The Best LED Dog Collars for Nighttime Safety

As the owner of a black lab, LED dog collars have become a must-pack item for our camping trips. It’s much easier to keep track of your pooch in the woods if they’re wearing a glow-in-the-dark collar. They work well for nighttime walks and runs, too!

This post covers our top picks for LED dog dollars and leashes, and what you might want to consider while shopping.

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Why do I need an LED collar?

LED collars provide safety while out and about at nighttime. They provide additional visibility for runners, and also make it easier to spot a dog that’s out in the woods (especially if you have a dark-colored pup).

They also provide some ambient lighting which might make it easier to see where you are going, and/or see what your dog is sniffing.

LED collars are typically purchased in addition to your dog’s regular collar, and are used during nighttime excursions.

What to Consider in a Lighted Dog Collar

First of all, LED collars and reflective collars are different. Reflective collars simply reflect light, rather than generating their own light, but may still be marketed as “glow in the dark”.

What are LEDs?

LEDs, or “light emitting diodes”, are affordable and energy efficient lights that have found their way into all sorts of consumer products, including dog collars. Because LEDs are energy efficient, they don’t give off a lot of heat like other types of lights do.

LEDs at nighttime — LEDs are also found in decorative string lights because they’re low-power

Are LED dog collars safe?

These LED collars are low voltage (typically 3-6V) and do not expose electric current near your dog’s skin. Many LED collars contain batteries, which means that you should keep your dog from chewing on their LED collar.

Some LED collars are not fully waterproof, so you need to consider that before purchasing and using them. But, LED collars should be safe for dogs as long as these considerations are followed.

Collar Lighting Styles

The LED collars in our list fall into one of two categories in terms of style. One style is a continuous band of light, the other is a string of individual lights. LEDs are individually very bright, and making multiple individual LEDs look like a smooth band of light requires special light-diffusing material. While the lighting style may have some bearing on brightness, it’s also a matter of personal preference.

Brightness and Visibility Range

Brightness and visibility range go hand-in-hand. If you are walking near your pup at all times, you might not need as bright of a collar. And, an overly bright collar may be difficult to look at up close. However, if your dog is running around in a field or forest, this will be an important metric in your LED collar buying decision.

Water Resistance

Generally speaking, electronics don’t like to get wet. But there are ways to make electronics waterproof, or at least water resistant. If an LED dog collar description says it’s water resistant, that means it can handle water on the device.

But it won’t be able to handle being fully submerged. Some LED collars are able to ruggedize the charging component of the LED dog collar with silicon covers. If you have a dog that is active around water, be sure to check out the waterproof option in our list.

Battery Life and Recharging Method

LED collars are powered by batteries, which will need to be recharged. There are two recharging methods, depending on which collar you buy.

USB charge: some collars have USB ports on the battery pack. This lets the owner recharge them in the same way that you recharge a cell phone.
Replaceable batteries: the other type is batteries, typically coin cells, that need to be removed and replaced after they run out of charge.

Battery life can range from 5 hours to 60 hours.

Sizing

If your dog is on the very small or very large end of the spectrum, you might have difficulty fitting into standard LED collars. LED collars should be sized like normal collars: enough room to fit two fingers underneath. We’ve included a resizable option for dogs that have trouble fitting into ‘standard’ sizes.

All-Around Best LED Dog Collar: Illumiseen

This collar from Illumiseen is incredibly popular on Amazon, and for good reason.

Continuous light band style
5 hours of illumination per one hour of charge (via USB recharge). This should be enough for most walks and excursions.
Three different lighting options (solid, slow flash, and fast flash).
6 different collar options: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pink. Reviewers said that orange was the brightest.
There’s a matching leash available for additional light and safety.
Water resistant.

Cons: 3″ gap where the buckle is where there’s no light, not fully water-proof.

Favorite part: lifetime guarantee and matching leash option.

Best Long-Distance Pick: Blazin’ Safety

If you’re looking for a lighted collar that’s well-suited for off-leash dog wandering, this is the one for you.

350 yards or 1000 feet of visibility (very bright lights!)
Individual LED style
LEDs fit through the resizing band, which means more of the collar is illuminated vs other brands.
8-10 hours of battery life on a single charge.
Three different lighting options (solid, slow flash, and fast flash).
11 different collar options: lights available in white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, light blue, purple, pink, white, on various collar colors. Plus “Halloween” (orange lights on black background) and “Christmas” (red lights on green background) color combos.
It has sizesfrom XS to L.
Water resistant.
Made in the USA.

Cons: might not fit very small or very large dogs; incredibly bright if you are near to your dog.

Favorite part: long range visibility and multiple reviewers gushing over how great the customer service was.

Longest Battery Life: Night Ize Howl Safety Necklace

If USB charging sounds like a lot of hassle, check out the Nite Ize Howl Safety “Necklace” for dogs.

Claims up to 60 hours of battery life.
Uses coin cell batteries instead of USB charging.
Continuous light band style.
Three different lighting options (solid, slow flash, and fast flash).
Nearly 360° of illumination.
Can be cut to fit your dog’s neck size.
Reviewers say it has a visibility range from 75-200 feet.
Water resistant.

Cons: no loop for a leash attachment.

Favorite part: the most affordable on this list.

Best Fully Waterproof Light-up Dog Collar: MASBRILL

Earlier we said that most collars are not meant to be submerged (though most collars can get wet in the rain without an issue). This MASBRILL LED collar is designed to be waterproof, rather than just water resistant. It’s also rust-proof, so if you have a water-loving pup, this collar’s for you.