Emotional support dogs are becoming very common providers of therapeutic support.
They can support their owners at home and in public places such as stores, offices, and restaurants. An emotional support vest can help your days go much smoother with your emotional support dog.
This is so employees from these businesses can quickly recognize your dog as an emotional support animal and let you go about your day without constantly being stopped and asked about your dog.
In this list we will talk about the best emotional support dog vests, but first, let’s talk about some different situations an emotional support dog vest can help.
Table of Contents
Why Do You Need An Emotional Support Vest?
An emotional support vest can help employees or other fellow dog lovers understand that your dog is an emotional support dog.
This way your days can with much less interruption or discomfort because in one glance a person can understand your dog can be there due to their ESA status.
You can register your dog to be an emotional support at Emotional Support Animal Registration of America (ESARA). They provide therapist letters, IDs, vest, and more support. You can register your dog at their official homepage.
Controversy
Not every person understands the reason for having an emotional support dog.
These critics see a dog as only as a pet for pleasure instead of support for mental health. These people may question you for bringing a dog with you into a business.
A great way to avoid confusion about whether or not you can have a dog in a place of business is to use an emotional support vest.
This can let most people who would have stared at you or stopped you to ask that your dog is an emotional support dog.
And for anyone else that might stop you, you can show them the additional information that they may request.
Precautions
Also, you need to take precautions to ensure the safety of your dog and customers.
In order to do this, you need to ensure the emotional support dog vest is secure and tight enough on your dog.
Dogs have been know to escape their vests if their owner has not fastened it properly.
This can lead to accidents or other situations that could be bad for your dog or others.
Furthermore, not all businesses are legally required to allow your emotional support dog.
Stores and restaurants are only required to allow service animals that assist people with disabilities.
It is recommended that you call a business before going there. Speak to a manager and ask them if they will allow an emotional support dog to accompany you.
The Best Emotional Support Dog Vests on The Market
There are many emotional support dog vests on the market. So many in fact that everyone should be able to find one to their liking.
But, we have found the best dog vests and put them on display so you can easily find the right fit and style for your emotional support dog.
One Quick Tip:
Measure your dog before purchasing an emotional support dog vest. You need to pick the right size, or it will not be a good fit. Not all companies produce adjustable vests.
Icefang Tactical Dog Harness
When it comes to harnesses/vests you can’t go wrong with the ICEFANG brand. They have a great reputation among dog owners because of their top-notch products.
This is a tactical dog harness, which means it touts several features which primarily includes being extremely durable and adjustable.
Speaking of strength, the metal buckles on your dog’s shoulders are proven to hold up to 1000 pounds.
And the POM buckles around the belly are also proven to hold around 250 pound.
So suffice to say, your dog will not escape this dog vest. However, they will still be very comfortable as this is a no-rub vest as well with soft padded and ventilated mesh.
As far as identification goes, this vest has several Molle patch placements all around the vest.
This way it is much easier for people to identify your service dog from most angles.
If you like dog harnesses that look like this, consider some other great tactical dog vest options.
Pros:
- It offers a custom fit to avoid your dog escaping.
- Very strong buckles.
- Several patch placement positions.
- Adjustable.
- There is a variety of colors.
Cons:
- Some buyers have a problem with the durability of the threads.
Industrial Puppy Emotional Support Animal Vest
Industrial Puppy’s Emotional Support Animal Vest is one of the most popular vests on the market.
It was made with very strong materials that can last longer than the average harness. Not only that, but it has sizing to fit support dogs of all sizes from very small to very large.
Also, for the traveling dog owner, this vest meets all the travel requirements to make your days much smoother when it comes to identifying your dog.
By that I mean, there is a spot on the vest to place a patch so you can clearly communicate to employees as well as other people that your dog is a service dog.
You can switch the patches of “Emotional Support Dog” to “Service Dog” or any other type of patch.
This vest does come with patches, however, if the patches you receive don’t fit your needs there are more options sold separately.
Lastly, to list off a few more key features this vest comes with a durable D-ring for a secure leash connection. As well as, reflective material lined on the vest, and a handle on top for extra control over your dog when you need it.
Pros:
- Made with strong materials.
- Removable patches.
- Several sizing options.
- Durable D-Ring.
- Includes reflective materials along the vest.
Cons:
- Buyers with small dogs say, the vest is too small for their dogs.
Just 4 Paws Emotional Support Dog Vest Jacket
This vest is best for people looking for a quick and simple solution to the emotional support vest.
The patches are also removable so you can swap them out when/if you need it to say something other than emotional support.
The nice thing about this vest is its lightweight build and high visibility that makes your dog’s emotional support status very hard to miss.
Getting away from looks and onto comfort this vest is made with a padded mesh lining. This way your dog can be both comfortable and cool.
Pros:
- Their emotional support dog vest is very comfortable.
- Lightweight.
- Padded mesh lining.
- A 100% money back for refunds within 60 days of purchase.
Cons:
- Not an adjustable vest.
Noyal in Training Dog Harness
This is another great minimalist dog vest that does a great job of serving its purpose, but with a couple of extra features.
There are adjustable straps on this vest which is nice for dogs that aren’t quite perfectly sized for the vest at first or if they get a bit bigger over use.
In addition, the 3M reflective straps are great for alerting people of your dog’s presence in areas with a lack of light.
Onto the patches, the only patch included is the in training patch, however, it is removable and you can replace it with another patch when you need to.
Pros:
- Comfortable for your dog to wear.
- It uses soft fabric to protect your dog’s skin.
- You can adjust the size to fit your dog.
- A variety of colors options.
- Has reflective straps to help your dog stand out at night.
Cons:
- The placement for the neck does not include a fastener.
- You will need to gently fit the placement around your dog’s neck.
Pawshoppie Reflective Removable Emotional Polyester
This emotional support vest is very comfortable and made with strong materials.
It has everything you need in a vest, removable patches, a strong build in handle on top for extra control, and a stainless steel D-ring to keep your leash securely attached to your dog’s harness.
Also, this vest uses a neoprene padding to reduce abrasion for a comfortable fit for your dog.
In addition, there are several reflective strips added to this vest so your dog’s presence can be known in all light conditions.
Lastly, this vest includes 2 service dog patches on each side which you can replace with any other patches you may have.
Pros:
- Neoprene padding adds comfort to your dog.
- It does not choke dogs when they try to pull the leash.
- Large removable patches.
- Reflective strips along the vest.
- Stainless steel d-ring.
- Made with strong materials.
Cons:
- Some owners of this product dislike the quality of the buckles.
Premium Emotional Support Dog
This is a much different take on the emotional support vest, instead of using the traditional molle patch there is an oversized custom patch embroidered into the top of the vest.
In addition, included with the vest are 5 ESA handout cards that you can fill out and provide to individuals that require this as extra proof of your dog’s ESA status.
Getting into comfort and feel this vest is lightweight due to its mesh sides that allows air to flow onto your dog and keep them cool.
Also, the adjustable strap can be used to fit your dog a bit better if they aren’t quite comfortable at first.
Furthermore, there are a variety of sizes for most sizes of dogs.
Pros:
- Very large ESA patch on the top of the vest.
- Lightweight.
- Adjustable chest strap.
- Several sizes for most dogs.
- Good airflow.
- Comes with ESA handout cards.
Cons:
- Some people would like a bit more adjustment.
- Sizing can be tricky.
Voopet Service Dog Harness
Voopet’s service dog harness offers comfort, protection, and durability.
It is everything you need in an emotional support vest and more.
In addition to the things listed above this vest also is easily adjustable so you can create the perfect fit for your dog.
There are also many color options most of which will stand out during the day.
Even at night, you can alert people to your dog’s presence thanks to the reflective material that is placed all around the vest.
Lastly, this vest is scratch-resistant, choke free, no-pull, and good for all weather conditions.
Pros:
- A great custom fit for dogs of all sizes.
- The outer layer has a reflective shine for nighttime.
- No-pull, choke-free, and scratch-resistant.
- Available in multiple colors.
Cons:
- Some owners of this products struggle with adjusting the straps.
So, Which Is The Best Emotional Support Dog Vest?
Those are the best emotional support dog vests, but which of these is truly the best?
In my opinion, the best emotional support dog vest is the voopet service dog harness.
It has several additional features that make it not only a great emotional support vest but also one of the best harnesses overall.
It is scratch resistant, no-pull, choke-free and good for most weather conditions due to its soft mesh materials and padding.
Even at night this vest can help your dog thanks to its highly reflective strips that go around this vest. This can help make your dog safer, and it also looks pretty cool.
And which vest would be the runner up?
The ICEFANG tactical dog harness would be my choice for a great runner-up emotional support dog vest.
It is very durable, comfortable, adjustable, and it has several placements for patches.
Which can help employees or other people standing by notice your dog’s ESA status at most angles.
Links:
ESARA
https://www.esaregistration.org
https://www.esaregistration.org/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-an-emotional-support-animal-esa-and-a-service-dog/
What’s The Difference Between a Service Dog, Therapy Dog, and an Emotional Support Dog?
https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=4C459sQwrAo
Industrial Puppy Service Dog Vest with Hook and Loop Strap