Product Review: Hurtta Frost Jacket

Product: Hurtta Frost Jacket

Who makes it: Hurtta

What it is: A light, warm and unobtrusive waterproof jacket for dogs for cold or windy weather.

What we think of it: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  We really like it! (Willow-tested | Willow-approved)

Although late in the season, I must admit, I hope you can snag one of these babies at a great price since everyone is focused on spring and summer at the moment. Please note, I think we might have gotten one size too large to test for Willow, the sizes are a little difficult to gauge, especially since she has such a deep chest but such a narrow, waspy little waist! That being said, the great design and benefits of this jacket came in handy during a recent trip to play in the Truckee snow.

The first thing to mention about Hurtta‘s Frost Jacket, and safe to say any Hurtta product, is the high quality materials. This jacket is something I would wear if they made it for humans. It is warm and will insulate heat, but it is not bulky, it is light and waterproof. It comes in Hurtta‘s traditional Granite gray and Birch green (pictured). With the bright color and alongside 3M reflectors, the Frost Jacket improves your dog’s safety and visibility in the dark. This comes extra handy when the only thing you can see of your dog in the dark is her white teeth and yellow eyes!

Willow has a soft coat, but funny enough, other than her mane, she doesn’t really have much of an undercoat, and that is where this jacket really shines, it is meant to protect dogs with no undercoats from harsh, windy or cold weather. The design in the back hangs a little lower, protecting large thigh muscles and keeping them warm, same goes for the abdomen and neck.

One thing to watch out for is the zipper. The jacket is easy to put on and take off (once you get the hang of it), but take care to condition your dog to accept handling of legs, paws and overall, standing still while you adjust this type of product. The zipper is double lined so water doesn’t seep through, but be careful not to catch your dog’s fur or skin when zipping it up, that would be hard to do unless your dog’s coat is long, but I wanted to mention it just in case. Ideally, you want this jacket (or any type of gear for that matter) to feel like nothing on them, and creating a positive association with it is the first step. While adjusting the fit and zipper, have someone help you by feeding your dog some treats.

There is a waist drawstring that you can tighten, so it is more fitted and it stays out of the way. I confess I found it hard to figure out how to adjust that, hence why (apart from being one size too large) you will see the jacket loosely fitted on Willow in some photographs. This was my human error however, and I am sure others will have no trouble adjusting it. This and the sizing difficulty is the only reason why we are giving the Frost Jacket 4 hearts out of five. Make sure you diligently measure your dog’s chest and neck according to their guides to ensure a good fit. Purchasing Hurtta gear through shops like Bark Goods online or ideally, at your local pet boutique is a great way to go, since you can hopefully exchange a product if it is the wrong fit.

We played in the snow for 25 minutes or so, and Willow bounced, ran, rolled in, lay down and played in her jacket as if it were a part of her. Despite the slightly loose fit, I never saw her hesitate in movement, and I think she actually enjoyed herself even more because she was comfortably warm. Hurtta makes gear for dogs that are active, working and love to be outdoors, despite whatever weather they may encounter, so comfort is a huge priority in their design.

Because we didn’t have snow booties for Willow (even though her feet have always been pretty comfortable on snow and any terrain), we only did a brief snow shoe trek and spent the rest of the time just playing.

I would recommend the Frost Jacket if your dog has little to no undercoat and you know you’ll be in some windy, wet and possibly even snowy weather. Hurtta does make other jackets and suits better oriented to snow, so dogs can be outdoors and stay warm for longer periods of time, but if you just want something that will keep them warm and protected on winter days, or jogging at night in cold weather, give the Frost Jacket a try.

Willow, our official Chief of Dog Product Testing gives her approval.

**Please note, we were not paid to write this review and Hurtta did not provide product for us to test. We have no affiliation to them other than happy, loyal customers.

Do you have a product for dogs or people you would like us to test/review? We’d be happy to! Get in touch and tell us about your company.

Until next time, fellow Dog Hikers!
xx
Nat + Willow