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Friday, April 29, 2011

Kurgo Pet Cargo Cape:
Review and Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB
© Carrie Boyko
This Packaging will Attract
Northerners' Attention, I Suppose
Is your car like mine, full of pet fur? Help has arrived just in time for your summer outings.


This week I had some fun cleaning up my car a bit. You know how pet fur is; it gets in every crack and crevice in your car, as well as sticking to the upholstery. I've found the cure for that problem, and am here to share it with you--the Kurgo Cargo Cape


Tanner and I got a chuckle out of the photos on the box. It's snowing outside and there's snow all over the car in the photo. That'll never happen here in Central Florida, but we have other fun things to contend with like mud after a thunder storm and dirt from the dog park. It's nice to have an attractive way to protect my upholstery from stains and messes that would take time to clean up.
© Carrie Boyko
Ready to Install


Let's get it installed and see how Tanner likes it. I've set aside an hour, not really knowing what's inside that package--clips? snaps? adjustments?  Pages and pages of instructions? We'll see.


After removing the folded up Cargo Cape from the box, I simply unfolded it and found that instructions were basically not necessary. Super simple installation!




© Carrie Boyko
Quick and Easy!
Well, that was certainly painless. I flipped the straps over the headrests, made a quick adjustment and unfolded the cape. Viola! I'm done. "Look, Tanner. We'll have time for a test ride and a snack." That got his attention.


Tanner jumped into the car and showed me the pouch for carrying his treats. He's definitely ahead of me today. See that black corner by his paws? It's a mesh pouch with a sturdy Velcro closure to store your important....treats, I suppose.


The black section at the very back of the car is made of heavy rubber-like material that will stay put because of the weight. There should be no issues with it flipping up. If you want extra security, you can secure the Cargo Cape to your carpet with a Velcro strip that is located under the label tab. There are other Velcro strips attached underneath for secure positioning. These are all optional, and I found they were not necessary to keep the Cargo Cape in place.


Tanner's attention is growing impatient as neighbors are walking by gawking at our attractive photo shoot. One asked where they could get one and which cars it fits. I checked the website and learned it is a universal fit, made especially for mini-vans, SUVs and Station Wagons. Do they still make Station Wagons? Hmm.....  Back to business.

Now I suppose you'd like to see how it looks with the seats upright. I rarely ever have my seats up, as I'm always trucking dogs everywhere, but let's give it a shot:
© Carrie Boyko
A Nice, Clean Cargo Area


This is great looking and neat as a pin. If I decide to drive passengers, I can simply raise the seats, and the underneath area will be clean and fur-free. That's a big plus--no vacuuming at the last minute.


The Cargo Cape is machine washable, so if we ever have a really big mess, like upturned groceries, I can just toss it in the washer for a quick cleanup. What's more, it's waterproof, so there won't be a leak to the carpet or upholstery underneath. I like that--simplicity.


As I mentioned above, the Cargo Cape is made with a universal fit. That means that the zipper is offset to the left slightly, as most seats are made to split for foldup at about that point. 


On the right hand rear corner of the Cargo Cape, there is an inset water bowl holder. I had to go check this out when I read it on the package. I guess I thought it was just decoration. Oops. It's made of a thick piping, stitched to the top of the Cargo Cape, to keep a water bowl from slipping around. Even if you don't use it for a water bowl holder, it looks attractive; that's a plus.


I can't imagine driving down the road with a water bowl in the back, but there are spill-proof models now, so I suppose some folks do this. I'll be reviewing one of those soon, so we'll see how well it works. I'll keep you posted.


Finally, the bumper shield is a nice feature to keep your pups from scratching the back of your car as they jump in. You simply flip it out from underneath the back whenever your pups are loading or unloading. It's made of heavy duty, rubberized material that hangs down over your back bumper to protect it from scratches--nice feature.
© Carrie Boyko
The Cargo Cape Keeps Your Car
 Clean and Safe from Damage 
The top of the Cargo Cape is made of a canvas-like fabric, with a vinyl backing to keep liquids from leaking through. It made a good first impression for its purpose. Now I'll give it the real test--dogs! 

Time lapse blogging:  Well, now that I've had my Cargo Cape installed for a week, and we've used it to shuttle dogs to the dog park and around town on errands, I can say it seems to be quite functional for it's purpose. It doesn't fly up or out of position when the windows are open and it's very easy to clean up a muddy paw print. I keep a rag in the car for messy paws, so I just dampened it and wiped it off. No problem.

Finally, it looks extremely nice and I found it vacuums up easier than upholstery. I have to say that was the biggest feature, after the protective quality. The way dog fur sticks to upholstery, it can be an extremely difficult job to vacuum. The Cargo Cape was a breeze to vacuum up when I got a bunch of sand in the back. All in all, I'll give it a big thumbs up. It's staying in my car to protest it from life with dogs!

Oh! I almost forgot. I have a free Kurgo Cargo Cape for one lucky winner. This is a $60 value, so don't miss out, unless you have a Mini Cooper or a pickup truck--LOL. Actually, I think you could use it there also. 

If you're just going to give it up and buy your own, you can order online from the link above, or check their locater for other retailers, both on and offline.

This drawing will be held strictly from comments on this post,the Facebook comments about this giveaway, and @Tweets about this post or giveaway. I want to make sure it goes to someone who really wants it and can use it. 

© Carrie Boyko
Large Linen-Look Tote Bag
After the drawing, all leftover entries will go into the main pot for general dog giveaways--those giveaways that are pertinent to just about every dog or dog owner. Other rules: You must be 18 or older to enter; this giveaway is void where prohibited, and is only available for North American addresses. Entries close at 5:00 PM on Friday, May 6. The winner will be announced on Saturday, May 7, so be sure to grab a FREE email subscription if you plan to enter. I wouldn't want you to miss the announcement for this prize, or the upcoming giveaways of Fashion accessories and the dog lovers handbag giveaway announced in yesterday's post. Ooo la la! Good luck!



26 comments:



Unknown said...

Sounds like a great product! It would definitely come in handy for us :)



HoundDogMom said...

We just got a new BUV (Basset Utility Vehicle). This would be great fur us and our Mom when she transports bassets. Thanks for offering. Sniffs, The HoundDogs



K-Koira said...

I've been wanting one of these for a while now, and even debated trying to sew my own, but the shear difficulty on dealing with that much heavy fabric has put me off, along with the fact that I probably can't make it as good as they do. I would certainly love to own one of these.



Rubiegem said...

Ohh la la.... not only great for dogs... but for toting kids stuff too.... like my daughters "stroller" which is a disguised wheelchair too. Boy do those and muddy dog feet up here in Maine make a mess of cars! Now if only you could review non cargo area protectors too! You know.. for those of us toting in compact cars as well.



Carrie, with Tanner and Oliver said...

Hi Rubiegem: Kurgo also makes a hammock for the back seat which allows smaller dogs to see, and also keeps them off the seat. It connect to front and back seat headrests--pretty cool. You can check it out at their website.

BTW--how's our gator friend?



Anonymous said...

We have no use for this product but it sure is a good one. Good luck to everyone in the running!



cstironkat said...

With two big Alaskan Malamutes that attend almost every dog event in St. Louis I could sure use this. Thank you for the chance.



Rubiegem said...

Gator has not yet arrived in Maine.... might be hiding from the rain so far... I have kept an eye out!! I suspect he will show up tomorrow. (while Savanah and I are doing the Walk for MS on team DogPowered!)



cstironkat said...

4/30 entry, my Explore is crossing its tires hoping to win.



Lauren E said...

Funny, I was just talking to my Uncle about buying one of these. He just traded in his smart car for a more practical hatchback. We took the dogs (2 Whippets and a Bull Terrier) to the park for a run and ended up with 3 dirty dogs. We put them in the back, but they quickly ended up on the cloth seats. There was a mixture of short white hairs and mud that covered the car. I'm a big fan of Kurgo and have a Wander Hammock with Auto Zip-line and harness for my SUV. I mentioned that they just created this cargo cover that would cover the entire back if he had the seats down. Unfortunately, the stores around here don't carry the cargo cape. I'd love to win this for my Uncle's new car.

blink_gurl123 (at) hotmail (dot) com



Lauren E said...

I tweeted about this giveaway: http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/64773753262968832



cstironkat said...

5/1 entry for this great product that will save my vehicle.



Lauren E said...

Tweeted 05/02: http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/65172494671294464



cstironkat said...

5/2 Entry, With two big Alaskan Malamutes tote around I could truly use this product.



cstironkat said...

5/3 Today's entry for this great prize that would save my SUV.



Lauren E said...

Tweet 05/03 - http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/65518243305111552



Lauren E said...

Tweet 05/04 http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/65804275397308417



cstironkat said...

5/4 Entry to save my SUV. Thank you.



cstironkat said...

5/5 entry, Happy Cinco De Mayo.



cstironkat said...

5/5 tweet http://twitter.com/cstironkat/status/66216026580332545



Unknown said...

with having two nova scotia duck tollers that go to dog obedience classes often and dog shows, it would save my dodge journey from becoming a dog hair pit!



Lauren E said...

5/5 tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/66334751430164480



Lauren E said...

5/6 tweet:
http://twitter.com/#!/Laurenegi/status/66482873796014080



cstironkat said...

5/6 TGIF Entry for the cargo cape.



cstironkat said...

5/6 tweet http://twitter.com/cstironkat/status/66554138397384704



Michelle Spayde said...

What an awesome Mother's Day gift this would make!!!

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