The Best Retractable Leash

I’ve been a “dog expert” for the past 30 years, having been a staff editor for three different dog magazines. I’ve written six dog books, including the award-winning The Labrador Retriever Handbook and ASPCA Kids: Having Fun With Your Dog.

I used to compete in American Kennel Club agility events with my Pembroke Welsh corgi, Nigel, and we earned two titles. I have raised two puppies, rehabilitated a traumatized rescue dog, and volunteered at several animal shelters as a dog socializer.

I’m currently the “In Dog Years” columnist for Dogster magazine and give advice to dog owners about how their canine companions develop in various ways throughout their lives. I’m also a frequent contributor to Pet Product News International, a trade publication for the pet industry.

So, I know a lot about dogs. I have extensive experience walking, hiking with, training, and competing with dogs. And I know a lot about dog products.

Retractable dog leashes are controversial: Most dog trainers hate them, most dog walkers won’t use them, and most veterinarians advise against them. Yet they are very popular with dog owners. And the reason is simple: Dog owners view retractable leashes as a way to give their pets more freedom. For these dog owners, a retractable leash is the next best thing to no leash at all.

“I am not a fan of retractable leashes; plain and simple,” said dog trainer Liz Palika, owner of Kindred Spirits Dog Training in Escondido, California, in an interview. “I won't own one, and they are not allowed on the training field at Kindred Spirits.”

Palika has heard horror stories from some of her training students who used retractable leashes prior to coming to her for help. These include a woman whose grandson was walking her dog on a retractable when the dog pulled toward another dog. She reached for the leash handle and the leash cable wrapped around one of her fingers just as the dog, 20 feet away, pulled. The result: an amputated finger. A search on the Internet reveals that she is not the only person who has lost a finger using a retractable leash.

Retractable leashes have also been implicated in a number of other injuries. These seem to have two causes: either a thin, cable-like leash wraps around a person’s extremities, causing an injury, like in this 2002 case involving a Flexi leash, and this one in 2005; or an attachment point fails, causing the leash to retract very quickly, causing snapback injury. This happened in 2008, when a metal attachment on a retractable leash snapped and recoiled, severely injuring a girl’s eye (which led to a major product recall); in 2010 a man received a major settlement after a similar injury. However, we haven’t seen any more recent injury complaints, and we specifically focused on wide, belt-style leashes to mitigate the chance of wrapping injuries, and tested all the leashes extensively to make sure their attachment points held.

From a dog training perspective, Palika dislikes retractable leashes because “the dog learns that pulling is good,” she said. “He pulls and the owners gives him more leash.”

Professional dog walkers also dislike retractable leashes. Kyra Shassberger, a dog walker in New York City, said, “They can be difficult to use and control, especially when walking down a crowded New York City street. With a regular woven or leather leash, you know exactly how much space you have between yourself and the dog, and the dog does not have the ability to go farther than it needs to.”

Heidi Watkins, a small-animal vet in Costa Mesa, California, thinks retractable leashes are hazardous for dogs. “While convenient and often fun, retractable leashes can lead to unexpected injuries,” she said. “While in the unlocked position, dogs can find themselves at an unsafe distance from their guardians. Walking into traffic or the personal space of other dogs and people can cause problems. With this type of leash system, quick action of reeling your pet in can be delayed and dangerous.”

She also said that while any lengthy leash can lead to entanglement, retractable leashes tend to have more length and the traditional cable-like tether can cause strangulation or constriction injury. Many of the safety critiques of retractable leashes come from those that have a cable-style tether, which is why we only considered models that have a belt- or ribbon-style cord.

We surveyed Amazon and other major online retailers for currently available retractable leashes, which netted us nearly 70 models, many of which were functionally identical, just with different logos.

After looking at dog owner reviews and pet blogger recommendations, we settled on six leashes to test, based on popularity and company reputation, and skipping super-cheap models that may be more prone to breaking.

The leashes we tested were the standard 16-foot length and designed for medium-size dogs. While the definition of “medium” varies by manufacturer, we chose ones rated to work on my two dogs, Mookie and Candy, who are 47 and 55 pounds.

Regardless of price point, we looked for leashes with::

• Ribbon style. It used to be that all retractable leashes had cables that attached to the dog’s collar. After injuries to both dogs and people from these cables, many manufacturers switched over to a ribbon-style leash. According to Heidi Watkins, ribbon-style retractable leashes are less likely to cause injury if they wrap around a body part. “The flat surface reduces the cutting forces that could occur with cable,” she said.
• Ergonomic handle. Because the housing on retractable leashes is plastic and not cushioned—including the handle—you want a leash that is ergonomically designed.
• Easy clip. The clip for attaching the leash to your dog’s collar or harness must be easy to open and close on an excited pup, secure, and well-constructed.
• Durability. You want a retractable leash that is going to hold up to heavy use. This means it doesn’t break when a dog jerks on it while it’s completely extended or you accidentally drop it on the sidewalk. You want the ribbon to extend and retract over and over without getting twisted or losing its responsiveness.

In addition to these basic requirements, some retractable leashes come with extras. Some have poop-bag holders attached to the handle or built-in flashlights. While nice, these extras didn’t weigh into our selection process.

Six leashes satisfied our criteria for testing:

• TaoTronics Retractable Dog Leash
• Cloud 9 Retractable Dog Leash
• HappyDogz Freedom Retractable Dog Leash
• ThunderWorks Dial-A-Distance Retractable Leash
• Flexi Tape Leash
• Flexi New Neon Retractable Tape Dog Leash

I recruited my 18-month-old pit bull mix, Mookie, to put these leashes through their paces. Mookie is strong and energetic, and gave me a chance to see how each leash functioned in different situations.

For starters, I took Mookie on a 45-minute walk with each leash, on a route that required him to stay close to me because of traffic, shrubbery, or other dogs rushing the fences of their yards as we passed, but then led to open space in the nearby foothills, where I was able to give Mookie the full 15 feet while also seeing how each leash held up when he would bolt after a rabbit or squirrel.

During the walk, I evaluated the comfort of the grip of each leash, the responsiveness when I wanted the leash to retract, and how easy the locking mechanism was to engage. I also had the opportunity to drop each leash on the ground to see how it held up to hitting the pavement. Each of our top leashes was clipped to a heavy farm gate, which was swung shut forcefully 20 times while the leash was locked to simulate very forceful repeated tugging at the retraction mechanism. The top three leashes still retracted smoothly and quickly after this.

In addition to these practical, tangible qualities, I checked to see how each leash felt in my hand. Did the leash help me feel secure, like I had a firm attachment to my dog? Was I able to get the hang of locking and unlocking the mechanism? Did I get to a point in the walk where I wasn’t really thinking about the leash at all?

Of all the leashes we tested, Flexi emphasized user safety the most. Whenever you talk to vets, trainers, or just people with opinions on dogs, stories of injuries caused by retractable leashes will quickly be cited as reason not to use them. While we couldn’t find recent reports of leashes hurting people or pets, we found that more than any other company, Flexi emphasized using the leash as safely as possible (it was sued in 2002 after a woman was injured using one of its leashes). All of Flexi’s retractable leashes (that’s all it makes), come with a Special Precautions and Directions pamphlet that provides great detail on how to safely use a retractable leash and that notes potential hazards. Flexi also provides a safety collar that is designed to keep the leash from snapping back should the dog’s collar come apart. It is a thin, black nylon choke collar, goes around the dog’s neck, alongside a regular collar, and attaches to the leash’s trigger clip.

The Flexi ribbon quickly and smoothly glides in and out of the mechanism. It seems strong and well-made. During the test, Mookie darted after a rabbit and hit the end of the line with considerable force. The leash withstood the pressure and was none the worse for it afterwards. The leash’s ribbon is neon yellow, and the handle has yellow reflective neon side panels, providing additional safety when walking at night.

Flexi as a company manufacturers only leashes, which are made at its factory in Germany. It’s one of the few companies we found in our research that don’t just rebrand generic products with their own label.

The Flexi leash is lighter than the ThunderWorks leash—a feature some dog owners might prefer over a heavier option. Because it has a thinner mechanism, the handgrip is narrower, although still comfortable.

The Flexi New Neon’s button is small and thin, and I had some trouble getting the hang of how to lock it and unlock it: It has to be pushed down and forward in two separate motions, and unlocking requires pushing it down and then backward, also in two distinct movements. It wasn’t smooth and easy for me, and I had to think about it every time I wanted to lock or unlock the leash.

If you’re willing to invest more, the ThunderWorks Dial-A-Distance leash attempts to directly address one of the primary complaints that trainers and vets have with retractable leashes: that your dog gets used to tugging to get more length. The Dial-A-Distance lets you lock in a specific length between zero and 15 feet, only spooling out to that distance, so you can keep your dog by your side on busy roads and give it more slack when in an open park. However, it only recently came off of Kickstarter and isn’t widely available yet, and there’s no version for dogs larger than 55 pounds as of right now (though the company says that one is in the works).

To set the farthest distance you want your dog to walk, you depress and turn a dial to lock in a distance from zero to 15 feet, and the leash will stop at this length. Like any traditional retractable leash, you can also press the locking mechanism on the handle to stop your dog short of what you’re dialed in at. This should be an improvement over a traditional retractable leash, but we’re waiting to see if dog trainers are on board with this new feature, and if that’s enough to justify the price increase.

During a day-long hike in Anza-Borrego State Park to see the desert wildflowers, I let Mookie use the entire length of the leash as we went through the quiet Coyote Canyon area, and I was able to quickly reel him in and get control when he’d get too close to a cactus. At the heavily crowded visitor’s center, the leash adapted well to navigating hikers, baby strollers, and even other dogs, working just as well at 3 feet as it did at 15.

The leash is also tough, feels good in your hand, and retracts quickly when needed. The handle is wider than those on the other models we tested, providing a firmer, more secure grip, and the slight increase in weight (20 ounces versus 16 ounces on the Flexi) never felt tiring, even during day-long walks, and was comfortable for a variety of hand sizes.

The braking mechanism of the ThunderWorks Dial-A-Distance was the easiest to use of all the leashes I tested. The button is wide, and it easily slides in and out of position with minimal effort. I have arthritis in my thumbs, so I was worried about a mechanism that would require force to engage. This button pushes down and forward to lock, and easily unlocks with just a little pressure. It was a pleasure to use, unlike some of the buttons on the other leashes like the Flexi New Neon, which required fiddling to get them to brake.

The Dial-A-Distance has dull, dark-gray coloring and a clunky silhouette in contrast to the brightly reflective Flexi New Neon, which aids in visibility when walking your dog at night (and also when you’re trying to find the thing after putting it down somewhere).

This leash was funded through Kickstarter, and while initial responses from users have been extremely positive, it’s a new product without a proven track record, and hasn’t been widely stocked yet. That said, ThunderWorks is a well-established company, with experience in manufacturing pet products. We’re going to keep an eye on stock levels and see if it becomes more widely available soon.

As of the time of publication, the Dial-A-Distance is only rated for dogs up to 55 pounds. In the Kickstarter, ThunderWorks hinted that there are larger versions of the leash in the works.

The Dial-A-Distance can only be returned for 45 days after purchase, whereas the Flexi leash is backed by a two-year limited warranty.

If the Flexi is out of stock, or you want a retractable leash that’s a little cheaper, the TaoTronics Retractable Dog Leash is another excellent budget option. It has a large and comfortable grip and quickly and easily retracts, but it isn’t as reflective as the Flexi and doesn’t come with the extra collar or safety information.

The TaoTronics leash is a little thicker than our Flexi pick, but it’s thinner than the ThunderWorks offering, so it can be a better option for those who don’t mind a larger, heavier leash. It’s rubbery feel makes it easy on your fingers and, along with the larger handle to hold on to, it should appeal to people who have less grip strength. When comparing the TaoTronics leash to the Flexi leash, I found that the locking button on the TaoTronics leash was larger and simpler to operate, though the pattern of raised grip dots on the button irritated my thumb during testing.

Unfortunately, unlike our main pick, the TaoTronics leash isn’t made of reflective materials for added nighttime visibility. It does at least have a sleeker design than what ThunderWorks offers, and it comes in several colors. And though it doesn’t include an extra collar like Flexi, a plastic poop-bag holder comes with the TaoTronics leash, along with a couple of rolls of bags—a nice bonus.

The TaoTronics leash is the most popular retractable leash currently on Amazon, with more than 1,800 reviews, and an average of 4.3 out of five stars, and is backed by a 12-month warranty. But TaoTronics isn’t a company with much of a history or reputation in pet supplies—it sells just about everything under the sun, and we saw many seemingly identical leashes sold by other companies on Amazon.

The Cloud 9 Retractable Dog Leash is virtually identical to TaoTronics’s leash, with a similar price and the same bundled accessories. We assume that they’re functionally identical, but we ended up choosing the TaoTronics due to its volume of positive Amazon reviews, and the Cloud 9 was often out of stock at the time of publication.

Within 15 minutes of our walk testing the HappyDogz Freedom Retractable Leash, the ribbon twisted at the opening and wouldn’t reliably retract afterwards.

Very similar to the Flexi New Neon, the Flexi Tape Leash is a quality leash at around $20 that also comes with a safety pamphlet and a safety collar. This leash doesn’t have the reflective qualities of the Flexi New Neon, which we think make it worth spending a little more on.

IKEA recently unveiled a range of products for cats and dogs, including its Lurvig retractable leash. IKEA claims the leash (made of plastic, steel, and nylon) extends to a little over 16 feet and bears about 88 pounds. We’ll test it as soon as we can to see how it measures up to our picks.

After use, remove dirt and debris from the leash and hook. Clean the mechanism with a damp cloth.

When you’re not using it, keep it out of the elements. Water will likely rust the internal mechanism and will affect the leash’s ability to retract. If it gets wet, pull the ribbon all the way out of the housing as far as it will go and set the lock so it can’t retract. Leave it out to dry. Once it’s dry, allow it to slowly retract back into the mechanism.

Don’t let your dog put the ribbon in his mouth. It’s not only dangerous for your dog, but it will compromise the integrity of the ribbon. Periodically check the trigger snap to make sure it is functioning properly and has a secure attachment to the end of the ribbon.