Bought by back length rather than by breed, a quilted jacket is the most useful winter thing a small dog owns: light enough not to bother them in the house, padded enough for a January field. This is sold as the quilted layer on its own, without the fleece base shirt some versions bundle underneath, and that makes it lighter to wear and far quicker to dry when you come in wet.

Sizing is the part that decides whether it works. The manufacturer sizes by back length, measured from the base of the collar to the base of the tail, and the range runs from 20cm to 40cm across five sizes. That measurement matters more than it looks: a coat that is too long presses on the tail and gets soiled, while one that is too short leaves the loins bare, which is exactly the area you were trying to cover.

• XS: back length 20cm
• S: back length 25cm
• M: back length 30cm
• L: back length 35cm
• XL: back length 40cm
• Two colours: yellow and pink
• One coat per pack, no base shirt included

Ignore the weight guidance. The manufacturer's chart also gives weights in catties, a Chinese unit of roughly 500g, and quotes things like ten to sixteen catties for the XL, which converts to a range so wide it tells you nothing. Use the back length instead. It is the only figure here worth trusting, and at 40cm the largest size is still very much a small-dog coat.

Who it's for: toy breeds and small terriers, teddy-coated crosses, and anyone who wants a padded coat rather than a knitted jumper for genuinely cold mornings.