The Bottom Line
This pet life vest is unique in that is self-inflates when it hits water (or when the cord is pulled). The vest can also be inflated by mouth using the attached tube.
The self-inflation is noisy and may be unsettling, but in a true overboard emergency, it is good piece of mind to know that your pet will be kept afloat, especially in rough waters and emergencies.
Unlike traditional pet life vests that cover a lot of surface area, this vest is very low profile. This allows for ease of movement and is much cooler to wear on sunny boating days.
Pros
- Low profile, easy to wear
- Great emergency vest
- Excellent construction
- Very adjustable
- Can inflate using blow tube for planned swims
Cons
- Self-inflation is loud, sudden - might scare dogs
- Design/use is a little intimidating at first
Description
- A self-inflating life vest (uses CO2 cartridges) for dogs and other animals.
- Vest auto-inflates when it hits water or can be manually deployed to auto-inflate.
- Vest can be also inflated by mouth using blow tube.
Guide Review - Critter's Inflatable Pet Life Vest
This life vest is certainly unique. I admit that I was a little afraid of it at first, not knowing how loud and 'explosive' it would be. I was relieved to see that it does not make a pop or explosive sound, just the sound of air filling very quickly.
What drew me to this vest initially, besides curiosity, was the very slim profile of the vest as normally worn (not inflated). Sophie, pictured above, is not a water dog. She does not enjoy swimming in water deeper than her elbows. She has a traditional pet life jacket, and it covers up most of her chest and shoulder area. Her haircoat is double-coated (long guard hairs and fuzzy undercoat), and on warm days we need to pay attention and keep her cool when wearing the vest.
This vest kept her cool and it was easy to move around in. I also tried it out on my Greyhound Argos, who is much taller than Sophie and outweighs her by about 20 pounds. This vest was very adjustable and customizable for the different body types (Long, deep-chested Greyhounds are often hard to get good fits for).
See additional photos of this vest on my dogs, as normally worn and inflated.
The vest, storage pack and all components are very well constructed. The instruction booklet is very detailed. A little daunting at first, but the instructions were clearly outlined with helpful diagrams on proper fit, usage, and deflating/storage of this vest.
This review is 'Part One' as I do not have access swimming water for the dogs to give it a full try out. Photos of this vest in the water will be added to the photo gallery.
Here is a video of a dog wearing the vest as it inflates in the water.
