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| Petting Chloe while still being having my hand connected to her with the Hurtta "Free Hand Leash". |
Does the “free hand styled leash” live up to its hype? Interestingly enough I only came across two manufacturers that use a glove design that secures the leash to your hand. For my review, I purchased the Hurtta "Free Hand Leash."
It's advertised as:
- Padded neoprene hand grip that leaves hands free.
- Has the ability to stretch with a shock absorbing material at the clasp end.
- 3M threads sewn into the nylon webbing for nighttime safety.
- Machine washable.
- Adjustable in length from 3 feet to 5 feet.
- Lightweight and comfortable.
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| Chloe is connected but I have my fingers free! This allows me to work my camera! |
The leash is manufactured in two sizes, “small” (dogs up to 50 pounds) and “large” (dogs above 50 pounds). Since Chloe weighs in at 23 pounds, she fits the small size that uses a 3/4-inch wide strap design. The large size is manufactured with a 1.25-inch wide strap.
Using it on a number of walks, I found the Hurtta to be pretty much as advertised in that it was attractive, well made, and had strong metal clasping hardware, although the buckle that allows the leash to adjust in length was made of plastic. The glove section of the leash was comfortable and it would tighten on my hand as Chloe pulled, making it quite secure around my palm as I maneuvered a camera. The glove can be worn on either your right or left hand.
The shock absorbing material at the leash's end did a nice job of easing Chloe's forward pulling motion for her and for me. Wearing the glove and being able to handle a camera also proved that it lives up to its hands free billing, in that you have the use of your fingers while at the same time the glove keeps the leash firmly in your grasp.
Using it on a number of walks, I found the Hurtta to be pretty much as advertised in that it was attractive, well made, and had strong metal clasping hardware, although the buckle that allows the leash to adjust in length was made of plastic. The glove section of the leash was comfortable and it would tighten on my hand as Chloe pulled, making it quite secure around my palm as I maneuvered a camera. The glove can be worn on either your right or left hand.
The shock absorbing material at the leash's end did a nice job of easing Chloe's forward pulling motion for her and for me. Wearing the glove and being able to handle a camera also proved that it lives up to its hands free billing, in that you have the use of your fingers while at the same time the glove keeps the leash firmly in your grasp.
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| The Hurtta "Free Hand Leash" (shown in color Raspberry) Image Courtesy of Hurtta |
But was this the perfect leash? Well the short answer is …not quite, since the one downside I felt was in the leash's maximum adjustable length of 5 feet. At that distance, especially when Chloe was in front of me, she didn't always seem to have enough walking clearance. My typical preference has been the Kong Bungee leash with a length of 6 feet. Just one more foot in length, and this Hurtta design might have earned my title of being perfect.
The Hurtta “Free Hand Leash” is available in three colors, Granite (black), Raspberry (purple), and Birch (lime green). The leash retails for $25 but Amazon.com sells it for around $20.
An alternate glove design, which is worth mentioning is the “Soft Touch Handy Leash” manufactured by EzyDog as part of their Runners Collection. Although it uses a glove similar to the Hurtta leash, The EzyDog is actually an add-on accessory to any type of leash with its large heavy duty Carabiner style attachment point. Because it attaches to a leash, the Soft Touch will not automatically tighten around your hand when a dog pulls, which could also be a plus in some ways. The length of the Soft Touch is about 12-inches making it mandatory that it be connected to a normal length leash. It is available with an adjustable glove handle in red or blue and lists for $20.
The Hurtta “Free Hand Leash” is available in three colors, Granite (black), Raspberry (purple), and Birch (lime green). The leash retails for $25 but Amazon.com sells it for around $20.
An alternate glove design, which is worth mentioning is the “Soft Touch Handy Leash” manufactured by EzyDog as part of their Runners Collection. Although it uses a glove similar to the Hurtta leash, The EzyDog is actually an add-on accessory to any type of leash with its large heavy duty Carabiner style attachment point. Because it attaches to a leash, the Soft Touch will not automatically tighten around your hand when a dog pulls, which could also be a plus in some ways. The length of the Soft Touch is about 12-inches making it mandatory that it be connected to a normal length leash. It is available with an adjustable glove handle in red or blue and lists for $20.
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