The 10 Best Cat Carriers of 2025, Tested by Our Cats

Best Overall

Petseek Extra Large Cat Carrier

$70 at Amazon

A sleek design, roomy interior, and secure finishings are just a few of the Petseek Extra-Large cat carrier's best qualities. But our favorite thing about the carrier is how much our cats seem to love it. Our two large cats fit into this carrier without a complaint. It also comes with a machine-washable pet bed to make it extra comfortable for your furry besties. While this carrier is large enough to fit two feline friends, it also folds down flat, so it doesn’t take up a lot of storage space. 

We also love that this carrier has safety features including locking zippers, a secure metal frame, and a strap to secure the carrier to a car seatbelt so it won’t slide around while you drive. Plus, it has both a standard top entry and a zippered mesh side panel so it’s easy to coax your cat inside.

Size: 24 x 16.5 x 16 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 55 pounds | Material: Polyester, mesh, steel

Best Overall (Cheaper)

Frisco Plastic Pet Kennel

$45 at Chewy

The Frisco Two-Door Top-Load Kennel got one of the most glowing reviews that a carrier can get — we found our scaredy-cat Maine Coon taking a peaceful nap inside the kennel of his own volition. Our 15-pound cat fit comfortably inside the carrier, which comes in bright pink and blue. 

This standard carrier offers a traditional front-entry and a top-entry option. We found the top-entry option to be slightly small, as our 15-pound cat could stop himself with his feet on the lip of the carrier, but it was the perfect size to place some smaller kittens inside. The plastic walls of the carrier feel sturdy, but we did find that the top-entry option wouldn’t stay propped open on its own, which was the only real flaw in the construction we discovered.

Size: 24 x 16.8 x 14.5 inches (small) | Weight Allowance: Not listed | Material: Plastic

Best Hard Kennel

Petmate Pet Kennel

$67 $50 at Amazon $55 at Wayfair $35 at Chewy

This Petmate kennel might look like a standard hard-sided carrier, but it stands out from the pack with its thoughtful design. Most notably, it includes a top-entry option, which makes it much easier to drop your cat inside. This is great news for parents of cats who are carrier-averse because it makes it more difficult for your kitty to escape out of the front door of the kennel once you put them inside. We were able to easily place two cats into this cat carrier and carry them to their veterinarian appointment without any issues. 

And, unlike some of the other hard kennels we’ve tested, this one has plenty of ventilation holes, which makes it much airier and more comfortable for your kitty. The ventilated design also makes this cat carrier surprisingly light, although it's still bulky to carry. 

Size: 24 x 16.8 x 14.5 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 15 pounds | Material: Polyester, mesh, steel

Best Foldable

SportPet Designs Travel Cat Carrier

$50 $42 at Amazon $50 $42 at Walmart $41 at Wayfair

With a design that looks more like a futuristic purse than a kennel, the SportPet Designs cat carrier is full of delightful surprises. The most exciting thing about this carrier is that it folds down to be nearly flat, which solves the challenge of finding a spot to store a cumbersome kennel. The triangular design means that there’s no real top-entry option, so for cats who are prone to escaping cat carriers as soon as you place them in, this one might not be the best choice.

Setting up this large, lightweight carrier was surprisingly simple. And once the carrier was locked into place, it was big enough for us to fit two cats — an 8-pound adult and a smaller kitten — easily. The triangular design is also one of the best-ventilated cat carriers we tested, with four side walls covered in air slots.

Size: 23 x 18.75  x 17.25 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 35 pounds | Material: Plastic

Most Comfortable

Sherpa Original Travel Bag Pet Carrier

$79 at Amazon $53 at Chewy $75 $38 at PETCO

Your kitty deserves to ride around in comfort — especially during moments that might be stressful for them, like going to the vet or traveling on a plane. The Original Deluxe faux shearling-lined carrier creates a soft and cozy environment for your feline friend. Our tester cat enjoyed the soft bed and chose to lie in it even when not being transported in the carrier. 

We found the carrier easy to lift and maneuver because of its soft sides and light construction. The carrier held up well during all of our transport tests and offered a slew of features that made it feel high-quality: padded straps, a seat belt strap, a machine-washable liner, and mesh-ventilated sides. It also folds flat for convenient storage. The medium carrier can comfortably fit a cat up to 16 pounds but would probably be a tight fit for multiple cats.

Size: 17 x 11 x 10.5 inches (medium) | Weight Allowance: Up to 16 pounds | Material: Polyester, faux shearling bed lining 

Best for Anxious Cats

Travel Cat The Transpurrter

$170 at Amazon View on Yourcatbackpack.com View on Greenspotomaha.com

If your cat gets nervous during travel, hates the carrier, or simply wants to be left alone, the Transpurrter carrier might be the oasis you’ve been looking for. The dim interior (plus a roll-up panel for extra privacy) turns this carrier into a cozy cave for your nervous kitty. One reviewer called this the “Cadillac” of carriers, and plenty of others reported that their cats — who usually hate to travel — stayed calm in this carrier.  

Dr. Matt McGlasson, a small-animal veterinarian based in Kentucky, says this high-end carrier is “by far” his favorite. The multifunctional bag (which can be carried in five different ways, including as a backpack) has an array of helpful features, including seatbelt compatibility for secure car rides and multiple openings for easy access to your cat. While descriptions claim this carrier is airline-friendly, be sure to check the dimensions with your airline.

Size: 19 x 11 x 10.5 inches (medium) | Weight Allowance: Up to 30 pounds | Material: Polyester, plastic, fleece mat insert

Best Airline-Approved

Maskeyon Airline Approved Pet Carrier

$60 $50 at Amazon

The Maskeyon Airline Approved Pet Carrier has everything needed to keep cats comfortable on the go. Perhaps the most innovative feature is its expandability: The sides can be zipped down to allow your pet more room to stretch its legs while safely inside the carrier. We tested this feature while sitting in the waiting room at the vet’s office, and our cat stretched her body out in gratitude thanks to the extra space.

The design features top- and front-entry options, with handy extras like a detachable shoulder strap, a collar clip, and a soft, machine-washable mat lining. One important thing to note is that you can’t keep the extendable sides unzipped while carrying your pet, so it’s only useful once you’re stationary. But, for long stints in the airport or vet waiting room, the Maskeyon extendable carrier can give your pet more room to stretch out.  

Size: 19.5 x 12 x 12 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 20 pounds | Material: Ethylene vinyl acetate, steel

Best with Bubble Window

Halinfer Space Capsule Cat Backpack

$35 $32 at Amazon

If you have ever wanted to show your cat the big beautiful world without putting them in the way of all its dangers, then let us introduce you to the Halinfer Expandable Cat Backpack. Our cats loved this backpack and chose to sit in it even when not traveling. We found it to be much easier to carry our 12-pound cat in this carrier than in any of the others we tested.

One of the nifty features of the Halinfer carrier is that once you get to your destination, you can unzip the sides to make more room for your cat to roam while still enclosed in the safety of the carrier. But though our cats seemed to love it once they were inside the carrier, it was difficult to get them into it in the first place because of the small door opening. 

Size: 27.5 x 12.5 x 16.5 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 20 pounds | Material: Anti-scratch mesh, plastic

Best for Road Trips

Pet Gear View Carrier & Car Seat

$84 at Amazon $119 at Chewy

Whether you’re embarking on a days-long road trip or just a trip to the vet, this carrier will make car rides a breeze. All-around mesh offers your pet a full view of the journey, especially since the attachable booster seat allows them to see out the window. Plus, this carrier buckles into the seatbelt and attaches to your pet’s harness for extra safety.

Dr. McGlasson calls this carrier one of his favorites. The easy-open top allows vets (and pet parents) to access the cat easily, while also giving plenty of room for the cat to stretch out and look around. While we haven’t yet tried out this carrier, hundreds of Amazon reviewers gave it a five-star rating, thanks to the stress-free transportation it provides. You can also purchase this carrier as part of a stroller for walks and easier carrying.

Size: 20 x 12  x 18 inches | Weight Allowance: Not listed, though reviewers say it accommodates pets as heavy as 18 pounds | Material: Fleece, nylon

Best Investment

Away The Pet Carrier

$225 at Awaytravel.com

We could tell immediately that the pet carrier from the beloved luggage brand Away was artfully designed to stand out from the rest. Our kitty had the equivalent of a five-star resort stay while relaxing inside the washable faux shearling bedding, and with the option to pull down a retractable privacy screen, our pet was able to take a cat nap in peace. It also offers both a top and front opening, which is a huge win in our book. 

Though it’s technically a soft-sided carrier, the structured nylon exterior mimics a hard-sided kennel, and you'll also have peace of mind knowing that both the exterior and interior are water-resistant for easy cleanup. The bag’s long, padded strap made it easy to carry our tester kitties. The one pain encountered was in attempting to store this carrier. Although it’s somewhat soft-sided, it doesn’t compress down much for storage.

Size: 18.7 x 10.8 x 10.75 inches | Weight Allowance: Up to 18 pounds | Material: Nylon, leather, faux shearling lining