Gear Review: SleepyPod Clickit Terrain Plus

It’s the quintessential American dream—hitting the open road, the wind in your hair, the radio blasting, and your dog’s tongue lolling in the backseat. 

I’ve been on many a road trip with my dog and while it’s not always as idealistic as my daydreams—he’s peed in the car twice and managed to knock over my sandwich and smear cheese into the seat (the stain is still there)—it’s a joy to be able to vacation with my best friend. 

Even if you don’t road trip with your dog, you likely have to take them for a drive to your vet’s office, the groomer, a daycare or boarding facility, etc.

To travel with your dog safely in the car you essentially have two options—crates and seat belt harnesses. 

For years, I used a crate to travel safely with my dog in the car. Unfortunately, my dog has a crate phobia and a crate big enough for my 50 lb pup takes up valuable real estate. 

So, we ditched the crate and have spent time trying to find the safest seat belt harness on the market.

Enter the Sleepypod Clickit Terrain Plus, a seat belt dog harness that has been crash-tested at U.S, Canadian, and E.U child safety standards.

I’ve been testing it with my dog for the past month now (specifically the Fear Free Happy Homes Special Edition). There’s a lot to love about this harness as well as a few downsides, so let’s get into it.

Safety Features of the Clickit Terrain Plus 

By far, the number one benefit of the Clickit Terrain Plus is safety. As aforementioned, it’s been crash-tested at U.S, Canadian, and E.U child safety standards. Additionally, it’s been independently tested and certified with a 5 Star safety rating from the Center for Pet Safety. As of posting, there is no other dog safety harness brand that has been independently tested by the Center for Pet Safety. (Sleepypod does have another harness, the Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus that also passes the test.)

You can watch the crash-test videos on the Sleepypod Youtube Channel, if you’d like. 

Not only does the safety harness keep your dog safe in accidents or sudden stops, it will keep you and other humans in the car safe as well (your dog won’t become a projectile and crash into you).

Note that dogs under eighteen pounds cannot use the Clickit Terrain Plus as it's recommended they use a carrier for car travel.

Additional Benefits of the Clickit Terrain Plus

I immediately noticed the harness’s quality as soon as it arrived. It’s thick, sturdy, and soft. All of its components are high-quality. Obviously, I trust the crash ratings above my own perception of the product, but I have to say it feels like something that will protect a dog in an accident. Seriously, the difference in quality between the Clickit Terrain and another seat belt harness I used in the past is stark. 

Between the quality of the product and all its safety tests, I have total peace-of-mind while driving with my dog.

So, while it may come at a higher price point, the advanced safety features and overall quality make it worth every penny.  

Another major benefit is that the harness calms my dog down. Of course, I can’t say this will be true for all dogs. But it’s noticeable in mine. He’s had anxiety during long car rides since the moment we adopted him, made worse when he rides in a crate. These days, we give him a special cocktail of drugs prescribed by our veterinarian if we’ll be driving longer than an hour. 

Based on reading his body language, I believe most of his anxiety stems from how unbalanced he feels, whether in a crate or roaming free. (Yes, I’ve driven with him outside of a crate and without a safety harness on. It’s been a journey to find something that’s safe and works for both me and my dog.) This safety harness keeps him secured—with room to either sit or lay down—so he doesn’t shift with every bump on the road. 

Recently, on a three-hour road trip with the harness, I decided not to give my dog his drugs. He’d been extremely calm with his drugs and the safety harness, so I wanted to test how he was with only the harness. And—he slept (!). This doesn’t happen off his drugs. In fact, he was calmer than he typically is when drugged. Lest you think this an anomaly, he slept again on a twenty minute drive involving numerous stop lights (his former nemesis). 

My theory is that the harness keeps him stable and doesn’t allow him to pace. So, he ends up falling asleep. (Perhaps, there’s also something calming about the tightness of the harness securing him to the car, similar to how a Thundershirt works?)

Again, this may be something specific to my dog. However, I couldn’t not talk about it, seeing how noticeably calmer he is.

On a related note, if I ever drove with my dog outside of his crate, he would stand at the edge of the back seat and pant in my ear. The. Entire. Drive. It scraped against my nerves. Obviously, this safety harness secures him to his seat—keeping him away from my ear. (And he’s so calm, he’s not panting.)

If your dog pants or whines in your ear, tries to lick you while driving, enjoys jumping into the front seat or potentially out the window, this harness will prevent them from doing any of that.

Now, this is one of the more restrictive safety harnesses on the market, which is why it’s so safe. I’ve seen reviews complaining about this restriction—namely that their dogs look uncomfortable. This isn’t something I’ve seen with my dog. Personally, I think the harness’s restriction has its benefits—see above about keeping my dog calm. I also think safety is the most important aspect of a safety harness. 

Besides, there’s still enough leeway that he can comfortably sit and lay down.

I’ve also read that people say this harness restricts their dog even further when their seat belts lock up, but I haven’t experienced this either. We use the S-Clip that comes with the harness to prevent the seat belt from locking up. I used it once without the S-Clip; it turned out okay, but it was more difficult to initially get my dog comfortable.

Finally, a small but appreciated benefit is that the Clickit Terrain comes in multiple colorways, so you can find one that suits your dog’s style.

What I Dislike About the Clickit Terrain Plus

While it’s not difficult to use, it’s not exactly easy to use either (see below on how to use it). My dog can sometimes squirm as we try to buckle him, making the process of sliding the seat belt through the harness a pain. Sometimes, the seatbelt gets twisted or stuck or your dog moves in a way where the buckle becomes impossible to reach. In reality, it only takes a minute or so and it gets easier with each use. So, definitely not a dealbreaker, but worth a mention. 

Once, I did have to pull over because I buckled my dog in with the seatbelt twisted, which caused him to get stuck and oh-so-very frustrated. (This was the one trip I didn’t use the S-Clip.) But I was able to fix it.

The harness is designed and strength-tested to be a walking harness as well, but the functionality isn’t great. My dog simply doesn’t look comfortable walking in it. In fact, he adapts a funny-looking robotic walk. For anything more than a few minutes, I prefer to switch out this harness for the normal one we use. This isn’t that hard to do, but it is annoying. 

Of course, this harness is designed for safe driving first and foremost; I’d prefer they keep it safe, even if its stiffness makes it not the best harness for walking.

How to Use the Clickit Terrain Plus

Before you do any driving, it’s important to slowly acclimate your dog in their harness, especially if they aren’t used to wearing harnesses. Put it on your dog with lots of treats, take it off, put it on for longer, etc. The harness is easy to get on as it’s a step-through harness (meaning you don’t have to shove it over your dog’s head.)

Once you’re ready to take it on the road, simply have your dog hop up into the backseat. (You don’t want them in the front seat due to airbags.) Then insert the seat belt through both loops of the harness and buckle it in. Of course, easier said than done. 

So, it can be a bit of a circus, but it is worth it for the safety. 

Other Features of the Clickit Terrain Plus

Here’s a quick list of other features you’ll find on the harness:

• Rear reflective patches and front reflective logo for night visibility (the patches can be interchanged for optional service or custom patches)
• Made of luggage-grade, ballistic nylon
• Loops for quick connection and release of optional Terrain Pack
• Includes: S-Clip and Buckle Shield accessories
• Easy Cleaning 
• Available in sizes Small, Medium, Large, and Extra Large
• Available in seven colorways

Conclusion

I’ve already recommended the Clickit Terrain to the dog lovers in my life, so I’m excited to recommend it now to all of you. After testing it the past month, its benefits far outweigh its drawbacks. Seriously, that peace-of-mind I feel with my dog sleeping in the backseat is priceless. 

So, grab your dog, grab the Clickit Terrain, and hit the road.

BUY IT