45 sold. It’s sold in a narrow range of sizes (27, 36, and 42 inches) and is expensive, at about $120 to $220 at the time of writing. Available in five sizes, the Ultima Pro comes with a divider for use with growing puppies and has rubber feet to prevent scratched floors. My primary qualification for writing about dog crates is owning a dog, a 35-pound puggle named Howard, and having trained him to use all three kinds of crates: wire, plastic, and furniture-style. It’s the only furniture-style crate we found (under $500, that is) that didn’t look or feel too cheap to be worth placing in your living room. A latch holds the bottom tray in place, and it unlatches in satisfying fashion to let you pull it out for cleaning. iCrates are available in a range of sizes to suit dogs from 1 - 110 lbs, and in both single and double door configurations. See our iCrate Dog Breed Size Guide. Great value for the price conscious pet owner. Light duty, single door folding dog crate, ideal for dogs of 11 - 25 lbs. We pressed the bottom tray against the latch as hard as we could, but it wouldn’t budge. Fits models: I-1524, I-1530, I-1536, I-1542, I-1548 I-1524DD, I-1530DD, I-1536DD, I-1542DD, I-1548DD 1324TD, 1330TD, 1336TD, 1342TD, 1348TD. We pulled the plastic tray out from each crate to see how easy it was to remove, and whether cleaning involved any tricks or problems. Most people should spend at least another $15 and buy the Life Stages, unless you need your crate to weigh 20 pounds instead of 30. Great value for the price conscious pet owner. If the Ultima Pro is out of stock in the size you need, or if the Life Stages crate is notably lower in price, it’s a solid choice. Light duty, two door folding dog crate, ideal for dogs of 71 - 90 lbs. You pull up on the looped handle until you’ve raised it 90 degrees, slide it into the door, and then lower it again. “Furniture” crates, sometimes called “end-table” crates, give your dog a space that can also hold up a drink. We carry a full range of accessories for your iCrate Single or Double Door Folding Crate. Wire dog crates are probably the most popular option out there, and are widely available. Crown’s Pet Crate Table is the best model we’ve seen for less than $500, but that mostly means it has no glaring flaws. Divider Panel for Midwest iCrate Single and Double Door, ACE Single and Double Door, and Select Triple Door Crates. I’ve read a number of books on separation anxiety and dog training in general. A former Kickstarter, the Diggs Revol launched in 2018 and is available only in size small (for pets up to 30 pounds). This luxury dog crate comes with a divider panel to make smaller puppy spaces or separate pup quarters. The divider panel saves the hassle, and saves you money! We saw nothing particularly wrong with them, but they don’t have the reputation of the Ultra Vari Kennel models. We spoke with Tyler Muto, a dog trainer at K9 Connection in Buffalo, New York, who has also served as president of the International Association of Canine Professionals; we also spoke with Judi Bunge, a veterinary technician at McClelland Small Animal Hospital in Buffalo. $28.99. First-time dog-crate owners might not know that the plastic tray sits on top of the wire on the bottom, so the crate itself rests on its wire grid. The divider is notably thinner than the crate, though, and only rounded hooks keep in place. Great value for the price conscious pet owner. Available for crates 18 - 54" length. We needed a crate ASAP. Unlip these clips, lift up the top, fold out the front and back panels and clip them in place. In our tests, the top of the crate developed a deep gouge while I was building it, and I cannot say how. It also meets most airline requirements, and it’s easy to put together, shut securely, and move around. American Eskimo, American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Australian Cattle Dog, Basset Hound, Beagle, Brittany Spaniel, Bull Terrier, Bulldog, Chinese Shar-Pei, Cocker Spaniel, English Setter, English Springer Spaniel, Finnish Spitz, Harrier, Keeshond, Kerry Blue Terrier, Norwegian Elkhound, Portuguese Water Dog, Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, Welsh Corgi, Whippet, Available: iCrate 1536 Single Door, It’s the most sturdy, secure, and adaptable wire crate we found, and it’s designed to last over the lifetime of many dogs. Petmate and many, many Amazon reviewers agree, however, that while the Sky Kennel might be the most flight-ready, you need to check with each airline about its kennel requirements: Different airlines have different requirements for venting, door construction, zip-tie holes, food and water bowls, and many other details. The Ultra Vari Kennel has tie-down holes that allow for securing it in a plane’s pet-section backseat, or for looping through zip ties for more security. But how a crate stands up to being moved or bumped, having things dropped on it, having kids sit on it, and the like are as important as its resistance to canine escape attempts. The interior has a “floor moat” that should keep most accidents easy to clean up. With these findings, the advice of our experts, and the input of a panel of dog-loving Wirecutter staffers, we narrowed our list down to a small set of contenders in each category. It also gives you a positive management tool when you need to prevent unwanted behaviors (like jumping on guests), and can also be used for safe containment while traveling. The Ultima Pro is made of thicker, heavier wire than most crates in its price range. Its locks should be immune to dog paws but easy for a human to latch, unlatch, and confirm that they are secure. was - $123.20 ... 24" Dog Playpen Crate 8 Panel Fence Pet Play Pen Exercise Puppy Kennel Cage Yard. The best baby gate is also the best dog gate. Crate training your dog is one of the best things you can do — not only is it an extremely helpful training tool for potty training, it can also help provide a safe place for your dog to retreat to when they're anxious. The same can’t be said for another crate we built for this guide, which picked up a deep gouge during assembly. All models of iCrate include a Free Divider Panel which installs without tools and allows you to adjust the size of the living area as your puppy grows. It also starts at about $245 at the time of writing, so it’s three times more expensive than our current pick, the MidWest Ultima Pro Double Door Folding Dog Crate. (421) 421 product ratings - 48" 2 Door Pet Cage Folding Dog w/Divider Cat Crate Cage Kennel w/Tray Black LC. The Pet Gear The Other Door Steel Crate has a plastic frame similar to the Diggs Revol. These crates’ metal-grated windows are tougher and more paw resistant than the oblong holes you typically find punched into the sides of plastic crates, and their door design stands up to a lot of pressure. It’s also available in multiple sizes. MidWest is very clear and helpful on which size crate works for which dogs, offering a useful breed/size/weight chart, whereas many other crate makers offer only a single weight estimate. In addition, I’m experienced in reviewing the durability and ease of use of home goods, having worked on guides for standing desks, kitchen trash cans, cutting boards, bed frames, and many more categories. You'll find it easy to carry around because of the lighter weight, combined with the ingenious fold and carry mechanism. As a result, many veterinary clinics and boarding facilities have strict collar-removal policies for dogs in their care. Among the experienced dog handlers I spoke to for this guide (and in my own history with a dog), many recommended Vari Kennels by name. A good plastic crate should be much the same (though it isn’t broken down often), and it should provide the necessary security and tie-downs for air travel. Car Pet Fence Dog Barrier for SUV Car & Vehicles Car Divider for Dogs Pets SUVs. As a puppy, the divider is placed toward the front part of the wire kennel. We called on Tuesday and our Ultima Pro 742UP arrived Thursday with no extra charge! The manufacturer says it “looks similar to teak” and has a stain and lacquer “just like fine furniture”; we think it looks fine and acceptable, like a flat-pack table you build with hex screws and a tiny wrench. 4.9 out of 5 stars (53) Total Ratings 53, 100% agree - Would recommend. For one thing, you should never put your dog in a wire crate in the car. If your puppy is already exhibiting anxiety or escape tendencies, you may need to obtain a more secure crate at its current size. And if you’re planning to do any air or car travel with your dog, a wire crate won’t work. After latching each crate shut and attaching its plastic handle, we carried each crate to three locations to see how well it stayed together (not all of the crates did so). Without a divider panel, you may struggle to crate train your puppy, or you will have to purchase a series of crates as your dog grows. ... Paws & Pals PTMP01-24 Heavy Duty Metal Exercise Fence Hammigrid 8 Panel - 24 inch. As stated in How we picked, we limited our search to crates that had a number of reviews, enjoyed wide availability, and offered certain features we considered key, such as a divider, two doors, and a slide-out tray. It’s not a bad crate if you’re certain your dog is calm and crate-comfortable, and it’s available in eight sizes, covering more small breeds. Every book we read and every expert we talked to reinforced this advice, sometimes without our asking. And best of all, it is extremely affordable! A removable leak-proof pan makes cleaning simple. Like many cheaper wire crates, the Revol includes a dog crate divider making it the perfect puppy crate as they grow to an adult. $29.99. Light duty, two door folding dog crate, ideal for dogs of 1 - 12 lbs. The Kennel Direct Pet Crate (no longer available) costs as much as the isn’t as the Ultra Vari Kennel, but its door is less secure than our pick. People whose dogs have significant separation anxiety or escape-artist tendencies, or people who need to travel often with their dogs, may require a solid plastic crate. Great value for the price conscious pet owner. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Most “furniture” or “end-table” crates look and feel cheap, or are super-expensive design-fetish items. Pros: Wire crates have great airflow, which is especially important if you live somewhere hot. We read through the relevant sections of many books and guides from trusted sources such as the SPCA, the American Kennel Club, and the Humane Society to learn as much as possible about crates, crate training, and the potential pitfalls of both.2. We’ve seen the price of Life Stages crates fluctuate significantly on Amazon, sometimes costing more than the corresponding Ultima Pro size. Despite this, it is packed with features and is versatile enought to satisfy the containment needs from when your dog is a puppy up through adulthood. *Free UPS Ground Shipping in the 48 Contiguous United States Only.