This is a specific conversation about Dog cooling vests — keeping them safe in heat — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
So your previous vest was drying out too fast — that's a really common frustration, and with an Irish Setter it makes total sense. They're active, they throw off a lot of heat, and a thin vest just can't hold enough water to keep up. Heatstroke in dogs is a genuine risk in hot weather, and Irish Setters — with that long coat and high energy — can overheat faster than people expect. Cooling vests work through evaporative cooling, so they need to stay wet to work, and they're most effective in lower humidity. Before I point you toward something better, can you tell me: what kind of heat or situation are you dealing with — garden, walks, hikes? And how active is your dog when it's warm out?
He's 4 years old, really high energy. We go on long walks and sometimes hikes, usually in the UK summer so it's not extreme heat but can get humid. The vest I had before just seemed to dry out within about 20 minutes and then it was doing nothing.
inparticular.ai
That 20-minute window is the giveaway — you had a thin single-layer vest, and they just don't hold enough water for a big active dog on the move. For an Irish Setter doing proper walks and hikes, you need something with real water-retention capacity. What vest were you using before, and roughly what size does he wear? I want to make sure I point you toward something that's actually going to fit him well — Irish Setters are deep-chested and long-bodied, so fit matters a lot here.
It was a cheap one off Amazon, can't remember the brand. He's quite big for a setter — about 32kg. I think I had a large but it was always a bit snug around the chest.
inparticular.ai
Right, that confirms it — wrong fit and not enough material to hold water for a dog that size. For your boy, I'd go straight to the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler. It's a three-layer design specifically built for exactly this problem: the outer layer reflects heat, the middle layer holds a significant amount of water, and the inner layer wicks moisture toward the dog. On a 32kg Setter you'd be looking at their Large or XL depending on his chest measurement — Ruffwear size by girth, so worth measuring around his chest before ordering. In UK summer humidity it'll last considerably longer than 20 minutes — typically 1.5 to 2 hours depending on conditions — and you can re-wet it from a bottle on longer hikes. It's not cheap, but it's built for active dogs and the difference in cooling duration over a budget vest is significant. One thing to keep in mind: even with a good vest, on very humid days evaporative cooling slows down, so always bring water for him to drink and watch for heavy panting or glazed eyes.
That sounds exactly like what I need. Is it easy to get wet quickly when you're out on a walk?
inparticular.ai
Yes — that's one of the things Ruffwear designed it for. You don't need to soak it for long; a good pour from a water bottle directly onto the vest and work it in with your hands, takes about 30 seconds. The middle layer absorbs and holds it. Some people carry a small soft flask just for the vest. If you pass a stream or a puddle he's happy to wade in, even better — he can go in with it on. Just re-wet when you notice it feeling dry to the touch or if he starts panting more heavily.
Great, I'll go with the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler. I'll measure his chest first like you said.
inparticular.ai
Perfect — measure the widest part of his chest, just behind his front legs. For a 32kg Setter he'll likely be a Large but some are XL, so the measurement is worth doing. Once it arrives, wet it before you put it on him the first time and let him get used to wearing it indoors before a walk. Enjoy the hikes — he sounds like a great dog.
