Bailey is in the water every day (winter & summer). Every time she enters into the water I've had to take her collar off from her. I've look all over for a strong waterproof collar for her. This collar fits the bill, she can go into the water and I don't have to worry about her collar getting lose, wet and smelly.

I like this collar except that it is hard to adjust. If it is loose enough not to bind on her short neck when she is "lounging," she can back out of it on walks. I need a buckle type collar. Otherwise it is really nice- I love the separate loops for tags and for leash. The leash attachment is large and easy to find. She is in Boston Harbor or Nantucket Sound every day and this collar does not absorb water or get stiff like the leather collars did.

love this collar...the dogs are in the Gulf or Lake almost daily and it is so nice to have a collar that we can leave on..

I purchased this collar for my lab last summer prior to spending a few weeks camping at different lakes and streams and didn't want a stinky collar that would take a long time to dry out. Who wants that in their tent? It is the best collar we have ever owned. Even after a 10 months it looks new and doesn't smell. It was stiff at first but it molded to our dogs neck and fits perfectly.

We are avid kayakers and rafters and so are our dogs by default. We got them each one of these collars and they have worked fine. They are easy to clean and don't stay wet for days or start smelling. I didn't realize they would be more of a rubbery plastic material, but it hasn't been a problem. They were a little stiff at first but after about a week they were just fine. The dogs don't seem to notice that they are any different than the old collars. Size wise, it won't work for smaller dogs. I have a puppy who is incredibly furry so the medium stays on but if he had short hair it wouldn't work until he was older (he is currently 18 lbs).

cheap and the worst part is that it doesnt lay flat - the part that goes into the one side of the buckle almost looks wrong and its just stupid. fits terrible and looks worse

I don't know why these are made only for larger dog breeds. I have a mini labradoodle and she LOVES water. I bought one and had to reconstruct it to fit my 15 lb dog. Ruffwear should pay attention to small active dogs too! I would recommend this product ONLY for large dogs.

why is there no small sized collar. my dog is a small lab-mix rescue and will not get any larger than 30lbs. He's as capable as any dog i've had but the medium collar is too big on him- especially when he's being active.

This collar is definitely waterproof and reflective, but I was not expecting it to be basically tough plastic. It's pretty stiff and just was not what I was looking for. I think if you have a dog who is in the water all the time and a lightweight collar is what you are looking for this would be great. I was thinking it would be a more typical collar (weight / construction) with reflective properties and fast drying. Description just didn't convey to me how different it would be, so isn't going to work for us.

These are nice colors and well built, as is all of the Ruff Wear product we have purchased over the years. However, for us, it doesn't work. Collar is stiff, due to it's waterproof fabric and this caused it to sit off of the dogs' neck. I found I could use their Hoopie Collars and wash them after the beach days and I preferred the softness of the fabric on the Hoopie over the Headwater.

This collar is fantastic! As the other reviews stated, it started out a bit stiff, but after wearing the collar a couple of weeks, it molded to my dog's neck. I love the water-proof aspect of it because I cannot keep Foster out of the water. Now I don't have to worry about him wearing a wet collar, it doesn't get dirty, and still looks brand new after wearing it for a month now. Definitely worth the money! My only critique would be to have a bigger selection of colors!

I just got my green headwater collar in the mail today. First impression: Thin, but Strong. I can see what people are talking about with it being somewhat stiff, but I think it will soften up a bit. I'm glad it isn't thicker or I'm not sure it would soften up. The color is great. I was nervous that it would be too big, as my dog's neck measured about 19.5 inches, but I sized up just in case. I'm glad I sized up because the fit is perfect (and quite adjustable). The adjustment mechanism of the collar seems pretty sturdy too, not likely to come loose either. Overall, I'm quite pleased. Now I just have to see if it starts smelling over time ;)

My DockDogs' dock diving dog Rhapsody is stylish in this great looking bright green collar. Best part is the collar does not take hours to dry, nor does it get that nasty mildew smell! Great collar for a working or swimming dog!

We love this color. We have it in green but any color looks great in person. It is easy to clean, doesn't smell and is simple to put on and take off. Winnie is allergic to nylon so the Hardwater collar is a great alternative. It does sit funny on the dogs neck at first but wares eventually for a perfect fit. We will definitely be buying another one of these! 100% worth the money!

We have very active large dogs - swimming in the ocean, rolling in dead fish on the beach, wrestling, etc - and never found a collar that would stand up to the abuse... Until now! Great product!

We bought this collar shortly after it came out, previously used the hoopie collar. Living in Seattle with a dog that loves to swim, hike, and get very dirty we found ourselves replacing the hoopie collar far too often to keep it looking nice and clean. Our GSP has now had her new headwater collar in green for almost 5 months and it looks just as good as new and is completely stink-proof! It was a little stiff at first the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, but seems to have "softened" or molded to the shape of her neck after some time. I'm sure we'll be buying another one in a different color at some point :)

A very nice looking collar. Although it's gotten wet, I think it's a little too early to comment on its unstinkability, as that usually takes time to build up.

Haley loves everything stinky, she rolls in all manner of things, dead star fish, poop, you name it. This collar is stink-proof, as advertised!

This has simply been the best collar I've ever used. My wife likes it because she likes the look, but I love it because it's very cleanable, yet totally duable. Toby loves the water, and his collar doesn't absorbe whatever he is swimming in

Most of the biothane type collars like these have the sharp edge on the end that is sewn down. This one doesn't which made it a winner in my book! Nothing to make the dog scratch and she doesn't mind having it on at all. Also, the collar itself if very light, but rigid enough that I feel confident it won't get caught on anything and twist (choking the dog...I've had it happen with the light nylon collars).

We have finally found a durable, reflective, easy to clean collar for our dogs. The collar fits our spinone perfectly, but is a little big for our smaller dog, and sits a bit strange on his neck, although he doesn't seem to mind or notice. We love that the collar is light, has a reflective design, and is easy to clean. We are an active family, and the collars have been great so far. No more stink, and no more noisy tags.

Product was just as advertised! And it doesn't jingle jingle!

My mutt loves swimming and fishing the fresh water creeks in our area. This is by far the best collar yet. The stiffness of the material does soften over time. The quiet tag hook up works to cut down the jingle, and the leash hook is easy to find and hold. The color is staying bright. Thanks for the outstanding product for my country dog.

While I love the overall idea of this collar, and will be using it for our lake and river adventures- its really stiff and somewhat akward on my dogs necks, both puppy (medium) and full grown (large). Again, I like the design and love the concept so we'll be keeping them, but I hope in the future they lay better on the dogs necks! I said I wouldnt recommend this product solely because of the strange way it sits on the necks-

Sydney is very active, goes to daycare when I work, swims and wrestles with her friends. Collars always came home smelly and filthy. This collar is easy to wash in the sink, and doesn't smell. Very sturdy. Cons.....doesn't sit like other collars because of material, doesn't bother her, just annoyed me at first. But it is the best collar out there for her lifestyle. We are satisfied.

Pros: 1. The collar is durable, and water proof. 2. I see this collar lasting a very long time. Cons: 1. The collar doesn't lay nicely (as was previously said). That's because the material is rigid and plastic like (none of which bothers my dog). 2. The reflective material is... well... not very reflective. I purchased the fern green which contrasts really well but I feel like the reflective material is lacking. I don't think this would have been much of an issue if it weren't a selling point of the collar. Overall I'm happy I purchased this. My first Ruffwear product, and will certainly be buying more.

I love that my dog can wear this collar in the lake, and since it doesn't absorb water, it doesn't stay wet like other collars, so it doesn't get stinky. My only gripe is that since the material is a little rigid, and the hardwear is big compared to my 45lb dog, the adjustable part doesn't lay totally flat on his neck, which doesn't look great. And because it is positioned directly opposite the tag ring, I can't hide that part on the underside of the neck. Overall, a useful and attractive collar, though. Wish it came in blue.

Finally, a collar that looks great that is easy to clean and is no problem when it gets wet. I will buy one of these again. Much better than the cheap collars I used to buy.