I was out on the trail with my dog, Bailey, letting my mind turn off and wander, when I saw another dog and its owner we didn’t know coming towards us. I had Bailey off-leash, and as a courtesy, I started fumbling to get her leash on her before our encounter. Before I could get Bailey clipped in, I looked up and saw the other dog owner reach down to the harness on his dog, and somehow magically produce a leash.
“I need one of those!” I said as we approached each other.
“It’s a game changer,” he said. He showed me how the leash retracted into the harness, so his dog was carrying it, making it available at all times. I got the name of the leash company, FreeRun, and ordered one for $70 when I got home.
I’m lucky to live in a part of Vermont where there are plenty of trails that allow me to run with my dog off-leash. But even in places where running free is permitted, I carry a leash with me to steer Bailey away from yucky things she shouldn’t be getting into, navigate around people or other dogs who might not want to interact, and get her to the car worry-free at busy trailhead parking lots. And I find carrying a leash—in addition to my car keys and my phone—always cumbersome.
Yes, dealing with a leash while trail-running is a first-world problem, but it’s still a pain. And, as a working mom of two toddlers, I’m always juggling, so I’m thrilled to find anything that makes my life just a bit simpler and easier.
California-based dog trainer Mary van Kriedt came up with the idea for the FreeRun leash. Van Kreidt says she forgot a leash while hiking with her dog and got creative by attaching a loop to the harness using her shoelace. The easy availability of the shoelace leash inspired her to create a more durable, retractable version.
The FreeRun leash is everything I’d hoped it would be on the first day I saw it. Using the four sets of buckles, I can clip Bailey into the harness without having to slide it over her head or ask her to step into it. The leash housing is stainless steel on the inside, plastic on the outside, and equipped with drainage holes, so it’s durable, lightweight, and can be worn in water without getting funky.
Fully extended, the leash is three feet long. While that is shorter than a standard leash, we’ve found it to be plenty long for the short stretches when we need it on the trails. Bailey and I don’t run at night, but there are reflective bands on the harness for extra safety if you find yourself out in the evenings.
It’s been easy to use. When I need to corral her, I call Bailey to me and grab the handle. The leash extends automatically to its full length and we get beyond whatever situation we need to. Then I let go of the leash, and it retracts back into the harness. The design works well: I’ve never had an issue with it getting jammed and the handle returns flush to the leash housing unit, so there isn’t any extra leash material flapping around.
Bailey has stress-tested the leash rigorously for several months, and it’s stood up well to all of her running, hiking, rolling, and swimming. The leash, which is made of a tight-knit polyester webbing similar to a seatbelt, doesn’t feel like it’s at risk of breaking. A stainless steel pin locks the leash in place, adding stability. In FreeRun’s own testing, they found it withstood 200 pounds of torque. I feel confident the harness will last us many more trail runs, and FreeRun has a lifetime warranty, should it ever fail.
It’s available in two sizes: The small/medium is for dogs weighing 15-35 pounds, and the medium/large is for dogs weighing 35-80 pounds. Bailey weighs 38 pounds and has a barrel-shaped chest, so I went with the medium/large. I’ve set it about as tight as it can be and trimmed the straps to get the right fit for her. It works perfectly well, but I probably should’ve gone with the smaller size.
Bailey and I now often find ourselves on the receiving end of comments like mine on the day I first saw the FreeRun leash. Dog owners will pause to watch our leash work and exclaim, “I need one of those!”
And they’re right; they do.
(Note: I searched for other retractible leashes and found options that looked similar to the FreeRun leash. But the reviews made me worried about quality. I saw enough comments about the leash snapping off the harness that I decided to go with the FreeRun, which looked like it could withstand the force of Bailey pulling on it—and it has. I have not, however, tested any other brands with similar leash mechanisms.)
