9 Best Dog Harnesses for Walks and Car Rides of 2024

This Ruffwear product was so close to being our top pick. This truly multi-use harness is designed and sized to see your dog through any and all life stages, from rambunctious puppy to active adult, to mobility-impaired senior. Five points of adjustment and a padded web design not only ensure a perfect, chafe-free fit, but keep wriggly, Houdini-esque youngsters from wiggling loose.

A large, secure, grippable handle is ideal for either helping sporty dogs up and around obstacles or guiding older or infirm doggos into cars or up sets of stairs.

Reflective strips on the trim is useful for nighttime outings or reduced visibility situations, and there’s a loop for attaching an additional safety light, sold separately.

The few downsides of this dog safety harness are a lack of a front-facing D-ring, the fact that it’s meant to be hand-washed, and that it may be a bit too bulky or cumbersome for some dogs.

This Ruffwear harness is a great option if you’re looking for all of the features we appreciate in the brand's Web Master harness—sturdy build, comfortable soft padding, customizable fit with multiple points of adjustment—plus a couple attachment points for a leash on either the back or the front.

The webbing is further reinforced at the breastplate, so it stands up to any pulling action. It doesn’t include the supportive handle, however, so the two Ruffwear harnesses really run parallel in our rankings. Dogs that yank on the leash would be better served by the Front Range, while the Web Master is ideal for sporty or senior dogs.

The popular Joyride Harness gives a portion of proceeds to dog rescue, which is always an upside in our book. Originally marketed as Pug Life, it was a top-selling model for owners of small breeds. However, it has a sturdy enough build and durable hardware (a D ring on the back and one on each side, plus a small handle) for a larger dog.

We also appreciate the reflective trim and one-year warranty with free exchanges. With one adjustable Velcro strap around the chest plate and an adjustable clip around the belly, it’s not especially intuitive to fit, however, and has a tendency to loosen and slip from side to side on a walk.

There are definite upsides to the Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart Dog Walking Harness. It boasts both a back and front D-ring, 5 points of adjustment, and comes with a 10-inch tether that can be used as a seatbelt. It’s made of heavy-duty materials that feel durable and long-lasting, provides good leverage against pulling, and transmits corrections effectively through the leash.

But the D-rings are a bit small, making it trickier to clip the leash on. There’s no padding, no reflective stitching or trim and the straps—which connect through a triangle-shaped clasp on the front—tend to shift around and twist, which can catch in a dog’s fur, lead to chafing, and cause overall discomfort.

Super lightweight and made of all-weather mesh, the Puppia Authentic RiteFit vest-style harness scores points for comfort and flexibility.

Owners may find the amount of hardware cumbersome—there are three clasps, two D-rings, and Velcro fasteners around the neck and straps under the belly—so it doesn’t exactly slip on and off.

That said, it adds an element of security and opportunities for adjustment and a customized fit, that aren’t often found in basic mesh vests.

Front-facing no pull dog harnesses like the 2 Hounds Design Freedom are specifically geared towards problem pullers, by allowing owners to give sideways corrections (instead of playing tug of war with the dog from behind, you angle their body towards you).

They also tighten across the chest, as a form of correction when yanked. And this model actually comes with a few options, since a double-ended leash can be attached to either the front or back D-rings or even both at the same time for extra control. Bonus points for the lifetime warranty against chewing.

But besides being frustrating to fit (the Freedom is a rather complicated jumble of interlocking straps, with a bare minimum of padding) we wouldn’t recommend this harness for anyone other than experienced handlers or dog trainers. If used incorrectly, you could wind up encouraging the very behaviors you’re trying to avoid or even cause bodily injury.

The Noxgear Lighthound Reflective definitely delivers on its selling point—unrivaled illumination. With the push of a button, it transitions between eight solid and flashing LED fiber optic lights, that are water-resistant, run on a 12-hour battery charge, and are visible from half a mile away.

But while it would be fun as a novelty outfit, we could never recommend this harness for actual walking. No matter how we adjusted it, the front strap pulls and compresses dangerously against the trachea.