We bought a Clippasafe Standard Harness and Rein set once our child was toddling about really well and wanted to walk alongside the pram/ push chair. This stage for a toddler is always a time when they want to explore their surroundings and see everything there is to see.

Mums and dads can do with a helping hand during this phase and thats where this Clippasafe set comes in very useful, by adding a little bit more piece of mind for everyone, with careful and thoughtful usage.

************************************************* ********
These Clippasafe Safety Reins have been around for many years and come in a variety of colours and slightly varied styles, but are all very similar to this basic design. This standard set seemed to be really well made and the materials used were strong and reliable. The webbing type material used didn't stretch or shrink and was more then strong enough to cop with the job it was made for. The clips and rings used were also long lasting and more than up to the job.

The Clippasafe Harness and Reins set comes in a selection of mostly monotone colourways, which include, the deep navy blue that we chose, a plain black, mid grey, white and a navy/ white mix. Its nice to know that there is a range of colours available. I would have liked a red set if there had been one for this range but they don't make one as far as I am aware.

************************************************* *********
The other ranges by the same brand do have other colourways and different chest panels on the front of the harnesses. This standard set has a very simple centre front section, that is more functional than attractive, but it holds everything together as it should. Prices for the set are around £5 to £5.50 per set and include both the harness and the reins which can be attached easily when required.

The harness set comes in a very simple mainly white box, with red highlights and clearly shows the actual harness so that you are certain you are getting the colour and style you want. You should also get a small instruction leaflet which shows how the harness works and its something that you should keep for reference just in case its needed.

************************************************* *********
We found the harness set easy to put on and take off although there were times when our child didn't enjoy wearing it especially when it was first introduced. Over time we found that it was more easily accepted and once the freedom of being able to walk along side us was a reality, the harness was mostly something that didn't seem to cause any irritation or upset at all.

Sometimes it was difficult to ensure that our child walked along without pulling on the harness and once or twice we had a near miss and had to prevent a tumble. This is in part due to the fact that children do tend to want their freedom when out walking and if mum or dad wants to go one way and they want to go another, a little pulling and leaning their weight away tends to result in a stumble sometimes.

************************************************* *********
One thing we thought the harness was useful for was clipping it to the sides of the push chair. This meant that our child was kept safe and secure by the harness whilst sitting in the push chair when out and about. This is something that is can be helpful. The harness is easy to clip on and off and seemed to have a safe enough closing and opening click in/ out system.

You can also use the harness to clip into a high chair if the fixings are provided on the chair you have. Again this can be very handy for mums and dads at meal times, as it can prevent any nasty tumbles from the high chair when mum or dads back is turned or their attention is briefly with other family members.

************************************************* *********
Whilst we found that mostly the harness set did a perfectly good job at steadying our child and offering them the feeling of freedom they wanted, I do need to add that the set must be used safely and thoughtfully.

A friend of ours when out and about with her child and using the same type of harness, once spent the afternoon at casualty having her childs bump to the head looked at. It wasn't so much due to a fault with the harness itself, but something that any similar harness may contribute towards.

Her child pulled ahead too keenly, tripped and bumped before mum managed to catch him. In the end everything turned out to be fine, but this did give us cause for concern after the incident. We never fully relied on the harness when out walking after that, as we wanted to avoid similar incidents and paid very careful attention when it was in use.

************************************************* *********
In summary I feel that the harness and reins set was helpful to have at times, but could not be relied on 100% when out and about with a young toddler. One thing it does stop is the chance of you and your child becoming separated as you are always in contact via the harness and reins when your child is walking.

Rate wise I feel that a 3 star rating is about right here. we found it very helpful at times as it could be used in a variety of situations. These can be a useful item to have during the toddling stages, but only with careful supervision.