Nite Ize Dog Visibility Products

Review by Kate Agathon

Here in Summit County, we live in a Dark Skies mountain community that seeks to preserve the natural nocturnal environment.

In other words, there are no street lamps or other artificial light in our neighborhood when we take our two dogs out for their late afternoon and evening walks. Instead, it is pitch black.

Just wearing our head lamps didn’t seem adequate. Approaching cars or other walkers could see us, but not our dogs (a 9-year-old Blue Heeler and a 6-year-old Rottsky).

We needed to enhance visibility and safety for our dogs and Boulder-based Nite Ize offered some fantastic solutions in the energy-efficient Nite Ize NiteHowl LED Rechargeable Necklace, Nite Ize SpotLit Rechargeable Collar Light, and Nite Ize NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash.

Nite Ize NiteHowl LED Rechargeable Necklace

Once we trimmed the safety necklace to fit around their necks, the Nite Ize NiteHowl LED Rechargeable Necklace was good to go.

I was surprised how receptive our dogs were to wearing them and neither of them attempted to scratch at the necklace or try to shake it off. We just slipped it on over their heads and they were ready to go.

Of the three items, the NiteHowl LED Rechargeable Necklace was our favorite because it provided 360 degree light from any angle and allowed us to keep better track of our unpredictable Rottsky when she would occasionally bound off and return.

Low profile and flexible, the weather-resistant tubular necklace shone bright against the darkness of the night and enabled us to see our dogs from several feet away. I was super impressed with how bright such a small necklace could be.

The flash mode disco lighting was fun, but it drained the battery more quickly so we just kept it to one solid color. Also, each dog was assigned a color to make it easier to keep track of.

Constructed from flexible polymer, the necklace stayed put even when our Rottsky decided to do a few rolls in the snow.

Features:

• Customizable fit (12” to 27”)
• Easy to use
• Weather-resistant housing
• Glow or flash mode for additional visibility
• Runs up to 5 hours
• Recharges using a USB-C cable (not included)

The Nite Ize NiteHowl Rechargeable LED Safety Necklace is available in three fun colors: Blue, Green, and Tie Dye Pink.

Nite Ize SpotLit Rechargeable Collar Light

The Nite Ize SpotLit Rechargeable Collar Light is super bright and adds another layer of safety and visibility to our dogs.

Once the light was turned on “white mode” and dangling from the dog collars, it immediately reminded me of the Arquilian Galaxy necklace pendant hanging from Orion’s Belt in Men In Black (1997).

The bright light of the collar light didn’t seem to bother either of the dogs and it was great to have on them for late night potty breaks.

While it stayed on our Blue Heeler’s collar, it did get unclipped a couple of times from our Rottsky’s collar – however she is a fairly active dog and likes to dig and roll in the snow.

I would recommend the collar light for ease of use and pair it with the rechargeable LED leash for extra safety and visibility. It is a really nice accessory to have on hand for walking the dogs on leash in the dark.

If, however, your dog is super active and likes to roll around when off leash, I’d recommend using a back up form of visibility (i.e. the Nite Howl necklace) in case the collar light gets dislodged.

Originally battery-operated, the current Nite Ize SpotLit Rechargeable Collar Light is now USB rechargeable and changes color.

Features:

Rechargeable light clips to collars + harnesses for instant illumination

• Glow or flash settings.
• Push button on/off
• Durable weather-resistant body
• Secure stainless steel carabiner clip easily attaches to collars, harnesses, and leashes
• Recharges in approximately 2 hours using micro-USB cable (not included)
• Run time 3.5 hours
• Indicator light turns from red to green when fully charged

The Nite Ize SpotLit Rechargeable Collar Light comes in four colors: Blue, Green, Pink and White.

Nite Ize NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash

Five feet in length, the Nite Ize NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash features integrated optical fiber and two high-powered LEDs to provide full-length illumination.

Features:

• Glow or flash
• Easy push-button operation
• Soft-grip padded handle for extra comfort
• Water resistant
• High-quality hardware for secure attachment to collars
• Recharges in approximately 1.25 hours using micro USB cable (not included)
• Run time – Red + Blue: 6.5 hours
• Run time – Lime/Green: 7.5 hours

Practical and functional, the NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash can also be worn by humans as a sash for visibility while walking the dog.

The NiteDog Rechargeable LED Leash is available in three colors: Blue, Lime, and Red.

Final Thoughts

Nite Ize provides several user-friendly options to enhance the visibility and safety of dogs both on and off leash.

I was pleased with how bright the LED lights shone and what a difference a few bright accessories made for our dogs’ safety and visibility in our Dark Skies community.

The necklace and the collar light are especially great add ons that don’t require replacing the collar/leash/harness set.

Since the necklace is fully customizable, it removes the guesswork in trying to decide what size will fit around your dog’s neck. The collar light is easily removable and the carabiner clip attaches effortlessly to collars.

Finally, Nite Ize carries a Worry-Free Guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with the product, contact the company and they’ll follow up to provide a repair, replacement or exchange.

We are delighted with all of the Nite Ize products that we tested. They provide us with a peace of mind we previously didn’t have and are essential for living in a Dark Sky community.

Kate Agathon

Dr. Of Stoke

Freelance writer, bicyclist, outdoor recreation enthusiast, and mom to her furbabies, Sansa and Benjen.

 

A Colorado native, Kate considers the outdoors her mother ship. She brings her passion for bicycling, the environment to her writing.

Her primary outdoor recreation activities are mountain biking, road biking, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, hiking, snowshoeing, and peak bagging Colorado’s 14ers. She and her husband, Paul, live in Summit County with their dogs, Benjen and Sansa.

Kate earned a BA in History from Colorado State University and later an MSEd and Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Purdue University. In addition to her education, Kate’s background serving two terms on the Mayor’s Bicycle Advisory Committee and experience working for non-profits and bicycle sales well position her to bring depth and understanding to the complex changes currently taking place in the outdoor recreation industry.

The Dr. of Stoke has been part of the Engearment team since 2016.