We Tested Dog Collars With Real Dogs And These 12 Are The Top Performers for Canines of All Sizes (2024)

Our Top Picks

These collars are durable, soft, and available in an astonishing variety of colors and patterns. The woven nylon material used in the Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar is flexible enough that it won't rub or chafe your dog's neck. It's also virtually indestructible, with a custom-designed quick-release YKK buckle and a rust-proof steel D-ring for ID tags and leash attachment. Our tester loved that it was simple and straightforward, and super affordable, saying it was "totally worth the price...it gets the job done and didn't fall apart at all."

In addition to more than 80 different colors and patterns—including reflective collars, holiday patterns, solid colors, and limited "MicroBatch" designs. Our tester loved that and planned to buy a few different ones to change things up every so often.

Lupine Original Designs collars also have a highly customizable fit. The collars are available in three widths (the larger your dog, the wider the ideal collar) and 9 different adjustable sizes. Lupine Pet also offers matching leashes and harnesses.

All Lupine products come with a lifetime guarantee—yes, even if your pup chews right through it.

_{Sizes: Nine sizes, fits neck from 6-31 inches︱Colors: Dozens of patterns, eight solid colors︱Materials: Nylon}

These bright and durable collars are very sturdy, but the nylon webbing is also flexible and soft enough for puppies. Available in four sizes—fitting necks from 8.5 to 25 inches around—the NEO Dog Collar's extra small size is perfect for pups, with a smaller, half-inch width and thinner nylon thickness for plenty of flexibility.

The NEO Dog Collar has several clever features that set it apart. In addition to the metal D-ring for a leash, there's also a separate "easy loop" specifically for ID tags. The clasp also has a sliding tab "lock" so that you don't accidentally unbuckle it when holding your dog by the collar (this extra lock claps is not included on the extra small size collar). We tested this collar with Cali, an 18-pound Mini-Goldendoodle. Our human tester described the buckle as "very easy to use.," and loved the sliding tab lock, describing it as "an awesome added feature." Cali wore a size small collar.

The collars range from 1/2 to 1 inch wide, depending on size, and all have reflective stitching for nighttime visibility. The NEO Dog Collar is also available in a martingale version, which incorporates a second loop that tightens the collar when your dog tugs against the leash.

In addition to the four sizing choices, the NEO Dog Collar comes in seven different colors. Plus, for every product you buy, manufacturer Max and Neo donates another product to an animal rescue.

_{Sizes: Extra small (8.5-11 inches), small (11-15 inches), medium (14.5-19.5 inches), large (17- 25 inches)︱Colors: Black, blue, red, pink, orange, teal, and purple︱Materials: Nylon}

These festive collars come in lively designs and pretty colors, with bright floral patterns (non-floral versions are also available). The high-density polyester webbing and chromed steel d-ring is durable enough for years of use, and the collar comes on and off using a convenient snap buckle, also available in bright colors. You can also customize the Spring Scent Dog Collar with stitching that adds your dog's name and an optional phone number. We tested this collar on Mac, an 18-month-old ShihPoo (Shihtzu Poodle) who weighs 15 pounds. Our human tester described the material as "high quality and sturdy," showing no visible signs of wear after several weeks of testing. "I also like that this collar has a small area to attach a dog tag to that is not the leash clip," she said. "This makes it a less noisy collar.

The collars are lightweight and comfortable, which is great for small pets, and Blueberry Pet offers matching leashes, harnesses, and other accessories. The Blueberry Pet Spring Scent Floral Dog Collar is available in four different sizes. Mac the ShihPoo wore a size small.

_{Sizes: 7.5 to 10-inch neck, 3/8-inch wide (extra-small)︱Colors: Dozens of patterns and colors︱Materials: Polyester webbing}

GoTags Personalized Dog Collar lets you put your phone number and your dog's name directly on the collar removing the need for a dangling tag. The lightweight collar is easy to use and showed no signs of wear after our testing trial. We texted this collar with a 7-year-old Chihuahua mix who weighs 22 pounds. Our human tester described this collar as "super easy to put on" and was able to do it one-handed. She also found the material to be high quality, and did not notice any wear and tear during the testing period.

The soft, durable, and adjustable nylon webbing collars come in four sizes and five colors (pink, orange, blue, red, and black). When ordering you can arranged up to 15 characters and select between 15 colors of embroidery thread for a customized look. The collars are affordable and suitable for daily wear, but there are no reflective accents for visibility in low light.

_{Sizes: X-small (8-12 inches), small (11-16 inches), medium (14-20 inches), and large (18-26 inches)︱Colors: Pink, blue, orange, red, black︱Materials: Nylon}

If you are looking for a leather collar that complements your dog's coloring and will only get better with age, the Leather Padded Dog Collar from Soft Touch Collars is the one to get. The two-tone leather collars are made from full-grain leather that is naturally tanned and lined with sheepskin leather to be soft and comfortable around a dog's neck.

For testing, a 90-pound mix breed dog wore this collar from Soft Touch Collars during all of their adventures which included walks in the sunshine and the rain, hikes, car rides, lounging at home, and swimming in a lake. The buckle resembles the functionality of a belt made for humans and it was difficult to fasten at first. With time the leather began to soften and the buckle became much easier to maneuver.

The collar is surprising lightweight, dries quickly, and is equipped with rust-resistant hardware. There are four sizes and nine color combinations to choose from, but if you have a very small dog, this collar will likely be too big.

_{Sizes:Small (11-13.5 inches), medium (14.5- 17.5 inches), large (18-21 inches), x-large (22- 25 inches)|Colors:Black, brown, brown/light pink, tan/teal, tan/turquoise, turquoise/beige, tan/coral, black/pink, gray/blue | Materials:Full-grain leather, sheepskin leather, solid brass hardware}

On a 60-pound Airedale Terrier, the Front Range Dog Collar from Ruffwear went on multiple swimming excursions, did a few round of rough housing with a canine friend, and enjoyed all that nature as to offer on hikes with their human. The lightweight, adjustable collar is built for adventure with durable colorfast webbing and aluminum hardware.

The Front Range Dog Collar is equipped with a v-ring leash attachment and a separate loop for tags to attached. To keep the tags as quiet as possible, the collar features a strategically placed silicone tab with the purpose of silencing any jingling. The plastic side-release buckle makes it easy to get the collar off and on, and the collar is made in three sizes and ten colors.

_{Sizes: Small (11-14 inches), medium (14-20 inches), large (20-26 inches)︱Colors: Twilight gray, huckleberry blue, tumalo teal, red sumac, hibiscus pink, campfire orange, aurora teal, blue moon, purple sage, red clay︱Materials: Nylon, aluminum}

The Personalized Collar from Orvis takes a dog from day to night with a sewn in reflective band that seamlessly adds visibility in low light. When ordering from Orvis, you can request to have your dog's name and your phone number (up to 28 characters) embroidered for no additional fee.

The adjustable collars have a strong side release buckle—which is the most common style of buckle for dog collars requiring force on two sides to squeeze through and unbuckle—and a steel D-ring for easy attachment to a leash. The heavy-duty nylon collars are made in four sizes (small, medium, large, and x-large) for necks measuring 9 to 26 inches. The coordinating Personalized Leash from Orvis is also reflective and can be embroidered at no additional charge, but it is sold separately.

After two weeks of testing with a 75 pound mix breed dog who almost never took it off, the collar showed no signs of wear. We recommend hand washing this collar (and most) and letting it air dry.

_{Sizes: Small (9-14 inches), medium (13-18 inches), large (17-22 inches), and x-large (21-26 inches)︱Colors: Red, blue, asphalt, citron, dusty olive, wasabi, orchid, blaze orange︱Materials: Nylon}

The Country Brook Design Martingale Heavy Duty Dog Collar is a martingale-style collar designed for dogs with small heads (like Whippets or Greyhounds) who may slip out of other collars. The unique design of a martingale-style collar prevents a dog from slipping out of the collar while walking on a leash.

Finding the right size is key when using this style of collar and that can be challenging. These collars are adjustable, do not have a buckle, and should slide over your dog's head for placement. While walking properly, the collar should be somewhat loose around the neck. They will tighten if the dog begins to pull. However, martingale collars should not be used as a training tool. If you're having trouble with your dog pulling on walks, contact a certified, qualified dog trainer in your area!

The nylon collars from Country Brook Design are made in seven sizes, with micro fitting tiny dogs with 5 to 7 inch necks and x-large made to fit dogs with 23-31 inch necks. We tested this collar with a Lab mix weighing 65 pounds, who had previously slipped out of other collars. He seemed to enjoy wearing his Martingale Heavy Duty Dog Collar on walks, and his human no longer worried about him being able to slip out of his collar.

_{Sizes: Micro (5-7 inches), mini (7-10 inches), x-small (9-12 inches), small (11-15 inches), medium (15-21 inches), large (18-26 inches), x-large (23-31 inches)︱Colors: Ocean blue, black, brown, burgundy, pink, charcoal, copper gold, coyote tan, green, hot lime green, hot orange, hot pink, hot yellow, ice blue, lavender, mango, teal, royal blue, silver, red, purple, orange︱Materials: Nylon, nickel, steel}

With a strong magnetic buckle, the Lifetime Lite Collar from Atlas Pet Company makes it easy to remove from a dog's neck—even if they are wiggly. Otherwise, the collar stays firmly in place around a dog's neck while the walk, nap, and generally romp about.

A medium-sized Litetime Lite Collar fit our participating Pit Bull-mix named Jet who weighs in at 52 pounds. He felt at ease with the lightweight collar in place, and he delightfully wore while going on his daily walks, short hikes, and even napping. The collar's aluminum hardware was resilient in the rain and mud with minimal signs of wear at the end of our testing trial.

The Lifetime Lite Collar is made in Colorado with rust-resistant hardware and one-inch wide durable nylon. Atlas Pet Company offers a lifetime guarantee that even protects this collar against dog-inflicted chewing.

_{Sizes: Small (12-16 inches), medium (15-22 inches), large (20-30 inches)︱Colors: Black, forest, maroon, navy, violet︱Materials: Nylon, aluminum}

Add easy to wear visibility to your dog with the Blazin Light Up Dog Collar. The nylon collars are equipped with rechargeable LED lights providing 360-degrees of illumination around a dog's neck. In dark settings the lights are visible up to 1,000 feet, and there are three lighting modes—solid, fast blink, and slow blink. The adjustable, lightweight collar is easy to put on with a study buckle, and, despite having a battery, is suitable for use in wet conditions, including rain and swimming.

The Blazin Light Up quickly became the go-to collar for walks at any hour, but especially nighttime, for our tester, a 30-pound Cardigan Welsh Corgi named Mochi. With daily walks averaging 20 minutes, the collar's battery only required charging every two weeks. Each collar comes with a mirco-usb cord included and with a full charge the battery can last up to eight hours.

_{Sizes: X-small (8.1-10.75 inches), small (9.8-14.2 inches), medium (13.8-19.7 inches), large (19.3-27.6 inches)︱Colors: Black, blue, pink, green, orange, red, yellow, christmas︱Materials: Nylon, plastic snap}

The Dog Collar from the Foggy Dog comes in a variety of colors and patterns with seasonal releases throughout the year. Each collar is made with sturdy nylon webbing that is covered in soft cotton fabric, so if your dog is sensitive to nylon and/or is prone to skin irritations, they will likely find these collars to be comfortable.

Each style is made in four sizes (x-small, small, medium, and large) for necks as dainty as eight inches and as hefty as 26 inches. The Foggy Dog collars are easy to adjust, buckle, and unbuckle, and the gold-colored hardware is surprisingly durable. This collar was worn by 110 pound Great Pyrenees for the entire two month duration of our real world testing, and the collar showed no visible signs of wear. Our human tester also described it as "extremely easy" to fasten and unfasten.

The high quality collars can also personalized for an incremental $13 to have your contact information engraved on the buckle cutting down on the amount of tags your dog need to wear. The hardware (made of zinc alloy and brass) is slightly heavier than similar size collars with plastic pieces. The Foggy Dog offers coordinating bandanas, leashes, harnesses (check out tested review for Best Design in our Best Dog Harnesses story), poop bag carriers, bows, and even hair accessories for humans in select colors.

_{Sizes: X-small (8-12 inches), small (11-16 inches), medium (14-19 inches), large (18-26 inches)︱Colors: Olive, hot pink, ocean, onyx, periwinkle, orange, evergreen, white︱Materials: Cotton fabric exterior, nylon webbing interior, zinc alloy, brass}

These bright nylon collars have thick neoprene padding to protect your big dog’s neck and keep them comfortable. The extra-large version of Black Rhino Comfort Collar fits big dogs with 23- to 27-inch necks, with three other sizes also available. Although the collar is lightweight, it has heavy-duty hardware to keep up with strong, excitable dogs. We tested this collar with Beckett, a 5-year-old chocolate lab weighing 58 pounds.

Our human tester described it as "very easy" to use, and loved that it was simple to take on and off. They were able to attach a leash to it with one hand. This collar also held up with no visible wear even after Beckett wore it swimming in a lake multiple times.

The neoprene padding in the Comfort Collar is the same stuff used in wetsuits, so it's quick-drying and odor-resistant, and shouldn’t get smelly even if your dog spends a lot of time in the water. Reflective stitching helps keep your dog visible in low light.

The Black Rhino Comfort Collar is available in five colors.

_{Sizes: 11-14.5 inches (small), 14.5-19 inches (medium), 19-23 inches (large), 23-27 inches (extra-large)︱Colors: Aqua, blue, purple, orange, black, red, green︱Materials: Nylon with neoprene padding}

Final Verdict

A great overall choice is the Lupine Original Designs Dog Collar. Made from comfortable material that won't rub your dog's neck, it's available in dozens of patterns and color combinations. Another great choice is the NEO dog collar from Max and Neo. These bright and durable collars are strong enough for any size dog, but their combination of flexibility and softness is perfect for puppies.

FAQ

• What is the best material for dog collars?

  You can find collars made from all sorts of materials ranging from nylon to leather to recycled plastic. There’s no perfect material for every dog in every situation.

  “The material depends on the activity,” Melissa “MJ” Viera, founder of MJ’s Pet Training Academy, told The Spruce Pets. “It's always a good idea to look for a well-made collar, no matter the material. The collar should feel supportive, and the buckles and clips solid. Any collar can break, but it's less likely to happen with a good quality collar.”

• How do I measure my dog for dog collar fit?

  Use a flexible measuring tape if you have one to measure snugly around your dog’s neck. If you don’t have a tape, use a piece of string or ribbon, then measure that with a ruler. Check to see if the collar has specific instructions about sizing up or down if you’re between sizes.

  “Measuring might be slightly different between brands and styles, but it's essential to have a properly fitted collar on your dog,” says Viera. “Test that your dog cannot slip out of the collar. Most collars should be snug with enough room to easily put your finger through the collar. Ask your trainer to fit your dog's collar for you.”
  

The 11 Best Dog Leashes, Tested With Real Dogs