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4 Dog Crates That Hold Up to 90-Pound Labs Without Costing a Fortune

Last spring, my neighbor Carla called me in a panic. Her 85-pound Lab mix, Buster, had eaten through an entire couch cushion while she was at work. Again. This was the third time in two months. She needed a crate, she needed one by tomorrow, and she did not want to spend 150 dollars at PetSmart.

I spent the next week digging through Amazon listings, reading reviews from actual large-dog owners, and comparing specs. Four crates made the cut. None of them cost more than 60 dollars. Some are genuinely great. One is fine with caveats. I will tell you which is which.

Here is the thing about large dog crates: the cheap ones and the affordable ones look identical in photos. The difference shows up three months in, when your dog has leaned against the door 500 times, pawed at the tray every night, and tried to nose the latch open. A genuinely affordable crate survives all of that. A cheap one bends, chips, or fails. I focused on crates that fall into the first category.

The Four Crates I Ended Up Recommending

1. MidWest Double Door iCrate Starter Kit (48-Inch) — The One I Tell Everyone to Buy First

If you want to stop reading right here and just buy one, get this one. I am not going to pretend all four crates on this list are equally good. They are not. The MidWest iCrate is the clear winner, and it is not particularly close.

The 48-inch model fits dogs up to 110 pounds. It has double doors (front and side), which matters more than you think until you try to squeeze a crate into a corner and realize the door opens into a wall. The slide-bolt latches are the real deal. They are not the flimsy hook-style latches that a smart dog can nudge open with his nose. I have heard from enough owners whose dogs figured out hook latches to know that slide-bolts are worth insisting on.

The starter kit version throws in a fleece bed and a training toy. The bed is thin. I would not rely on it for an older dog with joint issues, but for a younger dog it is fine, and you are getting it basically free with the bundle. Replace it later with something thicker if your dog needs it.

One thing to watch: the plastic pan can crack if your dog is a heavy jumper and lands hard repeatedly. A few owners mentioned this. If that happens, you can buy a replacement pan for about 15 dollars, or upgrade to a metal one. Not a dealbreaker, just something to know going in.

The divider panel is the secret weapon here. If you are crate training a puppy, you section off part of the crate so the space feels cozy rather than cavernous. As the puppy grows, you move the divider. One crate from puppyhood through adulthood. That alone justifies the price.

Check the current price of the MidWest iCrate Starter Kit on Amazon

2. Amazon Basics Portable Metal Wire Crate, Double Door (48-Inch) — The Runner-Up

This is the crate I bought for Carla. It is essentially the MidWest iCrate without the starter kit extras, and it usually costs a few dollars less. Same 48-inch size, same double-door setup, same divider panel, same folding design.

Here is where it falls short: the latches. Amazon Basics uses manual door latches with locking pins instead of slide-bolts. They work fine for most dogs, but if you have a particularly clever or determined dog, the pin-style latch is easier to defeat. Buster, for what it is worth, has not figured it out in six months. But I have read enough reviews from German Shepherd owners to know it can happen.

The plastic tray is also thinner than the MidWest one. It slides out easily for cleaning, which I appreciate, but I would not trust it to survive a dog who digs at the floor of his crate. If your dog is a digger, consider putting a cheap rubber mat underneath the tray to absorb some of the impact.

Overall, this is a solid crate. If you already have a dog bed and do not care about the starter kit extras, save the few bucks and get this one. It does the job.

Check the current price of the Amazon Basics Metal Wire Dog Crate on Amazon

3. Petmate Vari Dog Kennel (36-Inch) — The One That Is Not Wire

Not every large dog needs a wire crate. If you fly with your dog, or if your dog gets overstimulated by everything happening in the living room, a plastic kennel might serve you better. The Petmate Vari Kennel is the the cheapest option I’d trust I recommend for that situation.

It is airline-compatible with ventilation on all four sides. The two-piece plastic shell snaps together with quick-release latches, and it comes with a fold-down handle and a non-spill food and water cup. For travel, this is genuinely useful. You cannot take a wire crate on a plane.

But I want to be honest about the size limitation. The 36-inch model fits dogs in the 50 to 70 pound range. That covers Australian Shepherds, Border Collies, smaller Labs. If your dog is over 70 pounds, you need the next size up, and at that point you are probably looking at more than 60 dollars. So this crate is great for medium-large dogs, but it is not a universal solution for every large breed.

The plastic shell can hold odors if you do not clean it regularly. I am not talking about a faint smell. I am talking about the kind of thing where you walk into the room and immediately know the crate needs washing. Wipe it down with pet-safe cleaner every week and you will not have this problem.

Also, some dogs just prefer the enclosed, den-like feel of plastic over the open-air wire design. If your dog is anxious or tends to guard space, the Vari Kennel might actually be a better psychological fit than any wire crate on this list.

Check the current price of the Petmate Vari Dog Kennel on Amazon

4. BestPet Foldable Metal Dog Crate, Double Door (48-Inch) — The Budget Option, With an Asterisk

This is the cheapest 48-inch double-door crate I could find that I would actually put my name behind. It has the same basic feature list as the MidWest and Amazon Basics models: double doors, divider panel, removable tray, slide-bolt latches, folds flat. On paper, it looks like a steal.

In practice, the wire gauge is noticeably thinner. If your dog is calm in the crate and does not test the walls, this crate will serve you fine. If your dog is a chewer, a digger, or an escape artist, spend the extra 10 to 15 dollars on the MidWest or Amazon Basics. I am not going to pretend the BestPet is just as durable. It is not. The wire flexes more, the finish can chip over time, and the ABS tray slides around on hard floors.

Where this crate makes sense: multi-dog households where you need several crates and the budget is tight, or a temporary situation like a foster dog where you need a crate now but might not need it long-term. It is also a reasonable pick for a dog who is already crate-trained and treats their crate as a bedroom, not a prison. For that dog, the thinner wire will never be an issue.

The color options are a nice touch, though. Black, blue, and pink. Carla’s daughter saw the pink one and now wants a crate for their house, which is not something I expected to write in a crate review.

Check the current price of the BestPet Foldable Metal Dog Crate on Amazon

Quick Sizing Guide

Before you buy anything, measure your dog. The rule is simple: measure nose to base of tail, add 2 to 4 inches. That is your minimum interior length. Measure floor to top of head when standing, add 2 to 4 inches. That is your minimum height. If your dog falls between sizes, go up, not down. You can always use a divider panel to shrink the space, but you cannot make a small crate bigger.

Crate Training Tips That Actually Work for Large Dogs

I am not going to give you a 2,000-word crate training guide. You can find those anywhere. Here is the short version, focused on the things that matter most for large breeds.

Do not force it on day one. Set the crate up with the door tied open. Toss treats inside. Let your dog wander in and out. Feed meals near it, then at the entrance, then at the back. Large breeds are often more cautious about enclosed spaces than small dogs. Give it time.

Close the door for seconds, not hours. Once your dog is comfortable going in, close the door for five seconds while you sit right there. Open it before they panic. Increase gradually. If your dog whines, wait for a moment of quiet before opening. Do not teach them that whining equals freedom.

Make the crate the best place in the house. A frozen Kong with peanut butter. A long-lasting chew. A puzzle toy. These things only exist inside the crate with the door closed. Your dog will start choosing to go in.

Never use it as punishment. If you shove your dog in the crate after they do something wrong, the crate becomes a jail. You want it to be a bedroom. Use a different room for time-outs.

Know the difference between whining and panic. Brief whining is normal during training. Drooling, heavy panting, bar-biting, and frantic digging are not. That is distress. Let your dog out and go back a step. Pushing through genuine panic will set your training back weeks.

Do not crate too long. Adult dogs: 6 to 8 hours max. Puppies can hold it roughly one hour per month of age, plus one. A 3-month-old puppy? Four hours, tops.

For more help with large dog gear, check out my guide to the best budget dog beds for large dogs under 40 dollars. A good bed inside the crate makes a huge difference, especially for older dogs.

How to Keep Costs Down Without Buying Garbage

A budget crate is one thing. Feeding a 90-pound dog is a whole different financial conversation. A few things that have actually saved me money over the years:

Buy food in bulk. Warehouse clubs, Chewy autoship, Amazon Subscribe and Save. The per-ounce price drops significantly on 30 to 40 pound bags. This is the single biggest money-saver for large dog owners.

Compare prices before every major purchase. The same crate can be 20 percent cheaper on one platform versus another on any given week. Camelcamelcamel tracks Amazon price history. It takes ten seconds to check.

Buy durable gear the first time. The whole point of this article. A crate that bends in a month costs more than a crate that lasts three years, even if the first one was 10 dollars cheaper.

Consider a used crate. Wire crates are easy to sanitize and last for years. Check Facebook Marketplace and local classifieds. A used MidWest crate in good condition is a better buy than a brand new no-name crate.

DIY the extras. Crate pads can be old blankets folded inside a waterproof cover. Training treats can be pieces of your dog’s regular kibble. Puzzle toys can be a muffin tin with treats under tennis balls. You do not need to buy every accessory.

For more budget gear recommendations, see my guide to the best budget dog harness for large dogs under 25 dollars.

Which Crate Should You Actually Buy?

I am going to make this simple.

Buy the MidWest iCrate Starter Kit (48-inch) if you want the the one I’d buy first value. It is the most durable, the latches are the most secure, and the divider panel means it grows with your dog. This is the one I would buy for my own dog.

Buy the Amazon Basics Crate (48-inch) if you do not need the starter kit extras and want to save a few dollars. It is nearly identical to the MidWest, just with slightly weaker latches and a thinner tray.

Buy the Petmate Vari Kennel (36-inch) if you travel with your dog or if your dog prefers an enclosed space. Just confirm your dog fits the 36-inch size.

Buy the BestPet Foldable Crate (48-inch) if you are on the tightest possible budget and your dog is calm in crates. Skip it if your dog is a chewer or escape artist.

Carla ended up with the Amazon Basics crate. Buster stopped eating couch cushions. He actually goes into the crate on his own now when she is getting ready for work. That is the goal. A crate should not feel like a prison. It should feel like your dog’s room.

Take your time with training, make it positive, and your dog will get there. A good crate is one of the most important pieces of gear you will ever buy for a large dog. It does not have to cost a fortune to do the job right.

ThriftyPaw is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means I may earn a small commission when you buy through links on this site, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I believe provide genuine value to budget-conscious dog owners.