Introducing the revolutionary ALU Dog Collar by MEMA. It’s redesigned for ease of use, durability, longevity and we can’t forget, style. This re-designed collar features a Neodymium magnetic buckle system made from aircraft grade aluminum coupled with cork and hemp webbing stitched with heavy UV-bonded poly thread. It’s ridiculously strong, made to last, and designed for owners who care about their pet’s style. We were one of the few to get our hands on an early release to put it through the gears. At LumberJac, one of us has a hyperactive Doberman so we’re well prepared to put the ALU collar to the test. We’ve gone through countless collars over the years and encountered everything from faded fabric, to poor stitching, to snapped latches, and even broken metal links. As friendly as my dog is, she’s unstoppable in the presence of rabbits, squirrels and deer. Our approach to collars is like a pair of shoes. If they don’t wear out within two season, they’re probably looking a lot like your brother’s old hand-me-downs.
First Impression
What interested us most about the ALU collar is it’s revolutionary magnetic latching system. We were skeptical at first because there’s no way a magnet would contain my dog, but after further investigation into the design it seemed like a completely plausible idea. The outer cork finish was also a mystery to us. We’ve seen cork used as handles, cases, within furniture, home accessories and flooring, but never within an apparel product.
Out of the box we were totally impressed with the ALU collar’s smooth cork finish contrasted against the bright orange hemp fabric, detailed stitching and precise aircraft grade aluminum. Not only is the cork smooth and soft, it’s as flexible as the hemp. I was instantly drawn to the magnetic latch, and curious to test it out. As promised, the latch pops out effortlessly when you lift the positive side vertically out, and snaps back into place when lowered. Obviously I was a little worried that this simple latch system would instantly pop out once I gave the leash a good tug, so I clipped it on and started to tug, and tug, and twist and pull. The only thing that was coming loose was my hands from the leash, this magnetic latch system wasn’t going anywhere. I was also worried about the weight being a little too excessive but it’s rather light and comparable to any other collar. The great thing about aircraft grade aluminum is that it’s super strong and extremely light. This aircraft grade aluminum is also used on the sizing clip and leash hook.
The one thing that stood out was the overall quality and attention to detail in every aspect of the collar. We often see this level of quality in our gear and outdoor products, but rarely in pet products.
Setup and sizing
Adjusting the size was a cinch. It’s not any different than any other collars on the market. The one thing I like is the cork finish makes for easy adjusting, while the embossed grooves within the sizing clip creates a strong and snug fit. Once you get the hang of the magnetic clip system it’s virtually effortless to clip and un-clip the collar. Since getting my hands on this collar I find I’m un-clipping the collar after each walk.
In Use
Over a three week period I purposely ventured into areas where I knew I’d have plenty distractions. Within the first ten minutes of testing the collar we ran into a rabbit crossing our path. As usual my dog made a lunge forward, then veered after the rabbit forcing the leash to get completely wrapped and twisted around a tree. I was kind of expecting the magnetic latch to pop out, and actually looking forward to finding its flaw, but I was tough out of luck. I noticed the placement of the leash hook made it impossible for the collar to come undone. If anything will break or snap, it will be the stitching in your leash or the collar.
The ALU perform remarkably well and showed zero hesitation in the magnetic clip. I was also surprised that the clip wasn’t easily opened when I asked my children and a few friends to open the clip. My only suggestion is an additional hook for licenses and dog tags. I found when I was un-clipping my leash at off-leash parks the dog tags often got in the way of the leash clip.
The cork also performed very well. Fur doesn’t stick nor embeds in the fibers, and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth. I did notice metal residue where my leash clip was rubbing against the cork, but this was wiped away and looked brand new in seconds. As expected the machined aluminum did show wear. The satin bead blasted finished showed tiny scratches, dents, and scuffs. This is usually the case with sandblasted finishes and aluminum products…no different than the scratches you get on your apple products.
Final thoughts
All-in all we were very impressed with the ALU. The only thing that was missing is an additional metal loop for licenses and dog tags. The ALU is a new product so obviously they don’t have a huge configuration of colors and sizes. In the future I could see them launching a whole line of colours, patterns, textures and even a variety of collars like the Martingale.
Size up a ALU from MEMA’s online store.
MEMA has graciously given all LumberJac readers a 15% discount.
Enter coupon code LUMBERJAC to get your discount.
Introducing the revolutionary ALU Dog Collar by MEMA. It’s redesigned for ease of use, durability, longevity and we can’t forget, style. This re-designed collar features a Neodymium magnetic buckle system made from aircraft grade aluminum coupled with cork and hemp webbing stitched with heavy UV-bonded poly thread. It’s ridiculously strong, made to last, and designed for owners who care about their pet’s style. We were one of the few to get our hands on an early release to put it through the gears. At LumberJac, one of us has a hyperactive Doberman so we’re well prepared to put the ALU collar to the test. We’ve gone through countless collars over the years and encountered everything from faded fabric, to poor stitching, to snapped latches, and even broken metal links. As friendly as my dog is, she’s unstoppable in the presence of rabbits, squirrels and deer. Our approach to collars is like a pair of shoes. If they don’t wear out within two season, they’re probably looking a lot like your brother’s old hand-me-downs.
First Impression
What interested us most about the ALU collar is it’s revolutionary magnetic latching system. We were skeptical at first because there’s no way a magnet would contain my dog, but after further investigation into the design it seemed like a completely plausible idea. The outer cork finish was also a mystery to us. We’ve seen cork used as handles, cases, within furniture, home accessories and flooring, but never within an apparel product.
Out of the box we were totally impressed with the ALU collar’s smooth cork finish contrasted against the bright orange hemp fabric, detailed stitching and precise aircraft grade aluminum. Not only is the cork smooth and soft, it’s as flexible as the hemp. I was instantly drawn to the magnetic latch, and curious to test it out. As promised, the latch pops out effortlessly when you lift the positive side vertically out, and snaps back into place when lowered. Obviously I was a little worried that this simple latch system would instantly pop out once I gave the leash a good tug, so I clipped it on and started to tug, and tug, and twist and pull. The only thing that was coming loose was my hands from the leash, this magnetic latch system wasn’t going anywhere. I was also worried about the weight being a little too excessive but it’s rather light and comparable to any other collar. The great thing about aircraft grade aluminum is that it’s super strong and extremely light. This aircraft grade aluminum is also used on the sizing clip and leash hook.
The one thing that stood out was the overall quality and attention to detail in every aspect of the collar. We often see this level of quality in our gear and outdoor products, but rarely in pet products.
Setup and sizing
Adjusting the size was a cinch. It’s not any different than any other collars on the market. The one thing I like is the cork finish makes for easy adjusting, while the embossed grooves within the sizing clip creates a strong and snug fit. Once you get the hang of the magnetic clip system it’s virtually effortless to clip and un-clip the collar. Since getting my hands on this collar I find I’m un-clipping the collar after each walk.
In Use
Over a three week period I purposely ventured into areas where I knew I’d have plenty distractions. Within the first ten minutes of testing the collar we ran into a rabbit crossing our path. As usual my dog made a lunge forward, then veered after the rabbit forcing the leash to get completely wrapped and twisted around a tree. I was kind of expecting the magnetic latch to pop out, and actually looking forward to finding its flaw, but I was tough out of luck. I noticed the placement of the leash hook made it impossible for the collar to come undone. If anything will break or snap, it will be the stitching in your leash or the collar.
The ALU perform remarkably well and showed zero hesitation in the magnetic clip. I was also surprised that the clip wasn’t easily opened when I asked my children and a few friends to open the clip. My only suggestion is an additional hook for licenses and dog tags. I found when I was un-clipping my leash at off-leash parks the dog tags often got in the way of the leash clip.
The cork also performed very well. Fur doesn’t stick nor embeds in the fibers, and is easily cleaned with a damp cloth. I did notice metal residue where my leash clip was rubbing against the cork, but this was wiped away and looked brand new in seconds. As expected the machined aluminum did show wear. The satin bead blasted finished showed tiny scratches, dents, and scuffs. This is usually the case with sandblasted finishes and aluminum products…no different than the scratches you get on your apple products.
Final thoughts
All-in all we were very impressed with the ALU. The only thing that was missing is an additional metal loop for licenses and dog tags. The ALU is a new product so obviously they don’t have a huge configuration of colors and sizes. In the future I could see them launching a whole line of colours, patterns, textures and even a variety of collars like the Martingale.
Size up a ALU from MEMA’s online store.
MEMA has graciously given all LumberJac readers a 15% discount.
Enter coupon code LUMBERJAC to get your discount.