The Coolest Dog Collars for Human’s Best Friend

We feed our dogs the best food; we researched the ingredients and the company. Dogs get new toys to play with to keep them entertained and new beds to lay in to keep them comfortable. But why aren’t we paying attention to what they’re continually wearing – their collar!

Since (unfortunately) dogs can’t speak to let us know what they need or want, we have to trust our guts when making decisions regarding our furry friends. And picking a collar is a tough decision because, like dog food, there are so many to choose from – whether you’re at the pet store or online. A great place to start is thinking about your dog and that very good boy or girl’s needs. Are they active? Do they like to swim? Is their fur short or long? Are they leash-trained? Are they off leash often?

These are all things to keep in mind while choosing a collar. The answers could determine the material, type, and fit of your best friend’s new collar. And we haven’t even touched base on looks. The patterns available are endless!

We believe that the best dog collars are often the coolest dog collars, too. So we’ve compiled a list of the canine market’s top hits. Let’s take a look!

The Best Dog Collar

Illumiseen LED Dog Collar (BEST CHOICE)

Illumiseen LED Dog Collars are the best dog collars for night walks and roaming in the woods after sunset. The flexible LED dog collar keeps your loved furry friend (and you) visible to drivers and allows you to keep an eye on your dog while they explore the backyard off-leash. The USB rechargeable LED collar lasts for five hours on one hour charge and has three settings – steady and slow or rapid flashing – easily changed by one button.

Illumiseen offers the collar in six different sixes from xx-small to extra large dog collars for our Great Danes and English Mastiffs. The collar is available in bright orange, cotton candy pink, neon green, royal blue, ruby red, and sunburst yellow – all highly visible, bright colors to keep your dog in sight. It secures with a side pitch clip and a D-ring built into the collar for a leash attachment.

Match it with an Illumiseen LED Dog Leash, so drivers are aware of your whereabouts in relation to your dog as well.

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Wolfgang Man & Beast Dog Collar

Wolfgang Man and Beast Dog Collars bring durability and strength into the playpen with creativity and style. The collars are available in a variety of colorful patterns ranging from abstract to patriotic to landscape prints. Wolfgang Man and Beast uses powder-coated steel and welded D-rings to withstand up to 800lbs or pull and abrasion-resistant, washable materials to ensure high-quality dog collars.

Washable polyester makes up the length of the dog collar. It is fade-resistant and UV stable. The curved nylon buckles create a comfortable fit for your best friend. The cute dog collars come in three different sizes, and the adjustable slide provides room to modify the size after a haircut or a growth spurt.

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Black Rhino – The Comfort Dog Collar

Is your pup a frequent swimmer? Some collars don’t withstand outdoor elements or dry out quickly. The Comfort Collar from Black Rhino has odor resistant, soft neoprene padding that is ideal for active dogs and has reflective stitching for late-night walks.

The Comfort Collar is the most comfortable dog collar for your energetic pup. It comes in three different sizes with a belt buckle-styled, gunmetal clasp. The high-quality webbing and durable D-ring will allow you to keep a firm hand on your dog at all times.

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CollarDirect Reflective Dog Collar

The CollarDirect Reflective Dog Collar is an all-around top-rated dog collar. It has comfortable, durable, yet flexible soft nylon webbing with a 1-inch width and reflective stitching – a metal D-ring for tags and an optional matching leash attachment.

The slide release buckle with a safety lock is eco-friendly plastic, and the metal D-ring is durable. It’ll keep your dog close instead of chasing squirrels. At the dog park, your dog will stand out with various bright colors for easy spotting.

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QQPETS Dog Collar

The QQPETS Dog Collar is another great choice. With a low price and various festive patterns, you can choose a few for different occasions, so your dog fits the feast. With four different sizes and a slide for any growth spurts or hair cuts, you’ll find a size for your dog. The collar is a high-density polyester with an eco-friendly plastic buckle and adjustable slide. A metal D-ring will hold tight to your dog’s tags just in case they slide through the fence.

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OneTigris Military Adjustable Dog Collar

Our next two choices are great candidates for larger dogs or dogs used in search and rescue settings, K9 military retirees, or service trained dogs. The OneTigris Military Adjustable Dog Collar is a double-pronged belt buckle style collar with five settings.

The interior is padded nylon for a comfortable fit during long missions. It features a patch panel with velcro for a name or PSA that your pup is on duty. A heavy-duty metal D-ring matched the belt buckle clasp. The collar is available in three different sizes in five neutral colors.

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Diezel Pet Products Dog Collar

The Diezel Pet Products Dog Collar is the largest dog collar on our list. Another military-style collar with a 2″ width and a metal tactical style buckle. The large dog collar is suitable for dogs over 30lbs and is adjustable from 15″-25″. The heavy-duty nylon webbing holds up to 1000lbs. A control handle on the collar allows you to keep a close hand on your large dog.

The military-style collar has a smaller D-ring for tags and a larger D-ring for a leash attachment. An American flag hook and loop strap patch comes with the collar and has room for more patches if you’d like.

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Abaxaca Top Luxury Dog Collar

The only chain collar to make our list is the fashionable Abaxaca Top Luxury Dog Collar. It is a gold chain with flat rings as not to pinch your dog’s fur. It is not adjustable, so the collar comes in nine sizes, varying by two inches. The clasp is a metal button clasp with a bejeweled button.

The chain will complement smaller dogs or larger rottweiler.

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Teemerryca Leather Spiked Dog Collar

The Spiked Teemerryca Leather Dog Collar is great for playful, rough-housing dogs. The microfiber leather is soft, and the studs and spikes protect your pup’s necks from other dog’s chompers at the dog park. If your pup likes to roughhouse in the water, go for heavy-duty nylon as the leather won’t dry as quickly.

The spiked leather collar comes in six sizes in either black, pink, or red. It connects with a belt buckle style clasp and has a D-ring for leash attachments.

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Hipidog Personalized Dog Collar

With the Hipidog Personalized Dog Collar, you won’t need to spend the extra money on tags or fret over your dog’s tags falling off or losing them while wrestling in the park. On the stainless alloy clip and buckle, engrave your pet’s name and information directly on the clip.

The collar is available in over ten patterns and five sizes. The double-layered nylon is sturdy and comfortable. It has an adjustable slide and a D-ring for a perfect fit and matching patterned leash.

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Lucky Love Dog Collar

The Lucky Love Dog is a small company based out of Austin, Texas that donates a portion of their proceeds to re-homing dogs and keeping dogs out of shelters. You’ll feel good about the Lucky Love Dog Collar and Leash Set. And the floral and nature print patterns will pop against your dog’s coat.

The patterned collar is high-density nylon and is washable to keep the colors bright. The easy on and off plastic buckle is durable, and it has a metal D-ring for the leash attachment. The collar comes in four sizes with an adjustable slide for a snug fit. Matching leashes are five feet in length if you’d like the set.

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Dog Karma American Flag Dog Collar

Feeling patriotic? The Dog Karma American Flag Dog Collar keeps the spirit of July Fourth alive. It comes in five sizes and has an adjustable slide to make smaller adjustments. An alloy D-ring keeps your leash attached to your pup. The polyester webbing ensures that on the Fourth of July, your dog can swim as much as their big heart desires.

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Beirui Personalized Dog Collar

For a classic look and a dog collar with a name, the Beirui Personalized Dog Collar, 100% genuine leather with natural texture, is available in rich brown, beige, or dark red. The collar comes in three sizes. It is a large dog collar with a width ranging from 1″ to 1.5″.

The D-ring is held firm to the collar by six mushroom rivets and the alloy buckle. A personalized gold plate will hold 70 characters, enough for a name, address, and phone number. It won’t fade or fall off the collar, keeping your pup known and safe.

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AOLOVE Classic Dog Collar

Your dog is a total badass, and you need a collar to match. The AOLOVE Classic Dog Collar will complement your pup’s demeanor. The genuine leather studded with alloy spikes that are nickel-plated, careful not to irritate your dog’s skin, will sure grant a few compliments.

For peace of mind, the heavy-duty D ring and belt-buckle won’t break under strain. The collar is available in various colors and four different sizes, each with five holes to adjust the size.

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Dog Collar Buying Guide & FAQ

Features to Look for in Dog Collars

Collars for dogs are ranging further from a typical strap with a fasten and a D-ring leash attachment. Between personalized dog collars, embroidered dog collars, and designer dog collars, there’s a massive pool of cool dog collars from which to choose. Whatever your choice for your beloved doggo, make sure the fit is appropriate, and the material is comfortable and robust enough to hold your pup. And don’t forget about the type of collar – collar or harness? Which is best for you and your dog?

Fit – Heartbreaking stories start with, “Spot slipped his collar last night and ran after a squirrel across the road and …” well, you know the rest.

A properly fitting collar can be the difference between a sad tale or lost dog and snuggling your puppy as you drift off to sleep.

To correctly fit your dog for a collar, use a cloth measuring tape and measure the circumference of your dog’s neck behind their ears and above their shoulders. Then add one to three inches based on the size of your dog. Once you have the collar around their neck, you want to ensure there isn’t a chance they could slip the collar or that it’s not hindering breathing. A good rule of thumb is you should be able to get two fingers in between the collar and your dog’s neck.

Material – Your dog collar’s material should complement how your dog spends its time.

If you have a swimmer, neoprene or BioThane-coated collars are ideal. Neoprene, a soft material reinforced with nylon, tends to be slightly more expensive but are fast drying and great for dogs with irritable skin. BioThane is a powder-coated polyester webbing great for roughhousing and swimming. The material is soft, flexible, and affordable.

Genuine leather dog collars will last but will cost the most initially, and you’re limited in the variety of collars. The material is natural and easy to clean. However, over time, the collar may start to retain unpleasant dog smells.

Nylon dog collars are the standard. You’ll have plenty of widths, colors, and qualities to consider when choosing a nylon dog collar. Pure nylon collars will be less durable than a neoprene/nylon blend, but it’s great for an all-around run around the backyard or leash trained dog.

Avoid chain collars unless you’re training a dog, or it’s a hybrid nylon/chain martingale collar. Chain collars can be dangerous in left on an unsupervised dog and harmful if not used correctly. Experts are adamant about this: if you’re using a chain collar to train your dog, you should have a different collar for downtime in the house or backyard.

And don’t forget to check the buckle or clasp’s material and the ring that will secure your buddy to the leash; can’t have the ol’ gal powering through a wimpy buckle. Metal buckles are ideal for outdoor dogs and are less likely to breakdown after sun exposure or turn brittle in colder temperatures. Plastic fasteners offer a quick on-and-off buckle but may break under a larger dog’s strength.

Type – Standard dog collars will be what you see on most dogs. Generally speaking, use standard collars for well-trained dogs – primarily to hold their tags. Dogs that can walk off-leash or do not pull, for instance, are great candidates for standard dog collars.

Martingale collars are the hybrid collars mentioned earlier. It mostly used a training collar, half nylon with two rings for a chain to pass through, completing a circle. When your dog pulls, the chain will cinch to apply pressure without damaging your dog’s throat. Sometimes they have a buckle, and sometimes the collar is an unbroken circle with an adjustable strap to slip over your dog’s head and then adjusted.

Use an LED collar for larger backyards or ill-lit morning or night runs to increase the visibility of your dog. You wear reflective clothing while riding or running at night; why shouldn’t your dog?

Waterproof collars are great for the constant swimmers. Standard nylon collars will do for an occasional swim. Still, a designated waterproof collar will have soft materials and be bacteria- and odor-resistant and washable to keep the collar and your dog’s fur-free of lake lurkers.

Harnesses are a great option in addition to a collar. Collars hold your dog’s ID tags; if your pup is to get lost, it’s the quickest way to get them home safely. Harnesses grant more control to the owner than with a standard collar. They distribute the stress of pulling across their shoulder girdle, not just the dog’s neck and esophagus.

Dog Collar FAQ

Q: Is it a legal requirement to have a collar on a dog?

A: That’s a simple question with a complicated answer. State law generally doesn’t address collars or leashes, but local law and local animal control might impose a fine if they find your dog without a collar and tags.

Q: Should dogs wear a collar all the time?

A: It chalks up to comfort and making sure your pup’s skin has a moment to breathe, and the fur doesn’t flatten. But the dog’s temperament can be a deciding factor as well. If your dog has a habit of dashing out the front door at any available chance, I will offer the advice of keeping the collar on.

Q: Is it better to walk a dog with a harness or a collar?

A: If your dog tends to pull on a leash, is strong, or just large, a harness is preferable. When dogs that are pullers wear collars, they’ll continue to pull as they walk forward. This tendency can cause unintentional harm to the dogs and strain their owner’s shoulders and back. When wearing a harness, the dog is restrained by their shoulder girdle, keeping pressure off their necks and throats and reducing pulling. The harness stops dogs from thinking they’re moving forward and making progress; the harness stops even the happiest leash trained dogs from pulling.

Q: What kind of collar is best for a puppy?

A: Puppies are discovering their new world and don’t know what’s right for them yet. A harness or headcollar is best for a puppy. Not only will it deter your new family member from pulling and help leash train them, but it will also stop them from harming their body as they grow and develop.