Annemarie Conte is an editor who writes the Ask Wirecutter column and trending-product reviews. She’d love to make you a friendship bracelet.
I never thought I’d buy clothes for my dog.
My previous dogs have had thick fur that kept them warmer in the winter, but my adorable Buddy has a practically hairless belly and smooth, fleshy armpits (seriously, they feel human). When I saw him shivering during our first walk in the fall together, I realized that he needed an added layer of protection when conditions were cold, snowy, or rainy.
I bought the collarless, standard 300D version of the WeatherBeeta ComFiTec Reflective Parka 300D Deluxe Dog Coat in early December 2019, and we’ve been using it consistently since then. The 300D Deluxe coat offers extra coverage over the chest and neck, but the slightly scaled-down 300D has worked great for Buddy, keeping him warm and dry in the colder months.
Our pick
The WeatherBeeta coat sits securely and keeps a dog protected in all but the worst conditions. It comes in sizes that fit dogs between 12 inches and 32 inches long, in 2-inch increments for a close fit.
It’s water resistant and well insulated
Once I realized that we needed a dog coat, I scoured Cyber Week sales on Wirecutter picks, but there were none to be had. It turns out that this coat rarely, if ever, goes on sale. I took Buddy’s measurements using the guidance on the WeatherBeeta site, and I purchased a 20-inch coat in bright safety orange at full price (it also comes in rain-slicker yellow). Sizes range from 12 inches to 32 inches, covering a wide swath of dog breeds.
The jacket, which beat out nine competitors and has been our top pick for the best dog jacket since 2017, lies over his back and secures with a thick Velcro band around his undercarriage.
Both the Wirecutter pick (the 300D Deluxe) and the version I purchased (the standard 300D) are made from a water-resistant (WeatherBeeta uses the language “showerproof”) 300-denier material and filled with 220 g of polyfill. The 300D Deluxe coat’s popped collar looks very 1980s Rob Lowe.
We did comparison tests of all the coats in our testing group on both insulation and water repellency, and the WeatherBeeta coat got top marks.
It makes sense that WeatherBeeta knows how to keep animals happy outdoors. The company has been around since 1980 and makes horse blankets and other equestrian gear, as well as goat coats. Goat coats!
It’s bright as heck
The safety-orange color in particular is excellent for visibility in the snow. Wirecutter reader Erika Herrmann wrote to tell us that she owned the 300D Deluxe WeatherBeeta coat for her dog, Marco, for three years.
“The WeatherBeeta kept Marco warm and dry through many a Minnesota snowmageddon and polar vortex,” Erika wrote. “Plus, this coat is so bright and reflective, it turns snowbanks orange—Marco was a walking highlighter!”
This kind of visibility is also great in woodsy areas where hunters might be present, as well as on sidewalks with dim or nonexistent lighting.
It’s secure
A harness hole at the back of both WeatherBeeta models works well in combination with the Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Dog Walking Harness, one of our picks for the best dog harness. The ring on the harness lines up fairly well with the hole in the jacket to allow you to thread the leash through.
The thick strap that secures the coat around the dog’s flank doesn’t shift or slip, and it works for dogs of a variety of sizes and shapes, according to our testing. The 300D Deluxe comes with rear leg straps for even more stability; they’re helpful for rambunctious dogs, but Erika told me that she never needed to use them.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Though some of our testers found that the Velcro closures occasionally got gummed up with mud or grass, I haven’t personally experienced an issue with them in the years I’ve owned the coat. Erika Herrmann didn’t, either.
I wish that the coat had reflective material on the sides in addition to the strip that runs down the spine. That reflective strip is great if you’re looking at your dog from above, but the design would be better suited for road safety if it also had strips positioned on the sides to pick up car headlights.
Washing your WeatherBeeta coat
We made machine washability a requirement in our testing criteria since dogs inevitably get messy. However, you can’t just casually toss this coat in the wash.
The company has a care guide on its site that advises ensuring that the detergent dispenser in your washing machine is free of buildup and using mild soap or coat-cleaning wash (we like Nikwax Tech Wash) on a delicate cycle.
You should wash the coat within a mesh bag (presumably to protect the straps and buckles) and line-dry it. Then waterproof the coat post-wash with a spray-on product like Nikwax TX.Direct.
It took my family only a little while to stop laughing about how much Buddy looked like a four-legged traffic cone, because we appreciate how important it is for him to be protected and warm in inclement weather. And anything that helps get him out the door for a walk is a good thing.
This article was edited by Rachelle Bergstein and Joshua Lyon.
Meet your guide
Annemarie Conte is a deputy editor at Wirecutter. She has written and edited for multiple local and national magazines throughout her career. You can follow her on Instagram.