Product Review: Kong-brand Reflective Harness

The Kong Reflective Harness is a Roman-style harness with a padded chest plate. It features heavy duty metal hardware and reflective stitching. It comes in four colors and four sizes to fit dogs with chests 12-38" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Kong-branded products not shown on the Kong Company website appear to be exclusive to Petsmart, which seems kind of weird. They are advertised under the slogan "tough enough to be called Kong" and range from collar, leashes, and harnesses, to beds, crates, and even life jackets. I'm not totally comfortable with the idea of products bearing a familiar and trusted brand name without actually being acknowledged by that company. Several consumers also appear to be confused, as bad reviews for this product often cite a "lack of durability" because their dog chewed through it. Harnesses aren't chew-proof....

This is a very nice harness, though. While it's not actually a crash-protection harness, it is overbuilt and extremely strong compared to the average walking harness. The leash ring is too big for the clips on my Lupine leashes, an issue I haven't had before. The harness adjusts around dog's neck and chest, but the front center section with the chest pad is a fixed length. This makes the Kong Reflective Harness slightly less adjustable, and it may not be a great fit for weird-shaped dogs. Unlike the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness, the chest plate on this one is flexible and doesn't stab my dog in the neck.

Pros: Extra strong and tough. Reflective stitching increases visibility. Metal hardware is durable and built to last.

Cons: Not terribly adjustable and extra large hardware limits which leashes can be used. Wide chest plate may rub the inside of the front legs or damage the hair on some dogs.

Bottom Line: It's a nice harness and a lot of people like it, but it isn't going to prevent injury in an actual collision. It works great for Ulysses.