Catpointers is reader-supported. Certain editorial links earn us a commission, which helps maintain our website and write more pawsome content.
Personalized Cat Collars
We reviewed the perfect gifts for your kitty
Cats are adventurous little animals that are known to wander off easily. A personalized cat collar is a great way to make your cat more recognizable. If she happens to get lost at some point, you will certainly not regret having her wear some type of personalized ID, as the chance of retrieval will be much higher.
But how do you find the best personalized collar for your cat? For this test we reviewed 3 collars, and we’ll share our experience on this page. Read on to discover which collar will suit your kitty best!
- Personalized Cat Collars
- 1. Frisco Personalized Nylon Breakaway Cat Collar
- 2. Buckle-Down Personalized Star Wars Breakaway Cat Collar with Bell
- 3. GoTags Personalized Nylon Reflective Breakaway Cat Collar with Bell (8 to 13-inch)
- 1. Secure fit
- 2. Breakaway part
- 3. Materials used
- 4. Is it comfortable?
- 5. Bells & ID Attachment
Top 3 Recommended Personalized Collars
Product Reviews
1. Frisco Personalized Nylon Breakaway Cat Collar
What we liked:
- Made from premium nylon
- Available in multiple colors
- Perfect breakaway design
- Pick your own color for the embroidery
What we didn’t like:
- Bell is too quiet
Review:
Our top pick in this category is this simple yet well-designed personalized collar by Frisco. It is made from high-quality nylon, which is the most durable material for this type of product. It comes in a variety of nice-looking colors, and the collar is designed in such a manner that the strap never obfuscates your personalized text. You can pick your own color for the embroidery threading, which is a cool plus. We were also very pleased to note that the breakaway is designed to hold the perfect amount of tension, ensuring the collar only comes off in dangerous situations.
The only major flaw we could find was the bell; it didn’t produce much sound, especially when compared to the other products in this review. If you decide to go with Frisco’s collar, we recommend detaching it and picking up a better one.
2. Buckle-Down Personalized Star Wars Breakaway Cat Collar with Bell
What we liked:
- It’s a small piece of art!
- Available in 60+ colorful designs
- Durable – Made from high-density polyester
- The breakaway is well-designed
What we didn’t like:
- Bell can not be detached
- Print starts to fade after a while
- Not as comfortable as nylon straps
Review:
Second on our list of custom cat collars is Buckle-Down, which has a huge variety of breakaway collars with personalization. We love the designs; they are all super colorful and have recognizable elements from Disney movies, TV shows, comics, and even Star Wars. There’s bound to be one that resonates with you!
The collar strap in this model is made from sturdy polyester, which is a little less comfortable to wear than nylon. On the other side of the medallion, this material is extremely durable and will last you a long time. It gives this collar a high-quality feel, and we can tell that Buckle-Down spent time and money to develop something decent. The breakaway mechanism is also finely engineered and snaps into place with a click.
One thing we didn’t like was the fact that you can’t easily take the bell off. Buckle-Down missed the mark there. We have also read some complaints from customers stating that the print had started to fade after a few months.
Overall, this is a great choice for those who are looking to buy something a little more extravagant than a plain colored strap and band.
3. GoTags Personalized Nylon Reflective Breakaway Cat Collar with Bell (8 to 13-inch)
What we liked:
- Strap is made from high-quality nylon
- Reflective surface makes it easier to find your cat at night
What we didn’t like:
- Reflective material & ID may start to wear off after some time
- Buckle gets in the way of your text on smaller necks
- Breakaway comes undone too easily
Review:
This nylon breakaway collar from GoTags holds room for 21 characters of custom text. You can buy it in a variety of pretty colors: black, orange, red, blue and pink.
GoTags added a few extra features; a detachable bell, a breakaway part for extra safety (that snaps open a líttle too easy for my taste). The standout feature is that this collar has reflective properties, which will be of tremendous help whenever you’re trying to find your cat during nighttime.
But that’s where the goodness ends. One major problem we had with this product was that the reflective material had started to come off after a while. Our personalized text also started to look faded after just a few months. Additionally, there seemed to be a serious problem with the design, which will mainly be noticeable if your cat has a smaller neck. When the collar was strapped tight, the buckle obfuscated our customizations.
Buyers guide: What to look for
How do you figure out if a custom cat collar is worth your money, or if it’s best left on the shelf? That is the question we set out to answer in the remainder of this article. The following is a list of things to check when buying a personalized collar for your cat, sorted by order of importance. We chose our top 3 products based on the fact that they score really well in some or all of these key areas:
1. Secure fit
If you ask us, the single most important aspect of any collar is whether it can be securely attached around the neck of your pet. It’s smart to take your cat’s neck measurements before going shopping so that you know if the collar’s size matches it. If you find that measurements align, ensure that there is a decent amount of stretch in the material. Another thing to pay attention to is the quality of the buckle mechanism that is used to secure the collar.
2. Breakaway part
A breakaway collar has a part in the strap that is designed to come undone whenever there is too much tension on it. This safety feature is designed to guard against dangerous situations, like when the collar gets snagged on a tree branch, fence, or any other object that is sharp and sticking out.
Traditional collars could lead to a pet hanging themselves or suffocating in these situations. But the breakaway cat collar is a great solution; it does a perfect job preventing your pet from trapping themselves.
Cat collars with a breakaway may be more expensive, but the additional safety makes it a worthwhile purchase. We highly recommend picking a cat collar with a breakaway part. The benefits could potentially save you a lot of trouble and heartache in the future.
3. Materials used
You don’t expect a brand-new cat collar to tear or snap after just a few months. Personally, I would expect this type of product to last at least a good few years before it has to be replaced. The biggest factor that determines the durability of a collar is the type of material used in the strap. The strap can be made from several materials like leather, metal, plastics and polyesters, nylon webbing, and vinyl weaved with cotton.
As is often the case, quality will cost you. Premium materials like nylon fabric are very durable. Such a collar may not be as cheap as other alternatives, but the positive side is that they should last you at least 2 years before wear and tear really start to set in.
4. Is it comfortable?
Since your cat will (hopefully!) wear this product throughout the day, a good collar should be reasonably soft and comfortable on the inside of the strap. Again, this mostly comes down to the material that producers choose when designing their products. Softer fabrics cause less friction and are therefore a lot more comfortable to wear.
If you want your cat to feel comfortable wearing a custom collar, it’s worth spending a little extra to get one made from premium materials such as leather and nylon.
5. Bells & ID Attachment
Many custom collars come with a bell attached, which is designed to warn prey and make it easier to locate your cat in case it gets lost. While large bells may seem useful or even cute, trust us when we say that after a few weeks, the sound can become pretty tiresome. And your cat will probably not be over the moon about being turned into a walking orchestra either.
If you’ve opted to buy a personalized collar with a bell, we suggest you pick one that is designed to allow you to detach it easily.
