The Best Heavy Duty Dog Crates in 2018

If you frequently take your dog in the car or like to travel with him wherever you go, a dog crate is the first thing you want to purchase after your new pup. A dog crate normally becomes a sacred spot for most dogs, it’s the place where they’ll spend a fair amount of time after all.

For this reason, a heavy duty dog crate should be spacious enough for them to get comfortable in, be strong enough to keep your furry friend safe from injury and be inviting enough for them to jump right on in.

By far the most important consideration when buying a dog crate is the size. Never, ever put your dog in a crate which is too small for them because it’s just about the cruellest thing you can do. Keep it spacious, clean and put their most favourite toys in there too.

That way wherever you go with your pooch, he’ll be safe, secure and happy.

Why Heavy Duty?

This is a great question and one that’s a one-brainer once you realize what a dog crate has to put up with on a daily basis.

• Travel tends to put lots of stress on items. That’s why suitcases, travel bags and roof racks are built so strongly, they need to put up with a lot of abuse.
• Your crate not only keeps your dog inside; it also protects him from the outside world too. When travelling your crate needs to be able to take the occasional knock, bump and scrape without falling apart.
• Airlines or Ferries require a quality crate. If you’re taking your dog on board a flight or ferry, the operator will always require your dog crate to be safe, secure and strong. Taking a flimsy device with you is always a fast track to being denied boarding, not good for anyone!

What Are the Best Ones On the Market Right Now?

We’ve scoured the internet searching for heavy duty dog crates that are not only strong, safe and secure, but reasonably priced too. All these crates we’ve found are also available on Amazon for immediate delivery.

The Top 4 Heavy Duty Dog Kennels

Proselect Empire Dog Cages – The Bulletproof and Safe Option

If you want something just a little safer and more secure for your dog, then the Proselect Empire cage should be all that you need. They make the pretty outrageous claim that the Proselect Empire is virtually indestructible and should be able to protect your dog from almost anything!

When first inspecting the crate, we couldn’t help but be impressed with the quality of the welding, locks and hinges; all more than up to the title of “indestructible and bulletproof”.

This cage uses very strong 20-guage steel and reinforced ½ diameter tubing to make up the inserts. All you need to know is that this cage is outrageously strong! Although not made of stainless steel, the metal is well coated with a rust preserving and should last more than long enough.

I tested this crate at home. We did have the option of taking the crate on a plane from Heathrow to JFK earlier this month but because of the weight (This crate comes in at a whopping 76 pounds), we felt it wasn’t a good candidate for travel.

Still, that extra weight can easily be seen in the construction and could be the perfect choice for more boisterous breeds like Border Collies. During the few weeks I had it, the crate stood up to any punishment we could throw at it.

As this cage is manufactured from coated mild steel, I’d recommend keeping it indoors and away from the rain. However, the steel used is of superb quality so it should provide long-term usage for many, many years.

There are absolutely no sharp corners on this crate (As with all the crates we tested) and my own dog was more than happy to be crated for hours at a time.

The price is slightly higher than the Cruising Companion, although if your dog is strong and boisterous, then it’s probably a no-brainer to choose this one – it’s just so strong and up to the task.

OUR RATING:

Grain Valley Durable Aluminium Dog Crate – The Easily Collapsible Travel Companion

The Grain Valley collapsible dog crate is a very useful travel companion if you’re traveling by car, train or boat. It folds down in minutes which makes it easily stowed when not required.

It’s been manufactured from high-grade stainless steel, which means it won’t rust and should provide ample protection for your dog from the outside world. There are plenty of ventilation and drainage ducts at the bottom to keep your dog cool and dry.

We tested this product on a ferry trip from Denia, in Southern Spain to the island of Ibiza. This trip takes about 3 to 4 hours and as with all ferries in Europe, dogs are required to be kept in crates at all times.

We found the Grain Valley dog crate easy to assemble. It went from fully flat to fully assembled within 10 minutes and had our dog secured inside well within 15. We were impressed with the strong construction and the heavy duty lock located in the front, handy if you deal with prized breeds and are worried about theft.

The only negative thing about the Grain Valley crate is the prices, at over $500 it’s quite expensive, but if you travel frequently and need a crate that just works, then it’s worth spending the extra money.

Overall, we were impressed and feel this could be the de-facto choice for the frequent traveler.

OUR RATING:

Cruising Companion Pet Cage – The One with The Rollers

This crate divided opinion amongst our testers. For many, wheeled crates are easy to move about the home, whilst our more well-travelled friends hate the wheels and prefer an easily stackable crate that won’t cause airport or ferry terminal staff too much trouble.

Personally, I believe that wheeled crates are an “at home” solution and shouldn’t really be thought of as a travel companion unless wheels are a pre-requisite for travel. (As with some ferry terminals and providers)

I tested this with my own dog at home and found it to be easy to use and move around. The front lock is strong, although I rarely use it because my dog is quite well trained and “goes crate” without too much fuss and bother.

The cage is made from high-grade steel, not stainless but does come with a strong coating that should last the test of time. If you crate your dog outside, you’ll probably prefer to purchase a stainless steel version to be doubly safe.

For those of you who will need to stop your little terror from escaping, you can fit a small padlock to the front of the door which should be all that you need to keep your dog safe.

Overall, I thought this crate was a perfect budget choice with enough heavy duty credentials to keep any pooch safe. Obviously, some savings have been made in the manufacture, such as using non-stainless steel but the overall construction is more than enough.

At below $400, the Cruising Companion is brilliant value and I couldn’t recommend it enough for use in the home, or any situation where a wheeled crate could be an option.

OUR RATING:

Impact Case Collapsible Dog Crate – The Indestructible Dog Kennel

This crate is another heavy duty device, this time, manufactured from high-grade aluminum with a sturdy door and locking mechanism. It also features plastic composite corner pads which enable it to be stacked (something airlines love) and also protects the metal shell from corner impacts.

Ventilation is well taken care of on all sides and as with all good quality dog crates, drainage is located on the underneath.

As with the Grain Valley crate, the Impact crate is very easy to collapse and put back together again. In fact, during our tests, we thought this crate was even easier to put up and break back down. We managed a time of 5 minutes to go from fully flat to folded and 10 minutes to dog safely inside.

This was a good few minutes quicker than the Grain Valley crate.

Although on the first view, this crate doesn’t look all that big, it really is a Tardis inside! My 76-pound mutt fitted perfectly inside, very content with more than enough room to get comfortable on long journeys.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t test this one in the wild. Yet we spent a few hours putting the crate up, breaking it down and placing our dogs inside. We were once again impressed with the construction, locking mechanism and as the crate is aluminum, we loved the weight of the crate, finding it easy to move it around.

For this price, we think this crate is pretty expensive, yet with the aluminum construction being so easy to move, it could be perfect if you need a crate that’s super easy to move.

OUR RATING: