Kensington Sheet: Color & Quality Differences?

[Wonders12]

I posted a few days ago asking about a fly sheet for group turnout.

I settled on the Kensington fly sheet because of the thicker fabric and because I can add the neck cover if I need to.

After reading some of the SmartPak reviews, and looking at the photos very carefully, it appears that the “SmartColor” sheets are not the same as the regular red/black/patriot plaid sheets.

According to the reviews, the cut is slightly different (don’t know if that’s good or bad), the SP withers are fleece where the original is padded with something else, and the original has a binding on the back.

Does anyone have personal experience with these? The main determining factor is, do different colors remain cool better?

I was going to order the SmartSage (even though I think it will look terrible on my bay) because it seemed like it would reflect sunlight the best. But if I stick with the regular colors, the Patriot Plaid (aka “my little pony color”) appears to be the lightest.

If color doesn’t make much of a difference, I might just go with Back (which appears to be more of a tan plaid) and call it a day.

[fordtraktor]

I have the Sage color and it doesn’t have fleece at the withers, it has like a neoprene-like material. It looks more like the others than the SmartBlue. It think it is less hot than the Baker which is why I picked that color…my other sheets were Bakers and they are too warm once it gets in the 80s.

Since then I got the Smartpak bug off sheets and like them best of all, they have been soft, not hot and sturdy. I use them daily while the others stay in the barn. I have the Kensington in my trailer for shows. It is a nice sheet but still too stiff for 24/7 use IMO.

[Brigitte]

I bought a “non-Smartpak” Kensington for one horse last month and love it. It softened up quickly with a few rolls in the mud and cleaned up easily. The material at the withers is a nylon that is well padded with something under it. This horse is hard on clothes and it looks like it will hold up well for her.

It does have the binding on the back and I would never have even noticed it if I didn’t have a horse in a different brand of fly sheet without a binding. He is wearing it out at the withers and top of his rump from his aggressive rolling. Now I’m trying to figure out if I can sew some binding on his to get a little more life out of it!

[Hunterkid]

There are multiple styles/cuts of Kensingtons.

[Brigitte]

The one I got was the basic cut that Dover has. I just don’t remember if they are calling it “traditional cut” or not.

[Jeito]

Kensington fly sheets are my favorites. I’ve bought them from the local tack shop and from SmartPak, and they were similar, but that was a few years ago. I don’t see the “stiffness” as a negative. It keeps the sheet from clinging to the horses’ backs and allows ventilation. In fact, the Kensington is the only fly sheet my thin-skinned redhead will tolerate. I’m pretty sure the ones I got from the tack shop were “European cut” and the Smartpak one was standard, but there was very little difference. I’m not currently using fly sheets, but I would only use the Kensingtons if I were. One of the ones I had was the black (plaid), and it was my favorite. The one from Smartpak was pink and my least favorite.

[Wonders12]

Thanks everyone!

These are all listed under the same style/cut on SmartPak, but it seems they vary slightly.

Jeito, did you find the black plaid absorbed heat/got warmer more than your pink one?

[gottagrey]

I had one of the earlier Baker Kensington models and it was just too hot/stiff for my horse so only used it as a back up sheet. Having said that, that was a long time ago so the weight and coolness factors probably have changed. Color is not important to me as my horse will have it mud/clay colored within 24 hours of putting it on.

[Jeito]

[QUOTE=Wonders12;8207378]
Jeito, did you find the black plaid absorbed heat/got warmer more than your pink one?[/QUOTE]

No, I didn’t. As you said earlier, it’s not really black.

[besttwtbever]

If you are concerned about color, why don’t you just get the “gray” one from their natural collection?

https://kensingtonproducts.com/shop/natural-protective-sheet-copy/