The best dog crate is not the biggest one or the cheapest one. It is the one that matches your dog’s actual measurements, survives whatever your dog does to it, and fits in the room where it has to live for the next ten years. Get any of those three wrong and the crate becomes a $100 laundry rack.
Here is the short answer. The Gardner Pet 43 inch Heavy Duty Dog Crate with Wheels at $149.99 has far more owner feedback than anything else in this roundup, and it fits most dogs measuring up to about 39 inches from nose to tail. If you need something cheaper and lighter for trips, the Betulabulo 36 inch collapsible crate is $65.99. Below are five crates across five different jobs, then the sizing rule that actually matters.
| Crate | Type and Size | Price | Buy it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Betulabulo 36 inch | Soft-sided collapsible, 4 doors | $65.99 | Your dog is already crate trained and you travel with them |
| Pawaboo 38 inch | Heavy duty metal, escape proof | $109.95 | Your small or medium dog works the door latch |
| Gardner Pet 43 inch | Heavy duty folding metal, wheels | $149.99 | You want the pick with the most owner reviews behind it |
| Garvee 71 inch double | Wood furniture, two bays, shelves | $249.99 | You have two medium dogs and the crate lives in the living room |
| AMERLIFE 128 inch corner | Wood corner furniture, divider | $469.99 | You need a corner unit for more than one dog and want storage |
The 5 Best Dog Crates
1. Betulabulo 36 Inch Collapsible Travel Dog Crate: Best Budget and Travel Pick
This is the crate you throw in the trunk. It folds flat, weighs a fraction of what a metal crate does, and has four doors so you can put it almost anywhere in a car or a hotel room and still get your dog in and out. It comes with a soft mat and a storage bag.
- 36 inches long, sized for medium dogs
- Four zippered doors and breathable mesh panels
- Folds flat, includes a carry and storage bag
- Soft pet mat included
- Indoor and outdoor use
The trade-off: soft-sided means chewable. Mesh and fabric will not hold a dog that digs at seams or chews when anxious, and a determined escape artist can be through the side in an afternoon. This is a crate for a dog who is already comfortable being crated, not the crate you use to teach them. It also has only 18 customer ratings, which is a small sample to judge durability from.
$65.99 at AmazonRELATED: How Long Does It Take to Potty Train a Puppy? A Realistic Timeline
2. Pawaboo 38 Inch Heavy Duty Dog Crate: Best for Small and Medium Dogs That Test the Door
Some dogs are not trying to escape so much as they are idly working the latch until it opens. This crate is built around that problem: half inch thickened iron tube construction and a latch system meant to stay shut, with a removable tray underneath so cleaning up an accident does not mean dismantling anything.
- 38 inches long, marketed for small and medium dogs
- 0.5 inch thickened iron tube frame
- Escape proof latch design
- Removable tray for easy cleaning
- Powder coated black finish
The trade-off: a 38 inch crate marketed for “small and medium” dogs is a generous description. Using the measure-and-add-four rule below, 38 inches actually suits a dog measuring up to roughly 34 inches nose to tail, which is a solid medium dog, not a small one. And heavy duty means heavy: this is not a crate you will casually move from the bedroom to the kitchen. With 31 ratings, the durability record is still thin.
$109.95 at Amazon3. Gardner Pet 43 Inch Heavy Duty Dog Crate with Wheels: Best for Escape Artists and Large Dogs
This is the pick with real evidence behind it. It carries 125 customer ratings at roughly four and a half stars, which is four times the feedback of anything else in this roundup and the only listing here where “indestructible” is a claim a meaningful number of owners have actually tested. It folds for storage, rolls on lockable wheels, and takes a large dog.
- 43 inches long, fits small, medium and large dogs
- Folding metal construction
- Lockable wheels so it moves without lifting
- Removable tray
- 125 customer ratings, the largest sample in this roundup
The trade-off: at $149.99 it costs more than twice the budget pick, and the wheels that make it easy to move are also the reason you have to remember to lock them. An unlocked crate that slides across a tile floor every time a big dog leans on the door teaches your dog that the crate is unstable, which is exactly the opposite of what you want.
$149.99 at AmazonRELATED: Best Dog Toys for Aggressive Chewers: 6 Tough Picks That Last
4. Garvee 71 Inch Double Dog Crate Furniture: Best for Two Dogs in a Living Room
Two dogs, one piece of furniture, and no wire cage in the middle of your living room. This unit gives each dog its own bay, adds three storage shelves for leashes and food, and sits on eight adjustable feet so it stays level on an uneven floor.
- 71 inches wide, two separate bays for two medium dogs
- Three storage shelves built in
- Eight adjustable feet for uneven floors
- Doubles as a console or sideboard
- Heavy duty construction
The trade-off: wood furniture crates are not chew proof, full stop. A dog who gnaws when left alone will start on the frame, and unlike a metal crate you cannot replace a bar. It also has 13 customer ratings, so treat the durability claims as the manufacturer’s rather than verified. And 71 inches is nearly six feet of wall: measure the wall before you measure the dogs.
$249.99 at Amazon5. AMERLIFE 128 Inch 3-in-1 Corner Dog Crate Furniture: Best for a Multi-Dog Corner Build
This is the one you buy when the dogs have won and you are redesigning a corner of the house around them. It is a corner unit that wraps two walls, houses more than one dog, includes a divider so you can split or combine the space, and adds storage on top.
- 128 inches across a corner, 3-in-1 configuration
- Divider lets you run it as one large space or two
- Built-in storage
- Space-saving corner design for medium and large dogs
- Grey finish
The trade-off: be careful here. This listing has zero customer ratings as of writing, which means every claim above is the manufacturer’s and none of it has been checked by an owner. It also costs $469.99, more than seven times the budget pick and nearly double the Garvee. Skip it unless you specifically need a corner footprint for multiple dogs and are comfortable being an early buyer.
$469.99 at AmazonRELATED: Bringing Home a Rescue Dog: Your First-Week Survival Guide
How to Choose the Best Dog Crate: The Number on the Box Is the Wrong Number
Every crate is sold by one number, its length in inches. That number tells you almost nothing on its own, because it describes the crate’s outside dimension and your dog does not live on the outside of the crate. Interior length often runs an inch or two shorter than the model name, so a 36 inch crate does not reliably hold a dog who measures 35 inches.
The number that matters is your dog. The American Kennel Club gives the measuring rule plainly: with your dog standing, measure from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet for height, and from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail for length, then add 3 to 4 inches to each. Your dog must be able to stand up, turn around, and stretch out lying down.
| Crate Length | Typical Dog Weight | Example Breeds | Your Dog Measures Up To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 inches | Up to 25 lb | Dachshund, Shih Tzu, Pug | 20 inches nose to tail |
| 30 inches | 26 to 40 lb | Beagle, French Bulldog, Cocker Spaniel | 26 inches nose to tail |
| 36 inches | 41 to 70 lb | Border Collie, Bulldog, Australian Shepherd | 32 inches nose to tail |
| 42 inches | 71 to 90 lb | Labrador, Golden Retriever, Boxer | 38 inches nose to tail |
| 48 inches | 91 lb and up | German Shepherd, Rottweiler, Great Dane | 44 inches nose to tail |
Those weight ranges are the sizing most manufacturers publish, and they are a starting point, not the answer. Use the last column instead. Measure your dog nose to tail, add 4 inches, and buy the first crate length at or above that number. A 33 inch dog needs the 42 inch crate, not the 36.
Bigger Is Not Safer
This is the mistake most first-time buyers make. It feels generous to buy a crate with room to spare, but the AKC notes that a crate that is too large gives a puppy the space to have an accident in one end and sleep clean in the other, which quietly undoes your house training. If you are buying for a puppy, buy the adult size and use a divider to shrink it, then move the divider out as the puppy grows.
Match the Material to the Dog You Actually Have
- Soft-sided: lightest and cheapest, and only appropriate for a dog who already settles in a crate without chewing or digging.
- Wire and metal: best airflow, easiest to clean, and the only category that reliably holds a dog who tries to get out. Almost always the right first crate.
- Furniture: looks like part of the room, but the frame is wood and wood is chewable. Best for calm, adult, fully crate-trained dogs.
Check the Height, Not Just the Length
Buyers get length right and height wrong constantly. A dog who has to duck to sit up will stop using the crate voluntarily, and voluntary use is the entire point. Measure your dog sitting, not just standing, and add the same 3 to 4 inches.
RELATED: Dog Weight Chart: Healthy Weight by Size and Breed
Dog Crate Safety
Take the collar off. This is the one that catches people out. VCA Animal Hospitals warns that serious injury can occur if a dog’s collar becomes entangled and twisted tightly, and it lists a crate or kennel as one of the places it happens. Dogs should be supervised when wearing a collar, so remove it for unsupervised crate time.
Respect the clock, especially with puppies. A crate does not extend how long a dog can hold it. VCA’s guidance on crate training and confinement is that a two-month-old puppy needs to go outside at least every two hours, and a three-month-old every three hours, overnight included. A puppy left past that point is not being stubborn, they are being set up to fail.
Never use the crate as punishment. The crate works because it borrows an instinct your dog already has, which is to rest in a small enclosed space. Send your dog there when they are in trouble and you spend that instinct for nothing. Feed meals in it, leave the door open, and let them choose it.
Use the divider properly. If your puppy sleeps in one end of the crate and eliminates in the other, VCA recommends installing a divider to keep them in a smaller area, provided you are not leaving them crated for long stretches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What size dog crate do I need?
Measure your dog from nose to tail and from the top of the head to the floor while standing, then add 3 to 4 inches to each measurement. Buy the smallest crate that clears both numbers. For most 41 to 70 lb dogs that is a 36 inch crate, and for most 71 to 90 lb dogs it is a 42 inch crate.
Is it cruel to crate a dog?
Not when the crate is sized correctly, introduced gradually, and never used as punishment. Dogs are den animals and most will choose an enclosed space to sleep in if you give them one. It becomes cruel when the crate is too small to stand or turn around in, or when a dog is left in it far longer than they can comfortably hold it.
How long can a dog stay in a crate?
For puppies, follow the age rule: roughly one hour per month of age between bathroom breaks, so two hours at two months and three hours at three months. Healthy adult dogs can manage longer stretches, but a crate is a place to sleep and settle, not a place to spend a workday. If your dog is crated more than a few hours at a stretch on a regular basis, the answer is a walker or daycare, not a bigger crate.
Should I get a soft-sided crate or a metal one?
Metal first, soft-sided second. A metal crate holds a dog who is still learning and is far easier to clean after an accident. Once your dog reliably settles in a crate without chewing at it, a soft-sided crate becomes a genuinely useful second crate for the car and for travel.
Do I need a divider for a puppy?
Yes, if you are buying the crate your puppy will grow into, which you should be. Buy the adult size for the breed and use the divider to keep the usable space small enough that your puppy will not soil one end. Move the divider out in stages as they grow.
The Bottom Line
The best dog crate for your house is simply the smallest one your dog can stand up, turn around, and stretch out in. Measure your dog before you shop, add 4 inches, and treat the number on the box with suspicion. If you want one crate that will do the job for a medium or large dog and has real owner feedback behind it, the Gardner Pet 43 inch at $149.99 is the safest buy here. If your dog is already crate trained and you mostly need something for the car, the Betulabulo at $65.99 does that job for a third of the price. The furniture crates are lovely and genuinely useful, but only for dogs who have long since stopped chewing.
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