O'Brien Pet Life Vest (Yellow/Blue/Black)

This life vest is perfect! I have bought 2 other brands that my dog would not wear. They were big and bulky, he hated them. This one is lite weight yet keeps him afloat. It's also easy to get on and off. Couldn't be happier with it! So glad I found this!

This is a very well made and well fitting life vest for dogs. The sizing seems very accurate. My 18 pound rat terrier mix fits perfectly in the small size. It's soft and very flexible, and once the straps are adjusted, you don't need to change them, as it zips open on the top. Nice idea! My only question, and time will tell, is if the handle will hold up to use if needed. It's offset, and not directly over the top of the dog. I'm not worried about it though. This is a nice vest made by a reputable water sports brand. My dog doesn't mind wearing it at all either.

I have several Obrien wetsuits and tubes which have all been great. Thisife jacket, however, seems poorly made. Purely for flotation it's OK but if you plan to attach a line or leash to the jacket look elsewhere. The D ring where a leash clips is made of cheap plastic and is sewn into someightweight neoprene skin. If you put any force on the leash or plan to lift the dog by the handle you will rip the assembly off. I have no confidence that this jacket will help me rescue my 50 pound dog and will be returning the item. Also, the jacket makes my dog very hot since it's basically a wetsuit. Looks great though and may be suitable for a very small dog.

Positives:Soft neoprene allows the dog to move easier than stiff and harder foam vests.The bright yellow is high contrast against the black water.Negatives:Too spongy with insufficient reinforcement for appropriate support.The handle to pull them into the boat is not strong enough where it is stitched to the vest. The stitching ripped on the first lift.The chest strap gathers and rolls. :( Looks very unconfortable.The zipper is on the top of the vest, running down the dogs back. It is difficult to pull the zipper and close the vest. (You have to hold the vest upward against the dogs belly while trying to pull the stretchy neoprene together, join the zipper halves, and hold the bottom of the zipper while pulling on the tab.) ...Lose the zipper! Buckles work much better.

The product does not have accurate in sizing. I purchased this exact vest a month earlier from Dick's Sporting goods and was very happy with it. The one I purchased on Amazon does not fit as well even though it is labeled the same size. Holding them up to each other one is slightly bigger than the other. They will still work for me but I have 2 Mini Schnauzers one being a little heavier than the other. The vest is soft with a lot of give. I 'm not sure how well the vest would work on a larger dog that needs to be pulled out of the water by the handle.

This is the second one I bought since my Lab outgrew the first one. These are made well and work great. The handle makes it much easier getting him out of the water.

While not as buoyant as other vests, it keeps our beagle floating upright. It stays on much better than the other two brands we tried before buying this one. One of those fell apart at the seams within a couple weeks, and the other had faulty snaps that popped open every time he jumped in the water.

Easy to put on and adjust to your dog. Just makes me feel better about letting my Golden Retriever into the water if we're swimming together in deeper waters.