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woman and dog on trail with leash for dog running
The best leash for running with your dog is available when you need it, and disappears when you don't. (Photo: Courtesy Keely Levins)

The FreeRun Leash Makes Running with My Dog a Breeze

This innovative harness stores a retractable, always-available leash that my dog carries for me

Published: 
woman and dog on trail with leash for running with your dog
(Photo: Courtesy Keely Levins)

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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鈥檛 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.

鈥淚 need one of those!鈥 I said as we approached each other.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a game changer,鈥 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, , and ordered one for $70 when I got home.

dog wearing leash for running with dog
(Photo: Keely Levins)

I鈥檓 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鈥檛 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鈥攊n addition to my car keys and my phone鈥攁lways cumbersome.

Yes, dealing with a leash while trail-running is a first-world problem, but it鈥檚 still a pain. And, as a working mom of two toddlers, I鈥檓 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鈥檇 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鈥檚 durable, lightweight, and can be worn in water without getting funky.

FreeRun leash for running with dog
(Photo: Keely Levins)

Fully extended, the leash is three feet long. While that is shorter than a standard leash, we鈥檝e found it to be plenty long for the short stretches when we need it on the trails. Bailey and I don鈥檛 run at night, but there are reflective bands on the harness for extra safety if you find yourself out in the evenings.

It鈥檚 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鈥檝e never had an issue with it getting jammed and the handle returns flush to the leash housing unit, so there isn鈥檛 any extra leash material flapping around.

Bailey has stress-tested the leash rigorously for several months, and it鈥檚 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鈥檛 feel like it鈥檚 at risk of breaking. A stainless steel pin locks the leash in place, adding stability. In FreeRun鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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鈥檝e 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, 鈥淚 need one of those!鈥

And they鈥檙e 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鈥攁nd it has. I have not, however, tested any other brands with similar leash mechanisms.)聽

Lead Photo: Courtesy Keely Levins

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