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- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
A lot of trips are more fun with your pup in tow—whether that’s everyday errands and jaunts to the park or bigger adventures like camping and hiking. But how will you keep your dog safe on the road? One good option for car safety is a dog travel crate.
Dog travel crates or carriers provide a safe, enclosed space for your dog to travel in comfort. Travel crates often differ from a dog’s home crate in a few key ways. Those might include:
- ways to secure them during travel
- collapsible sides
- handles, straps, or detachable wheels for transport
- a crash-safety rating
While travel crates offer necessary security and durability during travel, they also function as a safe, comfortable space for your pet at your destination. But how do you choose? We’ve rounded up our favorite dog crates to help get your furry friend, great or small, safely from point A to point B.
Diggs Revol Collapsible Crate
This foldable travel crate is a great option for traveling by car with your dog.
Our picks
Best Collapsible Crate: Diggs Revol Collapsible Crate (Verified Review)
When you travel, it’s important to have a crate that breaks down to a compact size and is easy to transport. The Revol is an ideal two-in-one collapsible crate: equally good for at-home use and housing your dog in the car. To collapse it, you’ll just twist the top lever and fold. Our reviewers never worried about pinched fingers or complicated setup configurations.
While the Revol sits much taller than a traditional crate and has a larger stow-away footprint, its solid, sturdy construction (aluminum, coated steel, and reinforced plastic), carrying handle and wheels, and ease of use make it a strong option for car travel, particularly with small and senior dogs. Plus, we think the design and color options are aesthetically pleasing, so you won’t be rushing to hide it away when guests are over.
Key features:
- Available in multiple sizes: small, medium, intermediate, and large
- Puppy divider is included with crate purchase (good for crate training)
- Removable tray makes cleanup easy
- Garage-style door helps dogs feel safe and secure
Best Car Crate: Gunner Kennels Dog Crate
Gunner Kennels Dog Crate
This heavy-duty travel crate is one of the safest options you’ll find; it has a five-star rating for crash safety.
This kennel looks tough because it is. The Gunner Kennel is made from heavy-duty, double-walled, roto-molded plastic and stainless steel hardware—no rattling wire here. Made in the USA, the crate is built with a reversible door, designed to be opened from either side, and comes in four different heavy-duty sizes (small, medium, intermediate, and large).
Two kayak-grade carrying handles make it relatively easy to transport, and non-slip feet raise the crate off the ground and reduce slippage when your car is in motion. Best of all, Gunner Kennels have a five-star rating for crash safety from the Center for Pet Safety and offer security for dogs up to 75 pounds.
Key features:
- Dual-locking single door that offers structural support and security for escape artist dogs
- Element-repelling windows
- Oversized, removable drain makes for easy cleaning
- Lifetime warranty
Best Soft Crate: Elitefield Three-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate (Verified Review)
If you’re looking for a soft crate that’s both strong and collapsible, the versatile Elitefield is a solid choice—and one of the most popular of its kind. Three mesh zippered doors (top, bottom, and side) provide breathability and sunlight, while a variety of pockets help you keep your pup’s gear together on the go.
As our test pups found, it’s softer and quieter on the road than traditional wire options, making it a nice crate for reluctant or anxious travelers. It’s worth noting, however, that the soft design and non-waterproof bottom aren’t a good fit for dogs prone to chewing or accidents (looking at you, puppies).
Key features:
- Lightweight but still quite durable
- Five available sizes and over a dozen colors to choose from
- Sturdy, steel tube frame for safety
- Carrying bag with handle and straps make it convenient to transport
Best for Small Dogs: Sleepypod Air
If you’re planning to bring your small dog on an out-of-state adventure or looking for a carrier-style car crate, the Sleepypod Air is airline-approved and fits underneath most front cabin seats. It’s certified safe for cars by the CPA, and it comes with straps to secure it firmly to a middle seat. A padded shoulder strap and handle make for easy transport outside the vehicle.
When not in use, the carrier collapses down for easy storage. Our test pup, a long-bodied Dachshund, thought it was an excellent way to get to and from the office.
Key features:
- Can be placed atop a rolling suitcase
- Luggage-grade nylon makes for sturdy sides
- Fully expanded: 22″ long, 10.5″ wide, 10.5″ high
- Intended for smaller pets up to 17.5 pounds
Best Medium Crate: Petsfit 3-Door Design Crate
Petsfit’s three-door soft crate is strong enough to withstand a medium-sized dog’s weight—whether they’re standing, lying down, or leaning against the soft walls—but comfortable enough to be cozy. The mesh doors offer ventilation and visibility, and they can be secured with included fabric-magic tape so a dog can enter and exit at their leisure.
Because it’s both lightweight and collapsible, we like the Petsfit for camping and life on the go with mature dogs who need a relaxing spot to crash and call their own.
Key features:
- Triple stitching reinforces strength of the cloth cover
- Constructed with a solid iron pipe frame
- PVC coating bottom that repels liquids
- Exterior storage pocket
Best Large Crate: 2PET Foldable Dog Crate
Another soft dog crate, 2PET’s foldable crate is built to stand up to large dogs. With a strong yet lightweight steel tube design, four sides of mesh windows, and a front-facing zipper that dogs can’t easily access to chew, it allows for comfortable aeration in a safely enclosed space. The nylon fabric is fully removable and machine washable, and the base of the kennel comes with a waterproof mat and a reversible fleece cushion pad that’s washable. If you’ve got a big dog in the family, be sure to check their measurements before purchasing—the 2PET is constructed for dogs up to 70 pounds.
Key features:
- Equipped with a water bottle holder and food container holder
- Multiple straps for easy carrying
- Intended for indoor and outdoor use
- Multiple colors and sizes
Best Extra-Large Crate: MidWest Life Stages Folding Metal Dog Crate
Made of metal, the MidWest Life Stages folding dog crate is a popular option for extra-large canines. Suitable for dogs up to 110 pounds, the crate has a large door opening that allows them to comfortably enter and exit. The locking tip keeps the lock securely in place, and the paw-block prohibits your dog from tampering with the latch.
Rounded corners reduces potentially sharp points, and the protective feet guard your floors from scratches. Easy to assemble and portable, the crate folds down flat and has a strong carrying handle for transport to the car.
Key features:
- Single- or double-door options
- Available in multiple sizes
- Divider panel included
- Leak-proof plastic pan will keep your floors protected from messes
Best Air Travel Crate: SportPet Designs Rolling Wire Door Travel Dog Crate
Planning to fly a dog too large for a carrier? The SportPet wire door travel dog crate is a popular choice for dogs who fly cargo. It’s constructed with durable plastic and a metal door, and comes with two airline-approved food dishes, live animal stickers, and metal bolts and nuts for secure assembly. Once you’ve picked up your pet at your destination, snap on the wheels to make walking to the car easy. Available in six sizes—small to XXXL—the crate is suited for all dog breeds.
Key features:
- Airline-approved
- Easy assembly
- Plastic is easy to clean
- Wide range of sizing options
Best for Indoor/Outdoor: PetNation Collapsible Port-A-Crate
Constructed with a strong but lightweight steal frame, the PetNation collapsible crate is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. The removable cover is machine-washable, so you won’t need to worry about dirt and grime, and the mesh windows provides ventilation when your pet is inside the soft-sided structure. Industrial strength zippers and door latches are paired with rounded edges for dog (and home) safety.
Ideal for dogs up to 70 pounds, the crate sets up and folds down within seconds.
Key features:
- Water-resistant for easy cleanup
- Two doors provide easy access and can be rolled up
- Great for transportation and outside use
Best Budget Pick: BestPet Folding Dog Crate With Double-Door
BestPet’s metal dog crate can be used both at home and in the great outdoors and has double doors for two points of entry. The rounded corners protect your dog from sharp edges, and the leak-proof composite tray pan keeps any messes from spilling outside the crate.
Foldable and portable, the collapsible design makes it ideal for trips to the beach or the mountains, and the divider panel allows your dog to grow with the crate. Though the weight is on the heftier side, it’s affordability, safety, and compactness make it a strong option for pups of all sizes.
Key features:
- Two heavy-duty slide-bolt latches securely lock
- No tools required for assembly
- Folds flat for convenient storage
- Metal is easy to clean
Best Inflatable: Diggs Eventur Inflatable Travel Kennel (Verified Review)
Diggs Eventur Inflatable Travel Kennel
A first-of-its-kind inflatable crate, the Diggs Eventur travel kennel allows you to inflate and deflate your dog’s home away from home as needed.
This unusual inflatable travel dog crate from Diggs is lightweight, transportable, and comfortable. Made with puncture-resistant, waterproof materials, it comes with ventilated windows and air-cushioned walls that are designed at an angle to better fit car backs and seats.
Our product testers confirmed it’s shockingly durable and remarkably easy to set up, inflating and deflating via a manual pump in roughly a minute.
We especially like the extensive testing that Diggs does on their products, including crash testing for safety. It’s not a budget pick, especially when you add the cost of the pump and tie-downs—but if their testing continues to see good results, it’s likely to be one of the safest car crates on the market.
Our only caveat? It does smell a little rubbery at first, which can be tricky for dogs with especially sensitive noses or pups still in crate training.
Key features:
- Quick to inflate and deflate
- D-rings allow for attachment to your vehicle
- Safe from phthalates, heavy metals, and other harmful chemicals
- Maintains structure if it leaks or is punctured
How We Chose
The dog travel crates featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing and a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms. We prioritized durable, comfortable crates with collapsible sides or air-safe plastic shells, giving special notice to those that have passed the CPS’s independent crash-safety tests. We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pups, who are never stingy with their feedback.