Midwest Home Pets, manufacturers of the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate is a household name. There’s no pet owner worth their salt who is not familiar with the brand that has produced some of the most popular dog crates in the market in two major series – the Life Stages and the iCrate.
When people think Midwest, they think quality, durability, and dependability. The brand prides itself in its ability to keep that balance between high quality and competitive pricing. With every product, this brand strives to prove to the entire pet community that high-quality pet products must not always cost an arm and a leg.
Now, without further ado, we review its much talked about Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate which, by the way, is already receiving huge kudos from so many pet parents.
Are these accolades well deserved? We are about to find out.
Table of Contents
Who Is The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate For?
Midwest carries two lines of dog crates – the Life Stages and the iCrate. Now, you should know that Midwest advertises the Life Stages as the stronger version of the iCrate. So, naturally, the Life Stages dog crates are for the slightly more energetic breeds, which leaves the iCrate for the more docile dogs.
So, this is coming from the manufacturers themselves, this crate is not for an energetic, rambunctious dog. If you’re getting the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate, then it has to be for the crate-trained, well-behaved pups.
Features Of The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate
1. Metal Construction
The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate is made of metal wire. But here’s something to note about this particular line of wire crates from Midwest.
The metal wire used to make the iCrate dog crates is not as tough as the ones used on the Life Stages dog crates. So, naturally, it should follow that you only keep well-behaved pets here.
But besides that, for its purpose, the iCrate is pretty durable. Of course, the crate is properly finished to prevent rust and damage. So, it is quite durable.
As long as you don’t keep a really aggressive pet in here, it should remain in mint condition for as long as possible.
2. Single And Double Door Crate Option
Midwest offers you two door options with the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate. So, you’ve got the option to either go for the single door crate, or for a little extra, go for the double door crate.
Want our advice? Go for the double door crate. It’s going to make things a lot more convenient for you. Especially when you need to change out accessories like the bed or water bowl, or maybe you need to clean up after an accident. Double doors will make things a lot easier.
The only small issue with double doors is that they cost a teeny bit more than their single door counterpart.
But then again, nothing’s to say that you can’t go for a single door option if you can’t spare the extra bucks right now. Thankfully, Midwest makes its doors open completely. Plus, they are also really large too.
So, if that’s all you can afford for now, it should be able to tide you over till you decide to make the upgrade. That is, if you decide to.
3. Dividing Panel Included
We all know how puppies grow up really fast. Like, one minute they are babies, and before you know it, they’ve become completely unrecognizable.
Knowing this, manufacturers decided to help pet parents cope with such problems by creating something we call dividing panels. This way, a pet parent can now get their pup a crate in his adult size and manage the space so that it’s always just right for him at every point of his growth.
So, yes the Midwest iCrate comes with dividing panels.
4. Removable Pan
Midwest still gives us dog crates with plastic pans, advertised as heavy duty. Well, heavy-duty plastic or not, we’re still not sure plastic pans are the best idea for a dog crate. We will pick a metal pan over a plastic pan every single time.
So, yes this pan might last if your dog isn’t a chewer or doesn’t get jumpy and all when excited. If not, it will break soon and you’ll need a replacement.
5. Slide-Bolt Latch
Did Midwest just call this latch heavy duty? Well, that’s cute. Heavy duty wouldn’t be our first choice of description when talking about the latch on the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate. Well, maybe if we were speaking relatively.
The truth is that there are loads of dogs who will take your challenge and open that latch before you can say “jack.” But then again, for the purpose, we guess it serves, decently.
One thing is for sure, though, this latch could have been stronger, if we’re speaking very frankly.
6. Foldable With A Handle
Of course, the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate comes foldable as the name gives away. And there’s also a handle to make carrying more convenient.
This crate does not need tools to either assemble or disassemble. Also, in characteristic Midwest fashion, this crate is so easy to assemble, even someone with arthritic hands should find it a breeze setting this up.
7. Roller Feet
Thanks to the roller feet Midwest fits on the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate, this won’t ruin your floors. No matter how much pressure your dog puts on its crate, it won’t transfer to your carpet. Don’t worry, Midwest knows your carpets are pricey *winks*.
8. All Sizes Available
As usual, Midwest carries the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate in all 6 sizes from extra small to extra large.
9. Different Colors Available For Single Door Option
If black is a little too humdrum for you, then Midwest has two other color options for you to try. It has the pink and blue. However, these color options only come if you’re getting the single door crate. Getting the single door crate ain’t so bad anymore, init?
Pros Of The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate
1. Comes with dividing panels included.
2. Easy to assemble and disassemble.
3. Comes with single and double door options.
4. Comes with roller feet to protect floors.
5. Relatively lightweight and quite portable.
6. Quite roomy and spacious, you’ll be surprised at the size of this crate when you eventually receive it!
Cons Of The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate
1. The latch is not great. Many dogs will find it easy to bust out from this crate, even the docile ones.
2. We still do not think plastic pans are the best things after sliced bread.
3. There was a considerable number of complaints of factory defects on this crate.
Alternative Options To The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate
More Affordable Option — The Petco Classic 1-Door Dog Crates
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A more affordable alternative to the Midwest iCrate Folding Dog Crate is the Petco Classic 1-Door Dog Crate. We can recommend this crate not just because it is more affordable but because it is also high quality.
The Petco Classic 1-Door Dog Crate comes from a reputable brand. But it only comes with a door – one reason it is so affordable. It comes in all sizes though, so for whatever the size of your dog, there’s definitely a Petco Classic 1-Door Dog Crate for him.
Definitely recommend.
Higher-End Option — AmazonBasics Folding Soft Dog Crate
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This soft dog crate from AmazonBasics is a high-quality dog crate. Naturally, it costs a bit more than wire dog crates. Again, it’s for crate trained dogs only.
Furthermore, the AmazonBasics Folding Soft Dog Crate comes in all sizes except the extra-large size, and it folds really flat for portability.
As for the material, it is made from heavy-duty fabric and PVC. So, if we all stick to the plan, this crate is supposed to last really long. And what’s the plan? Crate-trained dogs only.
Two doors at the top and front, with mesh windows on all sides ensure that your pet will get all the ventilation that he needs. Altogether, this crate works for us and is well worth the price.
Tougher Crate Option — The Midwest Life Stages Dog Crate
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We earlier mentioned that Midwest carries two lines of dog crates – the iCrate and the Life Stages. The Life Stages is supposed to be more heavy-duty than the iCrate dog crates. So, if your dog needs more of an iron hand, then the Life Stages might be your best bet.
Beware though, it is still a wire dog crate and can only do so much with a really aggressive dog. It can take more of a beating than the Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate. But be really careful though.
Besides that, it comes in all sizes and there’s also the option of either going for a single door or a double door crate. And yeah, of course, it costs slightly more than the Midwest iCrate.
Quick Comparison Table
| Featured | More Affordable | More High End | Heavy Duty Crate | ||
| Product |
Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate |
Petco Classic 1-Door Dog Crates |
AmazonBasics Folding Soft Dog Crate |
Midwest Life Stages Dog Crate |
|
| Material | Metal wire | Metal wire | Fabric with PVC frame | Metal wire | |
| Sizes Available | All | All | All except extra large | All | |
| Colors Available | Black, with pink and blue for the single door option | Black | Brown | Black | |
| Assembly Required? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| Best For | All kinds of dogs except aggressive chewers and escape artists | All kinds of dogs except aggressive chewers and escape artists | Crate trained dogs | All kinds of dogs except aggressive chewers and escape artists |
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What Customers Are Saying About The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate
The Midwest iCrate Folding Metal Dog Crate is much loved by many customers. It’s Midwest after all and the brand has garnered a ton of love from many customers. So, yes, the feedback is mostly great.
However, there’s still a major complaint about the latches. It isn’t very sturdy and a 3-month old actually found his way out of his crate. Yeah, that bad.
But besides these and a few defects here and there, this crate was mostly loved by all. Especially because it is easy to assemble, and weighs relatively light, the crate scores even more highly among customers.
Our Verdict
Midwest will always make a great choice when going for a dog crate. We just wish the brand would be more attentive to the tinier details. For instance, the latch, and a few sharpies here and there on the crate. We encountered these same problems on the Life Stages crate as well.
Anyway, this crate is still one of the best dog crates around. It doesn’t get all the raving reviews all around for nothing.
Do we recommend this crate? Sure. Just be ready to do a little pimping to the crate here and there, and before you know it, the crate will be perfecto!