Crash tested dog car harness for unusual sizes and budgets
Crash-tested dog crates are too expensive and large for many vehicles, leaving owners to rely on cheap seatbelts that feel unsafe in an accident. Finding secure restraints or sturdy seat extenders that actually fit specific vehicle layouts—like captain's seats alongside human car seats—often forces people to resort to custom-built solutions.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using standard uncertified dog seatbelts purchased off AmazonDid this help you?
- 2Searching for alternative brands with stock availability or looking into mixed-review optionsDid this help you?
- 3folding a standard full-bench dog extender in the middleDid this help you?
- 4having a custom one made out of hard foam by a local fabricatorDid this help you?
- 5Looking at various pet brand options such as Thule, Ruffwear, Car Safe, Ezy Dog, and Sleepypod, or checking alternative European suppliers like Kleinmetall.Did this help you?
- 6Using a dog seatbelt attached to a harness on a back seat coverDid this help you?
- 7Using a hammock-style cover that clips to the front headrestsDid this help you?
- 8Placing the dog in a dog bed in the back seat with a sling style seat protectorDid this help you?
- 9Using a seatbelt attachment connected to a collar or harnessDid this help you?
- 10Using a pet hammock along with a harnessDid this help you?
- 11Using kennels or crates like MIM, Gunner, or RufflandDid this help you?
- 12Using a Sleepypod carrier or PupsaverDid this help you?
- 13Looking for car seats with metal buckles instead of plastic bucklesDid this help you?
- 14Checking for established brands that are also stocked in physical retail storesDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m searching for something safe for my Pomeranian, do you have something to recommend?”source ↗
“Hi all! I have been trying to find a crash tested car dog harness. I know the crate is gold standard, however I do not have the money or the car that could accommodate that.”source ↗
“She currently has a dog seatbelt I got off Amazon a few months ago, but I just don't feel safe if anything were to happen.”source ↗
“Having already been scammed by Funny Fuzz (do NOT order from these guys, they're a drop-shipping company that are supplied by a warehouse in China and basically never release the item) and avoiding another questionable company, Wagging Rights (lots of Instagram presence), I'm struggling to know where to go / who to trust online in terms of a comfy, secure and durable dog bolster / car seat for our 8kg Whippet / Poodle cross.”source ↗
“I’m looking for a hard bottomed back seat dog extender for a full size SUV that covers not just one captains seat, but also the space between the captains seats while leaving the other captains seat open for a car seat.”source ↗
“I have one now that I fold in the middle but I don’t love it since it’s not really made to do it & slides all over.”source ↗
“That sounds very specific? Which is what my problem was. I drew something up and had a fabricator in my area make it out of hard foam.”source ↗
“I'm finding it quite difficult to find a harness that complies with both CMVSS 213 and FMVSS 213.”source ↗
“That’s what we currently have, and he’s putting his front paws over the top and holding it down.”source ↗
“Can you send example for specific that can be suitable for Pomeranian?”source ↗
“I wish I could get one of these but my dog is just a bit too big. They look super safe.”source ↗
“It’s a bit like a jail for him.. i’m sure there are more natural options”source ↗
“I've just got my first dog, and am wanting to do everything right by him.”source ↗
“He can get his paws on the front of the cover and regularly stands up looking into the front - which is fine for now at 12 weeks old, but I'm not sure its going to be too good when he's bigger!”source ↗
“I've seen a lot of advice suggesting a crash tested crate, but my concern with this is him getting trapped in the car if we were to get rear ended.”source ↗