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Are you always planning your next road trip with your pet?
If you love taking your pet on long car rides to awesome new cities but hate lugging around a heavy metal crate with you, then you might be in the market for a crate that's made just for traveling.
That's why we were so excited to try the Amazon Basics Folding Portable Soft Pet Crate, because it promises to be super easy to set up, break down and store, all while keeping our pets comfy and cozy.
It earned our official Paw of Approval not only because of how much our pets loved traveling in this crate, but also how easy it was for our reviewers to use.
Keep reading to find out more about what we loved.
The Amazon Basics Folding Portable Soft Pet Crate is a crate that's made specifically for pets - and pet parents - who love to travel.
Built with convenience in mind, this crate promises that its quick setup and break-down are perfect for being on the go.
It also comes with a handy carrying case and accessory bags so that you can easily bring it to a pet-friendly hotel one night, and get it right back in the car for the rest of your road trip the next day.
The crate is pretty intuitive. It sets up easily (and without tools) - you just flip two simple bars and lock them into place.
When taking the crate apart, you unlock and flip the two bars back down, and the entire crate lays flat - perfect for storing under the couch or tucked into a closet.
When it comes to being collapsible, portable and roomy, this crate definitely brings its A game.
© Melanie Demi"I love this kennel so much and will be bringing it with us everywhere! It's so convenient for travel. You can tell the material is so durable (it holds my 150-pound Great Dane!), and the dogs love it." - Melanie D.
© Melanie Tse
While some collapsible crates might take a little finagling to get right, this crate proved to be pretty easy to assemble for our reviewers.
"The other portable crates that I've seen have always looked similar to putting together a tent. That was something I wanted to avoid, especially after a long day of travel already. With the Amazon Basics crate, the two pieces to prop it up were already attached and are assembled with the flip and lock of two simple bars!" - Melanie T.
Made specifically with traveling in mind, this crate breaks down easily and comes with a well-designed bag to store it in - perfect for being on the go.
"[It's] pretty useful for travel. The attachments it comes with are super handy to keep everything together in one place when on the go, and it's easy to store when not in use." - Jonathan P.
"I think that this is super high quality! I love every little thought put into it, from the Velcro to roll the flap up to the little pouches all around." - Melanie T.
Since this travel crate is meant to keep your pet comfy on the road, it's nice to have enough room to fit all of her favorite things - like toys, her bedding and maybe even one of her furry siblings. The kennel comes in five different sizes, so make sure to check to see which one works best for your situation.
"The kennel is HUGE and fits my Great Dane comfortably - our dachshund even goes in there with him so they can nap together!" - Melanie D.
Some of our reviewers were over having to lug around heavy metal crates when it came to traveling. Luckily this crate fits the bill when it comes to being light enough to take on the go.
"My back doesn't ache anymore from carrying the crate around!" - Melanie T.
When taking your pet on a trip, you'll have extra things to carry around with you. This crate has detachable bags that help keep all of your pet's personal belongings in one place.
"I love that there are all of these compartments that we can store things in (plus a carrying strap), which makes it so easy to just grab and go while we're traveling." - Melanie D.
"The mat was a little thin, but understandable because it's meant to fit in between. You can always add a thicker mat, which is what I did!" - Melanie T.© Jonathan Pruna
Although many of our reviews thought this crate was very easy to assemble, keep in mind that it might not work as perfectly for you - or a family member.
"?The internal poles can get sticky, making break-down slightly difficult for my elderly father." - Meredith H.
Even though this crate comes with mesh ventilation windows, it can still get hot inside on a humid day because of the material.
"The only complaint I have with the kennel is that because the material is so thick (yet light), it gets a bit hot inside and can get stinky. Thankfully the top part can be opened if needed, but that may defeat the purpose of keeping the dogs contained." - Melanie D.
While this crate is pretty durable, if your pet is having a hard time and freaking out inside of it, it might not hold up as well.
"The quality is fairly good but not great. After a few uses, some of the seams started to come apart - likely due to scratching." - Jonathan P.
When it comes to being an epic crate that works for traveling, our reviewers agree that this crate is definitely worth it.
"I think this is a perfect price point because of how durable it is. If you plan to travel a decent amount and you have a pet that needs to be crated when you're gone/overnight, this is a great alternative to lugging their metal crate everywhere." - Melanie T.
Get the Amazon Basics Folding Portable Soft Pet Crate from Amazon for $79.94
It sets up easily (and without tools) by popping into place. You just flip two simple bars and lock them into place.
When taking the crate apart, you just unlock and flip the two bars back down, and the entire crate lays flat - perfect for storing under the couch or tucked into a closet.
This crate comes with a top handle and shoulder strap so that you can easily get it from the car to your destination.
Since your dog was probably already crate trained with his normal crate, you'll want to do similar tricks when getting him used to this one. Before traveling, let your dog get accustomed to this crate by setting it up and leaving some of his favorite toys, beds or treats inside of it. Once he goes inside, give him space to get comfortable and hang out, and slowly close the door when he's relaxed. Build up the amount of time he spends inside of the crate with the door closed before taking it on a trip.
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