Discover: KoolSkinz
“We love our dogs because they are extremely loyal and bring us so much joy… Wouldn't you want to do all you can to help these amazing animals live their best life possible?”
Tell us about yourself! What’s your background and what do you do?
KoolSkinz makes Pet Performance Wear. Our flagship product is a uniquely designed patented dog kooling vest that can keep your pup kool for up to 2 hours in 90+ degree weather. We use the same high-quality fabric that professional athletes wear in their uniforms and a proprietary kooling agent that will keep your furry friend comfortable all day. Each vest has three pockets, one in the chest and two in the lower side belly. Simply insert our kool packs into the vest to help your dog stay kool for hours. Each kool pack can be "re-charged" in as little as 20 minutes by placing it in a freezer, cooler, or cold mountain stream. The packs can be re-used indefinitely. The proprietary solution in our packs is organic, food-grade safe, and biodegradable. Bonus, our kool packs double as a warming agent during cooler months. Just place the packs in your microwave at home or a pot of boiling water when you are out camping to keep your furry friend warm and snuggly during those cold nights. Fun fact, did you know that there are more dogs in United States households than there are children?
How did you learn your craft? Tell us about your first finished product.
I invented the product because 9 years ago I had a friend whose dog died of heatstroke while out hiking. I've been an avid dog lover and hiker my whole life and I immediately became concerned for my own dogs. I looked into this a bit further and realized that tens of thousands of dogs die every year from complications related to overheating. I purchased all the products I could get my hands on to help alleviate this problem. I quickly learned that all of the existing products suffer from two things. They are big bulky and stiff and can actually wear sores on your dog. Second, none of them work longer than 15 minutes at helping your dog stay cool. We set out to create something better. Our product can now be found on nearly two thousand dogs in seven different countries and we are vet-approved.
Where does the name of your business come from?
We wanted to create a fun brand that people could connect with and remember easily. The word cool is one of the most frequently used words in the English language. As early as the 16th century, the word cool came to mean something besides just a reference to temperature. In the 1930s, cool began appearing in American English as an extremely casual expression to mean something like ‘intensely good.’ We put our own spin on it and replaced the "C" with a "K" so it would stand out as a brand image. Skinz simply compliments the Kool and indicates that our product is form-fitting and works as a second skin for your dog.
How long does it take to make your product and what’s involved in the process?
Our product is currently made in Denver, Colorado through a local cut and sewer. We produce batches of vests at 500 units at a time and this takes approximately 6-8 weeks to complete. Our product is a unique one-piece design that is die-cut and then our fun patterns are dye sublimated individually on white fabric in-house, and finally, are finished by hand sewing.
Where does your inspiration come from?
We love our dogs because they are extremely loyal and bring us so much joy. They help us fight wars, care for those with medical conditions, lower our blood pressure, improve our overall mood, and help children build immunities to allergens. Wouldn't you want to do all you can to help these amazing animals live their best life possible?
“The thing I am most proud of is that we have vests on so many dogs and our customers love the product. We are on a mission to help save 1 million dogs and we get closer every day.”
What’s your favorite product that you’ve created?
The thing I am most proud of is that we have vests on so many dogs and our customers love the product. We are on a mission to help save 1 million dogs and we get closer every day. Our most popular vest is the Red Bones pattern in a medium size.
What question do you get asked the most at pop-up markets?
“Do you make these for humans?” Sneak peek, we do have a product coming out for humans later this year.
What’s something unique about you that most people don’t know (or wouldn’t guess)?
I'm a pretty casual person but most people wouldn't realize that I have more college degrees than I like to admit in public. A Bachelors, three Masters, and a Ph.D. - Shhh! Don't tell anyone.
What’s your favorite beverage to sip on?
When I'm at the BAZAAR my go-to choice is, of course, Pickett's Ginger Mule.
What’s up next for KoolSkinz?
We continue to expand our #KoolSquad community and we expect to continue our path of adding customers, getting more retail distribution set up, and keeping dogs Kool for a long time to come.
use promo code "DENVERDOG" at checkout for 20% off your purchase plus free shipping!
