Best Dog Crate Reviews: Midwest iCrate vs. AmazonBasics

Introduction

So, you are interested in finding the best dog crate for your dog, right? You are at the perfect place as this article is all about the best dog crate and their reviews, which will solve all of your problems regarding dog crates. We tried to make this article as detailed as possible.

To make this best dog crate article a detailed one, we had to include lots of topics which might sound obvious to you if you are dealing with pets for a long time now. On the other hand, if you are completely new in this ocean of dog crate, you will find this article amazing as we picked the smallest of the points for you.

The initial part of the article is all about dog crate reviews. So if you are interested to know about the dog crate reviews only, you will need the first part of this article. The second part is about the things that you need to know when you are buying a dog crate. If you are already experienced, then you might not need this part. The last part is all about the FAQs that we have collected from the most common customer queries. More on that later!

Dog Crate Buying Guide

So, this is another very important section that you should keep an eye on when you are buying a dog crate. If this is not your first dog crate then you might not need some of the points, but we will still recommend you to go through the points as much as you can and when you are buying the best dog crate, try to maintain as many of these points as possible.

You do not need to maintain each one of these, but if you do, you will end up getting a better deal out there. Let’s start.

Measure Your Dog

The first thing that you need to do is to measure your dog. You will have to measure your dog to find out which particular size will fit your dog the most. There are fixed steps of measuring your dog, and we recommend that you maintain these steps in the same way because the crate makers also do the same. It is a simple procedure, so let’s go ahead and learn it.

The first step is to make sure that your dog is standing tall. Measure from the nose of your dog up to the tail. Make sure that you measure with the tail wide open.

The second step is to add four inches with the number that you found in the first step. This step is crucial because a dog crate is like a home for your dog, and you need to make sure that there is enough space in the home so that your dog does not hate it.

Now let’s come to the third step. You have to understand that some dogs are taller when they sit, and some other ones are shorter when they sit. Therefore, measuring from the nose to tail when your dog is standing might not be enough in all the scenarios. Therefore, we need to take another measurement when your dog is sitting still. At this time, you will measure from the floor or the surface up to the head of your dog.

Now, like the second step, you will again add four inches with the value that you got in the previous step. That will give you the height you need for the dog crate.

Size

So, as you are done measuring your dog, this is the next step where you will think about the size of the dog crate. Obviously, by now, you have an idea of your minimum size requirement for the dog crate, but things do not end here. Most companies will not have a perfect size, specially designed for your dog. If you need that perfect size that you measured in the previous point, you will have to custom make it, which we do not think is important to do.

Therefore, we now need to find the size that goes along with our needs. Internationally, all the best dog crate size is 42 inch which means that if you go ahead and buy a 42-inch dog crate, the chances are high that every type of dog will fit into that dog crate. But what if your dog is small and you do not need that big dog crate?

In that case, you will look for the perfect length and weight of the dog crate. A 42 inches best dog crate can accommodate a dog, which is 70 to 90 pounds in terms of weight. Weight is also a variable that is highly used by the crate makers when they are determining the size.

So, for example, if you have a Labrador, then you will need that 42-inch crate. If you have a pug or a Maltese, for example, then you will need a 22-inch dog crate at max.

There is one more thing to know which most people do not understand. Your dog will keep on getting bigger and bigger as days go by, and you cannot buy a new dog crate for your dog every year. Dogs get bigger sooner than human beings, and without even noticing, you will see that your dog is not fitting to that best dog crate anymore. You will have to throw that dog crate away, which nobody wants to do.

Therefore, you need to count the future when you are buying the dog crate. Think about the maximum size that your dog will reach. If you do not know the exact size that your dog will become in a couple of years, search on the internet with the breed details, and you will know the ultimate size that your dog will have soon.

What most people do is that they buy a big dog crate along with a few partitions, and they use those partitions when the dog is still a puppy. Then as the dog grows big, the partition is taken away, and the dog gets the full dog crate to live in.

Safety

Safety is something that you can never compromise with. You have to make sure that whatever crate you are buying for your dog, it is safe, and it is comfortable for your dog. Always remember that if a crate is not safe, it is never the best dog crate no matter how awesome it looks or feels!

Unfortunately, we do not still have a certification for dog crates, but we will have some soon hopefully. Till then, you have to depend on your knowledge or at least our recommendations to make sure that you are not buying something dangerous for your dog. We have heard horror stories about dog crates, which we do not want to share with you guys. We just want to make sure that none of those happen with even one of us!

Type of Dog Crate

The next thing that you need to think about is the type of dog crate that you are planning to buy. There are lots of variations when it comes to the types of dog crates, and most of the types have some best dog crate models in those. We will talk about the basic types of dog crates in this section.

Wire Crates

This type is the cheapest and the most used type of dog crates. Though they are cheap, you will find some of the best dog crate models made of wire. Close your eye for a second and try to remember a dog crate. Yes, the picture that you had in your imagination is of a wire crate. A wire crate is the most basic type that has one or two doors and grills in it.

The major benefit of a wire-based dog crate is visibility. The crate is open, and lights and wind can come and go from any corner of the crate. Your dog will never feel suffocated when inside the crate, and if you are placing this crate inside your home, then your dog will be able to see you from every corner.

Especially if you are living in a hot place, then wire crates are the ultimate solutions for your needs. These models are super easy to clean, and you do not have to do much after buying a wire-based dog crate.

There are cons too of having a wire crate in your home. The first con is that these are not easy to be carried around. You will never find it comfortable to carry a wire dog crate when your dog is inside it. So, if you are a traveler and you travel a lot with your dog, then a wire is never your solution.

Another big negative fact is that wire dog crates are not that comfortable for your dog, so if you are planning to keep your dog in a crate for a long period, wire crate should not be your solution. These crates make a lot of noise, which is another negative part, but most importantly, if you have a naughty dog, it doesn’t take much for him or her to escape from a wire-based crate.

Plastic Crate

The next one that we have on our list is the plastic crates. In case if you are not satisfied with the wired crates, these are your second options. There are lots of benefits of plastic crates, but the prime benefit is the ease of using these as a transport vehicle when you are traveling via plane. The plane authorities will never allow you to use wired crates to transport your dog, and the only option that you are left with is plastic crates.

There are lots of advantages to using a plastic dog crate. One of the biggest ones is the lightweight and the ease of carrying the crates around. The handle and the holding parts are always made in a way so that it becomes super easy and comfortable to carry your dogs around, no matter how heavy they are. Apart from that, some plastic crates come with extra food and water, holding options that add value to the crate.

Now do these dog crates have any disadvantage? Well, of course! Every type of dog crate has some or the other disadvantage. These are not out of the league either. The major disadvantage is that plastic is not an environment-friendly product. So if you care for the environment, it is tough for you to go for plastic made crate. The second disadvantage is that plastic crates are closed compared to wired crates. Your dog only has a window to see the outer world, which can be tough for him or her. Also, as there is less wind flowing options, these crates become damp easily. Apart from these, the plastic crates are also difficult to clean and to manage, so you have to consider it.

Nylon Dog Crates

The next one on our list is the Nylon dog crates, which are soft and less intimidating. If you do not want your dog to sit in a crate all day and want just a backup for travel and emergency purposes, nylon dog crates can be a great fit.

The most important advantage is that this is the lightest among all types, and this folds up to the core of it when you are not using it. Apart from these, they are soft and comfortable for your dogs to be inside, and they are super easy for carrying. Some nylon dog crates have straps like shoulder bags so that you can carry your dog to your shoulder. That is a great benefit to have.

The core disadvantage of nylon dog crates and the reason that it is not yet considered as the best dog crate is because of the durability issues. These dog crates do not last long, and if your dog is a violent one, it will not take more than a week for your pet to cut this crate out.

Best Dog Crate Reviews

This is the core part of this article, and most probably, most of you are here to read the best dog crate reviews, right? We won’t disappoint you, we promise! Let’s not waste any more time and get straight into the action. One thing that you should know is that we did not use any particular ranking when we wrote about these ten best dog crate reviews. All these ten dog crates are amazing and out of the world in terms of features and price combination, but they cannot be compared with each other. It all depends on your taste at the end of the day.

FAQ

This section is all about FAQ related to dog crates. We wanted to make sure that you get as much information as possible about dog crates before or while you are buying them, and hopefully, this FAQ section will help you in that decision making phase. Let’s see some of the most common questions and the answers that people ask everywhere.

I never want to put my dog in a cage type thing! Why would I buy a crate?

This question is the most common that people ask. They always ask why they would need to buy a dog crate. You have to understand that dog crates are not jails or cages. These are houses for your dog, and your dog will love to stay in his own little house. When you have a crate set up in your home, you can always keep the door open if you want to make sure that your dog can be with you whenever he wants. You will notice that the dog will like to be in his own house too!

Where to buy a dog crate?

That’s a lame question to ask in today’s world. You can buy a dog crate from anywhere you want. We gave you Amazon links, which is a trusted source to buy from. You can try to buy crates from your local pet store too. Dog crates are now available everywhere.

Is it too late in training my dog to use a dog crate?

No, it is not too late, it is never too late! Dogs are awesome, and they can learn anything, even in their last stage of life. Your dog will love to be in his dog crate no matter his age.

Final Words

Take your time before you finalize the decision to buy a particular dog crate. If you have friends who have dogs, take their suggestions too. Remember, as much as you know about these things, you will end up making a better decision. We wish you the best of luck on that journey.