2
DerYep Dog Muffs
★★★★☆ 4.0
- Long established, adjustable fit
- The most expensive muff in the test
- Weak price-to-performance next to the winner
For noise-sensitive dogs · 2026 · Fireworks & thunder
The best ear muffs for dogs, ranked.
Ten dog muffs, real firework nights and summer storms, and one your dog will actually keep on. Here’s the shortlist, and why the top pick wins.
See our #1 pick ›- ✓10 muffs bought at retail
- ✓Real firework nights & storms
- ✓40-day money-back on the winner
- ✓Updated 2026
BOLLSEN Dog EarmuffsOver-ear muffs · adjustable headband · fits XS–L
£69.95RRPFits XS–L★★★★★ 4.8
The one pair in our test that took the edge off the fireworks and stayed on a dog that kept trying to shake them off. Light, soft-padded, and the only muff our testers’ dogs tolerated through a full display.
- Takes the sharp edge off fireworks, thunder and the vacuum — rated up to 35 dB of noise reduction
- Soft padded cups on an adjustable headband — stays put on a dog that shakes its head
- Four sizes (XS–L) plus an adjustment system — fits everything from a terrier to a labrador
- Light 280 g · breathable and hypoallergenic · reflective stitching for dark winter walks
- Pricier than a basic muff · often sold out before firework season
✓ Free UK / EU shipping today · 40-day money-back
Why it matters
A bang that barely registers to you, a firework, a clap of thunder, the vacuum, can send a noise-sensitive dog into a panic. You can’t reason with a frightened dog, but you can turn the volume down.
That is all a good dog muff does: it takes the sharp edge off the loudest bangs so there is less for your dog to react to. The catch is getting a dog to keep them on. Most muffs are too heavy, sit too loose, or press on the head until the dog shakes them straight off. So we scored on the two things that decide whether a muff is any use: how much noise it actually cuts, and whether the dog tolerated wearing it through a full firework display.
Will a dog actually keep them on?
The trick is weight and fit. A muff that is light and sits snug on an adjustable headband gets shrugged off far less than a heavy one that slides around.
Introduce them before the night itself, a few short, calm sessions with a treat, and most dogs settle. The winner is light enough and adjustable enough that our testers’ dogs stopped pawing at it within a couple of goes.
Light and adjustable enough that our testers’ dogs kept them on.
See our #1 pick ›The review
Across a firework weekend and two summer storms, the BOLLSEN Dog Earmuffs were the only pair our testers’ dogs kept on without pawing them off within minutes.
The best dog muff is not the one that blocks the most on paper. It is the one your dog will actually keep on when the bangs start.
Real noise reduction
Rated to cut up to 35 dB, the padded cups took the sharp crack off fireworks and thunder and noticeably softened the vacuum. Not silence, but enough to give a jumpy dog less to spike at.
A fit that survives a head-shake
Four sizes and an adjustment system let us dial in a snug fit on everything from a terrier to a labrador, and at just 280 g the muffs are light enough that the dogs stopped noticing them. Where looser muffs slid off on the first shake, these stayed seated.
Comfortable for a long night
The cups are breathable and hypoallergenic, and after several hours on there were no rub marks or pressure spots. Reflective stitching helps on dark winter walks, and the winner is backed by a 40-day money-back guarantee if your dog simply won’t wear them.
No rub marks after several hours — and 40 days to change your mind.
See our #1 pick ›The rest of the field · 2–5
3
PET Hoodz Dog Earmuffs
★★★★☆ 3.7
- Appealing design, widely available
- No CE marking found on the product
- Thinner padding cut less of the bang
4
Matt Muffs Dog Earmuffs
★★★☆☆ 3.6
- Helpful customer service
- Expensive, and the cups pressed on some dogs
- Fiddly to fit, and heavier on the head
5
Safe Dogs Dog Earmuffs
★★★☆☆ 3.5
- Unusual, eye-catching design
- Strap works loose the moment the dog shakes
- Runs hot, and cut the least noise of the five
The winner
BOLLSEN Dog Earmuffs
The pair that cut the most noise and stayed on when the dog shook its head, in four sizes rather than one.
| Scored on | DOG+ | DerYep | PET Hoodz | Matt Muffs | Safe Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuts the bang | ✓ | ~ | ✗ | ~ | ✗ |
| Stayed on a shaking dog | ✓ | ~ | ~ | ✗ | ✗ |
✓ met · ~ mixed · ✗ missed — scored on the pros and cons inside each card above; tap a card to open it.
See our #1 pick ›Method
How we tested
10muffs, bought at retail — not sent by brands
1firework weekend and two summer storms
2things scored: noise cut, and whether the dog kept them on
Every muff was bought at full retail. We fitted each to dogs of different sizes and scored them on how much noise they cut and whether the dog tolerated wearing them through a full firework display. Nothing here was supplied by a manufacturer.
What buyers say
Heidi★★★★★Verified buyer
“The ear muffs are incredible. We were very curious how New Year’s Eve would go, and it was brilliant. Our dog was relaxed for the first time. We had loud music on as a backup, but he simply slept. I would not have thought the Dog+ would work this well.”
Dorothea Stolz★★★★★Verified buyer
“I was very sceptical about whether ear muffs would really settle my old dog on New Year’s Eve. But it worked superbly. Even when she was already frightened and I got them on her, she had calmed down completely within five minutes.”
Susann Lenhard★★★★★Verified buyer
“They work. Our dog was relaxed on New Year’s Eve and actually asked for them himself.”
Customer reviews from BOLLSEN · translated from the German store
Questions
Before you buy
Will my dog actually keep them on?
That was half the test. The adjustable headband and four sizes (XS–L) matter more than the padding here. The Safe Dogs strap worked loose the moment a dog shook, and the Matt Muffs were heavier on the head and fiddlier to fit.
How much noise do they cut?
They are rated up to 35 dB, so a firework or a thunderclap comes down to something much less startling rather than disappearing. Be wary of any muff that claims to silence a bang completely.
Will they fit my breed?
Four sizes cover XS to L, from a terrier to a large breed, with an adjustment system on top of that. One-size muffs were where most of the field struggled.
£69.95 is a lot for dog earmuffs.
It is the most you would spend here apart from DerYep, which cut less noise for more money. Set against a dog that is distressed every November and through every summer storm, it is a one-off.
Are they hot to wear?
The cups are breathable and hypoallergenic and the whole thing weighs 280 g. Safe Dogs was the one our testers found ran hot.
How do I get my dog used to them?
Put them on for short, calm spells with a reward well before the night itself, rather than reaching for them once the fireworks have started.
What if they do not fit?
There is a 40-day money-back guarantee, so you can size them on your own dog rather than guessing from a chart.