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Looking for the best everyday dog harness? This is our Ruffwear Front Range review - and it's one we've been updating since 2017.
Albie, who features throughout, is no longer with us. Kizzie is still wearing hers daily and enjoying walks even at 13 years of age.
Barks & Bunnies is a Ruffwear UK stockist. If you'd like help choosing the right harness or getting the fit right, just get in touch.
Take a look at the Ruffwear Front Range Harness here.
Read on for our full product review.
Initial Impressions of the Front Range Harness
We first put the Front Range on Albie all those years ago - and it's been our go-to recommendation ever since. Kizzie has worn it for years too, and between them they covered a lot of ground in this harness. We knew Ruffwear's quality well enough to expect great things, and the Front Range never disappointed once.
Now available in five sizes and a range of colourways - including the return of Pink Mountains in 2026 - this is still, without question, one of the very best dog harnesses you can buy right now.
How it fits - Ruffwear Front Range Harness
Albie was first to try his harness out, he has a medium Blue Dusk harness - a colourway that's since been retired and replaced by Blue Pool, which has a similar cool tone - which we chose because it looked incredible against his snowy white golden fur. Albie measured right on the border of a medium and large and when we initially placed the medium over his head and fastened the side buckles, we thought it was too small. However we quickly realised that we had come to that conclusion in haste and after some further adjustments using the two neck straps AND the side straps/buckles around his belly (AKA girth) it was actually a fantastic fit.
The four point adjustment system on the harness gave us much more customisation when sizing to get a good fit which is over and above that available on many other dog harnesses.
When in a standing position the rear straps came straight up in a perfect vertical line on each side of his rib cage so we shouldn't need to worry about the straps rubbing him at the top of his legs and the front straps appeared to fit comfortably around the side of his chest and neck.
Next it was Kizzie's turn. Previously Kizzie had used the Front Range Harness in Alpenglow Pink - and nearly a decade later, she is still wearing Tillandsia Purple, which is rich and warm against her honey coloured fur. Pink is back in the Front Range now, in a brand new colourway called Pink Mountains. We think Kizzie would approve.
Kizzie is quite a different shape to Albie, her girth measurement is nearly the same but her neck measurement is much less, she has such a small neck that at the age of almost 18 months she is still able to wear her junior puppy collar. Why is this important? The four point adjustment of the Ruffwear Front Range harness really shone through when fitting Kizzie giving us a fully customised and perfect fit which we have struggled to achieve with other dog harnesses.
One of the things we really love about this harness is the fact that the top padded section narrows over the shoulders allowing both Albie & Kizzie their full range of motion. We think this is an excellent design feature and good attention to detail.
The strength test - Ruffwear Front Range Harness
Albie pulls on lead - not always, but when he does, he really pulls.
So when out on walks we need a harness that is made with strong clips, webbing and lead attachment points. We experienced no issues with the harness moving, slipping or struggling to cope when Albie pulled out to sniff the next exciting thing.
Initially we had some reservations about the front clip; while the back clip is made from pressed aluminium the front clip is formed from webbing which has been passed through a 'black tube', and we weren't sure how it would stand up under the level of pressure Albie can apply in a real life situation!
We didn't have to wait long to find out as the excitement of seeing a neighbours cat when out on a road walk was more than enough distraction for Albie to pull forward with all his might! Our reservations and concerns were immediately put to rest, the clips passed the 'Albie Strength Test' with flying colours and both the front and back clips coped easily under the strain.
Matching Front Range Leash Or Double Ended Lead?
The Front Range Harness has two lead attachment points, which means you can use it with either a double ended lead or the Ruffwear Front Range Leash.
The Ruffwear Front Range Lead
We'll be honest - we were skeptical at first. It seemed long compared to a double ended lead, and we weren't sure about the traffic handle or whether the grip would be comfortable enough.
We were wrong on both counts.
Firstly, the handle which features the little Ruffwear logo in yellow was perfectly padded, just the right amount so that it was comfortable in our hand without being too bulky but gave us enough grip to feel in control.
While the lead felt longer than using a double ended lead we quickly found the Traffic Handle to be invaluable and the times that we would find it useful were limitless.
With the Traffic Handle being located so close to the attachment point on the back of the harness it gave us a significant amount of control and grip at times when we needed to keep Albie close to our side at a roadside crossing or anywhere we needed him close.
We found it easy to slip our spare hand through the Traffic Handle meaning we could hold the lead handle as usual in one hand and then when needed our 'free' hand could quickly and effectively locate the traffic handle. In many ways when using the traffic handle on its own in an unexpected situation we found we were able to keep him closer to us and under more control than our double-ended leads provide simply because we could keep him so close. However for general walking a double ended lead for Albie is still a necessary piece of kit because he doesn't just pull in unexpected situations.
Using a Double Ended Dog Lead with the Front Range Harness
Alternatively, we could use a double ended dog lead because using the back and front attachment point can provide added security and control. When attaching a double ended lead to both the front and back of a dog harness it can help influence their posture allowing them to find their own natural balance. For many dogs, this can assist in the prevention of pulling because they cannot pull forward in a straight line (pictured below with Kizzie in her previous harness).
Colours & Sizing Ruffwear Front Range Harness
The Front Range is available in five sizes and a range of colourways - including the brand new Pink Mountains, the first pink in the Front Range for over five years.
The harnesses looked so great when we write this review that we almost didn't want to let them out in case they got dirty. Thankfully there are washing instructions for real adventurers.
Everyday use and adventures
Both Albie and Kizzie have been really happy wearing their Front Range harnesses, neither one has shown any signs of discomfort and the colours we chose are bright so stand out well in normal daylight conditions ideal for our two explorers.
We tested the harnesses in daylight hours so we haven't had a dark night walk yet. However, there is reflective piping on the edges of the harness which is well detailed and distributed across the front and back of the harness to provide some extra low light safety.
For really dark winter walks or situations where we want increased visibility, we attach the Ruffwear Beacon Light - and since we first wrote this review, Ruffwear have added a dedicated light loop to the Front Range, making it much more straightforward to attach. A small but welcome update.
So... how does the Front Range Harness rate overall?
After several days testing we believe that the Front Range is without question a fantastic, high quality, everyday dog harness that is perfect for town or street walks but durable and tough enough to take off-road for something a bit more adventurous.
Ruffwear have long been praised for another of their dog harnesses, the Web Master - and nearly a decade on from this review, the Front Range has proven itself equally deserving of that praise.
The fully customisable fit, fantastic colour choices, size range, and price, rivals other everyday dog harnesses and to be honest we can't ever imagine Albie or Kizzie using another harness now.
Since we first wrote this review, Ruffwear have added a dedicated Beacon light loop - one of the things we hoped for back in 2017. The double ended lead in matching colours remains on our wish list, but these are minor points on what is, nearly ten years on, still one of the best everyday dog harnesses you can buy.
Where to buy
The Ruffwear Front Range Harness is available now at Barks & Bunnies - including the brand new Pink Mountains colourway.