We'll start with the 4 ft. lead.
The 4 ft. lead
is 9mm in diameter with a high-quality snap hook imported from Europe.
The snap hook does indeed feel very sturdy to me, sturdier than a lot of snap hooks I've seen/had.
The rope feels
very strong and sturdy. Not a single snag after 2+ weeks of (very nearly) daily use, not even with Penny Piranha taking a snap at it on multiple occasions (I have had other rope leashes that snag very easily, especially when puppy teeth grab it, so I was impressed).
I love the knot at the hand loop. It's great to hold on to, to keep your hand from slipping, or if you just like having something to hold. It feels nice, not uncomfortable at all.
My dogs don't tug... most of the time, and when they do, it's not much (except in special cases, but we won't get into that since Petal has been trying her hardest to contain herself and has yet to have one of those "moments" while wearing either one of these leashes), so I can't tell you if hard tugging would be extra painful (let's face it, being tugged on is uncomfortable/painful regardless of the leash) with this leash or not. But for me, light tugging didn't cause me any rope burns or discomfort at all.
While the leash isn't super soft, it isn't rough either. When it first arrived it was a little bit stiff, but after a few uses it softened up a bit, not to a point where it feels less sturdy, just to where it feels more comfortable and easier to roll up.
Now onto the training lead.
The Training lead
is 18 inches long and 7mm in diameter with a high-quality snap hook imported from Europe.
This training lead is for medium-large sized dogs.
I'll admit that when I first pulled it out of the box I thought it looked a little too small, but I was completely wrong. It's the perfect length for a training lead.
We received this training lead at the perfect time. I was really wanting another. The one I have is one of the only things I have with Ella's name on it. Call me sentimental (or just mental), but I don't want to use it. I like to see it hanging on her leash hook.
This training lead has been extremely useful already. Penny has this...
charming habit of tying anyone and anything up with her leash, even on a short walk to the mail boxes. This leash is too short to do that with, thankfully.
It's great for Petal (the lovely model) too. We often like to walk around Main Street and the neighborhoods nearby and with summer coming, the crowds are returning as well. We live in a fairly small town, so it doesn't get insanely crowded or anything, but it's nice to keep the curious, excitable dog close when people are walking by. Not everyone appreciates being nudged or licked by a random dog, apparently (strange, I know). I also like to keep the dogs close when crossing a busy street or taking a trip to the vet; it'll be extremely helpful then.
Though much smaller than the 4 ft. leash, this training leash feels very sturdy.
It's very comfortable to hold and I really like that I can easily toss it into my purse on the way out the door, just incase I need a short leash while we're out.
I also love the colors in this rope leash.
Our Personal Ratings:
The dogs give the 4 ft. leash four out of four paws up for durability.
I give the 4 ft. leash 5 out of 5 hearts for comfort.
And 4 hearts for style.
The Training leash gets 3.5 paws for durability (simply because it would get chewed through faster if left out, so be careful).
Comfort.
Style.
Cost.
Personally, I don't think either leash costs all that much for what they are (handmade, very strong), but they certainly are not your extremely cheap leashes. However, that being said, they aren't made like your extremely cheap leashes either. They feel and look like they're built to last, so they're worth the price tag.
I highly recommend these leashes. They're comfortable, strong, well made, and cute too!
I've got my eye on the tug toys made of the same recycled climbing rope, too. Bet those are nice and strong!
Go check them out! Tell them we sent you!
Disclosure: I was sent two leashes from Ropes 4 Dogs free of charge in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid to give a positive review. All opinions shared here are entirely my own and not influenced by any outside party.