Dog leash rubric

Criteria & weights

1. 1. Material durability

   Weight 20/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Heavy biothane, thick leather, or reinforced nylon with material spec
   2. 5Standard nylon
   3. 0Thin unnamed webbing

2. 2. Hardware load rating

   Weight 15/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Metal clasp with published load rating
   2. 5Metal clasp, no load rating
   3. 0Plastic clasp

3. 3. Length options

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 103+ lengths in feet with use-case guidance
   2. 52 lengths
   3. 0Single length only

4. 4. Comfort handle

   Weight 15/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Padded neoprene with anti-friction lining
   2. 5Padded neoprene
   3. 0Basic nylon loop

5. 5. Traffic handle / second grip

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Padded traffic handle near collar with reflective element
   2. 5Second grip present
   3. 0Single handle

6. 6. Visibility

   Weight 10/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Full reflective or hi-vis panel
   2. 5Reflective stitching
   3. 0No reflective element

7. 7. Retract mechanism safety (or fixed length)

   Weight 20/100

   Signal: product description

   1. 10Fixed length (recommended for training) OR retractable with brake, lock, and tape/cord type disclosed
   2. 5Retractable with brake and lock
   3. 0Retractable with no brake disclosed

Disqualifiers

Any of the following forces a "skip" verdict, no matter how well the product scores on other criteria. Non-negotiable.

• Retractable leash with no brake mechanism
• Plastic clasp only
• Recalled in the last 24 months

Verdict thresholds

Total score cutoffs for each public verdict tier. Sum of weighted criterion scores maps directly onto these bands.

Editors' pick

≥ 80

Solid buy

≥ 65

Situational

≥ 50

Below 50, or any disqualifier hit → verdict: skip.