Product Review: Buckle Down Collars

Buckle Down collars are made from printed nylon and feature a seatbelt-style buckle. They come in a huge variety of licensed prints, and are available in several sizes to fit medium and large dogs with necks 9-32" around. The company also makes matching 4' leashes, and their original product is actually belts for humans.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm a bit of a sucker for licensed products, I'm a shameless My Little Pony fan. Buckle Down has found a way to capitalize on people like me, and they have licensed a near-infinite number of logos and characters to put on their products. I own two My Little Pony collars, one Space Invaders, one with peace signs, and one with hearts. I also have a matching My Little Pony belt because coordinating with my dog is awesome.

Photo by Erin Koski

I like the metal buckles on these collars. Unlike the ones Planet Dog used to use on their Cozy Hemp collars, these are smooth and flat. The buckles feel strong and reliable, plus they are very light and don't rub coats or chafe skin. The collars come in 1" and 1.5" widths, and the wider ones look awesome on big and wide dogs. The thinner ribbon looks fabulous on my smaller and lighter guys.

Buckle Down collars and belts are a fabulous way to express my nerdiness. They have superhero and cartoon character collars, but they also have internet-famous licensed characters like Grumpy Cat and Nyan Cat.

Pros: Durable web collars come in a zillion different designs, with matching people-gear available as well. Collars hold their colors and designs very well, mine have been on dogs almost constantly since December and look awesome. Comfortable and much lighter than most metal buckles. Easy to adjust and they don't slip or loosen over time.

Cons: These are not great beach collars, the buckle on our peace sign collar is a little harder to open since its close encounter with sand and salt water. Not for little tiny dogs despite the fact that they can be adjusted very small. Ru has an 8" neck and these would look ridiculous on him.

Bottom Line: I now own five Buckle Down collars and one belt, at least one of these items gets used every day. Buckle Down has found a unique way to tap into the fandom market, and I am seriously hooked. I love these collars. The dogs don't mind them either.