Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best Iron Dog Kennel

Crates provide a safe (and happy) space for your dog.

Dog crates can be used for a variety of reasons, but according to the vets we spoke with, safety sits at the top of the list. It’s “about creating a safe place for dogs,” according to Susan Krebsbach, veterinarian and owner of Creature Counseling, an animal behavior consulting service.

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A crate keeps puppies and older dogs from having free reign in a house where they may get themselves into trouble. “We don’t want to leave our pets out when we’re not monitoring them and we don't have a fully dog-proofed home,” said Juliet Caviness, a veterinarian and clinical instructor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. If a dog is properly acclimated to a crate, they can go in there—and you can rest easy knowing they won’t hurt themselves or destroy your favorite things while you’re at work.

If you’re raising a puppy, a crate “gives them boundaries,” similar to a baby in a playpen, said Jerry Klein, chief veterinary officer for the American Kennel Club. Klein, who was an emergency veterinarian for 35 years, has seen his share of puppies who’ve chewed through electrical cords, gotten into the garbage, and eaten detergent, among other catastrophes (some of which were life-threatening).

Crates are also helpful when you need to contain a new adult dog that you don’t know very well yet. And they can be especially helpful for introducing dogs to other new roommates, both human and animal.

They’re wonderful house-training tools.

Crates can also be used for house training. Dogs typically like to have their toilet area separate from their living area, according to Caviness. A properly sized crate can discourage your dog from engaging in extracurricular bathroom activities, and it can help a puppy learn to hold it until they have more space to go.

But you’ll need to keep an eye on your dog and let them out frequently so they have many opportunities to do the right thing. “Our rule of thumb is an hour per month of age. So at eight weeks old, two hours is kind of the maximum we would expect them to be able to hold their bladder,” Caviness said.

Many larger crates come with removable puppy dividers, so you can make a crate small enough to keep your dog from peeing and pooping in there, and then expand the space as they grow.

Crates come in handy during emergencies and vet visits.

If your dog is crate-trained, it will be safer and less stressful for them—and for you—during major emergencies like fires or extreme weather events. “If you’re asked to evacuate, you should have crates you can put your pets in,” Klein told us. “If you have to go to a temporary shelter, they will not take a dog or a cat without a crate.” Some hotels also ask that a dog be crated, especially if you’ll be leaving them alone in the room.

Crates also make vet visits easier, particularly if the vet has to keep them for the day or overnight. It’s better for the staff and better for the dog if they don’t see a crate as a bad thing.

But your dog must be acclimated to a crate, and that could take time.

It’s important to acclimate your dog to a crate. They might need some time to get used to it, but the first step is to “never, ever use the crate as punishment. Always only for positive good things,” Krebsbach said. You want the crate to give your dog “a place to go to that’s theirs,” she told us.

You should take your time while getting your dog to feel good about being in a crate. “It’s so important to really gradually acclimate them to the crate, so it does become a really wonderful place to be,” Krebsbach said.

“You can leave the crate open and eventually they will go in. It’s like their own little condo,” Klein said. If your dog can be trusted not to eat everything in sight, you can put toys in there as well as a soft bed or crate mat. (If there’s a risk that they might chew on those things, don’t put them in, since your dog might choke on them, or parts could get into their GI tract.)

And you should always remove your dog’s collar or harness when they’re in a crate. Those items can get caught on the crate and potentially hurt or even strangle a dog.

Unfortunately, there are some dogs who simply don’t do well with crates at all because they have what’s called “confinement anxiety.” These are dogs who get “really anxious when we put them in small spaces or we don’t give them the ability to move around,” Caviness said. They’ll get agitated and may start panting, getting vocal, or even peeing or pooping inside the crate. Other dogs might try to escape by chewing on the crate itself. “Because some of those dogs will have a really serious need to escape that confined place, we can see them injure themselves,” Caviness explained.

This is different from separation anxiety, though Caviness said there are some dogs who suffer from both afflictions. Acclimating your dog to a crate, especially as a puppy, will teach them how to be left alone. But for a lot of dogs who already suffer from separation anxiety, crates might do more harm than good, “because then you’re adding a second anxiety to the mix,” Caviness said. Usually these dogs will need some combination of medication and training to help them adjust to being left alone. And you should ask for help from a veterinarian and professional trainer.

If you’re having trouble with crate training, or you just want to give your dog another option, Caviness and Krebsbach both recommended exercise pens (often called “ex pens”) as a complement or an alternative to a fully enclosed crate. These pens provide a more-open space where you can still confine a dog as you “build crating skills,” Caviness said. You can keep a crate in the ex-pen with the door open to help with acclimation. “It’s kind of like a doggie playpen,” Krebsbach said.

Alternatively, if your dog simply can’t adapt to a crate, even with help from professionals, you might need to give up crating altogether and instead use a pet gate to restrict them to a dog-proofed room in your home.

And finally, not every dog needs a crate! If your pooch is already house-trained and doesn’t get into trouble when left home alone, they might be just fine with no containment at all.

We considered 23 crates, and we tested 11. We evaluated each crate according to the following criteria:

Safety: If your dog is very determined or particularly mischievous, no crate is going to be completely safe. When considering crates, we looked for obvious signs of danger, like sharp edges, bendable panels that might trap or pinch body parts (both canine and human), and inward protrusions that a dog might gnaw on or that could catch on their body. But every expert and crate manufacturer we spoke with highlighted the impossibility of finding or building a perfectly safe or escape-proof crate. The safest crate is the one your dog is trained to feel good inside, so that there are no dangerous breakout attempts; this will do more to prevent injury (and worse) than any specific material or design.

Structural strength and durability: We tested the strength of each crate’s doors and walls by attaching a luggage scale and applying 50 pounds of outward pressure. While this doesn’t replicate the stress that a wily dog might put on a crate, it is at least an objective measure that allows for comparison. We also measured the thickness of any wires and other materials, evaluated the strength of the locks, and scratched at the interiors with meat shredders to see if we could cause any marks or damage.

Cleaning ease: Every expert we spoke with emphasized the importance of being able to easily clean and disinfect a crate. We spilled an 8-ounce cup of liquid inside each crate, and then we gauged how hard it was to reach the mess and clean it up. We noted whether the crates had removable plastic trays and, if so, how hard they were to maneuver.

Ease of use and versatility: We noted any extra features a crate had, beyond just being a basic dog box. We also noted how easy it was to use the handles (if a crate had them), to open and close the doors, and to move the crate around. If a crate was collapsible, we considered how easy or hard it was to fold flat.

Aesthetics: We gave some consideration to the crate’s appearance and ability to blend in with other furniture, since you’ll likely have to look at it all the time. It’s best to keep the crate in an area where you often hang out. If the crate is kept in an isolated area or a basement, your dog will “look at it very much as punishment,” Krebsbach said.

Cost: We considered whether the higher-priced models offered any significant features that might justify the extra expense. But if you’re trying to stretch your budget, all of our picks regularly come up on the secondhand market, so we recommend looking on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace first. This could save you money, and you’ll be able to see the thing in person before you buy, eliminating the risk of springing for a bulky product online that may be a hassle to return.

The MidWest Ultima Pro Two Door Folding Crate has been our top standard wire-crate pick since . It’s sturdy, inexpensive, collapsible, and (relatively) safe. It comes with two doors as well as a puppy divider, so your dog can grow into it. Of the models we tested, this crate was one of the easiest to clean. MidWest has been making wire-formed products, including canning racks and wire boxes for burning trash, since the s. In the s, the company noticed that people were repurposing these boxes to contain dogs, so it started building crates specifically for that purpose, according to Tara Whitehead, director of marketing and communications at MidWest. The company has been improving on the design ever since. And while we think the Ultima Pro is a great basic wire crate, MidWest has several other options that might suit your needs a little better.

It takes minutes to set up. Along with the other MidWest crates we tested, the Ultima Pro was the easiest to set up—even despite the somewhat-inscrutable instructions. And reversing the process was just as easy, so you can fold it back down for storage and moving. The only difficulty was getting the connector hooks situated properly over their wire counterparts, since pushing the panels inward required more strength than it took with crates that had thinner wires. This might be even more difficult for people with limited strength or hand dexterity.

Cleaning is simple and straightforward. Along with the Diggs Revol crate, the Ultima Pro and the other MidWest crates we tested were the easiest to clean. The Ultima Pro has a plastic tray that forms the floor of the crate, and you can slide it out from a gap on the bottom. The tray locks into place with a curved wire handle that can be slightly tricky to manipulate, but it also keeps a dog from accidentally dislodging it. Once the tray is out of the crate, it’s a cinch to wipe down, disinfect, and dry (but we advise mopping up bigger spills inside the crate first, to prevent liquids from sloshing over the raised edges).

The wires are thick, and the mesh openings are narrow. The wires on the Ultima Pro were thicker than on any other wire crate we tested. They still bent outward when we applied 50 pounds of force, but they warped less than on the other MidWest wire crates we tested. “We pull them until they break so we know the amount of force that’s required on every side,” Whitehead said. The Ultima Pro’s beefiness can help with some escape attempts. But, again, your dog shouldn’t be trying to get out, and very few crates are truly escape-proof. “They’re very safe for a dog who’s not panicking and trying to actively escape,” Whitehead explained.

The latches are protected from mischievous dog paws. In late , MidWest started updating the Ultima Pro crate to match the sizing of its other wire crates and to feature something called a Paw Block. It’s a little sideways U-shaped piece of wire under the latch that’s designed to stop a sneaky dog paw from reaching through and unhooking the slide-bolt locks. The newer latch also has a bent tip on the end, to further prevent a wily dog from sliding it out of place. In February , we bought the Ultima Pro to test it, but we received the older version without these updated features. “There is a challenging time of transition as the older product is on shelves and in warehouses across the country, and abroad, and the new product begins to replace it,” Whitehead said when we asked her about this. So if you buy one of these crates, double-check that it has these newer features. The iCrate we tested did arrive with the updated latches, so we were able to test them out on that model.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It might arrive bent or broken. Some customers have complained about their Ultima Pro crates arriving bent or broken. When our test model arrived, one of the hooks that’s intended to help secure the ceiling arrived bent, though this didn’t affect our ability to put it together. But a damaged crate might also have sharp edges. We recommend carefully inspecting your crate before putting a dog inside, and make sure there’s nothing that might poke or scratch them.

Dogs can still escape, and if they attempt a getaway, they might get hurt. The Ultima Pro crate was the hardest to bend, but if a dog is strong and determined enough to get out, the panels can separate just enough for them to potentially fit a paw or even a head through, which can be dangerous. As with all wire crates, with this model a dog can also potentially injure a tooth if they bite the wires. Wire crates are not Jerry Klein’s first choice. “Dogs can chew those crates. They can get their jaws stuck around them. They can get their paws or their tails caught around it,” he said. But, he added, “it depends on the dog.” These dangers can be minimized if your dog is trained appropriately. “Most dogs who are not crate averse will do just fine with” a wire crate, Juliet Caviness said.

Depending on the size, this crate can be heavy. The thicker-gauge wires are harder to bend than the thinner wires on some other models, but this crate is also heavier to carry and move about. And one of the plastic handles broke when we tried to attach it (the other one did not). The thicker wires also made it more difficult to attach the included puppy divider.

Upgrade pick

An update on the standard wire crate, this collapsible model features a garage-style door on the side, rear wheels, and an innovative diamond-mesh design.

The Diggs Revol Dog Crate is a souped-up wire crate with enough smart features to justify the high price, if you can afford it. It’s just as easy to clean as our top pick, it collapses down relatively flat, and it has two wheels, making transport easier. This crate also has two entrances, one of which opens garage-door-style along the side, so there’s more flexibility in where you can place it.

There are multiple convenient access points. Like the Ultima Pro crate, the Diggs Revol crate has two doors for easy access. But one of the Revol crate’s doors opens up like a garage door and tucks away under the roof, so you’re not limited by a left or right hinge. And the door can be left open without taking up any extra space. The crate also has two lockable ceiling hatches, so you can give your dog a toy, a treat, or just some love without having to open the doors.

It can collapse flat(ish). On the top panel, the crate has a handle that, when turned, unlocks the collapsing mechanism. This crate doesn’t compress down quite as flat as the MidWest crates, but it does transform into a relatively compact package. The collapsing process can occasionally be a little tricky, and it may take a little practice, but we eventually got the hang of it. The Revol crate also has an easy-to-clean, removable tray, similar to trays in the MidWest crates.

It’s the easiest crate to move around. The Revol crate was the only model we tested that had wheels, so you can roll it around after collapsing it down. The two wheels, which sit on the opposite side of the crate’s carry handle, made rolling this crate feel less like hauling an overloaded suitcase and more like moving an unwieldy roller bag. This setup spared my bad back because I didn’t have to bear the crate’s full weight. So it may be helpful for other people who similarly struggle with carrying big, heavy things.

It’s relatively sturdy, for a collapsible wire crate. This crate was less wobbly than the MidWest crates (though it was more wobbly than the non-wire options we tested). The wire gauge was thinner by our measurements than those on the Ultima Pro, but the diamond-shaped mesh formed a tighter weave, giving it some more structural integrity. When we applied 50 pounds of pressure, we were able to bend the hinged front door’s outer parts, but they didn’t warp as much as on the MidWest crates, including the Ultima Pro. The plastic frame is “fiber reinforced,” said Courtney Armstrong, vice president of product at Diggs. “So if the dog’s biting the plastic, instead of it shattering, it kind of just shreds, which is safer for the dog.” The reinforced frame also contributes to the Revol crate’s structural integrity.

The diamond-mesh wires and locks are designed for safety. The wire mesh’s diamond shape was designed to minimize the chances of a dog’s paw or jaw getting stuck, according to Armstrong. A traditional rectangular opening is “narrower in one direction, taller in the other,” she said. That might allow a paw to go out, “but if they twist it, they can’t get it back in,” she explained. Likewise, it’s easier for a dog to bite the horizontal bars’ rectangular shape and potentially get their jaws stuck, Armstrong told us. “Whereas with the diamond, everything’s a diagonal, so their jaws tend to slide down and it’s harder for them to actually latch on to it,” she said.

It looks nice (for a wire crate). While we know this is a matter of taste, we think the Diggs Revol and Evolv crates are more attractive than the standard black wire crates. “When people like something being in their home, they don’t put it in a corner and tuck it away,” Armstrong said. It’s better to have “a crate placed in a really active area of your house, like the kitchen,” Susan Krebsbach said. This way “the dog feels like a part of the family,” she told us.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It can be tricky to put together. The Diggs Revol crate requires more effort to initially set up than any of the three MidWest wire crates we tested. The MidWest wire crates arrive essentially assembled, and you have to just unfold them and make sure the panels latch together properly, but the Diggs crate arrives in a handful of separate pieces. However, everything clicks together with minimal hassle, and there aren’t many small pieces or fasteners to lose track of.

Some customers have complained about the tray cracking in larger sizes. One of the more common complaints in user reviews is that the removable tray sometimes cracks under a dog’s weight, especially in the large size (and occasionally in the intermediate size). This happens because “the tray is not actually sitting on the ground. It’s suspended between bars,” Armstrong explained. So there are a few spots that might be weaker if a heavy dog jumps on it just right. Diggs has been strengthening the tray plastic in response to these complaints, and the company now includes extra parts to add under the tray to mitigate this problem. If you get a tray that eventually cracks, Armstrong said the company will replace it both in and out of warranty.

It’s expensive. This crate is far more expensive than a basic wire crate, reaching up to seven times the cost of our top pick. You can find the small and medium sizes at Costco for less than they cost on the Diggs site, but you can’t find the intermediate or large sizes. Diggs has a 30-day return policy for any new crate, but if you buy the crate from its site, you’ll have to pay a shipping fee to return it. Yet we saw plenty of Revol crates available on secondhand marketplaces. This can save you some money, and you’ll be able to check the crate out in person before you buy. Just make sure it’s in good condition since you won’t inherit the warranty.

Best for...

This popular, affordable model transports easily, but the lighter-gauge wires aren’t as durable as those on other crates we tried.

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The MidWest iCrate Double Door Dog Crate is nearly identical to the Ultima Pro crate, but it has smaller-gauge wires. The iCrate was the least expensive model we tested, and it was just as easy to set up and break down as its beefier peer. It’s constructed from thinner wires, so it’s lighter and easier to move, but it’s also less durable.

It’s simple to fold up and carry. Of the crates we tested, the iCrate was one of the simplest models to move—second only to the Diggs Revol—because of its reduced weight. It folded up easily into a neat package, and it was far lighter than the two other MidWest crates we tested with the same basic architecture. The plastic handle and the bottom locking clip were a little tricky to attach at first, but once they were secured, moving the 36-inch iCrate was even easier.

It has the same tray and latches as the Ultima Pro. The iCrate has a removable plastic tray on the bottom, so it’s just as easy to clean as the other MidWest wire crates. The iCrate’s latches also feature MidWest’s Paw Block design and bent tip, to prevent a wily dog from sliding latches out of place.

The thinner wires make it easier to use the puppy divider. With the other MidWest crates, we struggled when adding the puppy dividers. They have to hook around the wires of the wall panels, so you have to bend them inward just enough to catch. The iCrate’s wires were easier to bend and shape, and that made the task of installing (and removing) the divider a little less annoying.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s not as strong and durable as other crates we tested. As with the Ultima Pro crate, some reviews for the iCrate complain about it arriving bent inside the shipping box. This can affect the crate’s function and might require you to go through the hassle of a return. And the thinner wires made it even easier to bend the panels outward with 50 pounds of force, giving dogs more room to potentially get a paw or snout stuck.

Best for...

If your dog is already crate-trained, this model will give them a cozy place of their own. It doubles as an attractive piece of furniture, but it’s expensive.

If your dog is already crate-trained, and you’re willing to splurge for a beautiful object that can blend in with your furniture, the Fable Crate is an excellent choice. Made of ash plywood and either acrylic or cold-rolled sheet metal for the door, this crate looks like no other commercially available model we found (there are some unique handmade options on Etsy, though).

It passes for a nice piece of furniture. The Fable is designed to look good in your house. It comes in two wood finishes (“signature” and walnut), and they can easily blend in with most decor (depending on your taste, of course). This crate can also help someone with limited square footage in their home to optimize their space, since you can use the top surface for other things, according to Jeremy Canade, co-founder and CEO of Fable. “A crate should be able to serve double duty,” he said. The company markets the Fable as a crate and side table in one. But when I tested the large model—which is massive and weighs over 100 pounds—my wife commented that it could work well as a kitchen island (if only we had a bigger kitchen).

It’s got a den-like feel. Some dogs don’t want to see everything that’s happening outside the crate. Whereas wire crates are typically open to the world, the Fable offers a more-enclosed space for dogs to tuck themselves away. Yet it still provides decent ventilation, similar to the RuffLand and Impact crates. The Fable’s design is meant to minimize anxiety and create a soothing place for a dog to hang out, according to Canade.

With its sliding garage-style door, this crate is easy to place in your home. The Fable has only one door, but it opens like a sliding garage-style door. Like the Diggs Revol crate’s side door, the Fable’s door slides up and out of the way under the roof, so the crate’s placement isn’t limited by a side hinge. It doesn’t have a removable tray, but the lacquered wood can resist most messes for up to six or seven hours, according to Canade. So if your dog has an accident overnight, “it’s not going to destroy the wood.” If damage does happen, the company offers replacement panels.

It’s not that hard to set up (for a furniture crate). Putting together the Fable was like an IKEA-light experience—place a few wooden pegs here, a few screws there, fit the pieces all together, and voilà, you’ve got a pretty crate. The hardest part was getting the heavy roof on the top of the large version, and I had to have another person help out. The medium version was easier to assemble: It took me about 15 minutes to put it together by myself, start to finish, though the roof was also fairly heavy, so you still may need an extra pair of hands. To be sure, assembling the Fable required more effort than all of the wire, plastic, and aluminum crates we tested. But it was far easier to set up than the other furniture crate we tested, which took over an hour.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s mainly suitable for chill adult dogs. Dogs can be destructive before and during crate training, and the Fable is not built to withstand that kind of damage. “Typically we recommend the crate for a crate-trained dog,” Canade said. But if your dog did decide to eat this crate, the wood and acrylic might not be as hard on their body as metal can be. The crate should break before the dog could hurt a tooth or paw on it. “I would rather my dog’s teeth stay intact than the objects stay intact,” Canade added.

The materials aren’t as durable as those of our other picks. The clear acrylic door withstood 50 pounds of force. But compared with the other doors we tugged on, this one was bendier, stretching outward enough for a dog to wedge a limb or even a head out the sides. The door also showed visible scratches when we tackled it with our meat shredders. The interior wood did too, though the scratches were less noticeable.

It’s expensive, and the company doesn’t take returns. The Fable is a hefty investment, so make sure it’s right for your dog and your space before you buy. The company also doesn’t accept returns, due to the high cost of shipping heavy furniture items. Canade said the policy isn’t out of line with policies for other furniture products—such as couches—that are also often cost-prohibitive to ship back. However, if there are any manufacturing problems with the crate, the company will send replacement panels or doors to make it right. The company has a very small customer service team that aims to respond to incoming issues within two business days, but we’ve seen a few complaints about it taking longer than that. Again, we found several Fable crates available secondhand on Facebook Marketplace, so that might be the best way to go if you’d like to see this crate in person first.

Best for...

This crate is made of a durable, flexible plastic, so it’s light enough to easily move around. It can also be strapped down in a vehicle when you hit the road with your pup.

The RuffLand Kennel is a popular plastic-crate option, especially among sporting dog people who travel often for events. It has a versatile, one-piece plastic design, so no setup is required, and it’s easy to move around. Also, this crate is available in multiple door configurations.

It has the most versatile door options. This is the only crate we’ve seen that gives you the option of customizing the door setup. In addition to the traditional, single-door option, you can add a back door or a side door—and you can pick which side you want the door on, so the crate is convenient and versatile in your space or your car. The doors themselves use the locking mechanism as a hinge, so a door can be opened from both the left and the right without needing any modifications.

It travels well. If you travel often with your dog and can have only one crate, the RuffLand Kennel is a good option due to its lightweight yet sturdy plastic construction. The crate comes equipped with two burly handles, which make moving it between your house and your car relatively easy. The RuffLand Kennel is available in a Backseat Rider version; this model is the same width and height as the Intermediate model, but it’s shorter in length to better fit in a car’s backseat. The Intermediate and Large models also come in an “SUV (slant back)” option; this version allows the crate to sit flush against the tilted rear of a backseat when it’s placed in an SUV’s cargo area. RuffLand also has an Airline Kennel, which comes in three sizes, for dogs flying in a plane’s cargo hold; be sure to check first to confirm this crate will work with your airline’s requirements. This crate has a large online fan base, judging by the number of Facebook groups devoted to it, and it has an equally large secondhand market. These groups are especially helpful for determining which size might work best for your dog (and your vehicle).

It’s likely to come in a size and color that will work for you. The RuffLand Kennel might not be the prettiest one we tested, but it comes in up to eight colors, depending on the size and model you get. From time to time, the company also offers the crate in special, limited-run colorways. In addition to the backseat version, the kennel comes in seven sizes, accommodating a wide range of dog bodies (though the company pointedly will not provide any sizing recommendations). The kennels are all made of “food grade safe” low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in the United States.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s not crash-rated by the Center for Pet Safety. Unlike the Gunner G1 (a burlier, more expensive plastic competitor), the RuffLand Kennel isn’t crash-rated by the Center for Pet Safety. We’re fans of the CPS’s crash-testing. But the experts we spoke with think it’s even more important to have dogs contained when you’re driving, so that they don’t become projectiles in a crash. And so much depends on the strength of your vehicle’s tie-down anchors, as well, according to CPS founder Lindsey Wolko. On its social media pages, RuffLand publishes first-person accounts of the crates staying intact during car crashes and keeping the dog occupants safe, though these are not a replacement for objective, independent testing.

The tie-down rings are not included. If you do decide to travel with the RuffLand Kennel, you’ll have to shell out for the tie-down rings and straps in order to secure it in your vehicle. These aren’t cheap, but you can buy off-brand versions for less.

If you’re still worried your dog might break out: The aluminum Impact Collapsible Dog Crate gives your dog less of an opportunity to break a claw or tooth if they’re trying to stage a great escape. That’s because the small, diamond-shaped air holes are difficult for a dog to bite or squeeze a paw through. For anxious dogs, the company also has a High Anxiety Crate, which it claims is escape-proof. But that model doesn’t collapse, so it’s more difficult to transport.

The collapsible Impact crate is sturdy and lightweight, and it was more durable than all of the models we tested. It was also about as easy to pick up and move as the iCrate. The 40-inch version we tested weighs 38 pounds (lighter than the similar Ultima Pro’s roughly 53 pounds and just a bit more than the iCrate’s 32 pounds). Once you get the hang of it, the Impact folds down almost as easily as the MidWest crates, with a few extra steps to remove the side rails. It has a sturdy handle on the side, making it easier to carry. But it can also be moved in its fully expanded state using the two robust top handles.

The flat ends of some screws are exposed around the interior edges of this crate. They’re not sharp, but they could potentially scratch a dog if rubbed just right. There are also two metal tabs that extend slightly inward from the side rails, and a dog could potentially try to gnaw on them. The Impact crate doesn’t have a removable tray like our top picks do, but cleaning the floor and walls was a straightforward process.

This crate is also one of the most expensive models we tested, and it might not be something you want to look at all the time. But the company offers a lifetime warranty against defects (if you get the High Anxiety Crate, the warranty also extends to damage made by a dog). And it has a 30-day return policy, minus a shipping fee.

If you want a visually upgraded wire crate that can adapt to your space: The Diggs Evolv Dog Crate is an attractive update to the basic wire crate at a moderate price. The Evolv is the only crate we tested that lets you choose exactly how you want to orient the two included doors during setup. So if you want your second door to be on the left side instead of on the right (or vice versa), or if you need the front door to hinge out on the right, you can build it that way. You can also buy extra doors, so you can have up to four on the crate. This lets you customize the crate to fit better in your space, so you won’t have to reorganize your furniture to accommodate the crate (as you must do with many other wire models).

The Evolv crate doesn’t have all of the features that the Diggs Revol crate does. But it sports the same diamond-shaped mesh, which can help prevent paws and jaws from getting stuck or injured. And the Evolv crate’s thick metal upper and lower frames and plastic corner connectors make it feel sturdier than the MidWest and Revol crates. The puppy divider is also easier to install on the Evolv crate than on the MidWest crates because it doesn’t rely on hooks.

However, the Evolv crate was much trickier to assemble than any of the MidWest crates. And the Evolv doesn’t collapse, so it’s not as portable. It has a removable tray, but you have to lift the crate up in order to slide the tray out through the front door at a slight angle; this can be difficult, depending on your strength and ability. And, depending on the size you choose, this crate can cost up to four times more than our top wire-crate pick (though it’s still only about half the price of our upgrade pick).

Petmate’s Ultra Vari Kennel is a former pick, but we struggled to find the sizes we needed during this round of testing. Petmate told us the crate is mostly available at specialty pet retailers, so if you can find it in the size you need, it’s still a good option. It’s a tough crate that handily contains accidents, and it meets most airline requirements, if you need to travel with your dog in cargo.

The MidWest LifeStages Double Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate is a former pick that is still a great crate, depending on your specific needs. It’s lighter than the Ultima Pro crate and heavier than the iCrate, but otherwise it’s very similar to those two models. We think the other two MidWest options cover most uses, but if you want something that sits between them in terms of strength, weight, and durability, the LifeStages crate is still a good choice.

The Frisco Heavy Duty Fold & Carry Double Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate is another former pick, and it’s very similar to the Ultima Pro crate. But each size of the Frisco is proportionally slightly wider and taller than the MidWest models, so the Frisco crate is heavier and more cumbersome to carry.

The ​​Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Collapsible Wire Dog Crate was easy to assemble, but the locking mechanism was flimsy.

The Boldbone Heavy Duty Indestructible and Escape-Proof Dog Crate is sturdy and easy to move around on its casters, but it looks like an old-timey jail. It held up well to our abuses, but it’s too easy for a dog to bite the bars and risk breaking a tooth, and some reviewers have complained about bad welds and rusting. This crate has only one door for a dog to enter (the other opening is the ceiling panel), and it requires them to take a big step up. It has a removable plastic tray, but the tray sits under a grated floor panel, which is a pain to clean.

The Frisco Double Door Furniture Style Dog Crate was the most frustrating and difficult to assemble: It took us well over an hour to get all of the fasteners and pegs in their proper place. It doesn’t wobble as much as the wire crate options, but it also doesn’t collapse for easy transport. Since it lacks handles, this crate is harder to move than even the Fable because you have to grab it by the wire panels. And the finish was already beginning to chip off on the top surface.

The lock on the Frisco Plastic Dog & Cat Kennel easily slides open with one hand, so a determined dog could potentially slip the lock.

Casual Home’s Pet Crate End Table is very cheap for this category, and you’ll probably find out why halfway through building it. If it’s solid wood, then it’s very thin solid wood, especially the bars on the door and sides. One Amazon review relates how a 10-pound puppy chewed a way out. In our tests, the top of the crate developed a deep gouge during assembly. A couple of the pre-drilled holes seemed off-center, too, and after assembly, the crate was uneven and prone to wobbling on two diagonal corners.

The Richell Wooden End Table Crate comes in one color (dark brown) and two sizes. We could list many things to critique with this crate, but the dealbreaker was that it had no bottom. The manufacturer doesn’t make this clear, but the crate has only three sides, a top, and a door; you slide in a plastic tray for the bottom. There are definite gaps between the tray and the walls, and the tray is flimsy enough that a dog could bend it upward.

This article was edited by Harry Sawyers. Kaitlyn Wells wrote an earlier version of this guide.

Dog House Outdoor & Indoor Unique All-Around Iron Frame Dog Kennel for Winter with Raised Feet for Small & Medium & Large Dogs,Weatherproof Roof (40.6 “L×34.3”W×31.5“H)

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