The Best Dog Seat Belts in 2025
Taking your dog for a ride in the car doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Many dogs are curious and want to climb all over the place. At the same time, you’re trying to pilot a seriously dangerous vehicle. Not helpful, co-pilot. But there is hope! Dog seatbelts and securing tethers can change your trip to the supermarket from a dangerous mission to an easy outing.
What makes a good dog seatbelt? Do you need the fastener to clip into the seatbelt itself, or should it attach it differently? What if your dog likes to chew on it? Will it help if you get into a car accident? Traveling dog owners are looking for safe-travel solutions. We’ll address these questions and more as we check out the top six best dog seatbelt tethers on Amazon.
Our Top 6 List
Last update on 2025-01-13 at 03:20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
1. Kurgo Direct Seat Belt Tether
This tether clips directly into your car’s seatbelt clip to keep your pup securely in one place while you drive. It fastens to any harness with a carabiner clip. It also comes in strap tether and swivel-clip styles. The tether is a little simpler—just slip it through your standard seatbelt and attach it to your dog. The swivel is handy for wiggly dogs, who can get tangled up in basically anything.
The tether’s length is between 15 and 22 inches, including the carabiner clip. It’s approximately 7/8″ wide, so double-check the measurement of your car’s clip before you buy. Kurgo states that the tether does NOT work with Volvo models. Additionally, they recommend not using it in Ford trucks. You can purchase the tether singly or in a two-pack for multiple cars or dogs.
Kurgo offers a lifetime manufacturer defect warranty on its products when you purchase them through an authorized retailer. Please note that the tether is NOT crash-test rated, so don’t rely on it as a crash safety belt. It’s made to keep your dog from moving around too much in the car while you’re driving. Use wisely.
Takeaways
- Fastens to any harness
- Uses existing seat belt clips
- 4 tethering styles
- Lifetime manufacturer warranty
2. Leash Boss Seat Belt Restraint
Not your average nylon belt! The Leash Boss is made with a nylon-coated steel rope—the same material used in tie-outs you might see out in the yard—great for dogs who like to chew. Rather than clipping into the seat belt fastener, it attaches directly to the latch bar. The latch bar is that little metal rod you may have seen when you’re digging for change between the back seats.
The restraint comes in five lengths to fit your individual dog’s needs, ranging from 16-36 inches long. The smallest even has lighter-weight fasteners that are great for your little guys, so they don’t have to slog around the back seat like they’re carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders.
One Amazon purchaser mentions that the clips weren’t strong enough to handle their dog, so they removed the clip and replaced it with a sturdier carabiner. However, they said the cable itself was so sturdy and well-manufactured that it was still worth the purchase.
Takeaways
- Chew-proof nylon-coated steel cable
- Attaches to latch bar rather than seatbelt clip
- 5 different lengths
3. iBuddy Dog Seat Belts for Cars
This nylon leash features a “bungee” section that allows for some more stretch if you brake sharply or speed around a tight corner. The clip attachment is carabiner-style with a screw-in locking mechanism, which helps keep it securely latched to your dog’s harness.
Like many tethers, this one clips directly into your seatbelt latch for ease of use and fits most standard cars, coming in at 0.83 inches wide and 1.57 inches long. As usual, make sure to measure your seatbelt’s clips before you buy, and test it out before you use it. iBuddy has a 30-day refund or replacement policy, so if it doesn’t fit, send it back.
The strap adjusts to the size of your dog, from 24.3 to 29.9 inches in length. Adjustment buckle appears sturdy, but keep an eye on it if your dog chews—it’s just a little bit of plastic. iBuddy recommends its standard size for dogs over 15 pounds, with a lighter-weight option available for puppies and dogs under 15 pounds.
Takeaways
- Bungee section for extra flexibility
- Screw-lock carabiner attachment
- Adjustable strap
- Additional option available for puppies and very small dogs
4. Pawaboo Dog Safety Vest & Adjustable Strap
This tethering device is actually a tether and harness in one! This is perfect for those dogs who normally just wear a collar around town. Just pop your pup into the harness in the car using the quick and easy fast-release buckles around the back of the harness.
Construction is 100% polyester with a sponge-padded chest plate. Makes your dog sound like a comfortably dressed warrior-hero. And fashionably dressed, too. The harness comes in nine different colors your pooch can show off to friends at the dog park.
One thing to note—the clip and D-ring that attach the tether and harness together do not look like the sturdiest we’ve seen. This may not be the right choice for you if your dog is energetic and tends to yank or pull. Take care if you have a big, strong pooch.
As with many tethers, the strap’s seatbelt clip may not be compatible with your car, and Pawaboo provides a list of incompatible makes/models on the Amazon listing. Check there before you buy to make sure your car’s not on the blacklist.
Takeaways
- Full harness and strap tether
- Fast-release buckles on harness for quick trips
- Sizes small to extra large
- Variety of colors
5. Bwogue Safety Belt Strap
This tether strap attaches to your backseat headrests, and you can use it as a traditional hand leash if you find yourself in a pinch. They’re made with wide high-quality nylon straps that resist chewing and solid zinc alloy swiveling clips for attachment.
You can also use these tethers to quickly and securely attach your dog to trees or strong posts. It’s perfect if you want to pop into the store but don’t want to leave your doggo in the hot car. Straps are adjustable between 18 and 30 inches in length to suit your vehicle and your dog. They come in a 2-pack in 12 different styles and colors, including a few extra-stretchy bungee options.
This type of strap only works with cars that have adjustable backseat headrests. If your vehicle doesn’t have them or just has foam bumps as headrests, this type of strap won’t work for you. To secure it properly, you need the strap to cinch down smaller than the headrest, or it’ll just pop right off.
Takeaways
- Attaches to backseat headrests
- Doubles as a leash or securing tether outside the car
- Adjustable length
- Variety of colors and styles
6. SlowTon Dog Car Harness & Connector Strap
The SlowTon harness is a quality all-in-one setup. This tether strap includes a breathable harness vest and all the typical trappings of a standard seatbelt-clip style tether. Bungee-style strap clips securely into the buckle clip and then to the dog’s harness.
The strap is adjustable, though the product description does not give any details about specific short or long lengths. The harness comes in a range of sizes from XXX-small to large. It is additionally adjustable on the neck and chest straps. It may be hard to judge which size your dog needs based solely on those size descriptions. There is a sizing chart, so check your dog’s measurements to get the best fit and adjust accordingly.
The harness and straps come in a variety of fun colors, including a cute red-and-white picnic blanket print. We like that one best.
Takeaways
- Includes both strap and harness
- Wide range of harness sizes
- Variety of color choices
Verdict & Review
Kurgo Direct to Seatbelt Tether for Dogs
Pros
- Fastens to any harness
- Uses existing seat belt clips
- 4 tethering styles
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- We haven't encountered any cons.
After reviewing many different styles, our pick for the all-around winner is Kurgo’s Direct-to-Seatbelt tether. We appreciate the variety of attachment options Kurgo provides for securing the tether into your car. The strap and attachments are of sturdy construction. This is a no-nonsense, easy-to-use security tether.While the Kurgo strap’s maximum length is shorter than some other options, its minimum length is shorter, too. This makes it ideal for keeping your dog contained in smaller cars. Kurgo is upfront about which models of car the straps WON’T work in. And just in case you aren’t satisfied or the product breaks due to a manufacturing defect, the folks at Kurgo offer a lifetime manufacturer warranty.
Buying Guide
Safety ratings
Most seatbelt tethers for your dog are designed to keep your dog secure while you’re driving. They help keep your dog from climbing all over the car or jumping out the window while your vehicle is in motion.
Tethers usually feature heavy-duty construction materials that will resist your dog’s chewing and pulling. However, typical models are not safety-rated like a standard seatbelt. They are not designed to hold up to the intensity of a collision or car accident. Installed car seatbelts for humans require a strict safety rating. Dog tethers do not meet this same rating, so do not rely on them in the same way you would a human seatbelt.
That said, using a seatbelt tether CAN help keep your dog safer in the event of a collision. A lot of dog-related collision injuries actually result when your dog is free to roam the car. You may need to brake suddenly, or another car could impact you from any angle. A dog that is not secured is likely to hit objects inside the vehicle or to be ejected altogether. Though most dog seatbelt tethers aren’t as highly rated as a human seatbelt, they are absolutely better than using nothing.
To Chew or Not To Chew—a realistic question
Your dog’s chewing habits can help you make a decision about which tether to buy right out of the gate. Not every dog will focus on freedom long enough to make a difference in one gnawing session, but some dogs can and will chew anything.
While most tethers use high-quality, sturdy nylon, dogs’ teeth are sharp. With enough work, even the smallest teeth may eventually break through. If your dog is known to chew, look for the highest-quality materials when you buy. Check your tether often to make sure there are no rips or tears each time you and your pup take a drive.
Some tethers and seatbelt attachments are made with a more durable steel cable, like those you would see on an outside dog tether line. Consider choosing a steel cable model if your dog is a well-known chomper, especially if you are leaving your dog in the car unattended with the windows down.
Always use a harness, not a collar
Never use a dog seatbelt tether with a plain collar. This can put dangerous or deadly pressure on your dog’s neck and throat, especially if you need to brake or accelerate quickly or are involved in a collision.
A lot of tethers are made to hook to your dog’s existing harness in the same place that you attach the leash. Simple. If your dog usually wears a harness, you won’t need to buy one of the more comprehensive harness-and-tether sets. Just attach the clip and away you go!
If your dog leashes straight to a collar, a complete harness-and-tether set might be precisely what you need. The harnesses included in these kits are generally easier to get in and out of than a typical harness. Just slip in and clip on! You guys will be safely on the road in no time.
We are the Pet Dog Pals, a group of avid pet owners, bloggers, product testers, and writers for all your canine needs! We own a collective 16 dogs and 21 cats to help us test and review pet products. Our top lists and tips come from experience to help you be the best dog owner you can be!