In December Piper won an Instagram contest to become an official reviewer for the new Extreme Warmer jacket from Hurtta, a Finnish company that produces functional, high-quality dog clothing and equipment. Piper is one of those dogs that loves being outside no matter how cold, windy, or snowy the weather might be, so this jacket was especially intriguing to me since it would provide significantly better coverage and warmth than the horse blanket-style coats that Piper already owns.

Per the terms of the contest, I happily agreed to share a few photos of Piper in her Extreme Warmer jacket (like I need an excuse to take pictures of Piper!!) and write an honest review of the product after several weeks of testing. After reading my review, if you have any questions about the Extreme Warmer please feel free to ask me in the comments. You can also check out Hurtta North America’s complete product listing and details here: https://www.hurtta247.com/extreme-warmer

Piper’s Extreme Warmer arrived just after Christmas.  Right out of the box I was immediately impressed by the fabric and construction. This jacket has much more in common with a human’s winter parka than the lightweight dog coats I was familiar with.  The Extreme Warmer has a soft, foil-like inner layer to reflect Piper’s body heat inwards and a waterproof outer shell to protect her from wind and snow. Like a human jacket, the Extreme Warmer also has reflective details for visibility at night.

SIZE AND FIT

The Extreme Warmer is sized based on a dog’s back length. Piper measures 22.5″ from the base of her neck to the base of her tail so we opted for size 55 cm / 22″. Fine-tuning the fit of the Extreme Warmer is accomplished with several cinches and an adjustable belly strap. Piper’s tail is usually up when she’s romping around the yard and I was pleased to find a bungee adjustment on the back of the Extreme Warmer that allowed me to tailor the length of the jacket so that it ended exactly at the base of Piper’s tail. Getting the fit just right took a few tries – Piper came in with rubs on the front of her legs after the first wear because we hadn’t tightened one of the neck bungees enough – but after some final adjustments the Extreme Warmer fits perfectly, doesn’t rub, and is easy to put on and take off.

EXTRA FEATURES

In addition to its parka-like technical fabrics, the Extreme Warmer has a few other features that set it apart from other dog coats I’ve owned in the past. First, this jacket has a large flap that goes between Piper’s front legs and covers her whole chest and rib cage area. The Extreme Warmer also does an especially good job of covering Piper’s hind end, thanks to generous flaps of layered fabric and two soft leg straps that her hind legs fit through. And don’t worry… all of this rear end coverage does not make the Extreme Warmer susceptible to getting peed or pooped on. The design is such that the jacket somehow stays perfectly out of the way when Piper is doing her business. (Thank goodness!)

The most exciting and undoubtably most entertaining feature of the Extreme Warmer is the jacket’s snood*, which provides maximum coverage of Piper’s neck and, if the weather warrants, even her ears. This adjustable inner hood can be kept loose and nearly out of sight for warmer winter days, but I love that I have the option to cinch it up if Piper’s going to be spending time outside in really cold weather. Piper doesn’t seem to mind the snood nearly as much as I thought she might; I think she must realize that it does actually keep her head and ears extra toasty.

*No matter how many times I see the official pronunciation of snood online (/snuːd/), I will always pronounce it like the colorful puzzle game that Matt and I were addicted to in college. Plus, “snewd” sounds cuter and slightly more ridiculous, which seems like a better fit for this jacket feature.

PERFORMANCE

The Extreme Warmer absolutely lives up to its claim of being extremely warm. I always run my hand over Piper’s fur when she comes inside and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that her back, neck and chest are always warm to the touch after she’s been wearing her Hurtta.

In addition to its excellent cold weather performance, I also love that this jacket allows full range of motion and stays on securely. Thanks to all of the adjustments and straps, Piper can gallop around the yard at top speed without me worrying that the Extreme Warmer will start sliding around or loosen. Piper’s velcro-closure coats, on the other hand, can come detached if she runs or plays too roughly in them.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I am extremely impressed by Hurtta’s Extreme Warmer. It is stylish, high quality, and very warm. Knowing that Piper is outside with her Extreme Warmer on gives me peace of mind, especially on those cold evenings when Piper gets the zoomies and refuses to come inside when I call her. If she’s going to spend an extra few minutes out in the cold at least she’s doing it with a full parka on!

Plus, the snood is really, really cute…

I received Piper’s Extreme Warmer for free from Hurtta North America in exchange for my fair and honest review. I have to admit though, that after seeing how warm it keeps Piper I would gladly pay for it! The Extreme Warmer is available for purchase in the US/Canada from Hurtta North America and around the world; just visit Hurtta’s web site to find a local retailer.