The Greatest Canine Crates of 2024

How We Tested Dog Crates

Any good crate is an investment in your dog’s safety and comfort, which is why we put each crate through its paces over our 2-month testing period. Katie tested each crate with her 8-year-old Shetland Sheepdog, Mason, who is a gentle guy. He isn’t much of an escape artist or a big chewer.

To put the pedal to the metal and put each crate through more rigorous testing, we relied on other pups to show us what more feisty dogs would do while in each crate.

With Mason’s approval stamp on his favorite crates (four paws up!), we tested each crate in situations and environments for which they were designed. We went camping in Colorado, took long car trips to the ski hill, set them up in our apartment, and took adventures to the park.

We carried them up and down stairs, from car to house and back again, and even assembled and disassembled them a few times. Katie admits, she even took a nap in a crate a time or two herself to see what her favorite little man would think.

While testing each crate, we simulated conditions that would push each to their limits to test strength, safety, ventilation, comfort, ease of setup, durability, ease of cleaning, multiple entrances, and portability. If you’re looking for other dog gear for your adventure pup, be sure to check out our guides to the Best Dog Life Jackets and the Best Dog Harnesses.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Dog Crates

A crucial part of crate training your dog is the crate itself. It’s important to ensure that going into their crate is a positive experience, rather than feeling like a punishment. Start slowly. Make sure they get used to having a crate in their space and then build up the time they spend in their safe space.

Dogs spend most of their time during the day lounging or resting, so finding a comfortable and most importantly, safe place to rest is paramount.

Finding the best crate depends on your dog’s style. It’s important to address conditions like separation anxiety, excessive barking, or howling. It’s also important to find a crate that protects and comforts your dog when you are away from home or at night.

This list is not exhaustive but meant as a helpful guide to educate you on what a crate can offer and how to tailor a crate to your pup.

Once you’ve found the crate of your best friend’s dreams, check out our Best Dog Beds of 2024 guide for the perfect pair for your new crate.

Types of Crates

The type of crate your dog will need depends entirely on its disposition and reaction to being crated. Here are a few different types of dog crates and what type of dog may benefit from each type.

• Metal/wire crate: This is a heavier-duty option for headstrong dogs and chewers. Metal crates include plenty of ventilation and are collapsible for strong portability. The MidWest Homes for Pets Double Door iCrate Dog Crate is a classic example of a metal grid crate.
• Plastic crate: This crate is ideal for travel or dogs who are more feisty or resistant to crating. The reinforced plastic and metal latch doors are heavier-duty than a soft-sided crate.
• Canvas or soft-sided crate: Soft-sided crates with mesh ventilation panels and zippered closures are ideal for more docile dogs or outdoor adventures requiring shorter-term or supervised crating.
• Wood crate: An ideal combination of function and decor, wood crates are a chic option within your home to seamlessly style your crate to your interior design, much like the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Single Door Dog Crate & End Table.

Safety

Safety is one of the most crucial elements when choosing a crate that’s right for your dog. Ensuring that your dog is safe while crated for longer periods of time or just a short trip to the store includes making sure your dog can’t cut themselves trying to escape or in some cases, even worse.

Consider your dog’s temperament and ability to escape. For dogs who are strong-willed, we do not recommend wire mesh or canvas since escape is easier than a reinforced metal or durable plastic crate like the Petmate Ultra Vari Dog Kennel. Experts also recommend removing any collars or harnesses prior to crating to prevent any snags leading to compression or strangulation.

Inspecting your crate when it initially arrives is crucial for finding any weak points or flaws your pup can overcome. At first, supervise your dog to see if they start any destructive behaviors after being crated. Prevention is the best way to deter your dog from becoming injured or destroying your new crate.

Ventilation

Ventilation is an important factor to consider while choosing your next crate. Certain breeds of dogs struggle more to get airflow due to their genetics. So, ventilation panels are paramount to ensure your dog gets enough air, especially if they have separation anxiety and may feel stress while crated.

Choose canvas or wire crates like the MidWest Homes for Pets Double Door iCrate Dog Crate with ample ventilation. Compared to plastic or wood crates, canvas and wire versions offer plentiful panels for fresh air to circulate.

Comfort

We all want our pups to be as comfortable as possible, so choosing a crate they’ll spend hours in is important. Be sure to choose the correct size and make sure they can sit, stand, and lie down with ample room to spare.

Seeking a crate with an integrated crate pad like the Elitefield 3-Door Collapsible Soft-Sided Dog Crate is an excellent option for added comfort. Or, purchase a separate crate pad so your pup’s joints are supported.

Ease of Setup

While this factor is more important to consider on behalf of owners, having a crate that is more difficult to set up than a Lego set is every owner’s worst nightmare. Crates should not take more than 10 minutes to assemble and should be simple to disassemble when not in use.

Our favorite crate to set up was the Love’s Cabin Pop-up Dog Kennel. Its simple pop-up framing mechanism (rather than screws and bolts) made it the easiest crate to assemble and disassemble, but it lacked durable elements for strong chewers or escape artists.

While some crates included nuts and bolts, assembly can still be relatively simple. Wood crates like the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Single Door Dog Crate & End Table require a more complex assembly process but are akin to a furniture piece in the home rather than a simple crate. Even though it is a more decor-adjacent piece than the other crates we tested, assembly took under 30 minutes.

Ease of Cleaning

As pet owners, we know that pets can make messes, nearly always when we’re running out the door or late to an event. Mason, our tester’s dog, is an enthusiastic puker and throws up about once every 3 months, so she’s well-versed in the joys of cleaning crates, carpets, and other fabrics he deigns acceptable to be sick on. The last thing we, as pet owners, want is a crate that is difficult to clean. Thus, durable fabrics or wipeable surfaces are a must.

Crates like the MidWest Homes for Pets Double Door iCrate Dog Crate include a removable tray that is simple to hose down after sickness or accidents, making this crate incredibly simple to clean, sanitize, and reuse over and over. Other crates, like the Orvis Tough Trail Folding Crate, are designed with durable canvas to wash down or easily wipe out any muck or messes.

Portability

Portability is the last crucial factor to consider. It’s important to easily carry around your crate while in transit and fold it down while not in use. Crates like the Amazon Basics 2-Door Top-Load Hard-Sided Dog Pet Travel Carrier include a carrying handle for ease of use while your dog is crated or for storage.

While some crates are meant as permanent fixtures in your home, crates like the Elitefield 3-Door Collapsible Soft-Sided Dog Crate fold up and include a carrying case with a duffel strap for simple portability, regardless of weight.

Consider how much weight you can comfortably lift and available space to store your crate when not in use. Choosing foldable crates if you’re in a studio apartment, or popup frames is an ideal choice when you’re tight on space.

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