The Best Dog Crates for Home
By Leo Takahashi0
The Diggs Revol is the collapsible home crate with wheels and a garage-style side door. Diggs notes redesign timing and stock gaps on that product page.
Home crates differ on fold style, door layout, and how hard they are to escape. This guide compares named wire, collapsible aluminum, plastic, and crash-tested kennels with brand pages for sizes and features.
At a glance
| Product | Difference | Watch-out |
|---|---|---|
| MidWest iCrate | Fold-flat wire crate with divider and slide-bolt latch | Everyday wire build, not an escape-proof box |
| MidWest LifeStages | Heavier wire crate line with single or double doors | Still a wire crate if the dog is a breaker |
| Diggs Revol | Collapsible premium crate with wheels and garage-style side door | Brand notes redesign timing and stock gaps on the page |
| Impact Collapsible Dog Crate V1 | Lightweight collapsible aluminum travel/home crate | Brand steers severe escape artists to High Anxiety instead |
| Gunner G1 Kennel | Crash-tested hard kennel with tie-down hardware options | Heavy vehicle kennel, not a fold-flat living-room crate |
| Petmate Vari Kennel | Hard plastic kennel with interior moat and recycled plastic shell | Airline rules still need carrier confirmation |
How we ranked
Rankings in this guide are based on manufacturer product pages and feature lists:
- Structure: Brand pages state wire fold-flat, collapsible aluminum, hard plastic, or crash-tested kennel builds.
- Doors and extras: Specs list divider panels, double doors, wheels, garage doors, or tie-downs.
- Size bands: Charts list crate lengths or weight-oriented size names.
- Care and limits: Pages state fold storage, assembly, warranties, or escape guidance where published.
MidWest iCrate
The iCrate is a fold-flat wire home crate with a divider panel and slide-bolt latch, where Diggs and Impact use solid collapsible panels (MidWest iCrate).
Specs
- Size: Seven sizes from toy to extra-large, including common 18" through 48" lengths on the MidWest page (MidWest iCrate)
- Material: Wire frame with rounded side clips, removable leak-proof plastic pan, and rubber feet
- Cleaning / use: Sets up in seconds and folds flat; divider adjusts living space for housetraining (MidWest iCrate)
Watch-out: The iCrate is built for everyday housetraining visibility, not for dogs that already destroy wire crates (MidWest iCrate).
MidWest LifeStages
LifeStages is MidWest’s longer-lasting wire crate line with single- or double-door styles, where the iCrate is the lighter everyday fold-flat option (MidWest LifeStages).
Specs
- Size: Six sizes from extra-small to extra-large on the product page (MidWest LifeStages)
- Material: Fold-flat wire crate with divider panel and durable latching hardware
- Cleaning / use: Folds for storage; divider supports puppy-to-adult sizing in one crate (MidWest LifeStages)
Watch-out: Double-door convenience does not change the fact that determined escape artists need a heavier solid crate (MidWest LifeStages).
Diggs Revol
The Revol is a collapsible premium crate with built-in wheels, a carry handle, and a garage-style side door, where MidWest crates use open wire grids (Diggs Revol).
Specs
- Size: Multiple Revol sizes with an included puppy divider on the product page (Diggs Revol)
- Material: Collapsible frame with diamond-shaped mesh aimed at reducing paw and jaw injuries common on standard wire
- Cleaning / use: Sets up and stores in seconds; wheels and handle support moving the crate around the home (Diggs Revol)
Watch-out: Diggs notes redesign and stock timing on the product page, so availability can lag (Diggs Revol).
Impact Collapsible Dog Crate V1
Impact’s Collapsible V1 is a lightweight aluminum-style collapsible crate for home or travel, where Gunner’s G1 is a rigid crash-tested kennel (Impact Collapsible V1).
Specs
- Size: Multiple size and color options on the Impact product page (Impact Collapsible V1)
- Material: Collapsible frame built stronger than basic wire or plastic kennels on brand copy
- Cleaning / use: Collapses for travel; lifetime warranty and 30-day trial stated on the page (Impact Collapsible V1)
Watch-out: Impact says the collapsible model is not the pick for severe escape or high-anxiety destruction; the High Anxiety crate is that line (Impact Collapsible V1).
View the Impact Collapsible Dog Crate V1
Gunner G1 Kennel
The Gunner G1 is a crash-tested hard kennel with optional tie-down hardware, where fold-flat wire crates are living-room dens (Gunner G1 Kennel).
Specs
- Size: Multiple G1 kennel sizes on the Gunner product pages (Gunner G1 Kennel)
- Material: Rigid travel kennel body with crash-tested safety positioning and tie-down strap kit options
- Cleaning / use: Built for vehicle travel and anchored installs more than quick living-room folds (Gunner G1 Kennel)
Watch-out: The G1 is heavy and vehicle-oriented; it is not a fold-flat apartment crate (Gunner G1 Kennel).
Petmate Vari Kennel
The Vari Kennel is a hard plastic kennel made with recycled EcoTEC plastic and an interior moat, where wire crates stay open-grid (Petmate Vari Kennel).
Specs
- Size: 19", 24", 28", 32", 36", and 40" options on the product page (Petmate Vari Kennel)
- Material: At least 90% pre-consumer recycled plastic shell; vents on back and side walls; interior moat
- Cleaning / use: Assembles in minutes with no tools; made in the USA; airline travel notes require checking carrier rules and using wing nuts/bolts (Petmate Vari Kennel)
Watch-out: Airline acceptance is not automatic; Petmate says to confirm the airline’s current kennel rules before travel (Petmate Vari Kennel).
Which one to buy
- Everyday fold-flat wire den: MidWest iCrate — divider and slide-bolt latch for housetraining.
- Sturdier wire with door choices: MidWest LifeStages — single- or double-door wire crate.
- Premium collapsible home crate: Diggs Revol — wheels, garage-style door, puppy divider.
- Stronger collapsible travel crate: Impact Collapsible Dog Crate V1 — lightweight collapse with lifetime warranty stated.
- Crash-tested vehicle kennel: Gunner G1 Kennel — rigid kennel with tie-down options.
- Hard plastic home/travel kennel: Petmate Vari Kennel — recycled plastic shell with an interior moat.
