Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate – Full Review

Midwest is definitely not a small player in the pet industry. The brand has given us some of the best dog crates in the industry. And of the many, we have chosen to review the Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate today

We’ve also reviewed its iCrate and Life Stages, so, feel free to check them out, too.

Now, just before we head into the main review, why don’t we find out a bit more about Midwest?

The Midwest brand is one that needs no introduction in the pet community. It has not only given us some of the best pet crates in the industry but has also given us one of the best price/quality balance.

And because the company is so confident in the quality of its products, it stands behind each of them with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Who wouldn’t want the chance of getting a pet product with absolutely no risk to them?

Well, that’s what you get when you shop with Midwest. So, hopefully, the Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate won’t disappoint.

Come along, let’s see if this crate lives up to widely acclaimed Midwest reputation.

 

 

Who Is The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate For?

This is a very regular wire dog crate for your well-trained pups. It might be advertised as super secure, but we beg to disagree a little. More on that later, though…

So, that said, this crate is great for regular, everyday, house crate use. Just don’t expect it to stand up to aggressive breeds.

Anyway, there are 5 sizes of this crate. So, this means that there is a crate for every sized dog.

And thanks to the divider panel included, you can get your crate to grow with your pup. You don’t need to keep buying up as your pup grows.

 

 

Features Of The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate

1. MAXLock Door

The primary benefit that Midwest markets this crate for is its max security system. When we saw this we got interested because we know wire dog crates. It’s not just in them to be super secure.

So, what were the results of our findings?

Well, we found out two things. One, the crate works for that purpose. Two, the crate does not work for that purpose. Now, which to believe?

Well, here’s the thing, if there’s even an isolated complaint of a dog breaking out of a crate you intend to buy, it should get your antennas up. You need to be careful.

There were quite a significant number of complaints of dogs breaking out of this crate. It does happen every day to wire dog crates, which is why we always advise you to only use wire dog crates with crate-trained dogs.

But because this crate is primarily marketed for its tough security system, we felt you deserved to know that something is off.

It worked for some and it didn’t work for some. In fact, it worked badly for others, with pets hurting themselves while trying to escape.

Our advice; man know thy pet. Secondly, if you still intend to get this crate, don’t get it because you’re looking for something super secure to keep your pet contained.

2. Single Door

The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate only offers a single door. It could keep your dog from getting creative about escaping but it sure has its inconveniences.

For one, you can’t just place your crate anyhow. And if your space is tight, that could present a challenge.

Besides that, it makes it a bit difficult to access the crate to run some day-to-day chores like cleaning up accidents on the included pan or taking out the crate pad for cleaning.

Now, a bit about the closure. This closes from the top, not from the side.

But we’re not sure this is a super-smart move. Because it’s even easier for your pet to bust out. Simply push up and push out and he’s free.

Hope you’re seeing more and more why we don’t want you to give this to a clever dog?

 

 

3. Material

Well, we will give it to Midwest, the wire used to make the Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate is actually more heavy-duty than most.

It doesn’t mean that some dogs won’t try, though. But they won’t be able to break this and that’s for sure. They could bend it, though. Just putting it out there…

4. Removable Pan

This crate comes with a plastic pan that’s removable and washable. It’s made of plastic, though, so, we can’t count on it to be durable for you.

In fact, we can almost confidently tell you that this will not last. Of course, there’s always the chance that the pan would last. But if you don’t want to take any chances get a metal pan.

 

5. Foldable With A Detachable Handle

This crate is collapsible. So, you can move this around or store it conveniently once you’ve been able to fold it down.

Plus, the handle attached makes the crate convenient to carry around like a briefcase.

6. Divider Panel

There is a divider panel included with any Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate. Divider panels are important because they save you the cash and stress of constantly buying up as your puppy grows.

Again, the divider panel fits into the crate very easily, which is advantageous, of course. Anything that makes things more convenient for us is highly welcome over here.

There have been no reports of problems whatsoever in that department.

7. Sizes Available

The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate comes in 5 sizes which cover for pretty much any size of dog.

There’s the extra small size (28 inches), small (24 inches), medium (36 inches), large (42 inches), and extra-large (48 inches).

 

 

Pros Of The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate

1. Crate is relatively sturdy and durable.

2. Can be folded down for portability and storage.

3. Detachable plastic handle makes the crate easy to carry.

4. Comes with rounded corners which keep your pet, you, and your furniture safe. No sharp corners to tear anything.

5. Sets up easily too.

 

 

Cons Of The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate

1. It’s not as secure as it is marketed to be.

2. Removable pan is plastic.

3. Comes with a single door.

 

Alternative Options

Affordable Option: Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate

 

 

 

The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate is perhaps Midwest’s most affordable crate line.

It’s not heavy duty like the Midwest Life Stages crate or our featured product. But it’s somewhat durable if in the right hands.

Now, there are two door options with the iCrate. There’s the single and the double door options. And both door options are roomy and spacious enough to make your pooch comfy in his unit.

Also, it’s lightweight and portable, so it’s great for travel. And yeah, it comes with dividing panels, of course.

 

Higher-End Option: Simply Plus Deluxe Wooden Dog Crate

 

 

 

The Simply Plus Deluxe Wooden Dog Crate is a stylish wooden pet crate for someone who desires a slightly higher-end crate. Check this awesomeness out, guys…

It looks great, and it’s made of wood which will easily fit into your home décor. It looks a whole lot nicer than your humdrum metal crate.

And we like how it doesn’t really look like a crate in that it’s not covered on the top. But we see how that can be difficult to simulate a den experience.

The crate comes with a wooden frame but wire panels. Plus, you can flip this thing down to create a living space and a potty room. Pretty cool, right?

 

Soft-Sided Dog Crate: Go Pet Club Travel Pet Crate

 

 

 

Soft-sided crates have their advantages and we can understand if that’s what you prefer. Check out the Go Pet Club Travel Pet Crate.

This crate works as both an indoor and an outdoor crate. So, it’s perfect for camping and all, and it’s also great for use as a house crate, too.

As a complementary accessory, Go Pet Club includes a plush crate pad in this unit.

This crate folds down really flat, by the way. So, you’ll find it really flat and lightweight enough for travel.

Plus there are side pockets on this crate for you to store some necessities like treats and toys. And because this crate is roomy and spacious enough, your pooch will feel very much at home in this crate.

 

Hard-Sided Option: Petmate Navigator For Pets Dog Crate

 

 

 

If you’d prefer a hard-sided dog crate, then totally check out the Petmate Navigator for Pets Dog Crate.

It’s one of the only plastic crate ever to come with a divider panel. And that’s a pretty impressive feat for any plastic crate to pull off.

It’s great especially for shy pets and comes in all 6 sizes. So, every dog will find a crate in his size right here.

In fact, thanks to the dividing panel you can use this from puppyhood to adulthood for your pet.

It’s a pretty affordable unit, by the way. And for its price point, we are tempted to say that Pet Mate outdid itself.

 

 

Quick Comparison Table

	Featured	More Affordable	More High End	Soft Sided	Plastic Dog Crate
Product	Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate Click here to get it for your dog.	Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate Click here to get it for your dog.	Simply Plus Deluxe Wooden Dog Crate Click here to get it for your dog.	Go Pet Club Travel Pet Crate Click here to get it for your dog.	Petmate Navigator For Pets Dog Crate Click here to get it for your dog.
Material	Heavier gauge wire construction	Metal wire	Wood and Wire	Nylon shell with steel frames	Plastic
Sizes Available	5	6	Small and medium	Small (28 inches) and extra large (48 inches)	6
Colors Available	Dark brown	Black. Single door option comes in pink and blue colors	Mocha brown	Blue	Dark brown
Assembly Required?	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (unfold and set up)	Yes
Best For	All dogs except aggressive breeds, and chewers	All dogs except aggressive dogs and chewers	All kinds of dogs except destructive pets or pets that suffer from anxiety or panic attacks	Small and extra large crate-trained breeds	Crate-trained dogs especially shy, reclusive ones

 

 

What Customers Are Saying About The Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate?

The general vibe from customers to this crate is a good one. Although, we can’t necessarily say that the vast majority love the crate. But that’s not to say that this crate does not have huge fans. It does.

Now, where does this crate fail its fans? Funny enough it was on the security of the doors which is supposed to be a primary feature of this crate.

The complaints of dogs busting out of this crate are a bit disturbing. From customers’ reports, a considerable number of dogs have bust out of this crate, and sometimes, even without trying.

In one isolated case, the dog even got hurt. Well, in all fairness, the dog tried to squeeze out of the crate through somewhere else but the door.

But we’re just letting you know that you’ll be buying fool’s gold if you’re buying this crate for the security promised.

However, be that as it may, customers do commend Midwest for making this crate easy to assemble and disassemble.

As we said, most love the Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate, but maybe just not the vast majority.

 

 

Our Verdict

We are sorely disappointed that this crate isn’t as secure as advertised. Maybe Midwest should have just stopped at describing this as somewhat heavy duty. Because describing this as secure is somewhat misleading.

That said, that aspect was our biggest flaw on the crate. Nearly everything else was faultless but then again there had to be the plastic pan.

One thing we’ve got to give the Midwest ACE Single Door Dog Crate, though, is that it is quite tough and durable.

At least, we’ve not had any report of this breaking yet. Although some dogs got it to bend over.

Should you get this? Totally. But just keep it in mind that it’s a regular wire dog crate and treat it as such. That way, you should be fine.