Non-stop Dogwear Protector Vest GPS Review

Non-stop Dogwear was founded in Norway only ten years ago, and today you can find their products in over 1,000 stores in 22 countries. Their focus is on pulling harnesses, and other equipment for skijoring, canicross, etc., but they also offer dog jackets, collars, leashes, and other products.

Non-stop Dogwear Protector Vest GPS

Durable vest with GPS Pocket

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The Details of the Protector Vest GPS

The Protector Vest GPS has the same “base” as the Protector Vest with the addition of a GPS pocket. We have reviewed the Protector Vest with Mia in 2019 and have used it on many hikes and search trainings over the years.

The Protector Vest is a durable visibility vest created for hunting dogs. It is made of a ripstop shell and aramid-fiber chest piece to protect the dog when running through dense woods. Battens are sewn into the material giving it a more rigid feel that helps keep its shape.

It has a very visible, bright orange color and 3M reflection lines. A hunting-specific feature is the different colors on the two sides of the vest to show from the distance which side the dog is marking: an orange corner on the right side and yellow on the left.

Non-stop Dogwear Protector Vest GPS Review | Dog Gear Review

The Protector Vest GPS comes in six sizes. For reference, Zu is wearing a small one.

The GPS pocket on the back measures 25 centimeters long and 3.5 centimeters wide on sizes XS-XL. It is 6 centimeters at the highest point and 3.5 centimeters at the lowest point. It is adapted to fit a Garmin GPS unit, such as the Garmin T5. Size XXS only fits Garmin T5 mini. The GPS pocket has a hidden zipper on the side and has two antenna openings to support different devices.

The back of the vest has a webbing leash attachment point. It is a small loop thus it does not get stuck on the bushes when the dog is off-leash but it’s still easy to attach a leash. It is still a webbing loop so not designed for daily walks as the main attachment point as it would fray overtime but a great option when you just quickly need to leash up.

The neck part does not have a buckle so it has to go over the head but it does have an elastic band for adjustment. The adjustment point is hidden in the GPS pocket to prevent it from getting snagged on something. The two plastic buckles on the chest straps are also hidden inside the coat.

Protector Vest Review

As mentioned above, we have been using the “basic” Protector Vest without the GPS pocket for a long time and really like its stability, material, and durability. It is light, keeps the dogs visible, and protects them from scratches and thorns when hiking or working in the woods.

I was very interested in trying out the GPS version as Zulu can get annoyed if the antenna of the collar gets in her face or touches her ears. Having the GPS in the back pocket instead of around the dog’s neck keeps the antenna away from the dog’s face and can also be more comfortable for small dogs so the GPS unit is not hanging in front of them. The position of the collar/unit in the pocket also keeps the antenna higher up which can help with connection issues from the distance.

Zulu has a Garmin TT15 Mini Collar which easily fits in the pocket of the small vest.

It took some time to get the adjustment right on Zulu especially without first finding the elastic adjustment point hidden in the GPS pocket. Great feature once you find it but I wish they would have a label there noting the placement. The only problem I struggled with is that Zu is a very narrow dog so the weight of the GPS kept rotating the vest to the side. This was significantly decreased once I got the adjustments right but it is always present to an extent. I imagine the Protector Vest GPS would be a lot more stable on a wider and fluffier dog.

I love that this vest provides ample armpit clearance for free leg movement and also protects a big section of the chest and underside of the dog. Zulu’s deep chest made sizing a little hard as she should be in the middle of the sizing range, however when I adjusted the chest straps all the way, they were still a bit loose. This is due to the big difference between her wide chest right behind the front legs (where I measured) vs. her very narrow waist which was closer to where the chest straps actually sat.

Summary

To summarize, the Protector Vest GPS is a great quality, durable, and incredibly visible vest. It is not one of those thin visibility vests that snag and rip easily, this vest is designed to handle dogs running through dense undergrowth.

The addition of the GPS pocket allows for a more minimalistic setup - probably ideal for wider dogs to minimize the rotational effect of having the weight on top of the vest. Still, the vest worked very well for us so far, and kept Zulu safe and visible while working in the woods!