I did not think I was particularly bothered by dog raincoats until I lived with a good one. Then I discovered that a dry dog also means a cleaner house, less towel wrestling and considerably less wet-coonhound smell.
The Non-stop Dogwear Fjord has been Lucy’s raincoat, and I love it. It has handled prolonged rain brilliantly, stays put in wind, moves well through the woods and has taken normal coonhound abuse without giving me durability problems.
Quick Verdict
| Overall | Love |
| Best for | Active dogs, prolonged rain and genuinely hardy technical use |
| Waterproofing | Excellent in my experience, including prolonged rain |
| Warmth | None — this is a rain shell |
| Movement | Excellent on Lucy, including woodland use |
| Harness compatibility | Excellent for my setup; leash access sits behind the shoulders |
| Biggest strengths | Waterproofing, durability, movement, reflectiveness and leash access |
| Biggest weakness | Price |
| Would I buy it again? | Probably, yes |
Is the Fjord Actually Waterproof?
In our use, yes. This is a coat I trust for proper rain rather than a quick shower. Lucy has worn it in prolonged wet weather and the waterproofing has been excellent.
It also stays put nicely when conditions are windy. I do not use rear leg straps on Lucy, and I have not needed them to make this coat behave.
Fit, Coverage and Movement
The fit works well for Lucy, coverage has been good, and I have not had rubbing or irritation problems with it. More importantly, she can actually move in it.
We are not pavement-only dog people. Lucy runs, hikes and moves through woodland, so a raincoat that looks lovely but becomes annoying as soon as the dog starts doing dog things is not much use to me. The Fjord has been excellent on that front.
Durability
Very good. Ours has not given me problems with snagging, tearing or obvious wear despite being used on an active coonhound.
That hardiness is one of the reasons I prefer the Fjord to the Ruffwear Sun Shower specifically for the hounds, even though I also love the Sun Shower.
Harness Compatibility
I use a harness underneath. The leash access sits behind the shoulders on ours and makes that setup straightforward.
This is one area where I think the Fjord has an advantage over our Pomppa Sade raincoat: I prefer the Fjord’s harness compatibility.
Fjord vs Ruffwear Sun Shower
I like both. The Sun Shower is Indie’s go-to raincoat and is a very good lightweight shell.
For Lucy and Shelby, though, I prefer the Fjord because it feels hardier for the way the hounds move through the world. Both keep the dog dry; the Fjord is the one I am happier sending through brush.
Fjord vs Pomppa Sade
This is where the Fjord loses for me. If I am choosing purely between the two rain shells we own, I prefer the SadePomppa overall because I think it delivers excellent quality for less money.
The Fjord still has the better harness access for my setup, and I particularly like its colors and reflectiveness. It is an excellent coat. I just do not think you have to spend this much to get an excellent raincoat.
What I Love Most
Oddly, the colors and reflectiveness stand out. A raincoat is often being used in exactly the sort of gray, miserable weather where visibility matters, and I appreciate gear that acknowledges that.
More broadly, though, the Fjord simply works. It keeps Lucy dry, stays in place, moves well and has survived our normal use.
Would I Buy Another?
Probably. The price would make me look hard at the alternatives first, particularly Pomppa, but I cannot fault the actual performance of ours.
A Note on Which Fjord I Tested
Our Fjord is an older coat, and Non-stop Dogwear has updated the line since we bought it. I have asked the company to help identify exactly which generation we own and to send the current Fjord 2.0 for comparison. Until I have tested that current version, this review reflects the coat actually hanging in our house — not assumptions about a newer model.
Bottom Line
I love the Non-stop Dogwear Fjord. It is properly waterproof in our experience, durable enough for woodland coonhound life, easy to use and excellent to move in.
My only real objection is price. If budget matters, I think Pomppa makes the decision much more interesting. But judged purely as a raincoat? The Fjord has been excellent.
See how it compares with the rest of my tested waterproof options in Best Dog Raincoats. For current design and waterproofing specifications, see Non-stop Dogwear’s Fjord raincoat page.
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