As residents of North Carolina, we spent much of the last week coping with rain and fog courtesy of Hurricane Florence. I’m always concerned with my dogs’ safety, but I’m extra concerned about it during periods of extreme weather. Our headlight harness turned out to be a lifesaver for walks during this time.
Extreme weather aside, we love our headlight harness for daily use as well. We live in a pretty rural area. It’s not only very dark at night, but with daylight savings fast approaching, there’s less and less light available for adventures when I get out of work. In looking for a way to light our path during the darker fall and winter months (and make us visible to anyone person or car who may end up passing by), we discovered the headlight harness.
Here’s a breakdown of why we love this product:
THE LIGHT
The core function of the headlight harness is, of course, the light itself. As I noted above, with daylight savings fast approaching, it is beginning to get dark out earlier, and walking in the dark can present a number of challenges for active dogs that need exercise year-round, even when there’s less daylight for walks and hikes. The LED light on this harness is appropriately bright but not blinding. According the Headlight Harness’s website, the light puts out 80 Lumens. I’ll be honest and tell you that I don’t really know what that means… but I can say that it is an impressive and appropriate amount of light for a nighttime dog walk!
When Boston wears her harness, the light is visible from quite a distance, which provides me with the ability to track her movements easily, as well as ample time to see and avoid things I might not otherwise see such as an object that poses a tripping hazard on a trail. The light also has an easy, one-touch power button to turn it on and off, ensuring longevity of the LED bulb.
THE HARNESS ITSELF
As the owner of two very deep-chested and narrow waist-ed dogs, getting gear that fits our dogs properly can sometimes present a challenge. Sizing charts that are true to size are something that is really important to us — in our experience, unfortunately, this is not something all brands provide. The headlight harness sizing chart is true to size, and Boston comfortably fits in a size large. The straps are also adjustable which provides some variance, i.e., if I want to switch and put the harness on Griffin, who is both slightly larger and wider than Boston is.
We also love that the harness itself is made of padded mesh on the chest and belly panel. We tend to go on some pretty lengthy walks and hikes, so comfort is also important. In addition, as a blue Doberman, Boston has very short fur and is prone to skin irritation. The padding on this harness is superior to other harnesses we have tried, and ultimately had to stop wearing, in that she experiences no skin irritations after wearing it, even when she runs and plays in it for several hours at a time.
In addition to being both lightweight and comfortable, the harness also features leash attachment points on both the top and bottom of the harness, reflective trim for added safety and visibility, and a sturdy handle/buckles for durability.
STYLE VS. FUNCTIONALITY
Although we chose the headlight harness based on safety and functionality, we were impressed by how stylish it is too. The harness comes in a variety of colors — we chose orange because it is bright, helpful during hunting season, and a good contrast against Boston’s gray fur.
Our hikes often take us through creeks and streams, so we also like that the harness is water resistant (although it is not water proof, and therefore not appropriate for swimming).
CONCLUSION
We recommend the headlight harness for anyone who prioritizes their dog’s safety and is interested in a functional yet stylish product that promotes visibility in fog, rain and darkness. You can use code PUPFLUENCE to save 15% at www.headlightharness.com.