The five minutes after a wet walk decide whether your hallway smells of dog for the rest of the day. A wrap-around microfibre robe pulls water out of the coat considerably faster than rubbing with a bath towel, and it keeps working while the dog wanders off and lies down, which is really the trick of it. The drying carries on without you, and a towel simply cannot do that.

Microfibre works largely by capillary action rather than absorption alone, so it lifts water out of a dense undercoat instead of pushing it around on the surface. A front pocket takes treats, keys or bags, which turns it into something you can walk back from the beach in rather than a towel to be dumped in the boot. Two sizes are offered, in blue, green, pink, grey and brown.

• Super-absorbent microfibre
• Two sizes: M 100 x 50cm and L 130 x 70cm
• Front pocket for treats or keys
• Six colour options
• Wraps around rather than needing to be held in place
• Works after a bath as well as after a wet walk

On sizing, measure rather than guess. The two figures above are flat fabric dimensions, not a dog size chart, so measure your dog's back length from neck to tail base along with the chest girth and compare against them. A robe that is too short leaves the chest and belly wet, and the belly is the part that ends up on the sofa.

What the options mean. Sold in sizes from 100x50cm to 130x70cm — £13.99 to £15.99.

Who it's for: Double-coated and long-haired dogs, sea swimmers, and anyone walking through a British winter.