A crate you use at home and a crate you travel with are different tools. Travel containment has to collapse into a car, go up in a strange room fast, and give a stressed dog a familiar den at the other end. Weight and pack size matter here in a way they never do at home.
The big fork is soft versus hard, and it comes down to one question about your dog: does it chew or try to escape a crate? If the answer is no, a soft crate is lighter, cheaper and packs flatter — the EliteField is the one most travelers land on. If the answer is yes, no soft crate is honest protection, and you want a rigid kennel like the Petmate — or, if the dog only needs a metal box that still packs down, a hard collapsible like the K9 Kennel Boss. We rank both below, and we tell you plainly which dog each is for. Not sure which way to go? Read soft vs hard crate first.
The short answer
Quick picks
#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of Sep 6, 2026. Where we have no verified live price we show none — we would rather leave a gap than print a number that has rotted.
In detail
The picks, in full
The all-round soft travel crate
EliteField 3-Door Folding Soft Dog Crate
Three zip doorsFolds into carry bagFleece mat includedMany sizes
The soft crate people keep buying — light, roomy, three doors, and it packs into its own bag.
- Portability
- 9
- Durability
- 6
- Setup ease
- 8
- Chew resistance
- 4
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +Three doors mean it fits whatever orientation your hotel room or trunk forces on you
- +Collapses flat into an included carry bag — genuinely packable for a road trip
- +Wide size range, so you can match the dog rather than round up
Cons
- −Soft mesh is no match for a determined chewer — this is for settled, crate-trained dogs
- −Not a containment device for a dog left alone who wants out
Don't buy this if…
…your dog chews or panics in a crate. Soft-sided means fabric and zips, and a motivated escape artist is through it — for chewers, a hard crate is the only honest answer.
The premium collapsible crate
K9 Kennel Boss Aluminum Collapsible Dog Crate
Folds flat, no toolsPowder-coated aluminum30.6 x 22.8 x 25.7 in (Small)34 lb listed
A metal crate that folds to a suitcase in under a minute. Expensive, and the one to buy when the crate has to travel and still not be fabric.
- Portability
- 8
- Durability
- 9
- Setup ease
- 9
- Chew resistance
- 5
- Value
- 5
Pros
- +Goes from set up to suitcase configuration in under a minute with no tools — the thing you are actually paying aluminum prices for
- +Built-in heavy-duty handles, and molded corners that let like sizes stack, so it loads into a vehicle instead of fighting it
- +Sixteen knurled bolts are supplied to stiffen the corners when it is going to stay assembled for a while
Cons
- −By far the most expensive crate here
- −K9 Kennel Boss states plainly that collapsible crates suit dogs that are settled in a crate, not anxious or destructive ones
Don't buy this if…
…your dog panics or chews in a crate. The maker's own listing rules a collapsible out for destructive dogs — for those, a tube-steel crate or a rigid kennel is the honest answer, not a folding one.
A soft crate that holds its shape
Petsfit Portable Soft Dog Crate
Patented spiral-iron frameSoft-sidedRemovable washable padCarry handle
A sturdier-than-average soft crate — a patented frame that stays put better than the flimsy ones.
- Portability
- 7
- Durability
- 7
- Setup ease
- 8
- Chew resistance
- 5
- Value
- 7
Pros
- +The reinforced spiral frame keeps the walls from caving the way the cheapest soft crates do
- +Removable, washable pad — the detail that matters after a muddy weekend
- +Sits between the throwaway soft crates and the premium hard crates on both build and price
Cons
- −Still fabric and mesh — sturdier than most soft crates, but not chew-proof
- −Heavier than the lightest packable crates because of that frame
Don't buy this if…
…you want the lightest possible pack weight. The frame that makes it sturdy also makes it heavier than a bare-bones soft crate.
Camping and the outdoors
MidWest Canine Camper Sportable Soft Crate
Tent-style setupWeather-resistant fabricCarry bag includedGround stakes
The camping-focused soft crate — a tent for your dog that pitches and strikes in a minute.
- Portability
- 9
- Durability
- 6
- Setup ease
- 9
- Chew resistance
- 4
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +Sets up and breaks down like a pop-up tent — the fastest pitch of the soft crates here
- +Weather-resistant fabric and included stakes for actual outdoor use, not just a living-room corner
- +Rolls into its own bag light enough to strap to a pack
Cons
- −Same soft-crate caveat: fine for a settled dog, hopeless against a chewer
- −The lighter fabric trades some durability for packability
Don't buy this if…
…it's going to live in a hard-use household with a rowdy dog. It's built for the trail and the campsite, where light and packable win — heavy daily home use will wear it faster.
Small dogs and vet trips
Petmate Two-Door Top-Load Kennel
Hard plastic shellTop + front doorsVentilated sidesSteel door hardware
A hard-shell kennel with a top door — the practical vet-and-travel crate for a small dog.
- Portability
- 6
- Durability
- 8
- Setup ease
- 9
- Chew resistance
- 8
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +The top-loading door is the feature — you lower a reluctant dog in instead of shoving it through the front
- +Rigid shell gives real protection a soft crate can't, at a fraction of a premium aluminum collapsible's price
- +Steel door and latches hold up to repeated use
Cons
- −Doesn't collapse — it's a fixed box that takes up trunk space empty
- −Check the specific airline's cargo requirements before assuming this model qualifies; rules vary and change
Don't buy this if…
…you need it to pack down between trips. It's a rigid shell that stores at full size — great protection, zero collapsibility.
The lowest-cost soft crate
Amazon Basics Portable Folding Soft Dog Crate
Double-doorFolds flatMesh panelsCarry handles
The cheapest soft crate worth owning. It does the basic job and doesn't pretend to do more.
- Portability
- 8
- Durability
- 5
- Setup ease
- 8
- Chew resistance
- 3
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +The lowest price here for a folding soft crate that isn't obviously junk
- +Two doors and mesh panels cover the basics of a travel crate
- +Folds flat and light for occasional use
Cons
- −Materials are exactly what the price implies — thin fabric, basic zips
- −The least durable option; occasional-use only, and not for a chewer
Don't buy this if…
…you'll use it constantly or your dog tests crates. It's built for the once-in-a-while trip; heavy use finds its limits fast.
Choosing a travel crate
Size it to turn around, not to spare
A travel crate should let a dog stand, turn around and lie down — and not much more. Too big and a dog slides around in transit and feels less secure; too small is cruel. Measure the dog nose to tail and floor to ear, add a few inches, and buy to that, not to the dog you think it might become.
Soft, hard, or cargo — pick the job
- Soft crates (EliteField, MidWest) — lightest, pack flattest, cheapest. For settled, crate-trained dogs only. A chewer is through the mesh.
- Hard collapsible (K9 Kennel Boss) — aluminum rather than fabric, and folds to a suitcase in under a minute. The premium road-trip crate, and the makers of these are clear that they suit settled dogs rather than destructive ones.
- Rigid kennels (Petmate) — don't collapse, but the sturdiest for the money and the base a dog rides in for a vet run.
Flying? The rules are different
None of the crates here is automatically an airline cargokennel. Cargo travel has its own rigid-shell, ventilation and hardware requirements, and every airline states them slightly differently. If your dog is flying in cargo, confirm the exact model against your airline's published live-animal rules first — and read our how to pick a travel crate guide for the checklist.
How we picked
We do not test the gear
We compiled the manufacturers' published dimensions and specs, cross-checked them against airline under-seat limits and published safety certifications, read the owner reviews, and scored each product against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from that research — they are not measurements we took, because we do not own a lab and we are not going to pretend we do. Where we could not verify a fit or a claim, we say so on the page.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best travel crate for a dog that chews?+
A rigid kennel, or tube steel if the dog has already escaped a crate — see our heavy-duty picks. Soft crates are fabric and mesh, and a determined chewer is through one quickly; we say this on every soft crate in the list because it's the mistake people most regret. Folding metal crates sit in between, and their own makers say they are for dogs that settle in a crate rather than dogs that attack one.
Can I use a soft crate for airline travel?+
In the cabin, some airline-approved soft carriers double as a small under-seat crate — but a soft crate is not an airline cargo kennel. Cargo requires a rigid, ventilated, hardware-secured shell to the airline's spec. Check the exact model against your airline's live-animal policy before flying.
What size travel crate does my dog need?+
Big enough to stand, turn around and lie down, and no bigger. Measure nose to base of tail and floor to top of the ears (or head), add a few inches to each, and buy to that. Oversizing feels generous but leaves a dog sliding around in transit.
Soft crate or hard crate for travel?+
Soft if your dog is calm and crate-trained — it's lighter, cheaper and packs flat. Hard if your dog chews, panics or you want real impact protection. See our soft vs hard crate comparison for the full breakdown.
Receipts
Sources
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Product dimensions and safety claims come from the manufacturer's own listing; airline limits come from the airline's published policy, with the date we checked it. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.
