D-Fa Puff Doggy Review

January 12, 2013
D-Fa Puff Doggy
2PuffDoggyinaction
2PuffDoggyrearview
2PuffDoggysideview
3PuffDoggyshowingthecamundone
6DFaPuffDoggy
D-Fa Puff Doggy 2PuffDoggyinaction 2PuffDoggyrearview 2PuffDoggysideview 3PuffDoggyshowingthecamundone 6DFaPuffDoggy
GEAR INSTITUTE RATINGS
88
Load Capacity & Packability
10
Dog Comfort
3
Load Stability
8
Handle / Leash Attachment
9
Additional Features
8

The Good

  • Very warm—lots of insulation around back, chest, and even shoulders
  • Quality Thinsulate insulation
  • Very compressible and lightweight—great packability
  • Somewhat water resistant
  • Reflective trim

The Bad

  • The compressible fabric can rip easily in brush or dog play
  • Cam buckle came “un-cammed” with heavy romping through the woods
  • Trim will ice up with dog’s body heat and deep snow
THE VERDICT

The Puff Doggy is by the warmest jacket in our test (probably the warmest on the market) and our pick for backpacking on cold nights with your dog. It’s also the most packable of the jackets we tested. That compressibility, though, has a downside—the lighter fabric tears easily in the brush, and the coat is less ideal for dogs running around and being active. But it's certainly the best extreme cold weather, resting dog jacket we've seen.

FULL REVIEW

Warmth
This was the warmest coat we tested, with ample coverage of the spine and major joints. It also had the best joint coverage of our test coats. For dogs that have short fur, or are getting on in age with stiff joints, this would be a good choice. The materials are warm and lightweight, much like a technical human synthetic puffy coat.

Dogs that are very active might find this coat too warm, and having too much coverage. But for dogs that will be hunkering down in freezing temps, this is the warmest dog jacket we’ve seen.

Durability
The fabric on one of our test samples of this jacket tore relatively quickly. You won’t get many years of this jacket if your dog spends much time punching through trees with it, or you have two dogs that like to play rough. But so long as you have a mellow dog or just break it out for sleeping, you should be ok.

Comfort
This jacket is like a sleeping bag for a dog. When the dog is at rest, it appears very comfortable and properly fitting. Two elastic staps slip around the back legs to keep the rear of the jacket in place (a very smart feature) over the dog’s hips. A neck collar extends the coverage of the jacket to encompass most of the dog’s spine, and there is insulation on the breast panel. It has short arm sleeves in the front to provide some warmth to elbow joints.

If worn for long periods of activity, some chaffing may occur from the elastic leg straps. Ice can build up on the trim with a warm, active dog in powder.

Quality of materials
The jacket is made with good, lightweight and warm materials, worthy of a nice puffy jacket for humans. The cam buckles make it easy to fit to the dog, but they can come undone with lots of activity and bushwhacking.

Value
This was the priciest jacket we tested. The failure to use an more rip-resistant nylon in the shell is a bummer, since the durability takes an unnecessary dive. But given compressibility of the jacket, it’s warmth, and it’s full-length coverage, we believe the extra $20 you’d spend on this coat is well worth it.

 


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