My dog has a soft-sided crate and she does not sleep in it. These days it is really a travel kennel, used for the car rather than as a fixture in the apartment, and that is a common place to end up once a dog has settled. Plenty of crates bought as bedroom furniture turn into something that lives in a closet between trips.
That distinction is worth being honest about before buying, because a crate meant to sit in a small apartment every day and a crate meant for car travel are different purchases. Footprint matters for one and packability matters for the other. Our roundup of dog crates covers the full range.
Decide What It Is For First
In an apartment, a crate competes with the furniture for floor area, and a wire crate sized for a small dog still occupies a meaningful share of a small room. If it is going to live out permanently, footprint and how it looks both matter.
If it is mainly for travel, vet trips, and occasional confinement, the priorities flip to weight, folding, and how small it packs. Buying for the wrong one is how people end up with a crate they resent.
Quick Answer
For daily apartment use, a folding wire crate with a divider gives ventilation and a small footprint, and a furniture-style crate earns its space by doubling as a side table. For travel, a soft-sided crate is lighter and packs flat, which is what matters in a car.
1. A Folding Wire Crate, Best for Daily Use
Why It Stands Out
Wire crates ventilate better than anything else, which matters in a warm apartment, and they fold flat when not needed rather than being a permanent object.
A divider panel also lets the space grow with a puppy instead of buying twice.
Worth Knowing
Wire is noisy. A dog shifting at night rattles the panels, and in an apartment that carries to whoever is trying to sleep nearby. Rubber feet and a cover both help.
Folding also means hinges and clips that loosen over time. Check the latch design rather than assuming. Our roundup of crates for small dogs covers sizing.
This suits daily crating in a warm apartment. Skip it if noise is a concern.
2. A Soft-Sided Travel Crate, Best for the Car
Why It Stands Out
Soft crates weigh a fraction of a wire one and collapse flat, which is what makes them practical for car travel and for storing between trips rather than leaving out.
The enclosed sides also give a dog somewhere that feels contained in an unfamiliar place.
Worth Knowing
Fabric will not hold a determined chewer or a dog that panics, so these suit calm dogs that already accept confinement rather than dogs being trained into it.
Ventilation depends entirely on the mesh panels, so check how many sides open. Our note on crates for SUVs covers travel specifically.
This suits calm dogs and car trips. Skip it for chewers or anxious dogs.
3. A Furniture-Style Crate, Best Use of Floor Space
Why It Stands Out
Crates built as end tables or console units earn their footprint twice, which is the argument that matters when floor area is the constraint.
Wooden slats also look intentional in a living room rather than like equipment.
Worth Knowing
These are heavy and not foldable, so they are a permanent commitment to that spot. Moving one is a job rather than a decision.
Ventilation is generally poorer than wire, and slat spacing has to suit a small dog without gaps a paw can catch in.
This suits crates that will stay out permanently. Skip it if you might want the space back.
4. A Plastic Travel Kennel, Best Enclosure
Why It Stands Out
Hard plastic kennels give a genuinely den-like enclosed space, and they are the design most airlines and vets are set up for.
They also contain mess in a way wire and fabric do not, which matters on a longer journey.
Worth Knowing
Plastic does not fold, so storage is the full size of the kennel. In a small apartment that is a real cost between trips.
Ventilation is limited to side slots, which makes them warmer than wire in a hot climate. Our roundup of dog gear for hot climates covers heat considerations.
This suits travel and vet visits. Skip it if storage space is tight.
5. A Crate With a Cover, Best for Settling
Why It Stands Out
A fitted cover turns a wire crate into an enclosed space, which helps some dogs settle and cuts the visual stimulation of an apartment where people move past constantly.
Covers also dampen the panel rattle that makes wire crates carry noise.
Worth Knowing
A cover reduces airflow, so in a warm room it needs leaving partly open rather than fully draped.
Some dogs pull covers through the bars and chew them, which is worth watching for the first few uses.
This suits busy apartments and light-sensitive dogs. Skip it in a hot room without leaving sides open.
6. A Crate and Playpen Combination, Best Flexibility
Why It Stands Out
Panels that configure as either a crate or an open pen adapt as a dog’s needs change, which suits a household not sure whether daily crating will stick.
A pen also gives more room than a crate in the same footprint when fully opened.
Worth Knowing
Combination systems are usually less sturdy than a purpose-built crate of either type, since the joints have to do two jobs.
They also take longer to reconfigure than the marketing suggests, so most people settle into one arrangement. Our comparison of crates and playpens covers the choice.
This suits uncertain needs. Skip it if you know which you want.
Apartment Crates at a Glance
| Type | Footprint when stored | Ventilation | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Folding wire | Flat | Best | Daily use |
| Soft-sided | Smallest | Mesh panels | Car travel |
| Furniture style | Permanent | Moderate | Staying out |
| Plastic kennel | Full size | Limited | Vet and travel |
| With cover | Flat | Reduced | Settling |
| Crate and pen combo | Flat | Good | Changing needs |
The Crate I Use
Mine is soft-sided, and my dog does not sleep in it. She settled well enough in the apartment that overnight crating stopped being something we needed, and it has become a travel kennel rather than a piece of furniture.
That has worked out well for the space. A soft crate collapses and goes away between trips, which in an apartment means not giving up floor area to something used a handful of times a year.
Worth saying that this is where we ended up rather than what I planned. If you are buying now and you do not know whether daily crating will stick, that uncertainty is itself an argument for something foldable.
What I cannot tell you is how a wire or furniture crate performs day to day, since I have not used one, or how any of this works with a larger dog. Everything here is one small dog in one apartment.
What to Look For in an Apartment Crate
Will it live out or be stored?
This decides the category. Daily use rewards ventilation and appearance; occasional use rewards folding and weight. Buying against the wrong one is the common mistake.
How much floor does it take?
Measure the spot before ordering. A small-dog crate is still a substantial object in a small room, and furniture-style units are larger again.
How much noise does it make?
Wire panels rattle, and in an apartment that carries. Rubber feet, a mat underneath, and a cover all reduce it.
Is it warm enough or too warm?
Wire ventilates best, plastic worst, and covers reduce airflow further. In a hot climate that ordering matters more than it would elsewhere.
Wire or Soft-Sided?
The case for wire
Ventilation, durability, and a divider that grows with a puppy. For a crate in daily use, particularly somewhere warm, wire is the sensible default despite the noise.
The case for soft-sided
Weight and packability. If the crate is mainly for the car and vet trips, a soft one stores flat and carries easily, which is worth more than ventilation on a short journey. It needs a calm dog that will not chew or panic. Our roundup of crate beds covers what goes inside either.
What Trips People Up
Buying for the room rather than the use
A crate chosen to look right that never gets used is wasted space. Decide what the crate is for before choosing the type.
Oversizing
A crate should let a dog stand, turn, and lie down, and much larger than that stops feeling den-like. Dividers exist for exactly this reason.
Covering it fully in a warm room
Covers help dogs settle and cut airflow considerably. Leave a side or the back open rather than draping the whole thing.
Expecting a soft crate to hold a determined dog
Fabric suits dogs that already accept confinement. A dog that panics or chews will get through one, which makes it the wrong tool for training. Our note on crates for anxiety covers that situation.
Related Reading
See our roundup of dog gear for apartment living, our note on whether an apartment is too small for a dog, our small dog bed picks, and a guide to crates for small dogs.
Apartment Crate FAQ
What size crate does a small dog need in an apartment?
Large enough to stand, turn around, and lie down flat, and no larger. Oversizing stops the space feeling enclosed, which is part of why crates work. A divider lets one crate cover a growing puppy without buying twice.
Are wire crates too noisy for an apartment?
They rattle when a dog shifts, and in a building with thin walls that carries. Rubber feet, a mat underneath, and a fitted cover all reduce it considerably. Soft-sided crates are quieter and less durable.
Should the crate stay out all the time?
If it is used daily, leaving it out is easier and helps the dog treat it as their own space. If it is used occasionally, a folding crate stored between uses saves meaningful floor area in a small apartment.
Is a soft-sided crate secure enough?
For a calm dog that already accepts confinement, generally yes. Fabric will not contain a determined chewer or a dog that panics, so it suits travel with a settled dog rather than crate training a new one.
Do furniture-style crates work?
They earn their footprint by doubling as a table, which is the strongest argument in a small space. The trade is weight, no folding, and less ventilation than wire. Check slat spacing suits a small dog.
Does my dog need a crate at all?
Many dogs settle without one once they are comfortable in the home, and plenty of crates end up used only for travel. It is worth knowing that is a normal outcome rather than a failure, and it argues for buying something foldable if you are unsure.
How do I stop the crate making the room feel smaller?
A folding crate stored between uses is the direct answer. If it stays out, a furniture-style unit puts the footprint to work, and placing it against a wall rather than in open floor keeps the room feeling more usable.
Can I use a crate for car travel and at home?
You can, and the priorities pull in different directions. Home use rewards ventilation and space, travel rewards weight and packability. Households doing both regularly often end up with a crate for each rather than compromising on one.
Recommended Reading
See our note on choosing the right dog bed.
