It’s fair to say that French Bulldogs aren’t brilliant swimmers! Unlike broad-pawed Labradors or athletic Border Collies, the Frenchie’s body shape simply isn’t designed for water. That’s why every French bulldog should wear a life jacket near pools, lakes, or the sea.
To help you choose the right jacket for your pet, we’ve put together a list of the best French bulldog life jackets below. But if you’re in a hurry, here’s our top pick.
Our #1 Pick: Ruffwear Float Coat
Brilliant life jacket for Frenchies
Our top pick for a French bulldog life jacket is the Ruffwear Float Coat. It’s a high-quality vest with lots of padding and flotation material. It also has an adjustable neck enclosure, which is great for getting a snug fit on your Frenchie.
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3 Best Life Jackets for French Bulldogs
Listed below are three of the best life jackets for French bulldogs. While these aren’t the only life jackets that can keep a Frenchie safe, we believe they provide the best combination of safety and value for money.
Our top recommendation for a French bulldog life vest is the excellent Ruffwear K9 Float Coat. We found this life jacket to be strong, buoyant, and great for helping a Frenchie stay above water without feeling restricted or uncomfortable. The only downside is the price – but we think it’s worth the money.
During our research, we found that the K9 Float Coat is particularly well-suited to Frenchies. It has excellent flotation for counteracting a French bulldog’s muscular weight, while the adjustable neck closure and padded straps allow you to adjust it to this breed’s unique body shape and large neck. We also like the new foam panels, which wrap more comfortably around the dog for a better fit.
Aside from keeping your Frenchie riding high in the water, we found that the Float Coat’s fabric exterior is strong and thick, so it resists snagging on bushes and other sharp items. The buckles are also easy to use and remain firmly locked. This is essential for a doggie life jacket – but is one area that we’ve found cheaper vests often struggle.
The only major downside is that the Float Coat is a premium life jacket. It’s considerably more expensive than many other vests, but we think the quality materials and flotation panels justify the cost. It can also be a bit fiddly to adjust the straps when you first use it, although you’ll probably only need to do this once.
If you’re looking for the best French bulldog life jacket, the Ruffwear Float Coat is our top pick. It’s a comfortable and durable vest that’s easy to adjust to a Frenchie’s unique shape. Most importantly, it helps to keep your dog safely riding above the water level (always with supervision though.)
- Colors: Red, Blue, Orange
- Price Range: $$$
- Quality materials and construction
- Comfortable for Frenchies due to the improved foam panels
- Handle for when your dog needs help out of water
- Expensive
If the Ruffwear Float Coat is outside of your budget, we’ve found that the Outward Hound Granby is a brilliant alternative. It costs less, yet has a built-in handle, multiple adjustment straps, and a neck float to help keep your Frenchie’s head above water.
One of our favorite features of the Granby is how easy it is to adjust. There are three adjustable straps (one neck and two belly), so you can get a snug fit on almost any dog – including Frenchies. The vest itself is also made from strong neoprene and cordura, so it’s warm and highly durable.
Unlike many inferior vests, we like that the Outward Hound Granby has a dedicated neck float. While this won’t guarantee your dog’s head always stays above water, it definitely helps – especially for short-snouted breeds such as the French bulldog. Other features include a strong handle for hauling your dog into a boat or pier, highly visible design, and five different size options.
There are a few downsides though. The underbelly provides less padding than the Ruffwear Float Coat, so we don’t think it’s quite as buoyant. The lack of padding also makes it more uncomfortable for the dog to be lifted via the handle, and there’s also no D-Ring leash attachment. Considering the low price and great buoyancy, it’s still one of the best life jackets for French bulldogs though.
The Outward Hound Granby is a low budget life jacket that provides the features you would expect from a more expensive life vest. These include a handle, reflective design, durable materials and excellent flotation. We also like that it has a neck float, which helps to keep a French bulldog’s head above water.
- Colors: Orange, Fun Fish
- Price Range: $$
- Neck float helps keep head up
- Adjustable design
- Strong and durable
- No D-Ring leash attachment
- Not as much underbelly padding as other options
The EzyDog Doggy Flotation Device (DFD) is another great choice for Frenchies. We found that it has an easy-to-adjust design, strong construction, and plenty of flotation material to help your pet stay above water.
As it has more flotation material than most canine life vests, we found that the EzyDog is one of the most buoyant life vests on the market. We also think that it’s strong and durable, due to the neoprene straps and tough polyester exterior.
Like the Ruffwear Float Coat, the DFD has two adjustable belly straps for a snug fit. Sadly, there’s no option to adjust the neck size, which is one of the reasons why the Ruffwear is our top recommendation for French bulldogs. On the plus side, the EzyDog has a strong D-Ring attachment and padding around the neck.
An issue we have with the EzyDog is the relatively small handle, which can make it difficult to grab. There’s also no belly padding, just two padded straps. If you plan to lift your dog out of the water using the handle regularly, go for one of the other options on this list.
Even so, we still think the EzyDog is a great life jacket that’s strong, buoyant, and easy to adjust. If your budget doesn’t stretch to the Ruffwear Float Coat, it’s an option to consider.
The EzyDog DFD is a solid alternative to the Ruffwear Float Coat. It’s tough, adjustable and has plenty of flotation material. We think it’s a shame that there’s no adjustable neck strap though.
- Colors: Red, Yellow, Green Camo
- Price Range: $$$
- Lots of flotation material
- Adjustable belly straps
- Padded neck for added comfort
- No adjustable neck strap
- Small handle
- No belly padding
How We Chose Our Top Picks
Every canine life jacket needs to be highly buoyant, durable, and easy to adjust. But for our top picks for French Bulldogs, we specifically looked for life vests that could be adjusted to this breed’s body shape. Aside from an adjustable design, we also prioritized life jackets with a proven track record and plenty of positive feedback.
Why Do Frenchies Need a Life Jacket?
All dogs should wear a life jacket when spending time near water. Whether you’re boating, swimming in the sea, or just playing in a pool, drowning is a serious concern for any breed.
French bulldogs are at greater risk than most dog breeds though. Frenchies are naturally poor swimmers, mainly due to their top-heavy body and short legs. They also have flat snouts that make it difficult to stay above water.
The result is that many French bulldogs are more likely to sink than swim. While there are always exceptions, you should assume that all French bulldogs can drown in seconds – even in relatively shallow water.
To make matters worse, many French bulldogs love water. No-one seems to have told them they aren’t great swimmers!
For this reason, French Bulldogs should never be near water without a properly fitted life jacket. Even with a life vest, Frenchies require constant supervision when swimming, as their short snout can easily dip below small waves or currents.
Choosing the Right Life Jacket for a French Bulldog
Choosing a French bulldog life jacket is similar to any other breed – but there are a few differences. Here are the main considerations:
- Buoyancy. The amount of flotation material is especially important for French bulldogs, who struggle to keep their heads above water. Look for a life vest with both side and belly panels, to keep your Frenchie riding high in the water.
- Durable. Dog life jackets get snagged on bushes, soaked in salt water, and need regular cleaning. The best life jackets are strong, durable, and designed to last. Materials such as neoprene and cordura are particularly tough.
- Comfortable. Taking your Frenchie swimming is meant to be fun, but your pet won’t enjoy it if he feels uncomfortable. While comfort usually depends on fitting, we recommend vests with underarm padding for a French bulldog (the same as true for Frenchie harnesses.)
- Adjustable Design. It’s important to get a snug fit without causing chafing. If the life jacket is too loose, the dog may slip out of it when in the water. But if it’s too tight, the dog won’t be able to move freely, and the material may rub. The more adjustable straps a vest has, the easier it is to match your Frenchie’s unique body shape.
- Correct Size. All dog life jackets are available in multiple sizes. Make sure you read the sizing chart carefully and measure your dog to get the right fit. If the life jacket doesn’t fit properly, you can always exchange it for the correct size.
Summary
A life jacket is essential for keeping your French bulldog safe in water. You still need to supervise your pet, as even small waves can make breathing difficult for a Frenchie. But a life jacket lets your dog learn how to swim in relative safety.
Our top recommendation for a French bulldog life jacket is the Ruffwear F9 Float Coat. It’s a premium life vest that fits a Frenchie’s body shape (if adjusted correctly) and provides excellent buoyancy.
Do you have any questions about choosing a life jacket for your French bulldog? Or is there a jacket we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below. You may also want to read our guide to French bulldog harnesses.
Just a THANK YOU for you research, advice & wisdom…
my honey just purchased a boat ; although we’re thrilled; I was incredibly anxious regarding our baby girl #Tuttiecutie_the Frenchie
Reading your top picks, suggestions & reasons behind them really put me at ease , as well as, excited for future adventures!
Glad to help Amy! Have lots of safe fun on your boat 🙂