MidWest Homes for Pets
iCrate Dog Crate
- Pro: Divider panel comes in the box
- Pro: Folds flat to move or store
- Con: Its chart gives outside sizes only
Buying guide · Dogs · Crates
The best dog crates for home
A home crate sits in your living room or bedroom for years, and your dog decides, one nap at a time, whether it's theirs. In a crate they like, you might find your dog inside with the door open, curled up after a long walk or tucked away while the vacuum runs. Size is the first thing to get right, because your dog needs room to stand up and turn around. Beyond that, some dogs like to watch the whole room, and others would rather have walls around them.
Petmate
All Purpose Vari Kennel
- Pro: Solid walls with vents all around
- Pro: Inside size printed for every size
- Con: Stops at dogs of 90 lb
Petmate
Sky Kennel
- Pro: The 48 in is 32.5 in tall inside
- Pro: The 48 in suits dogs of 90 to 125 lb
- Con: The 48 in weighs 51.5 lb empty
Before you buy a dog crate for home
A home crate stays in one room for years, so it's worth getting the size and the style right the first time. Check these four things on any crate.
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Space to get up, turn and lie flat
Your dog should be able to get up, turn and stretch out inside, so check the inside length and height. If a brand gives only outside sizes, allow for the walls and check its weight range.
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Open wire or solid walls
Wire sides let your dog watch the room, while solid walls shut most of it out. Look at where your dog naps now: out in the open, or tucked under a desk or table.
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A divider for a growing puppy
A divider blocks off part of the crate, so a puppy has a small space now and more room later. If your dog is still growing, look for one in the box.
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A floor that cleans up easily
Accidents happen, especially while your dog is learning. Look for a pan that slides out or a floor that wipes clean, and feet that won't scratch the floor underneath.
Our three picks, reviewed
Best in Show
iCrate Dog Crate
MidWest Homes for Pets
With the iCrate, you buy the size your puppy will need as a grown dog, and the divider closes off the space they don't need yet. Slide the panel back as they grow, and fold the whole crate flat when it needs to move to another room.
The divider panel in the box is what makes the iCrate such an easy choice. It sets how much of the crate your dog can use. That way you can buy the size your puppy will need as an adult and move the panel back as they grow.
It's a plain wire crate, so air moves through and your dog can see out on every side. The door closes with a slide-bolt latch, and the side clips are rounded to avoid sharp edges. A plastic pan slides out for cleaning, and rubber feet protect your floor. It comes in seven sizes, from the 18-inch to the 48-inch, and the one we link has a single door.
MidWest prints each size's outside length, width and height, but not the inside size. So the Fit Finder works from the outside length, takes off an inch for the wire, then checks your dog's weight against MidWest's range. The 30-inch, for example, is for dogs of 26 to 40 pounds. A dog who hides under the desk will like the Vari better, and a giant breed gets more headroom in the Sky Kennel.
Pick it if
- You want one crate from puppy to grown dog
- Your dog likes to see what's going on
- You may need to fold it away
Skip it if
- Your dog naps in tucked-away spots
- Your dog is a giant breed who needs headroom
Best for dogs who like a den
All Purpose Vari Kennel
Petmate
A dog who naps under the desk or behind the couch already likes a roof and walls. The Vari gives them both, and every size has its inside length published, so you can measure your dog against it before you order.
The Vari has a solid plastic roof and walls, with vents cut all the way around for air. Lying inside, your dog sees much less of the room than they would through wire. That's a plus if your dog already chooses the quiet corner.
Every size comes with its inside measurements, so the Fit Finder can check your dog's length against it. The 36-inch is 32.5 inches long inside and made for dogs of 50 to 70 pounds. The door opens with a squeeze latch, and it goes together without tools. There's a moat in the floor to help keep your dog dry.
The range stops at the 40-inch size, for dogs of 70 to 90 pounds. Only the three smallest sizes come with a handle. The 36-inch weighs 19 pounds empty, so pick where the crate will go before you set it up.
Pick it if
- Your dog naps in tucked-away spots
- Your dog weighs 90 lb or less
- You want to check the inside size first
Skip it if
- Your dog likes to watch the room
- Your dog weighs over 90 lb
Best for giant breeds
Sky Kennel
Petmate
A giant dog needs room to stand up without ducking. The 48-inch Sky Kennel is 32.5 inches tall inside, which is taller than the biggest iCrate is on the outside.
At 32.5 inches tall inside, the 48-inch Sky Kennel gives a giant dog more headroom than any other crate here. The biggest iCrate is 31.7 inches tall on the outside, which is shorter than the Sky Kennel's 32.5 inches inside. MidWest doesn't print the iCrate's inside height. Inside, the Sky Kennel is 44 inches long, and it's rated for dogs of 90 to 125 pounds.
It's a heavy-duty plastic kennel built to the 2025 IATA rules that airlines use for pets flying as cargo, so the same kennel can go on a flight later. Your airline will still check it against its own rules.
Moving it is the hard part. The 48-inch weighs 51.5 pounds empty and has no handle, so it goes into place more easily with two people.
Pick it if
- Your dog weighs over 90 lb
- Your dog is tall when standing
- Your dog may fly with you one day
Skip it if
- Your dog weighs 90 lb or less
- You'll move the crate from room to room
Side by side
| Best in ShowiCrate Dog Crate | Best for dogs who like a denAll Purpose Vari Kennel | Best for giant breedsSky Kennel | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Folding wire crate | Plastic kennel | Plastic kennel |
| Door | Single door, slide-bolt latch | Squeeze latch | Front door |
| Inside measurements | Outside sizes only | Printed for every size | Printed for every size |
| Sizes | 18 in to 48 in | 19 in to 40 in | 21 in to 48 in |
| Your pet's size | Find yours → | Find yours → | Find yours → |
Our verdict
The iCrate suits most homes: you move the divider back as your puppy grows, and it folds flat. Choose the Vari when your dog naps tucked away, or the Sky Kennel for a dog over 90 pounds.
Questions people ask
What’s the right way to measure my dog for a crate? Measure two things with your dog standing. One is nose to tail base, and the other is how tall they stand, which you’ll use to check a crate’s inside height. Our guide to measuring your dog for a crate shows exactly where to hold the tape. Then put the length in the Fit Finder. It checks the Vari and the Sky Kennel against their inside sizes. For the iCrate, it uses MidWest’s outside sizes and takes an inch off for the wire. If the crate is for flights or road trips, our travel crate picks cover those.
Where should the crate go in the house? The best spot is a room your family uses a lot, like the family room. Add a soft blanket or bed inside. That’s the first step in Humane World for Animals’ crate training guide. It also says your dog should have the room to stand up and turn around in it. To take a puppy from that first step to sleeping in the crate, follow our guide to crate training a puppy.
How long can a dog stay in a crate? Allow a puppy about an hour for every month of their life (Texas A&M vet school). Under 6 months, three or four hours is the most (Humane World for Animals). For adult dogs, the same guide’s general limit is four or five hours during the day.
