Best Dog Crates

Sizing, door security, fold-down portability, and escape resistance — the four things that separate crates. Size comes first, and bigger is not kinder. The dog should be able to stand without ducking, turn around, and lie flat on its side; spare room beyond that lets a puppy soil one end and sleep in the other, which is the exact habit crate training exists to prevent. Buy for the adult size and use a divider to shrink it while the puppy grows. Wire crates fold flat, ventilate well, and cost least. Plastic crates feel more den-like and are the style most travel rules are written around. Heavy-duty steel exists for the small number of dogs that genuinely bend wire, and it is overkill for everyone else. Look at the latches specifically — single-latch doors are the ones escape artists learn to pop. If your dog panics rather than settles, no crate on this page fixes that; that is a training and separation-anxiety problem.

All dog crates we've compared (9)

Best crate for most dogs

MidWest Homes for Pets

MidWest iCrate Double-Door Folding Dog Crate, 36"

4.6

🏆 Best Overall Crate

Tradeoff: Determined escape artists can bend the wire.

$50–$80Check Price — Best crate for most dogs

Best crate for medium breeds

MidWest Homes for Pets

MidWest iCrate Double-Door Folding Dog Crate, 30"

4.5

🐕 Best Crate for Medium Breeds

Tradeoff: Get the weight range right — this one caps out around 40 lb.

$40–$65Check Price — Best crate for medium breeds

Best crate for large breeds

MidWest Homes for Pets

MidWest iCrate Double-Door Folding Dog Crate, 42"

4.4

📏 Best Crate for Large Breeds

Tradeoff: Costs about double the 36", and it is a two-person job to move assembled.

$85–$120Check Price — Best crate for large breeds

Best for air travel

Petmate

Petmate Vari Dog Kennel, 40" (Large Dogs, 70–90 lb)

4.3

✈️ Best for Air Travel

Tradeoff: Airline-shaped, but confirm your carrier's current rules — plastic fasteners are a common sticking point.

$140–$185Check Price — Best for air travel

Best soft travel crate

EliteField

EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate with Bed

4.2

🧳 Best for Travel

Tradeoff: Fabric — not for chewers or escape artists.

$90–$125Check Price — Best soft travel crate

Best play area / puppy pen

IRIS USA

IRIS USA 4-Panel Dog Playpen / Pet Enclosure

4.2

🛝 Best Play Area

Tradeoff: It's a boundary, not a crate — an athletic puppy will get over or under it.

$42–$65Check Price — Best play area / puppy pen

Best for home use in small spaces

Gardner Pet

Gardner Pet Collapsible Dog Crate with Wheels, 28"

4.1

🏠 Best for Home Use

Tradeoff: You pay a premium for the fold-and-roll convenience, and give up some rigidity.

$75–$105Check Price — Best for home use in small spaces

Best value crate

Amazon Basics

Amazon Basics Single-Door Folding Wire Crate, 36"

4.1

💰 Best Value Crate

Tradeoff: Lighter wire than the iCrate, and one door means fewer placement options.

$40–$65Check Price — Best value crate

Best for road trips

Amazon Basics

Amazon Basics Folding Soft Dog Crate, Medium (30")

4.0

🚗 Best for Road Trips

Tradeoff: Cheap and packable, with fabric noticeably thinner than the premium soft crates.

$40–$60Check Price — Best for road trips