Max & Coco Collars and Leashes Product Review

Max & Coco is a small company located in Miami that makes exceptional dog collars and leashes. They only make collars and leashes. As Henry Ford once said, “Do one thing and do it well.” This company does it well.

Their collars ($26) are made from stout cotton rope, supple leather and heavy brass hardware. Currently, one size is available in three colors. The size fits necks 19-22 inches around, so it’s appropriate for medium and large dogs. Each of the color combinations has a matching 7-foot leash available ($44). The three colors available are:

Mushroom rope with black leatherMustard rope with chocolate leatherChocolate rope with buckskin leather

The collar sent to me for review is a mushroom/black collar. The hardware is similar to hardware I’ve sen on horse halters – heavy, shiny, handsome. The heft of it tells me that it will last at least as long as the dog will. The rope is surprisingly lightweight and soft. It has great “hand” (the weight and suppleness of the rope in one’s hand) and the weaving is tight. Where the rope joins the leather, the stitching is tight, small and even, which shows me that the workmanship is good. I see not a single loose thread.

The leather is a nice quality leather. It “gives” a little, so it’s not stiff. But it’s not flimsy, either. Flimsy, floppy leather will break at the stress points (the point where it’s buckled). This leather has held up well, even at the stress point.

Here’s how to tell the quality of leather. Hold the leather in both hands, with the “rough” side (the suede side) pointing away from you. Gently bend the leather so that your hands come toward each other, and watch the surface of the leather. If you begin to see cracks, it’s cheap leather. Or at least, the tanning process has broken down the fibers. If what you see begins to resemble the skin of an orange, you have a quality piece of leather.

This leather, while not top of the line (and why would you want it to be for a dog collar?), is a good quality leather that shows the “orange skin” and has finished edges. The smart folks at Max & Coco have put the rough side out and the smooth side in, toward the dog’s neck. Usually, dog collar manufacturers like for the smooth side to show, so they put the rough side in. I think that’s a mistake. Placing the rough side in means that dirt will stick to the sueded leather more than the smooth side. Also, when your dog gets wet, the collar will dry faster if the suede isn’t trapping moisture against the dog’s coat. 

This collar will not hang heavy around your dog’s neck. For those with a dog who has a full coat, such as a collie, I don’t think this collar will mar the coat, because it’s lightweight, yet well constructed.

A beautiful piece of dog equipment, well made, with old-school quality.

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