Hurtta Life Savior - THE life jacket for active dogs

DISCLAIMER: I received these life jackets free of charge from Hurtta North America in exchange for my honest review. The following review is based solely on my honest opinions and experiences with this product.

It’s getting hot out again down South, which means one thing in this house… PADDLE SEASON!

As the temps start to rise, I spend more and more time at the lake with the pups, trying to keep them (and myself) cool. To make sure the pups are safe on the water, they’re sporting the new Hurtta Life Savior dog life jackets.

Sure, my dogs can swim and they’re no strangers to water sports, but things happen. They can slip into the water unexpectedly and get caught off-guard. Ringo can retaliate for the last time that someone *ahem* Roxie pushed him in. The bottom line is, you just never know. Which is why it’s of utmost importance that my furry children have QUALITY life jackets.

Over the years, we have tried a variety of different brands and styles of life jackets, so we know exactly what we like, and what we don’t, about most jackets out on the market. We have long been HUGE fans of all things Hurtta and their new Life Savior is no exception! This is the fourth life jacket brand that we’ve used and I can easily say that this is by far our absolute favorite life jacket to date.

Hurtta Life Savior – THE life Jacket for active, water-loving pups!

Paddle boarding pup

Time to hit the water and get to testing! (Aka the fun part!)

FUNCTION (5/5)

The first and most important job of a life jacket is to protect your dog from drowning, to help them stay buoyant and keep their head above water. While most life jackets accomplish this goal in some regard, they are definitely not all created equally. I can confidently say that the Life Savior from Hurtta is the best jacket we’ve tried to date. Not only is it impressively buoyant, but it’s also low-profile and flexible, allowing your dog to run, swim, and play uninhibited.

The secret sauce of the Life Savior is the core of the jacket. Most brands seem to choose one of two directions when it comes to the “guts” of their jackets. They either use a big piece of foam, which provides a lot of buoyancy but also makes the jacket much more bulky and reduces your dog’s natural range of motion, or they use a thinner piece of foam, which gives your dog better mobility but also makes the jacket significantly less buoyant. Until now…

Hurtta has a new, SMARTER approach to the dog life jacket.

In order to give your dog the best of both worlds, superior buoyancy AND range of motion, they broke their foam core into separate, flexible sections. The panel on each side of the jacket are broken down into 3 pieces, running parallel to your dog’s body and allowing for a more comfortable, flexible fit. The jacket fits more closely to their body, instead of sticking out awkwardly and getting in the way. The internal sections have more give and move WITH your dog, instead of against them. Instead of standing rigidly and moving with difficulty, our dogs can run, jump off my paddle board, chase each other on the beach, and swim naturally and fluidly to their hearts’ content.

DESIGN (5/5)

Not only are the “guts” of the Life Savior well designed, so is every other element of this jacket. I can’t stress enough how impressed I always am with the thought and planning that obviously goes in to each and every Hurtta product. This Life Savior is no exception. Every seam, every strap, every inch of the jacket is well researched, well made, and high functioning. Like their harnesses and trail pack, all of the straps are infinite loops. This means no extra strap hanging loose to get stuck on things. The material of the jacket is thick yet flexible and is sure to hold up to years of use and abuse. PLUS the bright yellow color is not only appealing to the eye, but also great for visibility on the water.

Sup pups

They also included what I consider to be two of the most often overlooked, yet most important elements that every dog life jacket should have. The sturdy handle and a place to attach a leash or safety line. If you dog falls in the water, the handle allows you to quickly and safely lift them back onto your board or boat. The leash ring is not only great for control of your dog on land, but it also gives you the option of adding a literal lifeline for extra protection in rough, choppy waters. It allows you to catch your dog even if they start to float away. If heaven forbid your dog falls overboard into fast-moving water, the handle will help you get them back to the safety of your boat.

QUALITY (5/5)

Yep, ANOTHER 5 stars. We aren’t joking, this jacket is the bees knees. What can I say? The Hurtta Life Savior is built to last. Not only is it designed better than anything else on the market, it’s also built better. Ringo and Roxie will be sporting these jackets for years to come. You can count on that!

sup pup hurtta life savior

Would we recommend this to a friend?

I’m pretty sure you know this by now, but YES! Without a doubt, we would highly recommend this streamlined, quality life jacket to anyone and everyone with a dog. This is the FIRST PRODUCT that we have ever given a perfect 15/15 review. EVER. The Hurtta Life Savior is the safest, most streamlined, best made life jacket on the market. Paws down.

Not only is it perfect for those who SUP, kayak or canoe, but it’s great for boating, sailing, or just hanging out at the beach. Use it to teach your dog to swim, to help them with recovery during hydrotherapy. Use it any time you are near the water and be confident that your dog is safe. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your dog enjoying the water, without the worry.