I thank every dog owner who remains alert at night so that I can call out to you and avoid a barking and lunging episode by my reactive dog in training. (For those who feel safe zoning out with earbuds or your phone, I do wonder . . . but at least when you're lit, I can spot you from afar and stay well away.)
CHARGING. Our walks are 20-40 minutes. I've only charged this leash twice in six weeks.
STIFFNESS. As others have mentioned, the portion of the leash with the LED light strip is very stiff, utterly unlike the leads I use during the day -- but that hasn't been a problem for us now that my guy does quite well with loose-leash walking. We've had several surprise fox encounters with some lunging from my 68-pounder, but I've received no leash "burns" from the stiff edges, in part due to how I hold the leash plus the aid of gloves in cold weather. The hand loop is lightly padded and in extremis, I also use the padded back loop on my guy's harness. I would not have used this lead with bare hands when this dog was still in leash training, though, because he's pretty powerful and passionate. It would have hurt without gloves. However, at this point in our training, the stiffness of the leash is not even an annoyance because the lights are so useful.
STRENGTH. Leash material, construction, and hardware seem strong enough for my 68-lb young adult. He's no longer a Tazmanian devil, but has given this leash some very good tests. I'll update if I experience a break, but don't expect one.
LENGTH. Because I like a 6' lead, which I gather and extend frequently during a walk, I would not have wanted a shorter leash than the large. That's partly why I chose this brand over others that were only 4'. It doesn't matter to me that the approx. 4-5" extender at the dog end is not lit (that's probably better for the dog anyway). I just saw that a 10" lit extension is also available from Blazin' Safety. I'll think about it, but I currently enjoy charging just one port.
LIGHTS ON ONE SIDE. A couple of reviewers have been concerned that the lights are only on one side. For me, not an issue at whatsoever. The LEDs shine through the fabric just fine. They can be seen at least two blocks away. I don't worry about which way the leash is facing for visibility. (If I want to be super-dooper sure a driver sees us, I move to a safer spot, have my dog sit by me, lift the leash vertically, and pop on the flashing setting. If they fail to see that, plus his blinking rave necklace and mine, then we're doomed, and whaddya gonna do?)
CONVENIENCE. Easy to turn on with one thumb or finger by holding button for a full second; then easy to progress through fast blinking, slow blinking, and off (with shorter button clicks).
Overall, a great purchase that worked straight outta the box and has substantially improved our night walks.





































