The MidWest iCrate Fold & Carry Double Door is the best dog crate for most owners in 2026 — full stop. This comparison is for anyone navigating the wire-vs-plastic-vs-soft-sided decision for the first time, or reconsidering a crate that isn’t working. I want to address soft-sided crates upfront: in my clinical experience, they are unsuitable for the majority of dogs. I have seen multiple patients — including a six-month-old Labrador Retriever — claw through the mesh walls of a soft-sided crate within 20 minutes of being left alone. Ingestion of zipper hardware and mesh fabric is a real emergency, and it is preventable.
Winner: MidWest iCrate Fold & Carry Double Door — the best all-around crate for puppies through adult dogs, with a design that actually holds up to daily use. Runner-Up: Petmate Sky Kennel — the right choice for airline travel and dogs who feel calmer in an enclosed den-like space. Soft-Sided Pick: EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate — acceptable for calm, crate-trained adults in supervised settings only; not suitable for anxious or escape-prone dogs.
| Model | Type | Price | Best For | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MidWest iCrate Fold & Carry Double Door | Wire | $69.99–$79.99 | Puppies, training, daily home use | 9.1 |
| Petmate Sky Kennel | Plastic | $84.99–$109.99 | Air travel, den-preferring dogs | 8.2 |
| EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate | Soft-Sided | $59.99–$69.99 | Calm adults, supervised use | 6.8 |
MidWest iCrate Fold & Carry Double Door
Best for: Puppy training, everyday home use, owners who move the crate between rooms.
The 36-inch model runs $69.99 and the 42-inch model is $79.99. You can find current pricing and availability through Chewy. The price-to-durability ratio here is genuinely difficult to beat.
The double-door design — one on the front, one on the side — matters more than it sounds. For dogs that are still working through crate training, having a second entry point means you can position the crate flush against a wall and still access it easily. The included divider panel is one of the most clinically useful features in any crate: it allows you to shrink the interior as a puppy grows, which is critical for house-training. Dogs will generally not soil a sleeping space they cannot move away from, and an oversized crate removes that behavioral incentive entirely.
Assembly from flat pack takes approximately 4 minutes the first time. Folding it down for transport or storage takes about 30 seconds once you know the sequence — fold the top in, press the sides together, snap the latch. I have tested this in an exam room hallway with one hand occupied.
The tray that lines the floor is removable and dishwasher-safe, which matters after any GI episode. The latch mechanism on the 42-inch model is firm enough that a determined 70-pound dog cannot nose it open, though I have seen a Border Collie with documented separation anxiety work it loose within 15 minutes — that’s a failure worth naming.
Pros:
- Divider panel included; no separate purchase required
- Front and side doors allow flexible room placement
- Folds flat in under 30 seconds for transport
- Removable, washable floor tray
- Available in eight sizes, covering dogs from 3 lbs to 110+ lbs
Cons:
- Wire construction offers no visual privacy — dogs that are already anxious may find the open sightlines stressful rather than reassuring
- The latch on the main door can be worked open by persistent, problem-solving breeds (Border Collies, Australian Shepherds) — add a carabiner if you have one of these dogs
- Wire panels can catch dewclaws if a dog paws aggressively at the door; trim nails and address the underlying anxiety
- Corner connectors on the base frame feel slightly underbuilt on the larger sizes and can pop loose if the crate is dragged
Real failure: A 14-month-old Border Collie presented to my clinic after her owner reported she had been escaping the 42-inch iCrate repeatedly. The dog had learned to apply lateral pressure to the door while lifting the latch simultaneously. She had not been injured, but the owner had assumed the crate was secure. We added a spring-loaded carabiner to the door and the escapes stopped. The point: this crate is not rated for dogs with documented escape behavior.
Score: 9.1/10
Petmate Sky Kennel
Best for: Airline travel, dogs who prefer visual enclosure, multi-dog households where a sturdier structure matters.
The 28-inch intermediate model runs $84.99 and the 36-inch large is $109.99. Current pricing is available through PetSmart.
The Petmate Sky Kennel is IATA-compliant for most major airlines as checked baggage — this is not a universal truth for plastic crates, so verify with your specific carrier. The hard shell construction provides genuine structural protection that wire cannot match during cargo handling. More practically, the enclosed design can significantly reduce stress in dogs who find open wire crates overstimulating. In my clinical experience, dogs with mild noise sensitivities often settle faster in a plastic kennel than in wire, because the walls dampen external visual and auditory input.
The ventilation slots on all four sides are adequate for normal travel conditions but not ideal for brachycephalic breeds — Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, Pugs — who should not be traveling in cargo holds at all due to respiratory risk, regardless of kennel type. I want to be direct about that.
Assembly requires threading bolts through the upper and lower shell halves, which takes about 8 minutes the first time and roughly 5 minutes once you have done it before. The Sky Kennel does not fold flat — it nests (top and bottom separate) for storage, which is meaningfully different. Plan for that in your space.
Pros:
- IATA-compliant for airline checked baggage on most carriers
- Hard shell provides structural protection wire cannot
- Enclosed design reduces visual overstimulation
- Steel wire door with vault-style latch resists door flex
- Durable enough to last a decade with basic care
Cons:
- Does not fold flat — takes up significant storage space in two halves
- Heavier than wire or soft-sided at comparable sizes; the 36-inch model weighs approximately 12 lbs empty
- Ventilation is adequate but not generous; not suitable for brachycephalic breeds in any travel scenario
- No divider panel available — not a practical puppy training crate
Real failure: A client brought in a four-year-old French Bulldog after a cross-country flight in a Petmate Sky Kennel. The dog was hyperthermically stressed on arrival — not a kennel defect, but a species-risk problem the owner had not been counseled about. I now flag brachycephalic breeds at every pre-travel appointment. The kennel performed as designed; the failure was in the recommendation chain.
Score: 8.2/10
EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate
Best for: Calm, crate-trained adult dogs in supervised settings; owners who need a lightweight portable option for low-arousal dogs.
The 30-inch model is $59.99 and the 36-inch is $69.99. Check current stock through Petco.
I will be direct: soft-sided crates are not appropriate for most dogs, and they are particularly inappropriate for puppies, dogs in active crate training, dogs with any history of separation anxiety, or any dog with escape behaviors. The mesh and fabric construction cannot contain a determined dog. Zipper pulls, mesh panels, and frame connectors are all ingestion hazards if a dog breaches the walls.
What soft-sided crates do reasonably well: they are light (this model is under 5 lbs), they fold down in about 20 seconds, and they fit into overhead compartments or cargo areas of vehicles where hard-sided crates do not. For a calm, reliably crate-trained adult who has never shown escape behavior, this is a usable travel accessory.
The three-door design — front, side, and top — is genuinely useful for loading a dog who prefers top-entry. The steel tube frame holds its shape better than cheaper alternatives I have handled. The interior dimensions are honest to the advertised size, which is not always true in this category.
Pros:
- Under 5 lbs; meaningfully lighter than wire or plastic
- Folds flat in approximately 20 seconds
- Three-door access, including top — useful for reluctant loaders
- Fits in vehicle cargo areas where rigid crates do not
- Machine-washable cover panels
Cons:
- Mesh walls can be breached by any dog with significant claw pressure or persistent chewing — this is not a rare edge case
- Zipper hardware and mesh fragments are ingestion hazards if the crate is compromised
- Frame collapses under lateral body pressure from larger or more active dogs
- Provides no meaningful protection in a vehicle collision
Real failure: A six-month-old Labrador Retriever presented to my clinic with a suspected foreign body after his owner left him in a soft-sided crate for two hours. Radiographs showed no obstruction, but the dog had eaten through the mesh door panel and consumed portions of the zipper track. The owner had used the crate because it was lightweight and easy to set up. The dog was fine, but the situation was entirely preventable.
Score: 6.8/10
The Verdict
For most dogs in most situations, buy the MidWest iCrate. It trains well, holds up, and the divider panel alone justifies the price for anyone with a puppy. If you are flying your dog as checked baggage, buy the Petmate Sky Kennel — it is the only option here that meets IATA standards. If you have a calm, reliably crate-trained adult and need something that fits in a carry-on overhead or folds to nearly nothing, the EliteField is usable, but supervise every minute your dog is in it.
If you have a large dog who actively resists crating, use the iCrate with a carabiner on the latch. If your dog has a documented history of panic or escape behavior — meaning they have breached a crate before, shown self-injurious behavior, or been assessed for separation anxiety by a DACVB — neither this list nor any standard crate is your answer. Look at the Impact Dog Crate or Gunner Kennels, which are purpose-built for escape-risk dogs and priced accordingly. A regular crate used with a dog who has true separation anxiety is not a training tool; it is a containment failure waiting to happen. Please get a referral to a board-certified veterinary behaviorist before the next containment attempt.
FAQ
Wire vs plastic for puppies — which is better? Wire, without question. The included divider panel in most wire crates lets you shrink the interior as the puppy grows, which is essential for house-training. Puppies who have too much space will soil one corner and sleep in another, which works against the entire training goal. Plastic kennels do not accommodate dividers and are harder to clean after accidents.
Is a soft-sided crate safe for a dog with separation anxiety? No. A dog with separation anxiety is one of the highest-risk dogs to put in a soft-sided crate. The containment will fail, and the dog may ingest hardware or fabric in the process. If your dog has been diagnosed with separation anxiety — or shows signs like destructive behavior, vocalization, or house-soiling when alone — consult a DACVB before using any crate as a management strategy.
Are wire crates airline approved? Generally, no. Most major airlines require hard-sided, IATA-compliant kennels for checked baggage. Wire crates are not accepted in cargo holds on the majority of carriers. Always verify directly with your airline before travel — policies vary and change. The Petmate Sky Kennel is designed to meet IATA standards, but confirm compliance for your specific route and carrier.
How do I stop my dog from barking in the crate? Barking in the crate is almost always a sign that crate introduction was too fast or that the dog has not yet associated the crate with rest and safety. Cover three sides of a wire crate with a blanket to reduce visual stimulation. Use a food-stuffed toy to make crate entry rewarding. Never open the crate while the dog is barking — wait for even a two-second pause and then open it. If barking is severe, persistent, or accompanied by escape attempts, that is a behavioral medicine issue, not a crate issue, and I would recommend a DACVB evaluation.
What size crate does my dog need? The dog should be able to stand up without ducking, turn around completely, and lie on their side with legs extended. That is it. Bigger is not better for house-training or for anxious dogs — excess space reduces the den-like quality that makes crates calming. If you are buying for a puppy, size for the adult weight estimate and use a divider panel to reduce the interior until the dog grows into it.