Noxgear LightHound Dog Harness Review 2024: Our Expert’s Opinion

Like many pet owners, my life is always busy. Between work, family, events and everything else that turns daily living into a juggling act, it’s difficult to find the perfect time to take Zeta and Blanche on their daily walks. More often than not, I find myself strolling the neighborhood with two excited Poodles in the early morning hours or when the rest of the neighborhood is putting their kids to bed.

So when I had the opportunity to test out Noxgear’s LightHound LED harness, I threw my arms out and yelled “Gimme!” A harness to keep us safe during our walks? Yes, please!

The LightHound came about when two aerospace engineers realized that most visibility gear on the market are outdated or inadequate. They wanted to create something that would keep people and pets safe by using the science of light and visualization.

The result is a line of products that help protect pets and their owners while they stay active, regardless of the time of day. The LightHound LED Harness is the perfect way to keep Fido safe and active before the sun rises and after it sets.

 

About Noxgear

Noxgear didn’t start out with pups in mind. In fact, founders Tom and Simon wanted to create a safer environment for ultimate frisbee players. Their first rendition of any product was put together with duct tape and binder clips. Did it work? Sure. But it soon became apparent that they could expand by using research and science, keeping both people and pets safe.

Tom and Simon knew that the human eye perceives light in a certain way, and while typical reflective material does work under certain conditions, it didn’t always make the cut on its own. In order to create a better product, they needed to consider how we see color, patterns and movement.

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What Is the Science Behind Noxgear’s LED LightHound Harness?

Red LED lights have been commonly used for visibility. However, our eyes don’t pick up on the red well enough. Motorists may not see the light until it’s too late.

Reflective materials continue to be the number one key to visibility for drivers. However, the founders of Noxgear knew visibility science could push them to create a product that’s even more innovative.

Just before dusk and during dusk, our eyes are sensitive to the color yellow. As it gets darker, our eyes adjust to the change and pick up more on the color green. But Noxgear knows it’s not just about color, it’s also how we perceive light.

Fluorescent lights have been the “enemy” in workplace settings. Most people complain about how damaging they are to sight. But take those same lights and place them in a nighttime setting, and you’ve got yourself a bright glow no one can miss.

The LightHound LED Harness takes all these factors into consideration: A reflective yellow belt with enclosed high powered LED lights, providing visibility from all angles.

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What Type of Dog is the LightHound LED Harness Best Suited For?

The LightHound LED Harness is a high-visibility harness for walking in the dark. It’s best for pets and pet owners who take regular walks before the sun rises or after it sets. This is especially true for dogs like Zeta who have darker colored fur and could easily get “lost” in the shadows. Being the puller she is, if she somehow breaks free from my grip to chase a nighttime critter, I know I’ll be able to spot her without an issue.

Reviewing the Noxgear LightHound LED Harness

Specs

The LightHound Harness is an ultralight harness built for visibility while dogs are out at night. Whether that be romping in the yard, or a neighborhood walk, owners can get a 360-degree view of where their dog is at all times.

It keeps walkers safe from motorists when visibility is low. It alerts others of where you and your dog are. And overall, it gives you peace of mind to know that you can still get your dog’s exercise in, even if the rest of the day is consumed with other busy activities.

Honestly, I haven’t seen anything quite like the way this harness works. Everything from the design to the quality to the research behind it has proven its absolute value in the pet product market.

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Pricing

With a simple search for night walking dog harnesses, you might find a handful of results. The majority of them are made of reflective material only, and only a few offer lights. So comparing the price, LightHound might seem on the expensive side at $83.25 on their website. However, none of the competitors have the same flexible design with enclosed lights that show an all-angle view, no matter where your dog is.

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Contents

The LightHome Harness box comes with everything you need to easily fit and operate the harness. The harness itself has a pull-out tab to prevent the light up features from accidentally setting off during shipping.

A USB charging cord is included to recharge the harness when the lights are running low. And there is a handy user guide that walks you through exactly how to fit, charge, and use the harness.

All instructions are clear, and they even include a guide to disassembling the lights so you can machine wash the rest.

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In Summary

Key Features of the LightHound LED Harness

Quality Design

It’s safe to say that the design of this harness is above most of the standard market. Not only is it lightweight and easy to clean, but each piece of this harness was designed with science in mind.

Noxgear designers asked the questions that matter: Scientifically, what would help provide the best visibility? How could we incorporate that into a design? What is it that a harness needs in order to stand the test of dog wear?

I’m just as impressed with the dog-friendly design as the benefits it has to offer.

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Visibility Options

At first, I was a little disappointed that there weren’t any options for the color of reflective material. However, after learning why Noxgear uses bright yellow, I realized it’s for safety.

And was thrilled when I realized there were a ton of options when it came to the lights!

With 6 multicolored and 8 solid options, your dog could easily sport any color that works best for you and your environment. And unlike the color of reflective material, there really isn’t a “best option” for lights. They all glow brightly in the dark, making it super easy for anyone to notice up to ¼ mile away.

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Easy to Use

Sometimes when I try out a new harness, it can be confusing as to which end loops around the neck and which one is around the chest. This harness, however, is extremely easy to tell. One end unclips to fit around the chest. The other end doesn’t unclip at all, obviously looping over your dog’s head.

The adjustments are fantastic, too. If your dogs are sometimes in between sizes, simply using your best guess will be fine. There’s enough room in the adjustment straps to resize it to whatever you might need.

With a single power button, the lights are easy to work. Press and hold to turn on or off. And if you want to change the light pattern or color, a single button press is all it takes to flip through and choose what you’d like to use.

Is LightHound LED Harness a Good Value?

In short, yes. Absolutely.

My neighborhood gets really dark at night—there are no streetlights. At most, some houses may leave their porch lights on, but it’s not enough to light up the road, let alone who might be walking on it.

This harness goes above and beyond the typical reflective products on the market. It’s easy to use, fits nicely and comfortably. And with science backing up the design, I can guarantee this harness will keep any night-time dog walker a lot safer.

In my opinion, you can’t put a price on that kind of peace of mind. For that alone, the LightHound LED Harness is a great value.

FAQ

Will it hold my strong-pulling dog?

Yes, it’s been tested with 300 pounds of force. That being said, the LightHound LED Harness isn’t really made for dogs who are learning to walk on a leash. The leash loop and restraints will hold, but they won’t prevent a dog from pulling out of your hand.

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Is it waterproof?

While your dog can safely wear the LightHound LED Harness in light rain, the light housing itself is not waterproof. If Fido wants to go for a swim, please take the light housing off to prevent damage.

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Will this fit my dog?

This harness comes in sizes S–XL. However, the adjustments allow for a lot of wiggle room, so you don’t need to know the exact size of your dog in order to get a good fit. To give you an idea of size, my Standard Poodles both fit a size L.

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How do I clean the harness?

The light housing easily comes off, allowing you to throw the harness material into the washing machine. Air drying will provide the best results.

Our Experience With LightHound LED Harness

I was super excited to get this LightHound LED Harness for my dogs. Both Zeta and Blanche love walks, and more often than I’d like to admit, I end up skipping a daily walk and let them run in the backyard instead. By the time I have a free moment, it’s usually late in the day, and the sun is going down.

As stated above, my neighborhood gets very dark very quickly. Between the lack of streetlights and the abundance of tall trees, I don’t feel safe walking Zeta or Blanche after dusk.

Opening up the LightHound package, I quickly realized how much thought the creators put into this design. With an added light housing and enclosed LEDs, I would have thought it might have been uncomfortable or heavy. Surprisingly, it’s incredibly light. The package includes a charging cord (we all know how often this is forgotten in some products). And I appreciated getting an added guide that walked me through how to slide it over Blanche’s head and start up the lights.

Putting it on Blanche, I was skeptical with the size. It looked HUGE on her! But the second I pulled on the adjustment straps, I realized I had nothing to worry about. They easily made it snug around her chest. They even have a bit of velcro to wrap up the excess so it doesn’t dangle uncomfortably under your dog while walking.

I took both dogs out separately, testing to see how much this harness would actually make them visible. During dusk, the light was bright and the reflective material was effective. As cars drove down the street, they pulled aside to give us room perhaps quicker than I’ve seen them do before.

As the night grew darker, I became even more impressed with the way the lights brightened up the surrounding area. Zeta’s fur is dark, and I always worry about losing her at night to some squirrel that’s caught her attention. But even if she had run out of my hands, I have no doubt I would be able to see her. The glow of the color changing lights was incredibly bright!

I didn’t charge the harness before I used it. (I was curious to see how long the charge it came with would last.) Turns out, it lasted a while. I was able to take both dogs on individual 1-mile walks two days in a row before there was even a hint of it needing a charge. When that time came, there was a tiny red blinking light by the charge port to notify me. Even then, I could walk another half a mile home and it still didn’t go out.

The only awkward part of this harness are the little velcro pieces. Regardless of your dog’s size, there will be excess strap material. To keep it out of place, you have to wrap it up and secure it within the velcro. The result is this little velcro ball by the dog’s neck and chest. For the first few minutes, Zeta was annoyed by it bouncing back and forth on her. But, once we got going, she forgot about it completely.

 

Conclusion

Overall, this harness is up there on my favorites list. I’m so glad it’s in our collection now, so I can safely walk Zeta and Blanche, no matter what time of day it is.

The thought that went into this design simply can’t be matched by anything else I’ve seen on the market. I love that the founders decided on every detail based on the science they knew and the facts they researched.

Being able to use this on one dog (Blanche) who typically fits a more M, and another (Zeta) who typically fits a L, without any trouble is an added bonus for me. Sometimes it’s difficult to figure out exact sizing, and this LightHound Harness takes the guesswork out of it.

But the most valuable piece of this harness is the safety it provides. I got many compliments walking my Poodles out at night, one of which came from a neighbor who walked out of their house to mention they saw it from their window. This harness brings peace of mind in the form of visibility, which makes me so thankful I now have one in hand.