Didog Winter Jacket Review
The Didog Winter Jacket is lightweight but warm: it has a fleece-lined inside, waterproof material outside, and cotton lining in between. This is a winter coat, Mia wouldn’t be happy to wear it for a longer walk/hike when it’s warmer than 23 Fahrenheit (-5 Celsius), but it kept her warm even below 5 Fahrenheit (-15 Celsius). We were impressed with the attention to detail on a coat for such a reasonable price: it has elastic cuffs, hidden leash hole on the back, reflective stripes, adjustable neckline, and safe zipper to prevent the fur from getting stuck in the zipper.
The adjustable neckline:
This little top part helps a lot to prevent the fur on the dog’s neck from getting stuck in the zipper. It also has a wide “zipper guard” below the zipper to cover the hair on the back.
The hidden leash hole is excellent if you want to have the option to attach the leash to a harness under the coat. It wouldn’t work with a harness that sits farther back on the dog, but it is perfect for the Didog harness or for another one that sits above the shoulders. It might also work with a collar, but on Mia, it moved the coat up, which doesn’t look comfy with the jacket being a little tight around the front legs already.
After a few weeks, this rubber top piece started to bend a little. It doesn’t lay completely flat on the coat anymore but still covers the cut.
This jacket only comes in two colors (blue and red) and four sizes. Mia needed the largest size, so if your dog is bigger than her, this will probably not work for you (unless they start selling different sizes - check their site). Taking correct measurements before buying is especially important with this coat because you don’t have any options for adjustment.
Usability
We weren’t sure if Mia will be comfortable in a coat that is not entirely open around the front legs, but we have to say; she loved it after the first walk! The jacket looks bulky, but it is lightweight, so she did not mind it at all. She was comfortable running around in it as you see it in the pictures below. The tight-looking cuffs around the front legs were not an issue either because the coat is soft and elastic enough for her to move freely in it.
The coat easily moves up when needed, and the material of the cuffs is also stretchy.
The jacket completely covers her chest; therefore, we never had any snow or rain going under the coat. Mia was always completely dry even after a long walk in freezing rain.
The only con we can think of with this coat is the process of putting it on the dog. You have to manage to put one leg in, let it go, grab the other one, put that in the hole, then grab the coat, pull it up, and start zipping it from the farther end while holding the two sides together. Well, this can be a mission impossible if you have a dog who bounces around before heading out for a walk. I think it would be easier if the zipper would start behind the neck, not the other way around because this way, you have to hold it up above the shoulders while trying to begin zipping it at the end and hoping the dog is not stepping out from it in the meantime.
Review Summary
We were amazed by the price point of this coat. We heavily used it for at least two months, and it doesn’t show any wear so far. It is entirely waterproof; the inside fleece part never got wet even when Mia was playing in the paddles. I was also happy to finally have a coat that covers Mia’s back all the way and keeps her warm. The cons are the lack of adjustability and the hassle to put it on a dog. Luckily Mia stands still while we put her coat on, but this is not the case with many dogs. Probably I would also leave a little wider cuts for the legs, but in reality, it doesn’t restrict the legs’ movement, and it also helps to keep the chest dry.
Where to buy
You can find this jacket on Amazon. Be sure to measure your dog correctly because you cannot adjust this coat. Also, keep in mind that the sizing is a little tricky; Mia needed XL, which is their biggest size.
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Mia’s measurements
Many of you asked Mia’s measurements to better understand the different products’ fit. Your best chance of finding a good fitting gear is always to measure (and remeasure) your dog. Even we grab the measuring tape before getting a new product - even though we tested a lot of them, and have a good feeling of her size by now.
I share her measurements below, but don’t go ahead and order the same size just because your dog is similar to Mia ;)
Shoulder height: 19.5 inches (50 cm)
Weight: 37-44 pounds (17-20 kg)
Widest chest circumference (where the most harness would have the chest strap): 25-26 inches (63-65 cm)
Neck circumference for collars: 15-16 inches (38-40 cm)
Back lengths: 22 inches (56 cm)
