outside the labs

Best Dog Harnesses and Carriers for Travel

CR’s pup volunteers and their owners evaluated four dog harnesses and carriers that can keep your pooch safe during car trips

By Lisa Fogarty
Home & Trends Writer

Updated February 11, 2025

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Blake the dog wearing Sleepypod Clickit Sport harness in a car — Blake the labradoodle was one of five CR dog evaluators who tried out four harnesses and carriers for travel.

Traveling with dogs anywhere—the park, beach, vet—should be a safe experience in which your dog feels comfortable and secure.

In this article

Best Dog Harnesses Carriers
Why You Should Use a Harness or Carrier
How to Get Your Dog More Comfortable in a Harness or Carrier

Blake, June Bug, Jenny and Sophie the dogs — Blake, June Bug, Jenny, and Sophie were rewarded with plenty of treats and snuggles after they put new harnesses and carriers to the test. Missing from the group shot is our fifth pup volunteer, Milky Way.

While we can’t say they—or we—were barking mad about them all, here’s what we learned from their reactions and our experiences taking them for a spin in the car.

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Lisa Fogarty

Lisa Fogarty is a senior multimedia content creator at Consumer Reports. She studied journalism at Columbia University and has written numerous health, parenting, fitness, and wellness articles for The New York Times, Psychology Today, Vogue, and NPR. Lisa is passionate about mental health and is a co-creator of The Hunger Trap Podcast, which focuses on eating disorders. In her spare time she surfs, plays the guitar, and kickboxes. Follow her on X: @lisacfogarty