Going for walks with your dog is a powerful bonding experience and a great way to exercise and stay healthy together. However, if you’re like many dog owners, you may wonder if a harness is right for your dog.
Chai’s Choice says their dog harness is the ideal solution for dogs and owners alike. It features an ergonomic design with safety as a top priority. Besides a padded chest and belly straps, the harness has reflective detail to boost visibility to drivers. It’s also road-trip-ready with a built-in handle at the top that buckles into most vehicles.
We wanted to see whether the Chai’s Choice reflective dog harness made walks safer and more comfortable, so we decided to test it with a couple of experts: two retrievers. Here’s what we found.
We tested the Chai’s Choice 3M dog harness with a field golden retriever and flat-coat retriever, both of whom are four years old and fall into the large dog category. They’re both in good health and frequently go on long walks with their owner.
In the past, the retrievers have gone walking with traditional collars made with nylon webbing, like these collars from BestReviews' buying guide. As far as walking style is concerned, the golden retriever leads while the flat-coated retriever usually walks alongside.
The Chai’s Choice dog harness promises to deliver a comfortable walking experience for dogs and owners alike. The harness is a vest-inspired design that claims to reduce pressure at the dog’s neck and distribute it across the chest instead.
Chai’s Choice, founded in 2014, is a veteran-owned and -operated company located in Sarasota, Florida. It’s currently one of Chewy’s and Amazon’s top-selling pet brands.
To fit your dog for the Chai’s Choice harness, position the harness over your dog’s head and chest and snap it into place. Next, adjust the slide buckles to achieve a snug, secure fit. You should be able to fit two fingers beneath most areas of the harness.
When we first fitted the Chai’s Choice harness to our dogs, there was a bit of trial and error in making adjustments. It took a few tries, but once we found the ideal fit, it was simple to put on and remove the harness for future walks.
The Chai’s Choice dog harness has an adjustable collar and chest straps for a custom fit. The straps have a quick-release buckle system, making it easy to get the harness on and off. There is a D-ring at the top of the harness that is compatible with standard leash clips, as well as an O-ring at the bottom that can be used with puppies during leash training.
The Chai’s Choice outdoor dog harness has 3M reflective material to boost visibility to drivers in low-light conditions. It also has a reinforced loop at the top that is compatible with most seat belts for car trips.
The Chai’s Choice 3M reflective dog harness retails for $24.95 to $28.95. It’s available in five sizes and nine colors.
The Chai’s Choice dog harness is sold by Chewy and Amazon.
The Chai’s Choice harness provided a comfortable walking experience for our retrievers without obstructing their natural movements. The harness made controlling the leash easy when our retrievers interacted with other dogs.
We were impressed with the quality of the harness, which was notably better than similarly priced harnesses we’ve examined. The harness has reinforced stitching, secure components and fray-resistant nylon webbing.
From an aesthetic perspective, the Chai’s Choice harness has great curb appeal, and we liked that it came in nine colors. The contrast detail from the 3M reflective material adds to the harness’ stylish design.
The Chai’s Choice harness is made with a few layers of material that tend to absorb moisture. On hotter days or longer walks, the harness became damp from the dog and needed to be washed after walking. However, it did not absorb odors.
Fitting the harness to our retrievers took longer than expected, as we had to make several adjustments to find the right fit. The harness fits most dogs well, but some people reported that the chest panel is too high-cut for certain breeds.
While the Chai’s Choice dog harness performed well on most of our longer excursions, we didn’t feel the need to use it for shorter walks.
Based on our experience, we feel the Chai’s Choice dog harness delivers on its promise of providing a safe, comfortable walking experience for dogs. It’s an ideal investment for dog owners who enjoy walking, jogging and hiking with their four-legged companions. The rugged yet comfortable construction holds up well to the demands of outdoor excursions, including those in wet environments and more challenging terrain.
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
