Retractable Leash Buyers Guide - The Set a Distance Retractable Leash
Welcome to our 4-part Buyers Guide on Retractable Leashes.
This is Part 3 and concerns the Dial-a-Distance Retractable Leash.
This leash presents another interesting variation on the base retractable leash. The Dial-a-Distance retractable leash by Thunderworks and Flexi allows you to set the length of your leash using a dial. Depending on whether you are in a crowded area and need a leash that’s only 5 feet long, or are on an outdoor hike where your dog can roam it’s full 16 feet or anywhere in between, simply turning the dial to the desired length makes the leash stop at that set length. And there is also a stop button that locks the length, just like the base retractable leash.
Although this leash design is an interesting concept, I found it was not as useful as I thought it might be. Once again the jerk stop is a major issue, but this time it is difficult to predict because the set length of leash can always be different. Unless you have a good sense of visually measuring how long the leash is at any given time, AND you always remember the leash length you have set, jerk stops occur even more frequently than with the automatic brake or the base retractable leash.
I appreciate that the dial is easy and intuitive to operate, however, the actual set length is only visible on the side of the leash with the Thunderworks version, so to view it you have to twist the leash on its side to see the set length. And it’s not visible anywhere on the Flexi version.
Adding to that inconvenience on the Thunderworks version there is no lock feature that sets the leash length in place as a temporary measure. To change the length of the leash for a short time without having to keep your finger on the stop button you must use 2 hands and turn the dial to your current leash’s length. Try doing that when carrying a bag of groceries.
I like the idea of being able to change the total length of a retractable leash and that the leash stays taught at shorter length settings. Leash length is an important safety concern especially in crowded busy areas. However, the potentially dangerous jerk stop prevalent on all the retractable leash types reviewed so far is still present with this design and is actually, in my opinion, made worse because it is harder to predict when that end of leash will occur.
Pros:
The ability to set the length of your retractable leash and still have the leash tape taught between you and your dog
Cons:
The variable length makes it harder to predict when the leash will run out and cause a jerk stop
The set length is not immediately visible when walking your dog
No leash lock mechanism is available
This leash is the heaviest I tested
Rating:
Available Models:
