A dog on a fixed-length lead is either too close or too far for most of a walk, because the one distance that suits sniffing a lamppost is not the one that suits crossing a junction. A retractable lead solves this by making the length adjustable within the walk itself, rather than picking one length before you leave the house.

This is Ancol's Viva 5-metre retractable lead: a coiled tape housed in a sturdy ABS plastic casing, released and pulled back in with a single button, so there's no line to fold, coil or drop on a wet pavement. The whole lead, casing included, weighs 0.6kg.

• 5m of retractable tape
• Sturdy ABS plastic casing
• Single-button release and lock
• 0.6kg total weight
• Wipe clean with a damp cloth, then air dry
• Do not immerse in water or use harsh cleaning products

On checking it. Ancol's own safety note is to check the tape, the braking button and the casing regularly, rather than assume a retracting mechanism stays reliable forever - a worn brake is the fault you won't notice until the lead is already at full stretch. There's no maximum dog weight published on the information we have, so match it to your dog's strength as well as its size before you rely on it.

Who it's for: owners of a dog that walks well off a tight lead and benefits from being able to range further on a quiet stretch and closer on a busy one, without swapping to a different lead.