Review: This futuristic dog lead costs under £30. My usual setup costs much more
It looks like a dog lead from Star Trek and bundles your walking essentials into one affordable package. But can the Noerden Lumi tempt me away from my trusty Flexi?
This might look like someone from the set of Star Trek has designed a dog lead, but it's actually the result of a company taking a fresh look at what we need to have to hand when we walk our dogs, and designing a product around it. And I do like it when someone sets out to solve problems in a design.
Especially at this time of year, there are certain things we need to have with us when we're out with the pooch. Poo bags, are a must at any time, but the longer evenings mean a torch and some reflective material are a bit of a must, too. And the new Lumi leash by Noerden combines all of this in one handheld unit.
It's a three-metre lead, a torch, a poo-bag dispenser, and a reflective handheld signal that you're out there all in one device. On the face of it, as someone who walks two dogs every day, I already love it.
Then I found out the price, less than £30 on Amazon right now, and I loved it even more.
As it happens, I've actually been using this all-in-one combination for a while now, by rigging up a lead from my favourite brand, Flexi, arguably Lumi's biggest rival.
Flexi offers a 50kg lead, the same capacity as the Lumi, and a clip-on poo-bag dispenser, and a clip-on torch. It's impossible, then, not to draw a comparison or two, and it'll be interesting to see how the Lumi gets on.
What I liked about the Noerden Lumi Leash
The most appealing thing about the Lumi is that its features belong together, and they're all in one unit.
Having the light attached to something you are already holding is particularly sensible, and I love the fact it has a USB charging socket.
The reflective strip is another useful inclusion. It serves a different purpose from the torch, reflecting light from elsewhere rather than illuminating the ground.
The poo bag dispenser is arguably the least exciting feature, but possibly the one most likely to earn its keep. Keeping a roll with the lead reduces the chances of leaving the house with everything except the one thing you really shouldn’t forget. Naturally, somebody still has to replenish it. Noerden hasn’t automated that part, and neither has Flexi.
The dispenser is removable too, which makes sense for cleaning or for anyone who prefers carrying bags elsewhere.
Then there is the lead itself. Three metres gives your dog some room to investigate, while the lock lets you shorten that freedom when necessary. It’s not a huge length, but adequate for most people.
The handle has an ergonomic, non-slip design, and Noerden rates the Lumi for dogs weighing up to 50kg. That covers a broad weight range, although choosing a lead should also account for your dog’s behaviour and how comfortably you can control it.
What I didn’t like about the Noerden Lumi Leash
Combining everything into one unit inevitably makes it more substantial than a simple lead. And it is quite a bulky thing.
The torch introduces another small responsibility, too. A rechargeable light is convenient when charged. Forget about it for long enough and you are back to finding your phone in the dark, except this time you are also carrying a lead with a flat battery.
It's quite easy to accidentally knock the light on, and I do worry about how the USB socket will stand up to water ingress. Dogs do, after all, need walking in the rain.
There's also the fact that 50KG is a rather large dog, so if you only have a small or medium pooch, you could look at that as wasted capacity and size, or a beefy safety net.
How does it compare to a Flexi lead?
This is where things get interesting. The Noerden Lumi Leash is an all-in-one solution. A bit of a Swiss Army Knife of a thing. With a Flexi, you'll need to add things on. And it can get expensive.
A 50kg Flexi Comfort L costs £24.99 right now on Amazon, but the USB-charging LED torch costs £14. Then the poo-bag dispenser costs at least a fiver, if not much more, and you're pricing up a very expensive lead.
However... The Flexi lead's torch is double-sided, with a red LED to perform a similar visibility function to the Lumi's LED strip, the poo-bag dispenser is ever-so-slightly easier to use, and the Flexi offers an eight-metre lead rather than a three-metre.
It's also less bulky. And the brake and lock system is easier and more intuitive, and it's a little more comfortable to hold.
In just about every measurable way, then, the Flexi is the better package, but you really can't look past the huge price difference. And it's arguably nowhere near as modern and stylish in appearance as the Lumi. And, when all's said and done, the Lumi is a great lead to use. Just not quite as good as the Flexi.
Overall verdict - should you buy the Noerden Lumi Leash?
The Noerden Lumi Leash is a sensible example of adding useful features to an everyday object. None of its individual functions are particularly revolutionary, but having them in one place, ready to pick up when the dog starts making its expectations known, is why we'd buy one of these.
For someone happy with a basic lead and separate accessories, there is little to no appeal in a lead like this.
But if your evening walks regularly begin with a search for the torch and end with a frantic pocket check for poo bags, the Lumi makes a persuasive case for keeping the essentials together.