Dog Accessory Reviews

Nifti SafeLatch Review – Making a Faster and Stronger Leash Connection

Bright neon dog leash
Written by Kevin Sando

What is your dog’s reaction to the magic word… “walk?”

Chances are they get out of their mind excited, wiggling, jumping and squirming around. With so much movement it can be difficult to get them leashed up and ready to leave the house!

While our old man Harley has no problem keeping himself under control, this is a constant battle we are fighting with Charlie. He lives for his walk/ frisbee time, so curbing his enthusiasm is just not going to happen. This means all sorts of fumbling around (on our part) trying to get the snap of his leash connected to his collar.

Well, we were recently contacted by a company with a new leash which they claimed could solve this problem. We are all about pet products that help to make a pet parents life just a little bit easier, so couldn’t wait to test it out!

They were kind enough to send one over and are sponsoring this post so that we could share it with you!

Introducing the Nifti SafeLatch

Have you ever looked closely at the clasp at the end of your leash? Probably not, but it almost certainly looks like this…

Close up view of the standard bolt clasp - which was originally patented in the late 1800's

This little mechanism is known as a bolt clasp and it was originally patented in the 1800’s. Since then, it basically hasn’t changed.

Nifti SafeLatch review from MyDogLikes

The Nifti SafeLatch is a leash with a redesigned bolt clasp which makes it both easier and safer to use. It comes in a 6 ft. length and is available in black or several different bright colors.

Click Here to Browse their Store!

It may not look all that different at first glance, so perhaps you are wondering what makes this clasp so unique???

SafeLatch Innovations

Self Aligning Magnet

The most obvious feature of the Nifti SafeLatch is an embedded magnet which makes it easier and quicker to connect. This magnet is located opposite the bolt clasp and when brought near your dogs collar will automatically pull the D-Ring in.

What does that mean? One handed leashing! You no longer need to hold the D-Ring in one hand and the bolt clasp in the other to secure your dog! To release the clasp simply pull back the bolt and twist to separate the magnet!

How many times have you wished you had an extra hand when walking your dog?!

The Safelatch has an embedded magnet which makes attaching to the D-ring of your dogs collar simple and fast

Bolt Recess

If you look closely at a standard clasp, the bolt only rests against the metal on the opposite side. This makes the connection basically only as strong as the spring keeping it closed. If the D-Ring is pulled at just the right angle it is possible for it to slip through! Since D-Rings are almost always round, it makes it even more likely that a force in just the right direction would force it to open.

The Nifti SafeLatch on the other hand has added a recess opposite the spring which the bolt fits into. This makes the connection significantly stronger and means a failure won’t occur until the metal itself does. In fact, it has been independently tested to withstand a pulling force of over 660 lbs!

The bolt of the SafeLatch slides into a recess on the opposite side for a more secure connection

Ergonomic Release

Last but not least, the SafeLatch has completely reshaped the release on the bolt. This new design fits better with your thumb and brings it further away from the touch point. What’s that mean? Lower chance of a pinched finger!

The Nifti Safelatch is available in black or several other bright colors.

Testing it Out (Our Nifti SafeLatch Review)

As we mentioned above, we were very excited to test this leash out with our little wiggle worm (Charlie). When we opened up the package, we were immediately impressed with the thickness of the metal. This hardware is clearly high quality and built to last.

We engaged the bolt action a few times and found it to slide easily despite the powerful spring inside. Now, to see how the SafeLatch performs in action…

Demonstrating the magnetic action of the SafeLatch

The photos above show us making our very first connection. We were very impressed with the strength of the embedded magnet – which was plenty powerful to pull the D-Ring into place by simply bringing it close.

One handed connection, just as advertised!

When releasing the tab, you can hear the bolt clicking into place. This sound is reassuring and makes you feel that your dog is truly secure. Every owners worst nightmare is a loose dog, so this peace of mind is very important.

Testing out the Nifti SafeLatch for ourselves

As you walk you may hear the D-ring clicking as it touches and separates from the magnet. No worries, the magnet is not what is holding the leash to your dogs collar, just designed to make connecting the two easier.

The leash itself was comfortable in our hands and a nice weight for daily use. One cool feature is an extra D-Ring up by the leash handle so that you can connect your keys!

Dog carrying frisbee on walk

At the end of our walk we found the clasp just as easy to disconnect. All you need is to open the bolt and make a simple twisting action to separate the ring from the magnet.

Regular readers will know that we recently added a baby to our crew so our hands are more full than ever! For that reason, we are very excited about this leash and how much easier it is going to make getting Charlie ready for our daily walks!

Why MyDogLikes the Nifti SafeLatch

Believe it or not, we have tried another magnetic dog leash clasp before. Known as the Magic Latch, it was a 2 part system also designed to make connecting your dog to their leash much easier. While we did find the system easy to use, we experienced a release failure which of course scared us greatly! Because of this, we have not used it since!

Charlie demonstrating the Nifti SafeLatch in our latest dog leash review

In our minds, the Nifti SafeLatch is a much simpler, safer and more effective system. It can be used with any (steel) D-Ring and due to the familiar shape, all dog-owners will instantly understand how to use it. Most importantly however is that it is extremely unlikely to fail – in fact, less likely than the standard bolt latch.

Pair that with the fact that it can be aligned and secured with only one hand? I think we have a winner here!

Want to pick up a Nifti SafeLatch for yourself?

Use promo code “MYDOGLIKES” for $8.00 off your leash AND free shipping! (US ONLY)

 

About the author

Kevin Sando

Kevin is a mechanical engineer with a degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He has move than a decade experience in new product design, prototyping and early stage manufacturing. Pairing this background with his love of dogs, gives him a unique perspective to evaluate the design and execution of new and interesting pet products.

46 Comments

  • All I have to do is reach my hand towards where the harnesses hang and the wiggling and jumping begins….and that’s with our old lady Cricket! We recently tried this leash as well and absolutely love it. I also find it so simple to use and feel like the dogs are very secure on it, with no worries of latch failure.

  • not with a leash but with a collar. the clip broke. however, i do love this clip, looks very sturdy. however, i do worry abt the normal clips on leashes, i am always checking mine b/c if the middle b/c loose, it will move when pulled on and the dog could get loose. my 2 younger girls would take off if they saw something.

  • I have had the latch break on my dog’s leash. Fortunately she didn’t realize before I grabbed her collar.

  • OHhh yess taking my dog Mollie for a walk her leash wasnt on the best and she seen her “friend male dog” and took off and she got right off the leash i had to go chase her down

  • I did have a collar break and found my dog swimming in the local park with a duck in his mouth. Luckily no harm to the duck but I was embarrassed.

  • my dog princess we were out and walking around the complex and she went and jump to see someone who called her and it snaped open and she took off running after my friend

  • I almost had a major failure when my little Myla almost fell off the dock before we were ready,but my husband caught her just in time,because the stitching started unraveling.

  • The biggest failure I’ve ever had was not having the collar tight enough.. when my seizure alert dog was maybe 3 months old.. a cat ran out of an alley and Bear chased it.. I was left looking dumb-founded with a collar and leash in my hand..

  • Once when I was taking my dog for a walk I thought I had clipped his leash to his harness but after 10 or 11 steps I noticed his leash was not attached but at that point he didn’t know it. Just as I stepped to grab his collar he looked back at me and I swear he smiled at me right before he took off. Luckily he is food driven and I just had to go in the house and grab some luncheon meat and he was right back by my side.

  • We have 4 dogs, and sure would love to try one of these out. Thank you so much for offering us this giveaway

  • No leash failures, but I would like the Nifti SafeLatch. It would be more secure and simpler than the different configurations of leashes and carabiners I have used.

  • Yes I have had a leash failure. I have to watch out for cats. He bolted one time and the leash broke.

  • I have never had a leash failure (knock on wood). I have dropped the leash accidentally a couple times though (typically when holding keys & going through locked doors & just letting go of the wrong thing). Thankfully, my dog’s leash is mostly for complying with the leash law & she is good about staying close.

  • Yes my leash broke when he twisted around to pee on a fire hydrant. I had to grab him before he bolted.

  • I have had the latch fail during a walk. I was lucky that my dog did not bolt on me.

  • So far so good on leash failures! But Arrows only been home a couple months so the day will probably come ?

  • I haven’t had a leash failure, but there are many times when the little button you squeeze to open the clasp got stuck inside the metal ring of my dog’s harness. Very scary!

  • I had a leash break and one fray luckly my dogs are well trained and followed me home.

  • This happened a while back when I was walking my two big rottweilers at night and a raccoon crossed the street and the leashes were chain leashes. When the dogs took off after the raccoon I had the leashes wrapped around my hands and that hurt.I have not bought chain leashes again.

  • I had a tape type extendable lead that popped out of my hand when my dog saw a cat and she chased it through a bayou and up a fence. She was chasing so hard that she ran head first into the fence and rang her bell.

  • Thankfully, I’ve never had a leash failure. I have tried to leash up with one hand multiple times and it’s nearly impossible so this sounds awesome!

  • Leash failures… most of them I can attest to being my failure! The only one I can think of that was actually not my fault, was a slip on leash that was also a choker collar. It was wonderful fabric, but a little stiff, and the loop around my dogs neck wasn’t very tight- she put her head down to sniff the ground and the loop just slipped off, and away she ran! 🙁

  • I especially had to keep my eye on my deaf hound girl, Ran, when she was still with me (she passed two years ago from an autoimmune disorder….she was just five years old). I actually started double leashing her – one on her collar and one on her harness. She somehow managed to get at least one of the leashes to unclip a number of times. The first couple of times she was single leashed, but luckily it was indoors at a local pet store. I think she pulled ahead of me around a corner and her leash pushed up against a metal shelf. I did have fun chasing after her in the store, but never wanted to do it outside.

  • I have experienced leash failure a few times.I am lucky that my dogs listen pretty good and I was able to call my youngest pup back before she went too far.Leash failure seems to always happen at the worst times.

  • I have, my little MinPin/Chihuahua mix Milo can exert incredible force for a tiny guy. I suspect that somebody who will remain nameless (yes, him) was chewing on that leash at some earlier date too. He bolted INTO someone’s yard where two huge dogs and a small dog were; everyone snarling and snapping. I was terrified. That big dog could have snapped him in two! Then they all approached each other and stopped growling and went into a bottom sniffing circle. Then Milo just came back to me.

  • I have had the latch break on the leash when i was walking Rhett and he ran across the street to visit another dog and almost got hot by a car.

  • I have had a dog slip out of a collar, but not the leash problem yet thank goodness.

  • Not unless you count the collar/leash slipping off after a haircut. 🙂

  • I haven’t experienced a leash failure. But, I have experienced problems with my dogs collars coming off.

  • I have never had my dogs get off from their leashes, thank heaven. This looks wonderful.

  • I could definitely use this!! I take my dog with me everywhere all summer and am always nervous that his collar, or leash, could break. This is a great product!

  • I’ve been pretty lucky and haven’t really had any problems, short of once or twice having the leash yanked out of my hand by an overexcited Corgi. (Oh look – a squirrel!)

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