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The Best Cat Carriers You Can Buy

Take your cat anywhere in safety and security with one of these handy carriers.

a collage of cat carriers with 2 catsAmazon, Walmart

By Will Sabel Courtney

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If you’re reading this and you live in the United States, there’s a pretty decent chance you have a cat in your house. 29 percent of American households have at least one member of Felis catus living within their walls (well, hopefully not in the wall), making the species second only to dogs in terms of its representation in U.S. homes. (Also, well, you probably wouldn’t have clicked on this article if you didn’t have a cat.)

Now, your feline friend may be an outdoor cat or an indoor kitty, but in either case, it likely stays close to home most of the time. After all, not having to worry about multiple daily walks is one of the perks of feline partnership. Still, every so often, your cat is going to need to venture out with you, either across town or across state lines — and if you’re like most of us, that means breaking out some kind of carrier.

Products in the Guide

But what kind of cat carrier should you be using? After all, there are all sorts to choose from: backpacks and rolling carriers and hand-carried conveyances, soft-sided and hard-sided apparatus, ones with bubbles to see out of and ones without. Whichever one is best for you and your kitty will depend on both of your preferences … but odds are good you’ll find something that you both will like here.

How We Tested

The Gear Patrol staff includes plenty of cat parents amongst its ranks, many of whom are more than willing to express their opinions. Our testers — both human and feline alike — put an assortment of cat carriers through the wringer, traveling near and far with many of these bags to see how they function, what works and what doesn’t.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

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Best Overall Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Doubles as a cozy bed for at-home use
  • Crash tested

Cons

  • Not cheap

For many cats, getting them into the carrier is half the battle. But what if their carrier was also their beloved pet bed at home? That’s the promise of Sleepypod’s Mobile Pet Bed. Mesh lid zipped on, it’s a robust pet carrier; lid removed, it’s a cozy circular place for your cat to relax at home (or anywhere else). It’s also been crash-tested for safe use in the car when it’s properly secured, so you can take comfort in knowing your kitty will be all right under even the worst of circumstances.

Best Backpack Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Mesh front great for ventilation and visibility
  • Soft bottom helps cats get comfortable

Cons

  • May be a little tight for some cats

Backpack-style carriers like this one can be great for any trips that require a lot of time being carried on foot, and the Mr Peanut’s Backpack can count itself a quality member of that brigade. Our tester’s cat Zelda was a big fan; the soft bottom of the carrier, in particular, was a standout feature, as our tester said it seemed to make Zelda feel more comfortable inside the carrier.

cat carrier
Mr Peanut’s cat carrier is cozy, but may be a little tight for some felines.
Abigail Cardenas

Zelda also loved the mesh panel on the front, our tester said, which enables a good view outside. That said, our tester did point out that it was a little snug for Zelda, so be mindful of that if your cat isn’t on the petite side.

Best Elevated Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Stylish, fashionable design
  • Lots of zippers make for easy entry
  • Folds down compact for storage

Cons

  • Zippers offer lots of potential points of failure
  • Pad feels too big for the carrier

Like all of Tuft + Paw’s wares, the Porto is essentially a luxury product. Our tester liked how stylish it looks and how elevated it feels — it won’t look out of place among a nice carry-on luggage set. The trolley sleeve is convenient, along with the comfy round carrying handles and detachable shoulder strap.

Our tester really like how you can fold the entire carrier flat for easy storage. There’s lots of ventilation, but it’s well-shaded inside; our tester said it provided his cat Plubis with a lot of privacy. Plubis was super-calm in the carrier, which our tester said isn’t usually the case with other carriers, so she seemed to find it comfortable and stress-free.

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Plubis, seen snug as a bug in a rug inside the Porto.
Johnny Brayson
cat carrier
The Porto fits in nicely with any high-end luggage.
Johnny Brayson

The Porto has a lot of zippers, which give you many entry points and are essential for the fold-flat features, but they also represent a lot of potential failure points since most of them have multiple corners to navigate. The removable faux shearling pad also feels like a bit of an afterthought: It must be folded in half to fit in the carrier, which adds unnecessary bulk, and isn’t all that soft. Our tester says he’d prefer a more appropriately sized faux-sheepskin pad, like the one in the Tuft + Paw Stellar Cat Bed.

Best Rolling Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Handy electric ventilation system
  • Rollers and telescopic handle make travel easy

Cons

  • System for closing can be a little awkward, closing on your hands as you lower the cat in
  • Even pudgy cats can get out through the rear panels

Our tester had much to rave about with the feature-rich Pidan, in particular the features that made it easier to put his cat, Rico Suave, in the carrier. The Pidan zips open so you can lower your cat in, at which point the cat’s weight pushes the carrier closed. (Just be mindful that it doesn’t close on your hands in the process.)

cat carrier
Wheels and a tall handle make for easy rolling, no matter how chonky your cat.
Zen Love

It’s lightweight, but the rolling luggage-style design makes it easy to transport no matter how heavy your cat is. The two perforated panels on the rear of the carrier open inward, so you can reach your hand in but the cat can’t push out — in theory, anyway. Using the Pidan for the first time, Rico Suave took the opportunity to squeeze out that panel as soon as our tester reached his hand in. But the biggest feature is its active cooling: in addition to perforated panels in the back for ventilation, it has a fan system charged via USB, along with an LED light so you can see how kitty is doing.

Best Incognito Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Stylish design
  • Front and top opening options
  • Comfortable pad

Cons

  • Front panel opens onto the floor

Diggs’s travel pet carrier is made for carrying by hand, and its design is subtle enough that people might not realize there’s even a cat on board unless kitty lets out a meow. The primary thing that stood out to our tester was the pad at the bottom of the carrier, which was both comfortable enough that his cat Josi wanted to climb in every chance possible and is removable and easy to clean in the event of an accident.

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Josi takes advantage of the Diggs carrier’s top-opening feature…
Scott Ulrich
cat carrier
…and the front-opening panel.
Scott Ulrich

Zipper releases on both front and top offer multiple ways to put a cat inside, depending on what might be easiest. (That said, the front gate opens down, rather than to the side, causing it to get dirty if it lies down on the floor.) And our tester was impressed with the overall premium feel and elegant design of the carrier, as well.

Best Bubble Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Space suit helmet bubble is adorable
  • Dual sided zippers for easy ingress

Cons

  • Not as roomy as some carriers

If you’ve always wanted to make your feline friend look like a tiny astronaut when you take them out on a trip, you’ve found the perfect cat carrier. Sherpa’s Bubble Cat Carrier has exactly what you’d expect: a space suit helmet-esque bubble that lets your kitty see more of what’s outside when on the go. (You can also swap in a conventional screen for the bubble if you or your cat prefer.)

The faux leather exterior gives the carrier a bit of extra style beyond its tiny space capsule feel, while ample vents keep kitty comfortable Do be aware, though, that your cat may not have a lot of room at the bottom to lie down, especially if they’re on the larger size.

Best Minimalist Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Really really ridiculously good-looking
  • Away's renowned quality

Cons

  • Less visibility than other pet carriers
  • Not cheap

Away’s wares are quite familiar to us at Gear Patrol; the brand’s luggage is renowned for both its quality and design. Their Pet Carrier is no exception to the rule; in fact, it’s so stylish, most people probably won’t realize it’s a pet carrier at all. A water-resistant lining keeps it looking fresh no matter what, while a trolley sleeve enables you to carry your cat atop your rolling luggage, and the plush built-in bed will help keep your cat comfortable under all sorts of otherwise stressful travel circumstances.

Best Basic Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Fits easily under airline seats
  • Great visibility and airflow

Cons

  • Open sides make it hard to be subtle

If your primary concern when traveling with your cat is making sure they’re safe and secure when you’re both on a plane, Sherpa’s Original Deluxe Pet Carrier is a solid choice. Its frame is constructed with spring wires, enabling it to bend and flex to fit under the seat in front of you on commercial airlines. A choice of handles or shoulder strap offer multiple ways to carry it to and from the gate, while mesh panels on three sides provide tons of both airflow and visibility.

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Best Hard-Sided Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Sturdy hard plastic walls
  • Top opening makes loading in pets easier

Cons

  • Sizable for a cat carrier

There’s no school like the old school, as the saying goes, and Petmate’s hard-sided pet carrier is very much in the traditional school of carting pets around. That said, it’s easy to vouch for its ample interior volume and sturdy hard plastic sides, both of which provide peace of mind for any pet parent. This model builds on the traditional version by adding a top door into the mix, enabling a gravity assist when loading recalcitrant cats into the carrier.

Best Affordable Rolling Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Works as both rolling carrier and backpack
  • Shades provide a feeling of security

Cons

  • Jack-of-all-trades design may be a compromise for some

If you prefer to roll your cat around rather than carry them but don’t want something hard-sided like the Pidan, Lollimeow’s roller carrier could be just the ticket. There’s ample ventilation and sightlines from the three-sided mesh design, but if your feline friend gets stressed out by the outside world, this carrier also offers roll-down shades to help them feel secure. Oh, and it also doubles as a backpack for those times you need to carry kitty, too.

Best Expandable Cat Carrier

Pros

  • Expandable 'Catio' provides ample lounge space
  • Still fits under airline seats when stowed

Cons

  • Could be tight for some cats when in small mode

Pet carriers can admittedly be tight confines, especially over the course of long journeys. If you want to give your feline friend a little extra space to stretch out in the car or on the train, this expanding pet carrier could be an excellent option. Compacted, it’ll fit beneath the seat of an airliner; unzip the side panel, however, and a mesh-guarded catio opens up, nearly doubling the footprint of the interior space. Plus, when not being used to tote pets around, the whole carrier folds flat for easy storage.

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