dog comfortable for several hours outdoors, and it will cover more of your dog than any of the other coats save for the Hurtta models. Its length allowed it to keep our dogs warm from neck to tail, something that many of the other coats we tested (such as the Ruffwear designs) failed to do. It did well in our insulation tests, retaining heat better than more than half the jackets we tested. It doesn’t match the insulation levels of our former upgrade pick, the Hurtta Summit Parka, but its warmth is more than enough for most people’s dogs, especially at about half the usual price of our upgrade pick, and most dogs won’t be spending eight hours straight in near-freezing weather. For example, the WeatherBeeta has kept Wirecutter's Nick Guy’s 45-pound pit bull Jerry warm and dry on their jaunts outdoors for the past two winters. “I think it’s holding up well; we’ve been very happy with it,” he said.
The WeatherBeeta goes over a dog’s head and stretches the entire length of the pup, anchored in place by two elastic loops around the rear legs. You secure it with a T-shaped connector that runs from the neck of the dog, down its front, and then up either side of the jacket, where you secure it with Velcro. This design gives your dog more coverage than any other coat we tested except for the Hurtta styles, and it helps keep more of your dog dry in the rain.
The WeatherBeeta has a waterproof outer shell of 300D nylon and a slick but softer inner shell made of 210T (approximately 70D) nylon. Many dog jackets have fleece or other fabric linings that look warm but absorb water if it gets under the top of the coat, but the WeatherBeeta’s lining didn’t absorb water when we sprayed it down. And because the WeatherBeeta has two rear-leg loops to keep the jacket secure on the dog, the back of the jacket never flapped up. This was a problem on some other coats we tested, such as the Ultra Paws, and it can lead to water seeping under the coat to soak the lining.
You can clean the WeatherBeeta in both the washer and dryer with normal detergent and settings. In our tests, washing it removed all mud stains, didn’t damage the coat, and eliminated all the vinegar smells.
The WeatherBeeta's quality and insulation are on a par with those of jackets costing almost twice as much.
Dogs come in many shapes, and coats may fit differently even on dogs that wear the same size. We didn’t run into this problem with the WeatherBeeta thanks to the Velcro attachments on each side, which let you adjust the jacket around the dog’s middle for a wide fit range even within a single size. The WeatherBeeta coats come in a wide range of lengths based on the collar-to-tail measurement, from 12 inches (Yorkies, terriers) to 32 inches (Great Danes).
After several lengthy, rough play sessions involving multiple dogs, the WeatherBeeta held up and stayed put. The combination of the loops around their rear legs and the strong Velcro closures kept it well-attached, whereas other Velcro jackets came loose during play.
The WeatherBeeta has a few extra features that make it a good all-around coat. It has an opening on the back to allow a leash or harness through for walks, and it won’t slide around or chafe thanks to its adjustable attachment system. It also comes in a bright orange color: If you’re taking your dog out with you at night, somewhere people are hunting, or to a place where you might have trouble seeing it, don’t worry—that orange is loud.
The WeatherBeeta 300D Deluxe Reflective Parka is available in a number of versions. We looked at the 300D Deluxe Reflective version, but you can pay slightly less for models that are lighter or without the high collar.
The WeatherBeeta jacket’s biggest drawback is its Velcro closures. Velcro can be hard to clean if it gets dirty, and over time it can lose its ability to stick tightly as it gets gummed up, especially when a dog tracks it through mud and grass. While we weren’t able to devise a test for overall Velcro quality (beyond muddying it up and washing it repeatedly), the WeatherBeeta jacket’s Velcro seemed of a higher quality than that on the other coats we tried—it stuck to everything. Other jackets with worse-quality Velcro wouldn’t stay put on the dog as the Velcro got dirty, furry, or muddy. Though the WeatherBeeta jacket didn’t have that problem in our short testing period, our concern is that with long-term use the Velcro may lose its grip in a way that buckles, zippers, or other fasteners wouldn’t. The Velcro’s placement higher up on the jacket (out of the way of splashing feet) will likely keep it safe for longer, especially since the jacket covers it up for the most part when attached to the dog.
The few negative Amazon reviews of the WeatherBeeta that we found involved a coat that was a poor fit for the dog. A representative for WeatherBeeta recommended that customers contact the company at info@weatherbeetausa.com if they encounter a problem with a coat, suggesting a typical response time of 24 to 48 hours.
If you live somewhere wet but not overly cold, this model will keep your dog dry without overheating. It comes in six sizes that fit dogs with chest girths from 13 to 42 inches.
If your dog won’t be venturing out in cold weather but still needs to stay dry, such as in the Pacific Northwest or parts of the South, you’re better off with the Ruffwear Sun Shower. It’s a much lighter jacket than the WeatherBeeta, with almost no insulating qualities, but it’s still very durable and designed to keep the water off a dog's torso for walks or short play sessions. The Sun Shower comes in six sizes that fit dogs with a chest girth between 13 and 42 inches. But the lack of an opening to attach your leash to a back harness means you’re limited to walking your dog with a collar or a front-attachment harness only.
This is a rain jacket, and that showed in our insulation testing, where it took last place. We don’t recommend this jacket for cold temperatures. But dogs can overheat if they are wearing a very warm jacket when the weather isn’t cold enough to warrant it, and the Sun Shower was the lightest-weight jacket we tested, so there’s no danger of your pet getting too hot. Because of its lightness and its flexible adjustments, you can also use it atop other jackets to add waterproofing to a warmer jacket that doesn’t offer such protection—though all of our cold-weather picks do.
Where it does excel is in keeping the rain off. In our tests, even though the Sun Shower didn’t have rear-leg loops as some of the other tested jackets did (like the WeatherBeeta and Hurtta jackets), it still fit snugly over the back of several differently shaped dogs (all of which wore the medium-size coat but had different proportions) and kept the covered area of each dog dry. It’s waterproof inside and out: The jacket’s lining has no padding and won’t absorb any water that happens to sneak underneath.
Ruffwear specifies that the Sun Shower (and other jackets from the company) should be cleaned with a cold wash and hung to dry. Using the recommended settings, we found that the Sun Shower did well in the wash and came out clean, unscented, and unstained. When we put the jacket up to hang dry, it took about six hours to dry fully indoors at room temperature. We also tested it with a round in the dryer and found that, at least for one cycle, machine drying didn’t damage the jacket or harm its waterproofing abilities. That said, we generally recommend following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The Sun Shower was the lightest-weight jacket we tested, so there’s no danger of your pet getting too hot.
The Ruffwear Sun Shower has the best attachment mechanism of any of the dog jackets we looked at. It attaches on the sides just like the WeatherBeeta coat does, but instead of Velcro it uses concealed buckles that you can adjust for a better chest fit. The buckles are easy for a human to attach and remove, but a dog can’t get to them, as they’re hidden inside little pockets on either side of the jacket that are accessible only from underneath.
During play testing, the Sun Shower held up and took no damage from roughhousing. But unlike other coats we tested, it has no opening to pass through a leash attached to the back of a harness. Other Ruffwear jackets include leash portals and slightly better coverage than the Sun Shower but cost $30 more. The Sun Shower can still work with a collar attachment or a front-attaching harness, so we believe its excellent waterproofing and convenient attachments will work well for most dogs and people. If your pooch prefers a harness attached in the back but still needs a lightweight jacket, you may want to check for deals on the Ultra Paws coat we tested (which is insulated but not as warm as the WeatherBeeta).
The Sun Shower's buckles are easy for a human to attach and remove, but a dog can't get to them.
Ruffwear guarantees that its jackets will arrive with no manufacturer defects, and the company will approve claims of defects through a form on its website. The company will not cover any other damage, though, including damage from chewing, cleaning, or normal dog wear and tear.
If you can find it for around $20, the Ultra Paws Fleece Lined Reflective Comfort Coat is a great affordable option—but since its price typically fluctuates to an amount higher than the WeatherBeeta’s, we can’t universally recommend this model. If you do decide to grab it for a good price, you should know that it doesn’t cover as much of a dog as our other picks and is more prone to coming off in rough play. Even so, it’s sufficiently warm, waterproof, and durable for basic walks and short outdoor sessions.
The Ruffwear Powder Hound isn’t a bad jacket, but in our tests it didn’t have the same insulation or waterproofing prowess as any of our picks. It starts to absorb water after a short period in wet weather. Because it secures via a zipper and has no adjustable connections, broader dogs may need to size up from what the measurements recommend for a comfortable fit.
The Ruffwear Cloud Chaser is a much lighter jacket than we anticipated when we picked it for testing. It will keep your dog warm in cool weather, but you shouldn’t use it for very cold temperatures. Its waterproofing doesn’t hold up against anything stronger than a light mist, and you might not even be able to fit it on your dog. As with the Powder Hound, this model’s zipper doesn’t allow for as broad a fit range as the other coats we tested, and you may have to size up.
The Zach & Zoey Nor’easter Dog Blanket Coat offers acceptable insulation, but its design is bad for wet weather. It attaches to a dog via Velcro around both the neck and chest, leaving its fleece-lined interior exposed on the edges to any wet you’re trying to avoid. Plus, with Velcro in two spots, our tester dogs were able to remove it in seconds.
The Kurgo North Country Dog Coat can be forgiven for its poor insulation by virtue of being a raincoat, but since it fails at almost everything else too, it’s not worth your time. Its worst offense is sliding around on the dog even with a snug fit, especially during walks. It will keep the rain off half your dog if your dog stands in the rain and holds perfectly still.
The Kurgo Loft Dog Jacket has decent waterproofing, yet for a winter jacket it doesn’t do much to keep most of the dog warm. Its sizing (especially compared with that of the North Country Dog Coat) is oddly small and misses covering about half the dog. It also attaches with Velcro on the outside of the stomach piece, meaning your dog is constantly dragging the attachments through mud and grass, wearing them down.
The Hurtta Summit Parka and Hurtta Torrent Coat (both unavailable) were our former winter and rainy weather picks, respectively.
To find the best winter dog coat for your pup, consider your climate and your dog’s size and shape. For colder weather, select an insulated dog coat, such as the WeatherBeeta 300D Deluxe Reflective Parka. If it’s rainy, but not too cold, the non-insulated Ruffwear Sun Shower is a good bet. Each coat has different sizing instructions, based on your pets length, the width around their chest, or a combination of those plus other factors. So be sure to carefully measure your dog before ordering to make sure you get one that will fit well.
Dr. Lori Bierbrier of the ASPCA says the temperature at which a dog will need a jacket varies depending on the breed, the size, the shape, and the length of its fur. Smaller, short-haired dogs, such as Chihuahuas, can benefit from jackets during the winter or year-round at northern latitudes. A Siberian husky probably doesn’t need an insulating coat. If you’re not sure whether your dog needs a jacket for your climate, consult your vet.
Kayla Fratt, head trainer, Journey Dog Training, email interview, November 4, 2017
Dr. Lori Bierbrier, medical director, ASPCA Community Medicine department, email interview, October 30, 2017
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