Product Review: Huntboo Escape Proof Dog Harness

 I ordered the Huntboo Escape Proof Dog Harness off of Amazon as a mobility aid for my dog that broke her leg in December. After gloriously shredding a Ruffwear Flagline harness, I decided to save myself some cash by ordering the cheap off-brand version along with a giant donut cone to prevent future shredding incidents. How did it hold up?

Not very well. This harness is marketed as escape-proof due to the third strap that is intended to sit behind the ribcage to prevent the dog from backing out. It's basically a knockoff of Ruffwear's Web Master harness. The handle at the center of the back is intended as an aid to help your dog over obstacles on the trail, but it has a lengthy history being used for light mobility. The Web Master and Ruffwear's newer Flagline harnesses are a fantastic, durable option for dogs who don't need quite as much support as offered by a two-piece dedicated mobility device like the Help 'Em Up harness. 

But the Ruffwear harnesses retail for $60-$70. Two weeks into her healing process, Moon decided she was feeling a bit better and celebrated by ripping off her splint and shredding her Flagline harness. I could have ordered a new harness from Ruffwear and gotten all of their customer service and warranty value, but shipping would have taken well over a week and I was going to feel utterly ridiculous spending that much only to have another harness shredded. 

So I went with the cheap option and bought a $25 harness with two-day shipping from Amazon. I will say I got my money's worth. Right out of the package, I could tell I was working with a different level of quality. The straps on this harness are just sort of free-floating. The ends aren't sewed down, and can slide all the way through the buckles. Useful if I want to change out the buckle for some reason. Not so useful if I want to make sure it stays on my dog.

I was honestly expecting the straps on this harness to slide through the buckles more than they did. Especially when using it as a lifting harness, I genuinely expected it to loosen up right away. I did have to tighten the straps pretty regularly, but there was no catastrophic failure. The harness actually held up for the entire three months that Moon was in the cast. That is three months of continuous wear, since I was using it for mobility I left it on her. It was comfortable and didn't rub or cause any discomfort. 

That said, the harness barely made it three months and didn't exactly survive unscathed. The most obvious damage is to the top piece where Moon would occasionally scratch herself with a back foot. It was no excessive scratching by any means, but the harness started to fray right away. The damage so far only affects the top honeycomb fabric and currently appears to be cosmetic, but I question how well the harness would hold up long term after the first layer has been ripped apart. 

Pros

• Affordable
• Adjustable
• Comes in a variety of colors
• Supportive
• Easy to fit
• Comfortable for long-term wear on a fluffy dog, not sure about short haired dogs

Cons

• Not durable
• Straps need to be tightened regularly

Bottom Line

I got $25 worth of use out of this harness, but that's all. If I had invested in a higher-quality piece of equipment, I would have gear that I could use in the future or resell for a significant percentage of what I paid.