Nite Ize SpotLit XL Dog Collar Light Review

Dog collar lights are a must-have if you plan on walking your pup at night. Unless you live in an area that’s brightly lit by street lights, it can be hard for others to see you and your pup and that can lead to some potentially dangerous situations.

As someone who lives in the Pacific Northwest where the sun sets as early as 4:30 p.m. in the winter, we’re all too familiar with this scenario.

We initially tried using light up dog collars and light up leashes but we quickly learnt that they didn’t work too well and even if they did, they didn’t last for more than a few months.

We eventually switched to a generic dog collar light from Amazon, which seemed to work better since the light-up area was smaller, which made the light brighter since it was more concentrated.

But the coin battery died quickly and we were less than thrilled about having to buy new ones constantly so we began searching for a better alternative and that’s when we came across the Nite Ize Spotlit XL.

Nite Ize SpotLit vs Nite Lize SpotLit XL

There are two versions of the Nite Ize SpotLit – there’s a regular version and an XL version. We have the latter.

While the two are generally the same in terms of function, they do have a few main differences.

For one thing, the XL is a lot bigger than the regular SpotLit. It might not be obvious from the product listing but the XL is about the size of a golf ball (~2 inches in diameter) whereas the regular is just a tad bigger than a quarter.

The XL is also rechargeable whereas the regular SpotLit uses lithium 2016 batteries.

A Closer Look At the Nite Ize SpotLit XL LED Collar Light

The Nite Ize SpotLit XL comes with a small carabiner clip at the top, which makes it easy to attach to your dog’s collar.

To turn it on, simply push the button at the back of the light. The plastic material can be quite stiff, however, so you do have to push hard on it.

You can  choose between having a white light or a colored light (red, green, or blue); just keep pressing the button until the color you want comes up.

Or if you’re like us and want multiple colors all at once, you can use the Disco-O mode where the color will change continuously.

While the SpotLit Dog Collar Light isn’t waterproof, it is weather-resistant, meaning you won’t run into any issues using it in the rain or snow.

Battery Life

While the regular SpotLit uses coin batteries, the XL version is rechargeable via microUSB, which is one of the reasons why we opted for it.

According to the official website, the light has a run time of 10 hours. From our experience, we’d say it’s probably a bit less than that though we’ve never actually timed it. However, it definitely lasts a lot longer than the generic ones we used from Amazon.

On average, we probably charge ours once every two weeks or so, but that can fluctuate depending on the length of our walks.

Recharging

To recharge the SpotLit XL, you have to take off the back cover, which can be tricky sometimes.

Once you have it off, however, it’s easy to plug in the microUSB cable. You’ll know it’s charging when the light turns red (it’ll automatically turn green once charging is complete).

Recharging is fairly quick and usually takes less than a couple of hours. The only thing is that the SpotLit doesn’t come with a microUSB cable so you’ll have to get your own.

Build Quality

The carabiner is made of stainless steel and hasn’t rusted or cracked in the three years we’ve been using it. It has a few scratches here and there from all the dangling but they’re barely noticeable.

The clip is also strong and sturdy to the point where it won’t fall off your dog’s collar but isn’t impossible to put on.

As for the light itself, it’s encased in a soft plastic material, which repels water and dirt. It also keeps the electrical components, including the charging port, safe from the elements.

The only complaint we have is that the translucent plastic has turned yellowish over the years but fortunately, it’s not too noticeable when the light is on.

Price

The SpotLit XL retails for $19.99 so it’s not the cheapest dog collar light out there. The regular SpotLit, on the other hand, goes for $9.99.

The former, however, doesn’t use coin batteries so you will save money in the long run.

Brightness

The dog collar light might not seem very bright when you’re inside the house but it makes a huge difference when you’re outside in the dark.

It’s bright enough to illuminate part of their face and a bit of the ground, which will not only make you and your pup more visible but it’ll also make it easier to see things in front of you.

We’ve also noticed that the light doesn’t dim much even when the battery is running low. In fact, it can be hard to tell when the battery is low sometimes because it’ll go straight from working fine to being completely dead the next day.

Here’s a picture of our dog wearing his at night for reference:

Is It Worth It?

The Nite Ize SpotLit XL dog collar light has lasted us three years so far and besides the yellowing on the plastic, it still works great so we’d say it’s worth it. It does use microUSB instead of USB C but it’s a small price to pay for not having to constantly buy batteries.