The Best Dog Leashes of 2024

The Ruffwear Roamer Bungee Dog Leash ($40) stands out as our top pick for several reasons. It offers hands-free capabilities, thanks to its bungee webbing and padded handle. This leash is versatile in terms of length and color options and converts, allowing for secure hands-free control of your pooch. 

Made from durable nylon webbing and Ruffwear’s proprietary Wavelength stretch webbing, with a heavy-duty plastic buckle and aluminum clasp, this leash proved itself against our tester’s strongest pullers. The padded handle provides a comfortable grip for owners, and the waist belt can extend to 48 inches when in hands-free mode. This leash is available in three color schemes and two lengths — 5.5 feet that stretches to 7 feet and 7.3 feet that stretches to 11 feet. 

Over the course of about two months, our tester used this leash with her adolescent mixed breed and two rambunctious German Sheperd mixes. It was up to the unique challenges presented by all three dogs — pulling, a little chewing, and a lot of frolicking — and looks as good today as it did on day one. The “talon” swivel clasp allows for more movement with less tangling, and the leash can be secured around a post or tree using the waist clip without removing the leash from your dog. 

The Ruffwear Roamer Bungee Dog Leash is great for wilderness use, and its integrated traffic handle also makes it ideal for city use when you need to keep your dog close at hand and out of danger.

Looking for a quality everyday leash at an affordable price? Look no further than the Ruffwear Front Range Dog Leash ($20). It is light enough for small breeds, and the locking clasp provides extra security. If you’re walking your dog in the city, the integrated traffic handle lets you keep dogs close in traffic or crowds. Made from tough fade-resistant nylon webbing. the colors stay vibrant even after prolonged use.

Ruffwear’s Tubelock jacquard webbing prevents fraying and fading and should last a lifetime with proper care.

This leash is quite thin and not suitable for unruly dogs, dogs who chew, or dogs who like to walk themselves by holding the leash in their mouth. Our tester found that the Front Range Dog Leash wasn’t ideal for her German shepherd mixes but worked great for her young mixed-breed and geriatric, laid-back boxer.

It’s available in seven colors but only one width (3/4-inch) and length (5 feet). The handle is a bit stiff on first use but softens and becomes more comfortable over time.

Best for small to medium breeds or low-key adults who don’t pull, the Ruffwear Front Range Dog Leash is an affordable option for everyday use. Matching harnesses and collars are available so your pup can be extra stylish and coordinated.

The Orvis x Fishe Wear Leash ($45) combines beauty and functionality into a great leash for mellow walks around town. Its lightweight polyester weave and small clasp make it the perfect choice for a park stroll or a neighborhood walk. This line is a collaboration between Orvis and Alaska-based, woman-owned fishing gear company Fishe Wear.

The pattern our tester tried out, Dolly Vee, is a rainbow trout-inspired print of vibrant oranges and greens, sure to catch the eye of any outdoors person. It showed no signs of fading during testing, and the polyester weave did not fray.

This leash is not suitable for dogs who like to pull or pups who need a lot of freedom on walks. The edges of the handle are a little stiff, initially making for an uncomfortable hold, but they soften up with time. It is available in two patterns and two widths (¾-inch and 1-inch) and is 6 feet long. The leash is expensive for a pretty bare-bones item with no additional features besides the collab patterns.

The Orvis x Fishe Wear Leash is best for everyday use and low-intensity walks. And, if you’re an angler or just love a stylish leash for your pup, this could be the leash for you and your dog.

If you’re looking for the perfect way to keep your dog contained on your backcountry adventures, the Fido Pro Remi Runner Leash ($49) is definitely the leash for you. This leash has so many valuable features it’s hard to list them all. The hands-free option is great for any activity that requires you to use your hands — cross-country skiing, hiking (with poles), and running, to name a few. And the waistband is adjustable up to 46 inches, so it’s versatile enough to be used by multiple dog parents.

Our tester loved walking her country property using the waistband, leaving her hands free to snap photos of critters. She also loved that the bungee provided a little extra give. As a result, she didn’t feel like her spine would snap if her dog flushed a bunny from the underbrush.

This leash has two handles: one traffic handle for more control closer to the dog and a second one farther up. The leash comes with webbing extenders for greater length and a little more freedom for your pup to roam. On the other hand, there are D-rings along the length of the leash if you want to shorten it up a bit. The leash is about nine feet long and fully extended with the bungee stretched and extenders in place.

Our only gripe is that the leash handle is very stiff and uncomfortable to hold. The logo placement attaches in a place that allows it to dig into your palm or wrist, depending on how you hold the leash. This leash is unsuitable for small dogs and only available in red and black.

If you take your pup on hikes, runs, or overland adventures, you’ll love the convenience and durability of the Fido Pro Remi Runner Leash.

The TUG 360° Tangle-Free Retractable Dog Leash ($22) is a sleek, modern-looking alternative to traditional retractable leashes. Utilizing flat tape instead of the more common rope, this leash is less prone to kinking and knotting and less likely to cause injury, such as rope burns.

This leash has a one-button lock/unlock mechanism and a guard at the mouth to prevent the tape from tangling as it re-enters the handle. Retraction is smooth and not fast enough to jerk on the dog’s collar. It is available in multiple sizes and colors. The length varies by size ranging from 10 feet (XS) to 26 feet (XL).

Our tester used this leash with her medium-sized mixed breed and experienced some tangling and kinking when the leash was retracted from the fully extended position. She also noted that the handhold is small and may not comfortably accommodate large or gloved hands.

The leash is heavier than other retractables, mainly because it needs to house a tape leash instead of a rope leash. It is not thick enough to withstand chewing, but a small extension comes with it to clip onto the end of the leash and protect it from overzealous chewers.

If your pack is pretty mellow (we’re looking at you, dogs of destruction/chewers!), the TUG 360° Tangle-Free Retractable Dog Leash will work well for you.

For rainy days or wet climes, the Herzog Silicone Dog Leash ($56) is a top choice. Its waterproof silicone and quick-drying ripstop construction won’t even blink in the heaviest rain or splashiest puddles, and the color stays true forever.

The locking carabiner clasp will keep your dog secure, and the heavy-duty construction will not fray like webbing leashes. The design is where this leash really shines, though. Beautiful colors and striking black hardware will definitely make your pup stand out in a crowd. The silicone is soft and flexible and doesn’t stretch or become misshapen, and the recycle ripstop handle and clasp attachment are rugged enough to withstand pretty much any punishment your dog can put them through.

Our tester found the ripstop in the leash handle to be too stiff and uncomfortable to hold. It softened some over time but ultimately was not as easy to hold as a nylon handle, and some of the stitching in the seams began to fray after a month of constant, heavy use.

There is also some concern about the swivel attaching the carabiner to the leash. It showed no sign of breaking during testing, but it felt loose and flimsy.

The Herzog Silicone Dog Leash is ideal for you and your canine companions if you enjoy laid-back walks in the rain or live in a humid or wet place (Pacific Northwest, we see you). A matching collar is available.

The Timberwolf Alpine 2-Dog Adjustable Lead ($50-69) has everything you could want in a coupled leash. The braided rope offers a lot of security for even the biggest dogs, but smaller sizes are available for walking your little guys side by side. The handle is padded, quite comfy to hold, and does not dig into your palm.

It’s available in multiple colors and sizes, but the most unique feature is the Slidelock. This gizmo allows owners to adjust the distance between the two dogs. One dog can be in front of the other, or the mechanism can slide down to keep the dogs close to one another if the situation demands it, like on a crowded sidewalk.

This leash is available in three diameters(3/16, 5/16, and 7/16 inches) and two lengths (4 and 6 feet). Our tester appreciated the ability to allow her alpha to lead the way while still keeping the dogs close to one another. The swivel attachment also did a good job of preventing the dogs from getting tangled up together.

This leash is quite expensive, but the heavy-duty hardware and unique features provide plenty of value. The Timberwolf Alpine 2-Dog Adjustable Lead shines while walking two dogs pretty much anywhere, though individual threads in the rope do catch and pull on thorny or rough undergrowth.