Gear Review: Ruffwear Front Range Harness

Value Rating: 9 Durability Rating: 10 Overall Rating: 9 Location of Test: From the living room to the river, to the mountain, to the beach, to the dogpark, everywhere! Duration of Test: 1 year Product Name: Front Range Harness Product Brand: Ruffwear Best Use: Harnessing canine excitement in adventurous settings Size: XXSmall-XXLarge, guinea pig through saint bernard The Full Review: Shop dog Kentucky has put a few hundred miles on his Front Range Harness over the last year, and overall, it's been tough to beat. As a young, large puppy Kentucky is still working on his manners on the leash. Having his front range on has made it much easier to keep my shoulder from being dislocated every time he sees a tempting squirrel. While it doesn't help control drool, it has been an awesome piece of gear that actually does make it easier to explore and adventure with a sometimes-wild animal at my side. As anyone that has raised a high energy working dog knows they can be tough on their gear. Considering that this harness is used almost 24/7, at home, at the shop, outdoors, on the kayak, and wherever else my dog might roam. This is a super well-made piece of equipment. The inside of the harness is soft and padded, like that of a backpack strap. The tough outer material just plain holds up, while its changed color from dirt and sun, it's still kicking and just as usable as the day I got it. What really separates this harness, and the rest of the line from Ruffwear, from other "regular dog stuff" is that they obviously have put the thought and design into making gear for dogs, that are just as adventurous as their owners. (or in my case more so) Like any piece of outdoor gear worth getting, it also looks cool. It's like wearing your technical expedition grade jacket to the bar; when people see your dog in this harness at the dog park, they know he's a cool dude that must really get after it. The Good -Built to last, if it can hold up to the shenanigans my dog has put it through, it can hold up to anything. -high-quality materials that you would expect to see on high-quality adventure gear, just for dogs.(stainless steel D-ring, quick-drying fabric, double seamed straps) -It makes walking a strong, easily distracted dog a lot easier. The Bad: Biggest complaint: the harness has a loop on the front to attach a leash as well as the back. Having the leash attached to the front makes it a lot easier to control the dog and is really helpful for training. I love that there is a loop on the front, but this front loop feels like an afterthought. The loop on the back is a gnarly stainless steel D-ring, the loop in the front is nylon with a rubber sleeve(the rubber sleeve wore off after about 6 months, and the nylon loop is still going strong though) The harness also tends to loosen over time, more so while using the front attachment point, the straps aren't designed to go both ways in this sense. It also loosens drastically when it gets really wet, my dog has slipped out when I grabbed the harness to pull him back in the boat. It definitely helps to start the day or adventure with the harness a little tighter than it might seem like it should be. All minor things, but it does leave some room for improvement in my use. The Bottom Line: Awesome harness that gets after it as much as your dog does.