Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

The Ruffwear Fernie dog coat is an impressive sweater knit dog coat which is fleece lined and provides excellent everyday warmth for dogs in cold weather. 

Quick buy the Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

Read our product review below.

Initial Impressions of the Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

Our dogs have been using Ruffwear dog coats for many years and without fail every coat has impresed us for it's comfort and technical abilities and the new Ruffwear Fernie is no different.

The sweater style knit fabric appears thick and warm while the style looks comfortable and practical.

 

Kizzie really does prefer the warm weather and can often be found sun puddling in summer so when winter comes she will seek the warmest places in our house. When the weather turns cold she seems to really feel it and will occasionally develop a cough so keeping her warm while out on walks is really important.

How it fits - Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

Having measured Kizzie's girth she was 31 inches and comfortably in the medium size range, had she been closer to 32 inches we would have followed Ruffwear's guidance and gone up a size to ensure the Fernie gave good body coverage. 

Being part of the Ruffwear sleeved style dog coats the coat extended across her back and gave excellent coverage across her chest, belly and neck without being restrictive.

Retaining Kizzie's full range of movement is really important because on walks Kizzie likes nothing more than rushing around chasing a ball and we don't want any loose fabric that she could trip over or get caught on something. 

The leg cuffs are elasticated which helps to keep the cold out and also appeared to help keep the coat in place across her chest and belly no matter how much she twisted, turned or jumped.

By the time we returned home the Fernie was just as when we had started our walk, sitting straight across her body without any bunching up or slipping.

The Fernie is a close fitting dog coat, being so close to Kizzie's body helps trap heat next to her body keeping her really well insulated without restricting movement or being uncomfortable.

The fitted style has another superb advantage. We were able to easily place Kizzie's Ruffwear Front Range Harness on the outside of the coat which gave us full and unrestricted access to the front and back clips.  

The fabric - Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

Think of your own technical hoodie/fleece that you might wear yourself during the winter months and you will know what to expect from the Fernie.

The knitted fleece was super soft to touch and we know Kizzie would have appreciated that because she loves to be curled up on blankets, duvets and generally anything warm and cushioned!

With such gentle fabric Kizzie will be able to use the Ruffwear Fernie as a housecoat during the really cold winter months or even overnight as her own doggy pyjamas.

Ruffwear Fernie VS. Ruffwear Climate Changer 

How does the fabric compare to the Ruffwear Climate Changer fleece?

In terms of protection, our personal opinion having used both is that the Fernie is slightly thicker when compared to the Climate Changer. From an appearance perspective, there is an instant and obvious difference with the Fernie pictured on the left below.

(Left; Ruffwear Fernie, Right; Ruffwear Climate Changer)

The Warmth Test - Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

The Fernie with it's technical and high-performance fleece appeared to keep Kizzie warm on every walk we took her on.

She never appeared uncomfortably hot but instead was happy running around playing and seemed content at the end of a walk without seeking out any additional warmth by snuggling under things or lying beside the fire.

Having tested the coat during Autumn and into early Winter we are confident that the Fernie is going to provide excellent warmth for the full Winter season under normal temperature conditions.

Should there be any arctic blasts with below average temperatures the fitted style of the Ruffwear Fernie is ideal for using as a solid base layer which can be built upon with an additional coat worn on top for increased warmth. 

The style factor - Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat

The Fernie is available in three colours Larkspur Purple, Canyonland Orange and Hemlock Green and six sizes from XXS to XL so no matter the colour or size of your dog there is something for everyone.

We found that the appearance and finish of the Fernie dog coat was luxurious, designed with Kizzie's comfort in mind and looked at home whether out on a country off road walk or in urban environments.

Everyday use & adventures - The Ruffwear Fernie

Ruffwear's mission is to build high-quality, durable performance products to enhance outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions, the Fernie does just that.

We tested the Fernie mostly off road on countryside walks, we found it to be resilient and tough coping with a few skirmishes into brambles on the wooded common near us and emerging unscathed.

The reflective piping on the coat is well detailed and distributed across the back in two lines so which helped to keep Kizzie visible in low light conditions.

For those times where we want Kizzie to have additional safety there is a handy light loop located on the back of the coat for a Ruffwear Beacon Light.

The Fernie is also machine washable for those inevitable times when it gets dirty and Kizzie really does love a muddy puddle or stream!

We have washed her coat several times now and it's come out looking good as new and dries really quickly so it is always ready for her next adventure.

So how does the Ruffwear Fernie rate overall?

We found the Fernie to be another great addition to the Ruffwear range and made to the same high quality that we have come to know and love from the brand.

Many dog owners search the internet looking for things like 'warm dog coat with harness hole' and 'dog coats with harness access' or even 'dog coats that can be used with a harness' and the Ruffwear Fernie answers every one of those questions with one simple solution.

The fact it looks great, is comfortable for Kizzie to wear, keeps her warm and can be layered with another coat makes the Ruffwear Fernie a real winner in our eyes.

One very minor design issue we had was the fabric flap mounted under the zip. With Kizzie's fur being so long we would have preferred it to be slightly bigger to help prevent her fur getting caught in the zip. However, in all the times she wore the Fernie we never got it stuck once and we are confident that as long as we pay attention when fastening it that it won't be an issue.

Where to buy?

Click here to buy the Ruffwear Fernie Dog Coat