We love winter hiking and camping because we don’t have to worry about busy crowds. If you have a short-haired dog like Poppy, one of our biggest concerns doing winter activities is keeping her warm. Enter the Hurtta extreme warmer. We tested this jacket over a period of 6 months in various conditions from a multi-day backpacking trip in the snow-filled Inyo National Forest to windy and freezing temperatures in Joshua Tree National Park. This is the first and last winter jacket you will ever need.
Product details:
Price: USD $88-98 (depending on size)
Comes in 5 colors: Granite (dark gray), Lingon (red), Orange, Coral Camo, and Park Camo. The Lingon and Orange make it easy to spot your dog when exploring outdoors.
Available in 8 or 9 different sizes depending on the color (10”-26”). Size guide available here: https://www.hurtta247.com/extreme-warmer-1
Fit: 5/5
For reference, Poppy’s measurements are as follows:
Back length (from withers to base of tail): 21 inches
Chest: 27 inches
Neck: 17.5 inches
After talking with a Hurtta Representative, we received some insight that the jacket runs somewhat large. Poppy is in between sizes, so we decided to size down to the 20” jacket given this information (instead of the 22”). She fit perfectly in the 20” and had enough room to wear Hurtta’s Body Warmer as a base layer underneath the Extreme Warmer when temperatures dipped below freezing. If your dog is in between sizes like Poppy, we would recommend sizing down. Hurtta has a very helpful size guide on their website; use this as a starting point when identifying the correct size for your dog. You can also contact customer service and get their opinion on sizing. The jacket allows Poppy to move with complete freedom and fits very comfortably.
Design and features: 5/5
This is a very innovative and technical jacket. Some information below was taken directly from Hurtta’s website.
The jacket has 2 layers: 1) a unique soft foil lining that reflects the dog’s body heat so their muscles stay warm (this inner layer is like the material on Hurtta's Body Warmer sweater); and 2) a shell that has been laminated with a breathable and water-proof film. Both layers are connected. It feels as though there is some synthetic material in between the two layers that provides insulation as well.
The hood of the jacket can be folded down the dog’s neck or lifted over their ears for extra coverage and warmth.
The jacket has reflectors that shine when light hits it, making it easier to identify your dog at night.
There is a leash opening for collars or harnesses.
The back of the jacket has a snap underneath the tail that holds the back of the jacket closed for extra warmth. We leave it open just in case Poppy needs to go to the bathroom.
There are leg loops for the dog’s back legs to keep the coat in place.
Adjustment points:
The bottom of the jacket covers the dog’s entire chest all the way down to the bottom of the chest strap. We like how the extreme warmer keeps the dog’s entire chest protected from the cold. The chest strap is adjustable and can be tightened or loosened.
There is a bungee drawstring above the tail that makes it possible to shorten the back length.
Functionality: 4/5
We absolutely love this jacket and don’t know what we would do without it in the winter. The jacket is soft, flexible, and durable. Poppy stays warm and does not shiver when she wears it. She has also slept in the jacket without any issues. We like how it is adjustable because we can loosen the fit if we want to wear a harness underneath it. We also love how the jacket does not collect hair! Poppy wears this jacket on all our cold adventures.
On one particular adventure, it was snowing the entire day while we were cross-country skiing and the snow rolled right off the jacket. The snow level was above Poppy’s chest and she had to jump through the snow if she was off the trail. Because of this, some snow did get into her underside, but the nice thing about this jacket is that it is breathable, so the jacket dried up on its own after a few hours.
The longest period she has worn this jacket is 3 days straight. We noticed the leg loops on her back legs did start to rub against her skin on the third day and that caused some redness. If she were to wear this jacket over multiple days again, we will need to take her back legs out of the leg loops for a few hours to give them a break from the straps rubbing the inside of her thighs. Most dogs will not wear this jacket for 3 days straight so it shouldn’t be an issue. We haven’t had any issues with the leg loops rubbing when we wear the jacket for a full day on the trail. Also, Poppy has a very short coat and dogs like her don’t have hair in the inside of their back legs; we are guessing this contributed to the leg loops rubbing her thighs. I think that long haired dogs will not have this problem.
For future versions of this jacket, perhaps Hurtta can create a pocket to tuck the leg loops away when they are not being used, or add fasteners to the inside of the jacket that allow the leg loops to attach when they are not being used so that they don’t flap around?
Quality: 5/5
Hurtta is known for their exceptional quality, and this jacket is no exception. The jacket is very well-constructed and after 5 months of extensive use with Poppy hiking, camping, and skiing with us in winter conditions, our coat still looks like new! We’ve washed it several times (both by hand and also putting it in a bag for delicates before throwing it into the washing machine) and again it still looks like new. If you are looking for a winter jacket to protect your dog when you are out in winter conditions for an extended period of time, look no further! No other winter jacket on the market can compare to the protection and warmth provided by the Extreme Warmer.
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