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Dogs make great car companions—especially when they’re secured with a good car harness or car seat, just like humans need seatbelts. And yes, you want to use them every time you drive. But choosing the right dog car seat or harness can be tough, so we’ve narrowed down some of the best options for you and your dog.
Not sure where to start? Read up on dog car safety, or hop down to our explainer on the difference between distraction prevention tools and crash-tested safety devices—or dive into our list of favorites.
Sleepypod ClickIt Sport
This car harness underwent intensive crash-testing at 30 mph to ensure its safety for dogs up to 90 pounds.
Best Overall Car Harness: Sleepypod ClickIt Sport
Sleepypod ClickIt Sport
This car harness underwent intensive crash-testing at 30 mph to ensure its safety for dogs up to 90 pounds.
Certified by the Center for Pet Safety, this car seat harness for dogs is made of durable ballistic nylon and has undergone intensive safety testing. “It’s unique because it’s actually crash-tested,” says Rover’s Dog People Panel member and expert trainer Nicole Ellis, who highly recommends this dog car harness.
It features a three-point design to reduce forward and sideways movement and attaches to the seat belt directly. It can also be used as a walking harness, as it sports a D-ring leash attachment on the back of the neck strap.
Key Features:
- Certified by the Center for Pet Safety
- Three-point design reduces forward and sideways movement
- Double D-ring connection for leash and use as a walking harness
- Not recommended for Whippet, Greyhound, Saluki, Afghan Hound, or Borzoi dog breeds
Best All-Around Small Dog Car Seat: Sleepypod Carrier Series
Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed
This handy three-in-one number is a carrier, car seat, and bed all in one.
If you’re looking for a solid car (or airplane) seat for your dog, look no further than Sleepypod. The Atom, Air, and Mobile Pet Bed are all certified by the Center for Pet Safety. The largest capacity of these is the Air, which can contain a dog up to 18 pounds; the smallest, the Mini, is for pets 7 pounds and under.
We particularly like the Mobile Pet Bed for pets 15 pounds and under (and the mini version, for pets under 7 pounds) because of how it does triple duty as a pet bed, carrier, or safe car seat. You can open the top partway, or you can zip the entire mesh top off, depending on how you’re using it.
Key Features:
- CPS-crash tested for safety when strapped to back seat
- 17 inches across x 13.5 inches tall (with top), for pets 15 pounds and under; mini is 13 inches across x 11 inches tall, for pets 7 pounds and under
- Comes in several colors
- Easy to clean—wipe with damp cloth; foam bedding is wrapped in a water repellent cover
- Shoulder strap and handle options for carrying
Best Dog Car Carrier: Away Pet Carrier
Away Pet Carrier
For pets up to 18 pounds, this carrier has sherpa bedding for your dog and pockets for you.
With its removable sherpa bed, solid structure, and pockets to stash things, this sleek number is a strong dog car seat option that can also easily be carried by hand and taken on an airplane. There are mesh panels on three sides for good ventilation and visibility, as well as a retractable privacy screen. While the entire bag is water- and stain-resistant inside and out, one of the pockets is lined with waterproof material and has drainage holes so you can stash messier things like a collapsible water bowl. You can personalize it too.
Key Features:
- For dogs up to 18 pounds
- Crash-tested and certified by the Center for Pet Safety
- Top and side openings
- Waterproof pocket with drainage holes for mess containment
- Fastens to the back seat
- 18.7 x 10.8 x 10.75 inches
Best Dog Booster Car Seat: Kurgo Skybox Rear Booster Seat
Kurgo Skybox Rear Booster Seat
For small to medium dogs, this back seat booster helps your pup see over and out—and also doubles as a dog bed.
Car seats help boost smaller or shorter dogs so they can look out the windows more easily—especially helpful for dogs who get car sick. Many, however, are made for front seats, which are a big no-no from a safety perspective. For dogs up to 30 pounds, this Kurgo booster seat gives your dog a secure space of their own from which to check out road trip scenery. Or they can snuggle down and nap in a den-like space.
It comes with a tether, but you may want to connect your dog directly to the seatbelt via their car harness rather than the booster only, per Center for Pet Safety standards.
Key Features:
- Interior measures 15.5 inches wide x 8.5 inches tall x 12.5 inches deep
- Exterior zipper pocket for storing essentials
- Folds up for easy storage
- Doubles as a dog bed in or out of the car
Best Budget Dog Car Seat Harness: Sherpa Dog Car Harness
Sherpa Dog Car Harness
With a heavy-duty construction and successful crash test at the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, this harness is especially good for larger breed dogs.
Because of its heavy-duty construction, this car dog harness gets the thumbs-up from pet parents of medium and large dogs. The extra-large fits chest sizes up to 50 inches. It’s made of nylon with a locking clasp, has four points of adjustment, and features strong handles for a seat belt to loop through.
Key Features:
- Step-in design with four adjustment points and padded chest plate
- Harness handles securely connect with seat belt
- Manufacturer crash tested for safety
Best Car Seat for Medium to Large Dogs: Diggs Enventur Inflatable Car Kennel
Diggs Enventur
This durable yet lightweight inflatable car seat can fit in the backseat (small and medium) or cargo area (large).
We’re not including crates in this roundup, and while this looks like one, it isn’t quite like any kennel we’ve ever seen. The small and medium sizes can be used as a car seat in the back, so we had to include it. It inflates—rest assured it’s been bite-tested, puncture-tested, freeze-tested, and compression-tested. The inflatability makes it lighter than a crate, which means it packs away neatly when you no longer need it. Diggs is fast becoming a trusted brand—we reviewed the Diggs Revol wire crate, and the Diggs Passenger carrier has been CPS-certified for safety.
Key Features:
- Three sizes: Small (dogs up to 30 pounds) and medium (dogs up to 55 pounds) fit on back bench seat or cargo space; large (dogs up to 80 pounds) fits in cargo area only
- Inflates via manual pump
- Ventilated windows for airflow
- Inflated walls provide cushioning as well as cooling qualities
Best Luxury Carrier Car Seat: Paravel Cabana Dog Carrier
Paravel Cabana Dog Carrier
This carrier is made from upcycled plastic bottles and can go from car to sidewalk to airplane.
In addition to being crash-tested and certified by the Center for Pet Safety, this luxe carrier is eco-friendly: it’s made from canvas derived from upcycled plastic bottles. It also very versatile, much like the Sleepypod carriers, and can be secured to the back seat of your car, carried, or used on an airplane (it has a strap to attach to your rolling luggage). Even better: you can personalize it too.
Key Features:
- Fits pets up to 20 pounds
- Made from recycled plastic bottles
- Removable and washable fleece lining
- You can personalize it and it comes in multiple colors
- Certified by Center for Pet Safety
Best Harness for Medium Dogs: Kurgo Tru-Fit (Verified Review)
Kurgo Tru-Fit Dog Car Harness
Another crash-tested option, this harness is ideal for both car rides and walks, and its five adjustment points ensure a good fit.
Whether you plan to use it in the car or while out on walks, this Kurgo Tru-Fit harness has you covered. It comes with a seat belt attachment, all-steel buckles, and a no-pull style front D-ring leash attachment for walking. This harness also boasts five adjustment points on the straps to ensure a good fit for your dog.
Our Rover test pup, a 45-pound Boxer mix named Whiskey, appreciated the close, firm fit, and his pet parent appreciated that the front-clip D-ring helped control his pulling when they got out of the car.
Key Features:
- Manufacturer crash-tested for dogs up to 75 pounds
- Five adjustment points for fit and a padded chest plate
- Includes a seat belt loop tether with carabiner; compatible with any car seat belt system
Best Car Seat for Medium Dogs: K&H Pet Products Buckle ‘n’ Go
K&H Pet Products Buckle 'n' Go
Like a sling but better, this dog car seat contains your bigger dog in comfort so you can keep your eyes on the road.
This car seat doesn’t boost, but it does contain your dog, which is particularly handy for larger dogs, dogs who shed, or dogs who like to curl up and have a little den time during the ride. There’s no weight limit, since it just sits on the back seat on the right or left side. With straps that buckle around the headrests of your car seats, it’s easy to put up and take down; it folds flat when you’re done using it.
Key Features:
- Small is 21 x 13 x 19 inches; large is 21 x 19 x 19 inches
- Reasonably priced
- Mesh side panels allow ample air flow
- Open top so pets don’t feel confined
Best Kurgo Car Harness: Kurgo Impact Safety Harness
Kurgo Impact Car Dog Safety Harness
This single-piece harness is designed to reduce forward motion in the event of a sudden stop; it’s the newest version of the Kurgo Tru-Fit.
This top-of-the-line harness from Kurgo is constructed from a single piece of high-tensile tubular webbing. It has a padded, broad chest plate for comfort and protection, designed to reduce forward motion in the event of sudden stopping or impact. Crash-tested by the manufacturer.
Key Features:
- Manufacturer crash-tested for dogs up to 108 pounds
- Constructed of a single piece of high-tensile tubular webbing with reinforced bar tacking
- Broad, padded chest plate to help distribute weight more evenly
- Four adjustment points
- Machine washable
What’s the Safest Dog Car Harness or Carrier?
There are plenty of car harnesses and seats (these include bucket-style and carrier-style) that are marketed as being for car travel. But the majority of them are distraction prevention tools, and they wouldn’t hold up in the event of an accident.
“We want pet owners to understand the difference between distraction-prevention products and crash-protection products,” says Lindsey A. Wolko, founder of the Center for Pet Safety (CPS), which has independently tested and certified a handful of carrier and harness options. When shopping, there are a few key things to look for:
Whether the seat or harness is crash-tested. Only a few car carriers and harnesses have been crash-test certified by the Center for Pet Safety. Owning a crash-tested dog harness may give you extra peace of mind. Expect these to be at the higher end of the price range.
Know the difference between a car harness and a walking harness. Car harnesses, sometimes called dog car seat belts, are different from walking harnesses, though they can often be used as walking harnesses as well.
Car harnesses have attachments that connect it and your dog to your car’s seat belt. They need to be stronger than a walking harness to withstand the potential force of stopping at high speed. They’ll also have thicker straps and more padding to distribute your dog’s weight more evenly.
Sizing. Whether you’re considering a harnesses or a car seat, measure your dog carefully before buying. When it comes to carriers, bigger is not better. “Your pet should fit snugly in the crate,” says Wolko. “Measure the dog from tip of the nose to the base of the tail and add 6 inches when evaluating the size of the crate. If the crate is too large, it will increase the risk of injury.”
Comfort and construction. Look for details like a padded chest plate, cushioning to prevent chafing, extra stitching, and durable materials. We especially love to see a lifetime warranty, as offered by Kurgo and Sleepypod.
Car compatibility. Not all harnesses or carriers are compatible with every kind of car, so it’s a good idea to take a close look at the product description before you buy to make sure you’re getting something that works for your ride.
Bucket-style dog car seats should be paired with a car harness for safety. Wolko advises, “The travel seat should connect to the LATCH/ISOFIX anchors [the ones you use for a child car seat], and you will want to use a CPS-Certified harness that connects directly to the seatbelt to secure the dog. Never connect your dog directly to the travel/booster seat—those connections are very weak.”
When it comes to big dogs, you’re likely going to be looking at a car harness or a travel crate. There simply aren’t carriers made for big dogs, and other solutions, like car dividers, aren’t recommended by CPS. If you have an extra large breed, CPS recommends crates as the safest choice. We have a separate roundup of those.
Don’t leave your dog alone strapped into a car harness. If you need to leave your dog alone in a vehicle, make sure to unbuckle your dog first (and check the temperature). Left alone, they could become tangled in a car harness or seat belt strap.
How We Chose
The products featured here were selected based on a combination of our own hands-on testing, a comprehensive look at customer reviews across a wide variety of retail platforms, and interviews with veterinary experts, including Rover’s Dog People Panel. We prioritized dog car seats with solid crash testing credentials or brand reputation, and those that have rave reviews from users (including our own testing). We’re also guided by the experience of living and playing alongside our own much-loved and strongly opinionated pets, who are never stingy with their feedback.
Pet Parent Resources
Leaving your pet can be difficult! Fortunately, finding a trusty pet sitter can ensure that your dog is safe and happy – from the car ride to their boarding stay to the moment you pick them up! If you need a helping hand, consider Rover’s pet care services, ranging from dog walkers to boarding facilities.
