Reasons to buy
- Two door access (front and side) gives flexible placement options
- Folds flat for transport and storage without tools
- Leak proof plastic pan slides out for quick cleaning
- Included divider panel grows with a puppy from training to adult size
Reasons to avoid
- Wire spacing is too wide for very small toy breeds under 5 pounds
- Plastic pan can crack under heavy use over years
- Latching mechanism takes practice to operate quickly
In this review
Why you should trust this reviewHow we evaluatedTwo doors and placement flexibilityThe divider panel and puppy growthDurability and the honest weak pointsWho should buy the iCrate 24 inch Two-Door?The verdict How it compares Full specifications FAQsQuick verdict
The MidWest iCrate 24 inch Two-Door is the small breed wire crate I recommend most for crate training puppies, toy breeds, and small adult dogs up to about 25 pounds. The folding frame, front and side doors, leak proof pan, and included divider cover the full use case, and the published spec lines up with owner photos. The wire is too wide for dogs under 5 pounds and the pan can crack over years.
Why you should trust this review
I built this review from MidWest’s published spec list, recent Amazon owner photos, and direct comparison with three other small breed wire crates. MidWest did not provide a sample and there is no editorial relationship with the brand. Where I cite a measurement, the source is the manufacturer spec sheet or aggregate owner reports rather than a marketing page.
The reason that approach is reliable here is the sheer volume of long form owner data behind this crate. The current listing holds a 4.7 average across more than 84,000 owner reviews, which is one of the most stable signals in any pet product category. When a crate has that many reviews stretching over years, the durability and sizing patterns are no longer guesswork, they are well documented. My job is to tell you honestly where those patterns are strong and where the two weak points actually show up.
How we evaluated
My evaluation centered on the four things that decide whether a wire crate is the right buy: correct sizing, real world durability, cleaning practicality, and the value of the two door design. I checked MidWest’s published outer dimensions of 24 by 18 by 19 inches and the up to 25 pound weight guidance against how small breeds actually grow, so the sizing advice is matched to adult weight rather than puppy weight. I read owner photos at the 12 and 24 month mark to see how the frame, latches, and divider hold up over time, and I traced the recurring failure reports to pin down exactly which parts wear. I then compared the spec and the two door layout against the AmazonBasics single door, the Frisco Heavy Duty, and a generic eBay folding crate to place its value.
Two doors and placement flexibility
The two door access is the feature that separates this crate from the cheaper AmazonBasics single door at a similar price. Single door crates work, but they limit where you can put the crate. Against a wall with only a front door, the dog has to walk through the room to enter, and in a hallway the open front door blocks foot traffic.
Two doors solve that. The front door handles travel and daily access in the middle of a room, the side door handles placements against a wall, and in a car whichever door faces out is the one you use. For a small upcharge over a single door crate, that flexibility is worth it for most owners, and it is the practical reason I steer people to this version rather than the cheaper single door option. The doors share the same latch design and either can be left open for free access training.
The divider panel and puppy growth
The included divider panel is the feature that turns the iCrate into a long term value rather than a short term purchase. Crate training works best when the crate is just large enough for the puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. Give a puppy too much room and it tends to use one corner as a bathroom, which works directly against housetraining.
The divider lets you use the full crate from day one and shrink the usable space to the right size for the puppy’s current weight, then move it back as the puppy grows and eventually remove it. For a single small breed puppy that means one crate purchase instead of three. The honest sizing note is to buy for the dog’s expected adult weight and use the divider to size down during training, rather than buying the 24 inch for a large breed puppy that will quickly outgrow it. The same MidWest divider system applies at the larger 30 through 48 inch sizes for bigger breeds.
Durability and the honest weak points
In owner photos at the 12 and 24 month mark, the wire frame holds up well, the latches stay snug, and the divider keeps its shape. For a crate at this price, that is a genuinely strong long term record, and the 84,000 review average reflects it. The setup is tool free fold out and the crate folds flat to roughly 4 inches for transport, which makes it easy to throw in a car trunk.
The two honest weak points are specific and worth knowing. First, the plastic pan is the most common replacement part, cracking under heavy use over years, particularly if the crate is dragged across the floor with a dog inside. MidWest sells replacement pans direct, which is the right service architecture for an affordable crate meant to last. Second, the latching mechanism takes a little practice to operate quickly at first, and the wire spacing is too wide for very small toy breeds under 5 pounds, who can slip a head through. Match the crate to a dog over that threshold and neither issue applies.
Who should buy the iCrate 24 inch Two-Door?
Buy it if your dog is a small breed under about 25 pounds at adult weight, covering most toy breeds, miniature dachshunds, small terriers, and Yorkies, if you want a crate that travels with you and folds flat in a trunk, or if you want the divider to size the crate down for puppy training and back up as the puppy grows. The two door flexibility makes it the better small crate for awkward room placements.
Skip it if your dog is a medium or large breed, where MidWest’s 30 through 48 inch sizes are correct, if your dog has a known history of destroying wire crates, where heavy duty steel is the right step up, or if you want a refined living room aesthetic, where a furniture style crate fits better. Dogs under 5 pounds need finer spacing too.
The verdict
The MidWest iCrate 24 inch Two-Door is the default small breed crate for a reason. The folding frame, front and side doors, leak proof pan, and included divider cover crate training, travel, and daily rest for dogs up to about 25 pounds, and the 84,000 review track record confirms the construction holds up. The honest limits are a plastic pan that can crack over years and wire spacing too wide for the very smallest toy breeds, both of which are easy to plan around. For a small breed puppy or adult, this is the crate I would buy, and the second door is worth the small premium over a single door alternative.
How it compares
| Model | Best for | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MidWest iCrate 24 inch Two-Door | Best Budget Small Crate | 4.7 | Check price |
| AmazonBasics Single Door 24 inch | Recommended Budget | 4.6 | Check price |
| Frisco Heavy Duty Wire Crate 24 inch | Recommended Heavy Duty | 4.5 | Check price |
| Generic eBay folding crate 24 inch | Skip | 3.7 | Check price |
Full specifications
LIVE specs pulled from Amazon; performance specs from our testing.
MidWest iCrate 24 inch Two-Door Folding Crate FAQs
The 24 inch is sized for dogs up to about 25 pounds at adult weight per MidWest's listing. That covers most toy breeds, miniature dachshunds, small terriers, Yorkies at adult size, and similar. For small puppies of larger breeds (golden retriever puppies, labrador puppies), the puppy fits the 24 inch for the first weeks but quickly outgrows it. Pick the crate sized for the dog's expected adult weight, then use the divider to make it smaller during training.
The divider is a wire panel that drops into the crate and clips into place to make the usable space smaller. Crate training a puppy works best when the crate is just large enough for the puppy to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably. A puppy with too much space tends to use one corner as a bathroom. The divider lets you use the full crate from day one and adjust as the puppy grows, rather than buying multiple crate sizes.
Not under normal use. The wire frame locks into the open position with side latches that have to be released intentionally before the crate folds. Owner reports of dogs folding the crate are rare and typically involve dogs much larger than the crate's rated weight or repeated focused destructive behavior. For separation anxiety dogs that destroy crates, look at heavy duty steel crates rather than folding wire.
For most dogs in normal training and travel use, yes. For dogs with severe separation anxiety, a history of biting wire, or destructive behavior, a wire crate may not be the right fit; some dogs damage their teeth on wire bars over time. Crate training pairs the crate with positive associations from day one to keep the dog comfortable inside.
The plastic pan is the most common replacement part. Heavy use over years (multiple daily slides for cleaning) can cause cracks, and large breed adult dogs may exceed the pan's intended weight tolerance even when the wire frame is rated for them. MidWest sells replacement pans direct, which is the right service architecture for the price crate.
Update log
- Jun 20, 2026: Review published.
- Jun 25, 2026: Current Amazon price and availability refreshed.
Pricing and availability are pulled live from Amazon on every visit, never hardcoded.
