I have two dogs at home: a 75 lb Lab who treats his crate like a den, and a foster Pit mix who arrived with severe separation anxiety and a history of escaping wire crates. Testing crates for this guide spanned six months and seven products, including one I had to return because it failed inside a week.
The category breaks into three real groups: training crates for puppies, daily-use crates for trained adults, and escape-resistant crates for anxiety dogs. Buy for the use case, not the breed.
Top picks at a glance
| Crate | Best for | Material | Sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidWest iCrate Double Door | Overall pick | Wire | XS to XXL | ~$60-150 |
| Petmate Sky Kennel | Travel | Plastic | S to XXL | ~$60-150 |
| Diggs Revol | Modern homes | Aluminum | S to L | $$$$ |
| Impact High Anxiety | Escape artists | Aluminum | S to XL | $$$$$ |
| Gunner G1 | SUV travel | Rotomold plastic | S to XL | $$$$$ |
MidWest iCrate Double Door: my overall pick
The iCrate has been the default training crate for over a decade and the current version is still the right buy for most dogs. The double door is more useful than people expect, especially in narrow hallways. The included divider lets one crate grow with a puppy from 8 weeks to adulthood. The slide-out tray makes cleanup easy. My Lab has used the 42-inch model for five years with no failures. This is not for anxiety dogs or escape artists; it is a basic, durable crate for the dog you can leave alone.
Petmate Sky Kennel: best for travel
For air travel and car safety, plastic crates are the standard. The Sky Kennel meets IATA airline requirements out of the box and survives real impact. I use the medium for vet visits and the large for foster transports. The plastic is heavier than it looks, which is the point: it holds shape in a crash. The downside is bulk in the home.
Diggs Revol: best for modern homes
The Revol is the crate people pick when the crate has to live in the main room of an apartment. It looks more like furniture than a kennel, and the side door, top door, and front door give real flexibility for placement. The collapsible design folds flat for storage. Build quality is excellent; this is the only mid-priced crate I would put on the same shelf as Impact. Not appropriate for serious escape risk dogs.
Impact High Anxiety: best for escape artists
When my foster broke out of two wire crates, I bought an Impact High Anxiety crate. He has not escaped it. The aluminum walls have no gaps for teeth to grab, the door latch requires lift-and-pull, and the build feels closer to a vault than a kennel. Cost is steep, but the alternative is property damage and a dog that gets loose during an episode. Worth every dollar for the dogs that need it.
Gunner G1: best for SUV travel
For dogs that ride in the back of an SUV regularly, the Gunner G1 is the safety-tested option. It is one of the few crates with crash test certification. The rotomolded plastic shell handled real impact in independent testing without breaking the interior space. I keep one in my wife’s vehicle for vet trips with the foster. Heavy at 50 plus pounds, but that is the point.
How to choose a dog crate
Size first: the crate should let your dog stand, turn around, and lie down without extra room that encourages bathroom use during training. Match the crate type to the dog. A confident, trained adult dog needs only a wire crate. An anxious dog needs something with no points to chew or escape. A traveling dog needs a crash-rated option. Avoid no-name brands on crates; the cheap ones fail at the worst possible moment.
Frequently asked questions
What size crate does my dog need?+
Your dog should be able to stand, turn around, and lie down comfortably. For puppies, buy the adult size and use a divider to expand as they grow.
Are heavy-duty crates worth the extra cost?+
For dogs with separation anxiety or escape behavior, yes. Wire crates have well-documented injury risks for determined escapers.