PRODUCT REVIEW: HEAD-LITESRating: ★★★★★
We were very fortunate to have received one of the first beta versions of this premium canine LED collar from a Canadian company called Head-Lites to give it a good test-run. My overall impression of it was and still is ... AWESOME! It's actually been quite a while since I've come across anything really impressive in the dog-market. Lighted collars are definitely not a new thing but this company really stood out in terms of quality. The test collar we received was the 'off-roading woodland camo' with a white LED as shown on the left and modeled by my late-dog Crystal (below).
Advantages
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| Camo-collar on Crystal |
The collars are very fashionable and comes in various patterns, colors and sizes. Another plus to this collar is that the LED light can easily be slipped in and out of the collar giving me the option to wash the collar when it dirties and ... and ... ready for it? ... Be dog-obsessed enough to order additional LED colors to swap into the collar!
Ko wore this LED collar to the dog park for a month straight and the battery was still running strong. The lighting hardware was a simple on and off switch which made it very easy to operate and if you've ever experienced husky-rough-housing, this collar has endured quite a bit of that and has not frayed or failed us yet.
DisadvantagesWhile the original collar that Ko tested above endured many rough housings, the second collar we purchased for Niko (in white with a white LED) somehow disassembled during a rough housing session with a Malamute buddy of his. The collar itself was completely undamaged, but the two dogs somehow managed to removed the LED light equipment and shred it into pieces to share among their friends while the rest of us chased down the entire pack of dogs to remove these pieces from their possession.
I don't really have much to criticize on this collar, at the moment, I think it's the best one out on the market right now and both the Nikos are sporting it. But if I had to, I wished it was waterproof as my Sibe loves swimming and surfing in the summer and it probably won't last long submerged. Having said that, the LED hardware can be removed from the collar itself before it goes in the water... but since I have a memory of a goldfish I'd likely forget!! The lighting hardware is heavier than I would prefer and perhaps if it was possible that this collar was lighter in weight powered by a Lithium type battery it would make it even more compact, but it might up the cost of the collar all together.
Lastly, the collars are only available starting at the smallest neck/collar size of 16" - and will not fit a Female American Eskimo that's interested in the Nikos' new fancy collars. Hopefully they make collars or harnesses in smaller sizes to fit our smaller furry friends that run with our pack at night. That would make one lit up park! Maybe if the collars were even solar-powered, that would be even more awesome!!
Customer Service
Joanna at Head-lites is very accommodating - when we e-mailed her about the incident above of the damaged LED, she shipped out a replacement part to us at no cost, we only paid for shipping and the hardware arrived within the week!
Summary
Overall, this product goes into my list of trusted and niko-tested products that we have recommended to our friends in the pack and at the park. Easy to use, fashionable, and holds-up for normal every day use. Probably a little pricey if you're buying a collar strictly for the LED but I've hardly ever had to replace any collar, and if this collar is what you're going to use, it'll very likely last the lifetime of your dog, just switch up the LED's! :)
Click here for more on Head-Lites.
YouTube: A Moment in the Life of a Husky: It's the End of the World (using Head-Lites) :)
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All product reviews are subject to my opinion and tested out by our dogs Niko and Ko and are not endorsed by any of the companies listed here.
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