We scoured the internet for highly reviewed harnesses and revisited ones from previous Wirecutter testing. We checked dog Facebook groups and asked every dog person we could find if they had a favorite harness. We tracked accolades and customer reviews, as well as warranties. The resulting list brought us to 35 harnesses, which we narrowed down to 19 strong contenders after further research.
Harness styles
When considering which harness is best for your dog, it’s important to understand a few key terms:
Head-in: As the name implies, you place this style of harness on your dog headfirst. This is the most common type of harness, generally with three standard styles: Vests have the most coverage, strap styles are more minimal, and the classic harness is somewhere in between. For big dogs, head-in styles are usually easier to put on.
Step-in: If you have a dog that doesn’t enjoy things going over her head, this type gets buckled onto a dog by wrapping it around their midsection. Lay the harness on the ground and allow the dog to step its front feet into the openings, or lift your dog’s paws into the right spots. Then bring the sides up and clip. Step-in harnesses can be easier to put on smaller dogs, because you can lift the dog to place their paws into the harness. Vest, strap, and classic/medium coverage harness categories apply for this type, too.
Whether they’re head-in or step-in, medium-coverage vest and strap-style harnesses are the most popular overall at Petco, said Stephen Carnes, the company’s merchandise manager for dog and cat supplies. “For smaller dogs, step-in harnesses are preferred, while over-the-head options are the more popular choice for larger dogs.” There are more niche types, like utility harnesses for working dogs, head collars for training, and various others, but we focused on mainstream styles.
Harness attachment points
Once you’ve decided on a style you think will work best for your dog, consider where the harness attaches to the leash:
A front-clip harness is what experts recommend to dissuade dogs from pulling, because having the leash attachment at the dog’s chest guides them to the side when they pull. This helps prevent the dog from throwing their entire weight into pulling. A front-clip makes leash training easier by giving walkers this method of natural correction. The downside is that too much side-pulling can lead to a twisted or tangled harness or leash.
As the name implies, a back-clip harness has a leash attachment point on the dog’s back, often between the dog’s shoulder blades. This style is less likely to get tangled, and it’s great for most dogs, especially dogs that don’t have issues with pulling.
The dual-clip harness has attachment points at the chest and back, offering the choice of where to clip the leash. This versatility is helpful because you can move from front to back clip as needed or preferred. It also allows walkers to use a double-ended leash or two leashes, one attached to each clip.
A proper fit is crucial
The most important factor in choosing a harness is whether it fits your dog well, our experts explained. Take the time to carefully measure your dog. Zach Neumann, a merchandising director at Chewy, told us, “Don’t rely on weight either—harness sizing depends on measurements, not weight. If it doesn’t fit properly you may have an escape artist on your hands.” Or worse, an ill-fitting harness could injure your dog.
Trout said to look for a harness that doesn’t cause trauma to the armpits when properly fitted. Chafing at the armpits was a common issue we encountered when testing, especially on our lanky Lab. “A harness with a strap under the barrel of the chest instead of the armpits can avoid this,” Trout explained. “Look for redness, hair loss or abrasions under all points of contact, especially under the armpits. Any bowing or buckling of the front legs is also a sign of ill fit.”
Carnes added: “Pay attention to make sure your pet’s skin is not bunching up, nor should there be an indentation in your pet’s hair when the harness is removed,”
A harness can also be too loose—it should be snug enough to fit just two fingers between the harness and the dog’s skin, and somewhat difficult to get your fingers in there, according to dog trainer Vikki Murphy. She told us that many people don’t secure their harnesses tight enough and showed me that Jolene’s harness was too loose, causing it to twist.
“The ability to have multiple points of adjustment (neck and girth) are critical to ensure a perfect fit every time,” said Carnes. In our tests we found that more adjustment points didn’t necessarily equal a better fit, and sometimes made it harder to use the harness. For instance, the Blue-9 Balance Harness has six adjustment points—which can be great for a longer dog—but it ended up being annoyingly tedious to fit our tester. The Coastal Pet K9 Explorer, on the other hand, has only three adjustment points and fits extremely well.
Ordering a harness online can be tricky because brand sizing varies widely. If your dog lands on the cusp between sizes, we suggest getting both from a retailer that accepts returns and sending back the one that doesn’t work out.
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