PetSafe Easy Walk vs Ruffwear Hi & Light
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On paper these two harnesses overlap more than you would expect. Both have four adjustment points, both put some emphasis on a lead attachment at the chest, and both carry no-pull wording in their Amazon titles or bullets. The difference is in what each maker chose to talk about. The PetSafe Easy Walk listing is about steering a dog away from pulling. The Ruffwear Hi & Light listing is about weight, comfort and small practical features.
| PetSafe Easy Walk | Ruffwear Hi & Light | |
|---|---|---|
| Size in the listing | Large | XXXS (23-33 cm) |
| Lead attachment | Front attachment | Aluminium V-ring plus a webbing loop at the chest |
| Adjustment | Four points | Four points |
| Padding | Not mentioned | Padded, with a fur- and debris-resistant liner |
| Pockets | None mentioned | Pickup-bag pocket and ID pocket |
| Reflective | Not mentioned | Reflective trim and a light loop |
| Weight | Not stated | 54 g |
| Amazon.co.uk rating | 4.3 from 46,587 ratings | 4.4 from 1,876 ratings |
Ratings are as shown at the time of writing.
What each listing is trying to solve
PetSafe's bullets read like a pulling-focused product. The front attachment is said to steer the dog to your side and reduce or eliminate pulling, and the chest strap is said to rest across the breastbone to prevent gagging and choking. The belly strap is a complementary colour so you can tell which way up it goes. Those are the maker's claims, and no harness reliably eliminates pulling for every dog. Our look at how well no-pull harnesses work explains where they help and where they do not.
Ruffwear describes the Hi & Light as a lightweight, minimalist walking and running harness. The listing says the "Y" shape is padded, that it goes on and off quickly, and that the two lead attachment points give "ultimate control" in training. It says nothing specific about steering. In other words, it lets you attach the lead at the chest, but the listing is not selling a pulling fix in the way the PetSafe is.
Sizes are not like for like
The sizes in these listings are far apart. The PetSafe is a large and the Ruffwear is an XXXS. Both makers sell other sizes, so what you are really comparing is the design, not those two exact products. Neither listing is a good substitute for a size chart. The PetSafe page gives no measurements for large, and the Ruffwear page gives only a 23-33 cm figure alongside XXXS. Use our guide to measuring a dog for a harness to get your own numbers first.
The PetSafe listing also carries a note that international products are sold from abroad and may differ from local products in fit, language and instructions. Check the seller before ordering.
The extras
The Ruffwear has more built in. A hidden pocket holds pickup bags, an ID pocket stores tags, reflective trim helps in low light and a loop takes the Ruffwear Beacon, which is a separate product. The PetSafe listing mentions none of these. If you walk in the dark or want to carry bags without a separate pouch, the Ruffwear is the more convenient of the two. Our piece on walking in the dark covers visibility more widely.
Putting them on and living with them
The Ruffwear listing leans on convenience: quick and easy on and off, a quick release and a liner designed to resist fur and debris. That suggests a harness meant to be put on and taken off often, for runs, trail walks or quick trips out. The PetSafe listing is quieter on this. It comes with an assembly guide and four adjustment points, and the contrasting belly strap is there to stop you putting it on upside down. Neither listing gives washing instructions, so check the label when it arrives.
Weight is worth a thought if your dog is small. The Ruffwear is listed at 54 g in the XXXS, so it will add very little to a small dog. The PetSafe listing gives no weight at all, and a large harness will naturally be heavier. That is not a criticism, simply a reminder that these are built for different dogs.
If your real aim is a dog that walks without pulling, the harness is only one part of that. Our guide to stopping a dog pulling on the lead puts training before gear, and either harness will work better alongside it.
Drawbacks on both sides
The PetSafe has no reflective trim or pockets mentioned, and the listing gives little detail on size or materials. Front attachments can also take some getting used to, and the lead may cross a front leg if the dog turns.
The Ruffwear carries a smaller ratings pool than the PetSafe, and the listing's details are for one tiny size. It does not mention a handle, and the listing does not explain how its no-pull label works. The V-ring location is not stated either.
Choose by problem
Choose the PetSafe Easy Walk if you mainly want to reduce pulling, you have a larger dog, and you are happy to rely on the maker's size chart.
Choose the Ruffwear Hi & Light if you want a light, padded harness with pockets and reflective trim, you are looking at the smaller sizes, and you like having two clip points to choose between. If you are unsure, remember that the harness is only half of the answer when a dog pulls hard.
Products in this article
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