A retractable lead earns its keep on the boring stretches of a walk - the pavement, the park path - by giving a dog room to sniff ahead without you having to constantly gather and release a long line by hand. The trade-off is usually build quality, which is where the cheaper ones tend to let a dog down.

The Ancol Viva Extend Lead releases or retracts over 5 metres at the push of a single button, and unlike a traditional long line, it retracts itself so there's no loose lead to get tangled around legs or dragged along the ground. It has a soft-grip handle designed for comfort on longer walks and a thick, sturdy trigger hook for attaching to a collar or harness. Ancol have had the Viva range tested to destruction by an independent UK lab, INTERTEK.

• 5m retractable tape lead
• Single-button lock/release
• Soft-grip handle
• Thick, sturdy trigger hook
• Tested to destruction by INTERTEK in the UK
• Compact design, no need to roll or bundle the lead away

One thing worth knowing. We haven't been given a maximum dog weight or size for this lead, so there's nothing here to check a large, strong-pulling dog against before you buy - if in doubt, a fixed lead may be the safer choice for a dog that pulls hard.

Who it's for: owners of a dog that walks reasonably well on the lead and benefits from a bit of extra range, rather than a dog that lunges or pulls hard against restraint.