My cats are testing LucyBalu’s «Explorer» walking harness

Debora Pape

16.3.2026

Translation: Elicia Payne

Pictures: Debora Pape

Why not take your pet outside and show it the world outside your four walls? All you need is a good harness to secure the lead so that they don’t run off. Here are my thoughts on one I bought recently.

When I go on walks with my cat, I’m always met with surprised looks. Walking a dog’s perfectly normal, but cats on a lead aren’t something you see every day. That’s something the walkers in my neighbourhood will have to get used to. I take my two one-year-old cat siblings, Bonnie and Balu, on walks in the forest so that they can also see the great outdoors.

Of course, to do this, your cat needs to be keen and you need a well-fitting harness you can attach the lead to. Until December, I just used basic harnesses made of narrow straps – that was until the holding ring for the lead broke off on one of them while I was out and about. But that’s a story I might leave for another day. And that’s why I had no choice but to start looking for a new harness.

Since my cats can’t directly communicate their comfort level with me, the only way to find out is to observe them – do they behave differently with a harness on, do they try to take it off? Do they hobble or limp strangely? Or do they not even seem to notice the harness?

Padded, wide straps that distributed the pulling tension were also very important to me. Especially for Balu, who’ll suddenly start sprinting and then feel the abrupt end of the eight-metre lead. Of course, I don’t want him to hurt himself in the process.

The Explorer consists of a padded chest and back section, fastened in the neck and stomach area by adjustable textile straps. Three click fasteners secure the harness: one at the neck and two at the sides of the belly.

On the back, there’s a metal retaining ring painted in the same colour as the fabric. Unfortunately, the paint’s not scratch-resistant and wears off quickly. But this doesn’t bother me too much. It’s more important that the ring’s sturdy, so that it doesn’t simply tear off under jerky pulling force as it did with the old harness.

Although Balu is significantly larger than his sister, the same size harness fits both of them very well because you can adjust the straps. Bonnie couldn’t be any smaller, though, because the neck strap doesn’t go any tighter. Balu also walks well in a size S – it makes me wonder which big cat the harness variant M/L is intended for.

So that I don’t have to reset the harnesses every time, I’ve chosen a different colour for each cat to make it easier to distinguish them. Bonnie’s version is beige and has eight reflective strips on the top and bottom. Balu’s version in pink, however, doesn’t have any reflectors even though it’s the same model. I’m not entirely sure why, but it’s not a big deal – I only take the cats out during the day anyway.

Nevertheless, should the cat get loose for any reason, the reflective strips could help you spot them in the dark. The small breast pocket’s designed for the same purpose. You can store a Bluetooth tracker or a piece of paper with your address in there.

What’s Explorer like in practice?

I’ve now been using the new harnesses for about an hour several days a week for almost three months. Because Bonnie and Balu have been wearing harnesses since they were very young, they quickly got used to the new ones. They patiently put it on and don’t seem to care when they’re wearing it.

«Go out escape-proof!» is LucyBalu’s advertising motto. The problem is, this conveys a sense of security that doesn’t exist. Panicked or unhappy cats can be incredibly agile and exert a lot of strength. If the harness is just a little too wide at the neck, they can slip it off over their heads. As a rule of thumb, two fingers should fit between the harness and the cat. Depending on the thickness of its coat and the cat’s mood, it’s not always easy to find that sweet spot between «tight enough» and «too tight». In my opinion, it’s irresponsible to label any harness «escape-proof».

So far, my two cats have made no attempt to get rid of their harnesses. But I do have issues when I use a little force to try and encourage Balu to move. If he wants to sniff a branch for another ten minutes against the direction of pull and I continue to pull from a greater distance, the harness slips towards his head. That’s when I decide to let go.

So is the Explorer escape-proof? Yes and no. The harness is stable and easy to adjust. However, the really important factors – the correct fit and handling the cat – are then up to me. Verdict: My cats enjoy walking in this harness Everyone’s happy with the Explorer. It’s easy to put on and I don’t get the impression the harness is squeezing the cats or hindering them when walking. Quite the opposite, in fact, they move as if they weren’t in a harness. It’s sturdy, has wide straps and the fasteners are secure.

I can’t see any disadvantages to the harness. I just would have liked to see reflective strips in both colourways.

In a nutshell

My cats enjoy walking with this harness on

Everyone’s happy with the Explorer. It’s easy to put on and I don’t get the impression the harness is squeezing the cats or hindering them when walking. Quite the opposite, in fact, they move as if they weren’t in a harness. It’s sturdy, has wide straps and the fasteners are secure.

I can’t see any disadvantages to the harness. I just would’ve liked to see reflective strips in both colourways.

Pro

• Robust design
• Padded
• <positiveConclusionDetails>Small pocket on the chest (which I don’t use)
• Beige version comes with reflective strips
• Doesn’t seem to interfere with movements
• My cats look happy
• my cats look happy

Contra

• Pink version doesn’t have reflective strips
• Paint on the D-ring rubs off quickly

Collar + Leashes

LucyBalu EXPLORER Katzengeschirr

S, XS, Cat, Walks

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Debora Pape

Editor

Debora.Pape@galaxus.de

Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.

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