Product Testing & Validation

At Optimus Gear® we are committed to designing and manufacturing innovative products of un-paralleled quality and versatility. We go above and beyond to ensure we live up to that promise.
Currently, there are no regulations that govern the performance requirements of dog restraint systems in vehicles (i.e. dog seat belts). Despite not having a governing standard, Optimus Gear® has voluntarily performed years of testing and analysis to ensure that our products perform as advertised. 

We have performed two types of testing on our harnesses

1- Static Tensile Tests – A pulling test that is used to verify the strength of all the individual components as well as the
entire harness assembly.


2- Dynamic Crash Tests – A dynamic sled test performed at a certified testing facility using crash-dog mannequin. This test uses the same load conditions (25G force) that are applied during child seat restraint system testing (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard - FMVSS213).
This is equivalent to a car crashing 48 km/h (30mph) and coming to a complete stop.

Our harnesses were successful in restraining the K9 mannequins during these simulated crash events.

Research & Development

Our Research & Development team designed our patented dog seat belt harness to connect to the same vehicle safety systems that keep humans safe in cars, vans, SUVs, and trucks, to ensure that your dog(s) and passengers are all kept safe! The major safety benefits of the Defender Harness include: 

  • Distracted Driving: stopping your dog from having free range in the vehicle, which is a big distraction for drivers; and in the unfortunate event of a collision or sudden stop, the Defender Harness keeps your pup in their seat. 
  • Collisions: if you’ve ever had to hit the brakes quickly with your dog in the back seat, you already know how sad it is when they scoot off the bench and bump into the seat in front of them. 
  • Protecting Everyone: In addition to keeping your dog safe while traveling, we want to make sure that everyone riding in the vehicle stays safe.

The Defender Harness has dedicated connections that make it one of the best dog harnesses for walking, running, obedience training, towing, and any other activity you may need an extremely durable dog harness for. Designed and manufactured in Canada with custom, high-strength hardware and heavy-duty industrial stitching. The Defender Harness has been engineered to safely withstand crash forces of up to 48 km/h or 30 mph!

While also designed to prevent your dog from having free range in your vehicle, the Defender Harness is forgiving enough to allow your pup to sit up or lie down, ensuring they can make themselves comfortable.

The Defender Harness is super simple to install and use! Once you have the hardware clipped into your vehicle, buckling your pup into the back seat takes less than 10 seconds – only two buckles.