Best Dog LED Collars (Review & Buying Guide) in 2018

Taking our canine friends for a stroll in the evening or even at night can be quite advantageous especially if one has a pet that tends to overheat under the scorching sun. However, walking or running in low light environments can also pose some serious risks especially if you’re like some pet parents who love walking their dogs in nighttime streets. You and your dog need to be highly visible to anyone in the area, especially motorists who may be sharing the road with you. This is where a LED dog collar can be quite handy. And if you’re wondering what are the best dog LED collars in the market today, we’ve got them all listed up in here.

What to Consider When Buying Dog LED Collars and LED Collar Lights

It’s not easy picking the best dog LED collars as the market can be pretty unforgiving to the untrained eye. Pet parents who wish to buy a glow in the dark dog collar for their pets should keep these things in mind for consideration.

• Brightness levels

Since the aim of lighted dog collars is to increase the dog’s visibility in a darkened environment the brightness levels of the gadget should be your most important consideration. As much as possible, pick one that can be seen the farthest distance. If it is only visible from a few hundred feet, forget it. At the very least, it should be visible from a distance of 300 yards.

• Battery

Second to the LED light in importance is the battery. Without a power source, a LED light’s awesome brightness will simply be useless as you cannot even turn it on. Your choice will be two types. One comes with built-in rechargeable batteries which can be charged using a USB cable. Do understand that while these essentially negate the need for replacing the battery, they do lose their energy potential over time. The second type comes with replaceable batteries. You’d have to check the maximum runtime of such batteries before the need to replace them. If the runtime is only for a couple of hours, you’d be buying more batteries than necessary.

• Waterproofing

Dog LED collars contain a lighting system that is run by batteries. Waterproofing is an absolute must especially for its battery pack. Electricity and water aren’t exactly the best of friends so it’s best that the product you get has excellent waterproofing. Water-resistant may be fine for occasional splashes. But if your hound is the type that loves to swim, then a waterproof collar is best.

• Design

Lighted dog collars come in a variety of designs. There are those that come with collar-length LED strips while other only illuminate a certain section of the collar. Still, there are others that use a LED clip on to be attached to an ordinary dog collar.

• Durability

You’d want the collar to be made of the most durable material, preferably nylon. Even the buckles and clasps should be sturdy and durable. Metal provides exceptional durability, although it may be more prone to corrosion. Impact-proof plastic should be a wise choice.

• Fit

Most dog LED collars come with fully adjustable mechanisms, although there are also those that can be resized by cutting away excess collar.

Benefits of Using Dog LED Collars and LED Collar Lights

Some pet parents don’t think that LED collar lights are absolutely necessary. However, these contraptions can actually provide you with a host of benefits that other systems may not.

For starters, LED dog collars help you keep track of your pet whenever you venture outside at night or in low-light environments. This is especially true if your pet is not on a leash and you’re allowing it to roam free in the middle of the darkness. With these illuminating contraptions on, you can easily spot where your pet is.

When walking on the street at night, motorists may not be able to see you immediately without any form of early warning system. Dog LED collars serve as early warning devices so motorists and other road users will be alerted to your dog’s presence. This can help prevent accidents on the road.

Some LED collar lights actually come as miniature flashlights or torches that you can use to illuminate your path. This way you’ll feel safer walking in the dark. The same gadget can also be used for other purposes such as spotting your pet’s poop so you can easily pick it up for proper disposal. You can also use it for going through your pet’s skin looking for ticks and fleas.

LED Collars Maintenance

Maintaining the optimum operation of your LED dog collar is similar to maintaining a regular doggie collar and a LED strip. While LED lighting systems are highly valued because of their low-maintenance requirements there are still a handful of easy-to-accomplish activities that you need to perform.

The components and luminaries of LED dog collars should be regularly inspected and cleaned of dust particles, dirt, and other debris that may adversely affect its brightness levels. If your dog LED collar came with certain features that you have never been using, you might want to test them from time to time. You may also want to measure the LED system’s light output to help determine if it is still capable of doing its intended purpose.

You may also like our review and guide of the best dog collars.

FAQ

Q:  What is a dog LED collar?

A:  A dog LED collar is a contraption worn around a dog’s neck that comes with a mechanism allowing it to produce light via LED bulbs or modules. Since LED requires power to produce light the collar is embedded with a power source, usually a battery to help power on the lighting system. Also integrated are controls such as an On/Off switch which can also double as control for the device’s lighting modes.

Dog LED collars are primarily intended to increase your pet’s visibility to others when in an environment with relatively low light or total darkness. The luminous nature of LED light effectively warns others within the visual range of the light up dog collar about the presence of a dog or whatever or whoever is wearing the device.

Technically, you can make a dog LED collar yourself by stitching a LED strip onto your dog’s collar and providing a means of powering it up and controlling the light emitted.

Q:  Can I use LED collar as my dog’s everyday collar?

A:  Depending on the design of the illuminated dog collar, your pet can actually wear it on an everyday basis. However, one should understand the idea behind the use of dog collars. These are not intended to be worn 24 hours a day. They should only be used when walking dogs as a means of attaching a leash. That being said, if you will also be walking your dog during the day, then you can most certainly use your light up dog collar provided they have a mechanism to turn off the LED light and have a system for attaching your dog’s leash.

There are also lighted dog collars that look like rings. These can come in handy as fashion accessories for your pet, too.

Q:  Does the LED or battery pack get hot?

A:  Electricity itself isn’t hot or cold. In fact, it doesn’t have any temperature at all. But since electricity is defined by an electrical current which is, in turn, defined as moving electrons, the conserved energy can be easily converted into heat energy. As such, it would be a grave mistake to think that LED lights will not give off heat. They still do, although so much lower than conventional halogen and incandescent lights.

As for battery packs, it’s an energy source, albeit a chemical one. Nevertheless, the electrons of these chemicals are agitated to release their energy. Whenever energy is released, heat is inadvertently created.

The question as to whether LED or battery pack gets hot or not, the answer is yes they do get hot. But is it perceptible enough that it can bring harm to you or your pet? No, it won’t get that hot to the point that your dog will feel the heat.

Q:  Are the collars adjustable?

A:  Most LED dog collars are just like any other contraption that can be adjusted to fit your pet. However, there are also those products that cannot be adjusted at all. They do allow for the cutting of the collar to the correct length, nonetheless. As such it is important to look at the product that you’re buying to make sure it can be adjusted to securely fit your pet.

Q:  Can I use this on a growing pup?

A:  As long as the length of the collar is not too large for your puppy’s neck circumference you can use these products to also increase their visibility in the dark. While there are products that come in extra-small size you still have to measure the girth of your puppy’s neck so you’ll have an idea if such a product fits or not. You can also go for lighted dog collars that can be cut to your preferred length. Unfortunately, once cut there’s no putting the cut pieces back again. That means you’d have to buy a new one once your puppy has grown up.

Our Top Pick

True to its design, the Illumiseen LED dog collar deserves the top plum in our list of the best dog LED collars for its sturdy and reliable construction, 360-degree high visibility LED illumination, ease of use, exceptional battery life, full adjustability, and superb charging convenience. Its availability in 5 sizes and 6 colors is also noteworthy while the lifetime guarantee it places on its light up dog collar simply underscores the quality they put into its design and construction. This is one illuminated dog collar that your dog can use both day and night.

Dog LED collars improve the overall safety of our pets whenever they venture into the dark or in low-light environments. These give us the peace of mind knowing where our pets are even though it’s only the collar that we see in the dark.