January 2022 - Page 2 of 2 - Pawsitively Intrepid

Looking for a tough, quality, wind and water-resistant jacket for fall and winter? Check out the OneTigris Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket! OneTigris is self-described as "a group of young hearts that focuses on developing reliable, durable, and affordable tactile gear to inspire [their] users to do more and go further with their fur pals." Their gear often has a military-style appearance and is priced very affordably. In November, OneTigris reached out to us about reviewing their new Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket and their upgraded dog sleeping mat (review coming soon). Since I am always happy to review dog gear, I measured the pups and OneTigris sent us the products to try out. We took these jackets out on the trail to test them and have overall been impressed with these tough jackets for adventurous dogs. Although we did test these jackets outdoors, many of the pictures in this review were taken indoors due to cold winter temperatures (under 10 degrees Fahrenheit) making it less comfortable for me and the dogs to spend too long taking pictures outdoors. We will attempt to update this post with more photos taken in warmer temperatures. Sasha models the Ranger Green color of the OneTrigris Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket. The extra straps hanging down in this picture can be tucked into the chest panel so they don't dangle if preferred. Features of the OneTigris Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket The Achilles Bomber Style Jacket is made out of a thick windbreaker type material that makes it insulated and both wind and water-resistant. The jacket features reflective trim to help improve visibility in low lighting situations. And a fun added feature of a lot of OneTigris products is that their dog gear is designed with a space for patches. The coat currently comes in two colors: Black or Ranger Green. And it is offered in 3 sizes. SizeNeck GirthChest GirthBack LengthS16"-20"18"-27"14"M19"-23"24"-32"18"L22"-26"28"-36"22" The jackets are fairly adjustable and can fit a wide range of dogs. As you can see in the photos of the jackets below there is a lot of room for adjustment of the neck girth/circumference, with an adjustment point on either side of the neck (light blue arrows). Then, there is both a velcro and buckle attachment for adjustment around the chest. The velcro attachment allows you to adjust the "length" of the chest panel slightly, as you can velcro the chest piece in at several different lengths. The velcro width on the small is about 3 inches, which gives you around 2 inches of variability in how far back you velcro the chest panel. (Green arrows point to the velcro area) When adjusted to my smaller dog's size, the chest strap fastens more around her waist than her chest, so it is nice to be able to really adjust this area to a small circumference. You can tuck any extra strap into the pocket that the buckle straps extend from. (Red arrows) Let's take a deeper look at sizing next. Sizing and Fit of the Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket As many of my readers know, I have two dogs: Sasha and Glia. All photos in this review are of these two dogs, so I am going to list their measurements here for reference. Neck GirthChest GirthBack LengthWeightSasha10"17"13"12.5 lbsGlia17"25"21.5"39 lbs Based on the sizing chart, Glia was in between a size S and M. And Sasha was just a little smaller than the size S. OneTigris was nice enough to send us both a size S and a size M. In the pictures of this review, the size small is the Ranger Green color and the size M is the Black color. Amazingly, these jackets are highly adjustable. I was actually able to get the size S to fit both Sasha and Glia! But the M fit Glia a lot better. As you can see, the size S gives Sasha a lot more coverage than it does Glia. (Please ignore the unbuckled buckle in Sasha's pictures. I also did not have the spare strap lengths tucked away in this photo.) While the jacket technically fits both of them, the chest length is a little too long for Sasha. If I adjust the chest area to not gap at her chest (see blue arrow), then the back of the chest panel is long enough that her thighs rub against it slightly when she is walking/running. The end of the chest piece comes to about the length of the pink arrow. (Again, please ignore the unbuckled buckle.) While I don't mind a little bit of gaping at the chest, if you have a male dog, the extra-long chest panel may be more of a problem. Here is a comparison photo of the front of the jackets with the size S on Sasha, the size S on Glia, and then the size M on Glia. Sasha in SGlia in SGlia in M On Glia, I need to extend the neck adjustments of the S almost to the max circumference. The S jacket does not extend past her ribcage, so no anatomy problems there. But it is a little tight around Glia's ribcage unless you don't use the velcro attachment. In the photo below, you can see that when I do have the velcro fastened and the size S jacket pulls a little around her chest. There is still room to loosen the buckle strap if I don't velcro the chest panel to the back panel. The next size up, the M, fits Glia a lot better. It is a little large in the neck circumference, but the back length and fit around her chest work great in the size M. And even with the larger neck, the straps stay above her point of shoulder to allow for good range of motion when wearing the jacket. The extra room and adjustability in this size allow me to layer the jacket over another sweater for extra warmth in the winter. Here is Glia sporting her Christmas sweater underneath the Achilles jacket. So overall, for sizing, I think that dogs 20+ pounds should be able to find an Achilles Bomber Style K9 jacket that fits well. But if your dog is smaller, the jacket may not work. Especially for male dogs. Best Uses for the Achilles Bomber Style Jacket This jacket is a great addition to your dog's closet. While it is not a thick winter parka intended for maximum warmth, it is a light jacket that provides great wind protection. The jacket is water-resistant (although not water-proof) so it can also withstand some light rain. During the winter months, it works well for Sasha, who has a pretty thick coat and tolerates cold weather well. But it is really a spring or fall jacket for Glia, unless we layer her "long johns" and a fleece sweater underneath the jacket. For Minnesota winters, short-coated dogs like Glia do better with a full coverage winter coat - like the Hurtta Expedition Parka. I would recommend this jacket for thick-coated dogs to use year-round as protection against snow, rain, or wind. For thinner furred dogs, this jacket will work for layering or as a rain jacket in warmer months. About the Patches This jacket is also a great option for dogs who wear patches. Most of OneTigris' dog gear is designed for patches to be easily added to the harness or jacket. And the Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket has a line down the back of the jacket that is perfect for attaching a velcro patch. OneTigris sent this fun "Mama Thinks I'm Special" patch along with our jackets and sleeping mat. For us, a patch makes a fun addition to the jacket. But for working dogs, patches can have a utilitarian function. The ability to add patches to the jacket can be an important feature for many people who hike with dogs that are service dogs or have special needs. For these dogs and people, patches can be an important form of communication with others. Pros and Cons of the OneTigris Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket Below is a quick summary of what we really liked about these jackets as well as a few features that didn't work quite as well for us. What We Loved The Achilles Bomber Style Jacket has a lot of great features. Personally, I love the reflective panels (which really help with visibility in low lighting) and the great waterproof and windproof fabric of the jacket. The ability to add patches is a unique selling point for this jacket. So if you have a dog who needs to wear patches, or if you just enjoy patches as a fashion statement for your dog, this jacket would be a wonderful option for your dog. And you can get all of these features at a fantastic price point. The jacket is priced under $30, which is a lot more affordable than some of my other favorite dog gear companies. A few features with room for improvement I really only have two main critiques for this jacket. One is that the sizing options are a little limited. Sasha is pretty small, so it is understandable that there isn't a perfect size for her, but the jacket's smallest size (the S) is a little too big for her. The sizing is also a little difficult in that the back length isn't a lot longer than the chest piece length. This means that the size S jacket was a little short and didn't cover as much of Glia's back as I would have liked. But then for Sasha, when her entire back was well covered, the chest piece reached her back legs. My second critique is a personal one, as I hike with the dogs in harnesses and this jacket cannot be worn with a harness. So I am mostly limited to using these jackets on neighborhood walks, even though they are durable and have held up great when I did take them out on hikes in the woods. So if your dog's hike off-leash or if you use a leash attached to a collar, then this won't be a problem for your pup. But if you are looking for different sizes in a similar style jacket that has a harness built-in, check out the Ruffwear Overcoat Fuse. Alternatively, OneTigris does have a lightweight strap harness that they say works well with this jacket. So if are looking for a harness for your pup to wear underneath a jacket, check out the Goliath K9 Training Harness. Ready to Purchase? If your dog is ready to look tough in an affordable and practical dog jacket, the OneTigris Achilles Bomber Style K9 Jacket is available for purchase online. *The Amazon link below is an affiliate link. I am an Amazon Associate and earn with qualifying purchases. OneTigris' Online StoreAmazon If you purchase this jacket, tag us on Instagram (#pawsitivelyintrepid). We'd love to see if your dogs look as tough as Glia in their OneTigris gear. And if you like the jacket, pin this post to Pinterest to share with others.