BioThane is one of the most versatile materials in the dog gear world. Here are a few reasons why we use it over other options.
When choosing your gear, the material you prefer has a big impact on its usability. You should consider how easy it is to clean, its strength, its comfort level, and of course, its durability.
BioThane
BioThane is nylon webbing coated in a durable PVC or TPU. Genuine BioThane is made in the U.S. and not overseas. Its outer coating makes it cleanable with just soap and water or a wipe, and it will look as good as new. It boasts a break strength of 700 lbs. of force. Because of the coating, it has a very ergonomic and comfortable feel to it, softer than leather. Finally, the coating makes it extremely durable, not only to the elements but also to heavy continuous use.
Nylon Webbing (without any coating)
As the standard choice of most pet stores, nylon webbing leashes have become increasingly more popular due to their low price point with high strength. However, this comes at a cost of comfort and difficulty cleaning. Nylon webbing leashes have to be fully washed (like clothes) and cannot be simply wiped down. For many users, they're also very uncomfortable, making handling large dogs more challenging.
Rope
We've seen a ton of rope leashes surface in the past few years, primarily because they're aesthetically pleasing and can be handmade with ease. However, much like nylon webbing, they are very difficult to clean. Most rope leashes will never look the way they did when you first bought them, as they stain easily. They do have a high break strength as most rope leashes are made using climber's rope and other rock climbing hardwares. Because of this, their durability is quite good, if you can ignore the dirtiness. Finally, some rope leashes can be comfortable, but much like nylon webbing, they often aren't used to handle large dogs with a lot of pull.
Leather
For a very long time, leather has been the gold standard of dog leashes. It is a versatile material that requires leather working experience to fashion dog gear, and it can come out looking really, really good. But, leather undoubtedly has its drawbacks. First, it's incredibly hard to clean, at least without an applied spray coating. Even then, it's still challenging. Next, a good leather will have high strength, but there are many leathers that are cheaply manufactured that don't. Leather can also be very comfortable or very uncomfortable, and it's hard to tell which it will be without holding it in person. Many leather leashes require breaking in over time to develop that soft, comfortable touch. Finally, leather is not a very durable material: not only does it scratch, but also doesn't hold up to the elements as well as other materials.
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Putting this all together, you can see that BioThane is the clear victor.
|
 |
Easy to Clean | Strength | Comfort | Durability |
|
 BioThane |
Excellent | Excellent | Excellent | Excellent |
| Nylon Webbing | Bad | Excellent | Neutral | Great |
| Rope | Bad | Excellent | Neutral | Bad |
| Leather | Very Bad | Good | Neutral | Neutral |
