We purchased the Munchkin Stay-Close Harness and Handstrap when our daughter was a toddler and it was quite evident that she was going to be difficult to keep close to us when out and about. We wanted a harness that was reliable and non-bulky. There are many cutesy styles of child harnesses out there, but we wanted something that could easily be slipped into the diaper bag (without taking up all the space) or even folded up and slipped into a pocket. This harness was exactly what we were looking for! We found that the harness is very easy to put-on the child. It secures in the back with a large strip of strong-holding velcro. The strap can be easily hooked/unhooked from the harness in the back. This feature comes in handy when you want to put the child (for example) in a stroller, yet might need to use the harness again. This way, you can just leave the harness part on the child and re-attach the strap later when needed again. The end of the strap has a hand-loop for the adult to hold on to. I often will actually take that end and double-knot it to my belt loop. That way I have my hands free if I need them to do something - rather than having to let-go of the loop for a bit and risk either forgetting to grasp it again or having the child walk away (defeating the purpose of having a harness). In addition, if you would rather not use the harness part and just want to use the strap to keep your child close, the opposite end of the strap has a velcro end so that you can strap it around the child's wrist instead. We have had a few people comment/joke that we have our daughter on a 'leash.' We've had many others who actually comment that they like the harness idea and say, "We/I should get one of those!" Yes - I suppose if you want to just perceive it as a leash, you can. However, we see it as a **safety-device**. We have a very quick and extremely active child. Honestly, I'd rather have her on a harness where I know that she cannot get lost than to end up losing her in a crowd of people or in a store/mall because I was afraid of her looking like we were 'walking' our daughter on a leash. It is for her **safety** and our **peace** of mind.

shawblaster

Casper, WY