Do you ever worry that the clasp on your dog’s collar will suddenly come unconnected?
I do.
Lots of owners have experienced this heart-stopping problem.
This could not only allow your dog to run away during a walk, but it’d also leave her without ID tags.
So, when Impact – perhaps the leading heavy-duty dog crate manufacturer in the world – reached out and asked if we’d like to check out their dog collar and leash set, I jumped at the chance.
Read on to learn more about these security-minded dog-care tools, see some photos of them on my dog, and find out what I thought about them.
The Impact Dog Leash & Dog Collar Set: Key Takeaways
- Though primarily a dog-crate manufacturer, Impact has begun offering a high-quality leash and collar. Each is sold separately, but they make a natural set.
- Like most other Impact products, this collar and leash set is designed to provide optimal dog security. The leash features a control handle that makes it easy to keep your dog super close, and the collar features a unique and secure clasp mechanism.
- Security aside, this is a premium leash and collar set. They’re both made in the USA and constructed from military-grade materials, so you know they’ll last.
Impact: A Well-Known Name in the Dog Crate Category
If you’ve ever searched for a dog crate – particularly an extra-large dog crate or a crate for a dog with separation anxiety — you’re probably already familiar with the Impact brand.
They produce some of the strongest, most durable, and feature-packed crates on the market.
Check out either of those articles linked above to see my hands-on reviews of some of their crates (spoiler alert: I loved them and still use them regularly, many months later).
But Impact has recently ventured out into other dog gear categories. They now manufacture an orthopedic dog bed and a “dog den,” as well as the two products we’ll be talking about today: a high-quality leash and super-secure dog collar.
We’ll get to the leash and collar in a minute, but first, a few things about Impact:
- Impact was started in 2012 by their CEO Hunter Bailey, who has 25 years of experience in the manufacturing industry.
- All Impact products are manufactured in the USA at their Northern Idaho facility.
- Impact is a safety-first company, as explained by their CEO: “Our mission is to ensure the security, safety, and protection of your loved one.”
- Impact is family-owned and sources the materials for their products from small businesses across the United States.
- The brand strives to be eco-friendly, and 99% of the aluminum used to manufacture their crates is recycled.
- Over the last decade or so, Impact has donated more than 1,000 dog crates to over 100 K-9 units, animal shelters, and search and rescue organizations.
- Impact provides discounts to military personnel, first-responders, and non-profit owners and employees.
- Financing is available for some of Impact’s crates.
Impact Dog Collar and Dog Leash: The Basics
Now that you know a little bit about the brand, it’s time to delve into Impact’s collar and leash.
We’ll start with the basic specs and features before moving on to my experiences.
The Impact Dog Collar
The Impact Dog Collar is designed with safety and security at the forefront, but it’s also constructed with an eye toward canine comfort.
Some of the collar’s important features and specs include:
- Made in the USA
- Constructed of military-grade, 6000-pound-test ballistic nylon
- Features a magnetic collar closure
- Collar fabric is very flexible for canine comfort
- Features aluminum D-ring leash clip
- Includes Impact’s logo and cute little dog icon graphic
Colors: The Impact Dog Collar is available in your choice of Black, Tan, or OD Green.
Sizes: You can pick up the Impact Dog Collar in small (8” to 14”), medium (12.75” to 18.25”), large (15.125” to 22.75”), or extra-large (20” to 26”).
The Impact Dog Leash
In addition to safety and security, the Impact Dog Leash is designed to provide fantastic control of your dog when necessary. It’s also intended to be comfortable in the hand and a pleasure to use.
Some of the leash’s important features and specs include:
- Measures approximately 52” long
- Constructed of military-grade, 6000-pound-test ballistic nylon
- Features dual hand loops – one at each end of the leash
- Includes a steel carabiner-style clip
- Comes with an aluminum D-ring near the primary handle
- Handles are lightly padded for comfort
Colors: The Impact Dog Leash is available in your choice of Black, Tan, or OD Green.
Sizes: The leash only comes in one size.
My Experiences with the Impact Dog Collar and Leash
After discussing sizes and colors with our Impact rep, they sent out the collar and leash. It arrived a few days later in a simple brown envelope.
Right away, I was impressed with the way the set looked. They were both jet black with bright white logos along their length (hey, a little branding never hurt anyone!).
Picking them up, it was immediately apparent that these dog-gear items were of the quality I’ve come to expect from Impact.
The fabric felt great.
Unlike some other leashes and collars that are made from substandard materials that seem to start fraying the moment the sewing machine stops, Impact uses military-grade ballistic nylon webbing that’s rated for 6,000 pounds of tensile force.
The durability of this material means that both the collar and leash are chewproof.
And the stitching is fantastic – no stray threads nor any “wandering” stitch lines, like you sometimes see with lower-quality collars and leashes.
It sounds a little weird to go on and on about the quality of the fabric, but I’ve had problems with leashes snapping in the past, so I take this stuff seriously.
But there’s no need for concern here: I felt completely confident in the fabric of this heavy-duty leash and collar, which means the world to me.
And the hardware is all rock-solid too.
The buckle, D-rings, collar latch, and leash clasp are all built from either aluminum or steel and feel solid without being overly heavy.
Unfortunately, the leash clasp doesn’t feature a locking mechanism, but it still feels secure when attached to the collar.
The gate is easy enough to open and clip to the collar, and I felt confident that it wasn’t going to open and allow my dog to run free at any point.
There’s a little D-ring attached to the leash that would be handy for clipping on poop bags or other small items, but I didn’t use it for anything. The ring is clearly more than strong enough to handle anything owners would normally attach to it.
The handle is pretty comfy on the hand too. It may not be the plushest thing I’ve ever felt, but it’s nice.
The Impact Dog Leash also comes with a secondary handle, down by the clasp. Often called a “control handle” or “traffic handle,” these are pretty common among dog leashes.
But here’s the thing: I usually don’t like or use control handles, but I really liked the one included with this leash.
Both of my pups are fairly dog-reactive, so I do need some extra control when other dogs pass us on the trail.
However, I think most manufacturers miss the mark with these. I always feel like they’re too far away from the clasp to be really effective.
So, I tend to just grab the bottom of the leash or the handle on their harness with my hand.
But the Impact Dog Leash’s control handle is located right down at the bottom of the leash, near the clasp.
And this means you can use it to completely control your doggo when need be.
In terms of usage, this leash felt awesome. It’s actually a bit shorter than standard leashes, but it was still easy to use when walking my gals.
Moving to the collar, the first thing I’d point out is that it was easy to adjust the size. Both of my pups fell into the “extra-large” range, but I needed to make it almost as small as it would go.
That was no problem though – the adjustment buckle grips the leash pretty tightly (so you don’t have to worry about it loosening over time), while still being easy enough to slide.
But the real thing we need to talk about is that clasp. It’s unlike any other clasp I’ve seen.
To be honest, it took me a minute to figure out how to open it.
There’s a little pull string attached to the clasp, which you tug on to open it up. It’s not the easiest thing to operate in the world, but that’s kind of the point — it’s supposed to be secure.
This thing is not coming unfastened accidentally, nor will your dog figure out how to unclip it. Once you put it on, it’s going to stay there until you deliberately decide to take it off.
But there’s something nifty that happens once you do unclip it. Or at least, once you’re ready to re-fasten it.
The latch is magnetic.
When you bring both sides of the clasp near each other, they pull together and latch automatically. This is a pretty neat feature, and it makes it very easy to connect both halves of the collar together.
So, all in all, I really liked this leash and collar set – especially the collar.
Owners looking for a good leash for arthritic hands may want to try out the Impact Dog Leash.
Although it isn’t specifically designed for owners with hand-strength or dexterity challenges, the leash’s clasp is quite easy to operate and may provide additional value to people in these situations.
Bottom Line: Are the Impact Dog Collar and Leash Worth It?
You betcha.
I immediately decided that I was switching out collars the moment I put the Impact Collar on my Rottie.
It’s been on her since I first started trying it out. I love it and think most other dog owners – especially those who worry about collar security – will too.
The leash is really nice too.
I’m a huge proponent of always keeping your dog leashed when you’re not in an enclosed area, so I have a litany of leashes scattered in all directions.
They’re hanging by every door, lurking inside every dog-gear backpack, and tucked in all of our cars.
If I’m taking one of the girls out for a quick pee break, I’ll just grab whichever one is closest.
But if I’m taking one in the car or heading out for a long walk, I’ll deliberately pick the one I think will work best.
And for those times when I want to keep my dog extra close, or I’m worried about them freaking out at other dogs or skateboarders, I will definitely rely on the Impact Leash.
It’s slightly shorter length and included control handle make it great for escorting a reactive dog through a crowded space, and the quality, strength, and durability of the leash mean that I’m not constantly worried about a leash breaking.
Suffice to say, I highly recommend this leash and collar from Impact.
Pros & Cons of the Impact Dog Leash and Impact Dog Collar
We obviously liked this set, but no products are perfect. Check out some of the benefits and drawbacks of this leash and collar set below!
Pros
- Both the collar and leash are very strong, durable, and well made
- The collar clasp is secure and unlikely to come unclipped accidentally (or because of your dog’s teeth)
- The leash’s included traffic handle is well-placed and useful
- The leash clip is a breeze to operate
- You can pick up a set in matching colors
Cons
- We wish the leash clasp featured a locking mechanism
- You have to pay for this kind of quality and security
The Impact Dog Leash is only about 52 inches long — approximately 20 inches shorter than standard, 6-foot dog leashes.
This may be a good thing for some owners and a not-so-awesome thing for others. It certainly won’t give your pooch as much room to roam as standard leashes do, but some owners prefer keeping their dog a little closer.
Where Can You Buy the Impact Dog Collar & Leash?
Think this leash and collar are a good fit for your dog? Ready to pick up your own set? You can purchase them both directly from Impact.
Click the links below to get started!
A premium dog collar that's built like a tank and features a unique clasp design, which prevents the clasp from coming unconnected.
A strong and durable dog leash with an easy-to-operate clip and a built-in traffic handle to provide owners with better control when necessary.
There you have it – our experiences with Impact’s Dog Leash and Dog Collar. I obviously really liked them both, but I’m curious about you. Have you tried either of these out? What did you think of them? Did I forget any nifty features?
Let us know in the comments below!
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