How to Choose The Best Pet Carriers

The best pet carrier will provide enough space for your pet to spin around and get comfortable while remaining manageable and compact in size for you to carry and support your pet.

While pet carriers are primarily made for carrying smaller pets (less than 20 pounds), there are some styles, like backpacks, that are designed to distribute the weight of a pet more evenly, making it more accessible for a human to carry a bigger doggo. There are also different carriers (e.g. hard-sided, soft-sided, tote, sling) to meet different needs.

Traveling in a confined space is stressful for pets, who like having control of their routine and environment. Many pets also associate carriers with scary trips to the veterinarian. But a backpack pet carrier can provide a different experience, offering a well-ventilated, protected space and a heightened vantage. Plus, it’s a lot easier for a human to carry the weight of a pet and carrier on their shoulders than by hand.

The entire front panel of the Space Capsule Bubble Window pet Backpack Carrier is a clear, durable plastic bubble that gives a pet safely riding inside an unobstructed view of their surroundings. It's made from a durable, heavy-duty polyester along with exceptionally sturdy zippers, and it's our top choice for a backpack-style pet carrier.

Since keeping a pet calm and comfortable is the top priority, the backpack features ventilation holes and mesh side windows allowing for air circulation to flow. And for humans, wearing the Space Capsule backpack is much more comfortable, with an even distribution of weight, than standard pet carriers.

For larger pets, we also offers a bigger backpack-style carrier. While it’s not super roomy for the pet while inside, one of our favorite features of the backpack carrier is its expandable back side, which more than doubles the interior size of the backpack by folding out like an accordion. This makes it a cinch to provide your pet with a lot of extra lying down or wiggle room when the backpack is off your shoulders. It also substantially improves ventilation.

Our wire-framed structure of the Our Visual Pet Carrier allows for flexibility. With this carrier, a zippered mesh encasement can be opened up while giving your pet extra room to stretch while keeping them fully contained.

The carrier's nylon exterior is structured enough to offer protection and stability, but has enough flexibility to squeeze into tight under-seat spaces. We also found it easy to carry by hand or over a shoulder, with double straps similar to a gym bag. Mesh panels on sides make for excellent ventilation, and each can also be unzipped for quick access to your pet, or covered with privacy panels to block external stimulation. The interior has a padded, fuzzy bed that is both removable and machine washable. The mesh paneling for airflow and to keep your pet in view. To get your pet acclimated to the bag, you can open up one of the sides to let them come in and out as they please.

If you want to give your pet a place to rest while continuing with your walk, this sturdy pet backpack will allow you to continue enjoying the outdoors together. With mesh sides and top, your pet will be able to feel the wind across its little furry body to keep it cool. You can also unzip each mesh panel to let your pet poke its head out. The backpack features breathable mesh on both sides, the front, and the top, and all four placements can be unzipped for access and view ability. It also folds up easily for storage.

For small dogs that tend to be anxious, the cross-body design of this carrier will keep your furry friend close by. It distributes the weight of the pet more evenly than a shoulder bag and gives you the hands free experience of a backpack.

Most pet carriers come with multiple holes of ventilation on the sides or top of carriers. It's important when traveling not to completely block them off since that air flow is crucial for comfort and safety. On car rides, especially longer ones, pets need to feel safe and taken care of, or else neither of you will have a good travel experience. It’s important to give your dog or cat as much space as possible but you can offer a few comforts. A small treat or toy to reinforce good behavior, and a small blanket can make the interior a little cozier.