Is it worth buying a Julius K9 harness? Our honest thoughts
We all want our dogs to feel safe and comfortable, and often this means buying them special accessories. Sometimes these accessories can be really expensive, and it can seem a little ridiculous to spend so much on your furry friend.
If you're observant then you've probably noticed that there is 1 type of dog harness which has completely taken over local parks recently - the Julius K9 harness. This harness might not look especially fancy or attractive, but it seems that every dog owner has decided it's a must-have dog accessory. But is it actually any good? We wanted to take a close look at the Julius K9 harness to see if it it worth buying, let's get into it:
How much does the Julius K9 harness cost?
We should start by clarifying that there is more than 1 Julius K9 harness that you can buy, as the product is available in a variety of sizes and styles, so the price does vary quite a bit. In fact, a Julius K9 harness can cost anywhere between £20 to well over £100, but we think that most of the Julius K9 harnesses that we see when we're out and about are the The Julius K9 harness that we've had the most first-hand experience with is the Powerharness, which costs around £30.
Why do the creators say it's better than a normal dog harness?
The Julius K9 company - which is a Hungarian company - carries out rigorous testing on all of the products within the Julius K9 harness range before they are available to buy. As noted on the official UK website, the Julius K9 products (including the harnesses) are trusted not just by normal dog owners but also by canine police units and security companies. So the real selling point of the Julius K9 harnesses is that they're designed to be tougher than your standard dog harness.
What is the Julius K9 harness actually like?
The main selling point of the Julius K9 harness is the control handle - we'd say that these harnesses are ideal for excitable dogs, as the control handle on the top of the harness is perfect for holding when your dog is trying to run away somewhere. The control handle is very well-made and very secure, meaning no matter how strong your dog is or how hard they are pulling, the control handle will be able to take it. The control handle is also really useful for helping older or heavier dogs to get up into the back of the car - you might not feel confident lifting your dog up by the handle of other dog harnesses, but the control handle on the Julius K9 harness feels very secure.
All of the Julius K9 dog harnesses also come with secure D-Rings which makes attaching leads really simple.
People are often surprised to see that the front of these harnesses is only held together by velcro, but it's a really strong velcro and never seems to come loose. Having the velcro makes it a lot easier to put the harness on and to take it off compared to many other dog harnesses that we've tried, which can be quite fiddly.
Another great thing about the Julius K9 harnesses is that they're built for all types of terrain and weather, and they're great for dogs that like to get into the water - most of the harnesses in the range have a sort of mesh-like fabric which is water-resistant and which will keep your dog really cool in the warmer months. It also dries really quickly if the harness gets wet.
All of the Julius K9 harnesses are made in the EU using materials from Germany. The materials used to make the harnesses are all antiallergenic and skin-friendly.
We also think that a lot of the appeal of these harnesses is the little touches - the front strap is reflective on almost all of the harnesses in the Julius K9 range, as is the stitching.
Anything else to mention?
It's worth mentioning that although Julius K9 harnesses are quite pricey, they're not actually much more expensive than many other dog harnesses that you'll find on the market. For example, the dog harnesses from Hugo & Hudson (pictured) start at around £20 and go all the way up to £40, and although they look quite nice we wouldn't say they have anywhere near the same amount of features as the Julius K9 harnesses.
Another important thing to mention is that there is no Trustpilot profile for Julius K9 which has been claimed by the company, but there is an unclaimed Julius K9 Trustpilot profile we found online which isn't full of great reviews. The profile is currently sitting with an 'Average' rating of 3.2 out of 5 from more than 100 reviews.
So, do we think a Julius K9 harness is worth buying?
Overall we'd say that yes, a Julius K9 harness is worth buying, especially if you have an especially excitable or strong dog. They're built to last and they're extremely well made.
If you've got a smaller dog who is quite easy to control then we'd probably say that you don't need a Julius K9 harness.
Let us know what you think of our guide and if you have any thoughts about these harnesses!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.