Best suited for: Backpack
Also works for: In-cabin airplane carrier
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

I’ll just say up front that I like this product a lot. Outward Hound’s backpack is the same size as a school backpack, but it’s been optimized for your small dog’s comfort and for your convenience.

The sides and top flap consist nearly entirely of mesh panels, so your dog has plenty of ventilation. The side seams have been reinforced, so the bag will not collapse onto your pet if the bag is laid on its…

Best suited for: Over the shoulder carrier
Also works for:
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This sling carrier is made of a sturdy polyester twill fabric, elasticized along the open sides. The bottom is slightly padded, in case you need to set your pet down in it. It is surprisingly capacious — at 13 lbs., Chloe is a large small dog, and she fit in the sling comfortably. She chose not to lie down, but she could have.

There is a clip halfway along the open…

Best suited for: Over the shoulder carrier
Also works for:
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This carrier is available on Amazon, from a vendor called How’s Your Dog, but it appears to be the product of a Chinese company called Loveabledog. I bought it because it looked promising: It’s priced high enough that it should be a good-quality product, and it was advertised as “fully collapsible,” which is interesting in itself but also suggested to me that it might flex enough to fit under an airplane seat. I have to…

Best suited for: Over the shoulder carrier
Also works for: Stealth transport, people avoiding puppy bling
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

I’ve been hearing good things about Kwigy-Bo bags, but I’ve been having a hard time finding some to look at in Seattle. Today I came across this messenger bag at Scraps, a local high-end dog store, and I liked what I saw. This is a solidly-constructed, good-quality carrier. At 18Lx6Wx11H, it’s large enough to hold most small dogs (though it’s too small for Chloe). It has three good-sized pockets…

Best suited for: Car carrier
Also works for: Over the shoulder carrier
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This is a really attractive, well-made product. At 19Lx11Wx12H, it’s far too large to work as an in-cabin airplane carrier (no matter what it says on the box), but that’s not its purpose. According to the manufacturer’s website, it’s meant to keep your pet comfortable and safe on car trips, and it will do that admirably.

Here’s why I like it. It has huge mesh ventilation panels and seat belt loops on both…

Best suited for: In-cabin airplane carrier (Small only, with warning)
Also works for: Over the shoulder carrier, car carrier
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

Amazon carries a lot of Bergan carriers, so I thought I’d take a look at their most appealing product, the Bergan Comfort Carrier. I ordered the Large size (19Lx10Wx13H), but for airplane use you’d want to order the Small (17Lx8Wx11.5H). That’s officially larger than most U.S. airlines’ maximums, but the carrier is very flexible, so it will actually work. It also looks trim, especially in black, so it…

Best suited for: Wheeled transport
Also works for: Backpack
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This is a fairly well-made product, and part of the attractive Sherpa Sport product line, but I can’t understand why someone would need it. It includes a padded and ventilated compartment for your dog, and a storage compartment above for, presumably, toys, treats, etc. It has a (fairly rickety) extendible handle and can be wheeled around; it also has (acceptably comfortable) backpack straps and a pad that can be flipped to cover the wheels for backpacking…

Best suited for: Over the shoulder carrier, stealth transport
Also works for: In-cabin airplane carrier (with warning, see below)
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This is one of the better Sherpa bags I’ve seen. I still don’t love the fabric or the fake leather, but the overall effect is attractive and practical. It comes in two sizes: Small (10Hx15Lx7.5W) and Medium (13Hx17Lx8W). I saw it in black; it also comes in pink and brown, and a couple of tweed patterns. It has a nice faux sheepskin pad inside — I…

Best suited for: In-cabin airplane carrier (Small size only)
Also works for: Backpack, car carrier, travel bed
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

I’m always excited about a rolling pet carrier, and this one has some nice features. It also converts to a backpack, it has lots of mesh ventilation panels (though no privacy panels), and it has straps through which a car’s seatbelt can be fastened. It has a couple of good-sized pockets on either side, and it’s well-padded on the side that will rest on the floor of an…

Best suited for: Hotel or vacation rental crate
Also works for: Everyday crate, if your dog doesn’t scrape to escape
Quality: ★★★★★
Price: $$$$
Overall rating: ★★★★★

This was the first crate we bought for Chloe, and although it wasn’t the best choice for a puppy, we really liked it. It folds down and sets up easily, and two of its doors extend to the ground, giving your dog good visibility as well as ventilation (the third door is really a roof that zips back). Unlike the Creature Leisure Den, this crate…