Ruff Wear Quinzee Insulated Jacket Review

Here at Active Gear Review we have two fabulous dog testers that pretty much go on every adventure their humans will take them on. As a result, they need cool new gear too! Aspen, the spunky male Airedale, has been putting Ruff Wear’s latest, the Quinzee Jacket, through the paces here in Colorado.

For starters, I don’t believe many dogs actually like wearing a coat. Therefore, the process of getting a coat on your dog can be quite an issue. The Quinzee is probably the easiest jacket to get on that we have tested.

Side zip

Step 1: there is a handy side zip on the right-side that can be unzipped to help get the jacket over the top of your dogs head. For Aspen, I don’t even need to unzip the jacket!

Y-shaped fabric

Step 2: Trace the Y-shaped fabric along your dogs underbelly. This piece features reflective piping for increased visibility and houses a single stretchy strap with a buckle on each end. What I like, and I am sure Aspen does too, is that the strap doesn’t rub along his underbelly because the strap is piped into the fabric, and can slide within the compartment.

Sheltered side release buckles

Step 3: Buckle each side. The strap length can be changed easily to loosen or tighten the fit around your dog. Each buckle is “sheltered”, or hidden under a piece of overhanging fabric. This helps prevent catching on any objects and keeps the jacket more streamlined. Note the reflective Ruff Wear logo in the photo, the jacket also features reflective piping on the tail-side of the jacket as well.

Finished product: The entire jacket can be stuffed into a pocket on the underside of the jacket for easy traveling

The Quinzee jacket is composed of 50% recycled polyester insulation to help keep your dog warm on the coldest of days. The outer shell is composed of 40% recycled polyester. Ruff Wear notes that the outer shell is water and abrasion resistant. Resistant is the key word here. If you plan on letting your dog loose in the woods, the Quinzee might not be your best bet due to risk of snagging on branches and exposing the insulation. I found that after about an hour of walking out in a heavy snowstorm, the jacket was relatively saturated. To remedy this, I plan to use a wash-in water repellent (e.g. Nikwax).

As far as fit goes, Aspen is typically in-between sizes. The size large goes well over his tail, while the medium in some of Ruff Wear’s other offerings is a little tight. Aspen tested out the medium and I believe that it was the best size for him. In order to help you get a precise fit, I have included Ruff Wear’s size guide below. One thing many reviewers have noted in the past with dog jackets, is that sometimes fabric from the jacket covers the male parts.  For obvious reasons, this would be a design flaw.  As you can see, this is not an issue with the Quinzee Jacket.

Aspen and Suki (our female Airedale tester)  have also tested out Ruff Wear’s Cloud Chaser and Climate Changer models. These jackets have a slimmer fit, feature a full length zipper, and easily accommodate a pack over-top. The Quinzee is more like a casual jacket, if their is such a thing for a dog! I say this because it would be difficult to put a pack over this jacket for two major reasons: 1) the buckles are located in the identical position as our dog pack, making it rather bulking and a potential spot for friction 2) the jacket is made from a synthetic nylon that would cause the pack to slide around on your dogs back. The Quinzee, therefore, is a puffy for your dog to use in between activities or around town on cold days. Ruff Wear has an excellent table to help find the right coat for the right conditions and activities.

The Quinzee is made from eco-friendly materials, and is available in two colors (gray and red).  It retails for $85.

Girth = measurement around widest part of rib cage

Aspen modeling the Quinzee Jacket during a snowstorm