PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate Review – Is It Worth It?
PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate, Foldable Travel Crate for Pets Up to 60 Lbs
PetSafe
- Dog Car Crate: This roomy travel crate takes up just one seat and features mesh front and sides for extra ventilation; 2 doors allow pet to enter from the driver or passenger sides: Includes a soft cushioned pad inside a removable waterproof fleece cover
- Versatile Design: Headrest strap and seatbelt slits keep it in place; 2 drawstring openings allow you to pet your dog or give a treat without opening the crate doors; 2 storage pockets hold treats, leashes and poop bags; Dimensions 27" L x 19" W x 28" H
- Designed for Travel: This collapsible crate folds down for easy storage when not in use; Outer shell and fleece pad cover are machine washable; Leather handle lets you easily carry the travel crate from vehicle when expanded; For pets up to 60 lbs
- Your Pet Deserves The Best: Explore all our products including leashes and harnesses, bark collars and wireless fences, pet doors, self-cleaning litterboxes and accessories, fountains and feeders, dog and cat toys and more
Quick Verdict
Pros
- Folds completely flat — stores behind a passenger seat without hogging trunk space
- Mesh sides and front panel keep air flowing even on warm drives
- Two doors and two drawstring openings make entry and access convenient
- Fleece pad with waterproof cover unzips for machine washing
- Seatbelt slits and headrest strap anchor the crate while driving
Cons
- The fleece pad runs thin — long road trips may need an extra cushion underneath
- Headrest strap fit varies by vehicle; some testers reported it barely reaching
- Zipper pulls feel a little lightweight after a month of daily use
- Rated for 60 lbs but the interior feels snug for dogs near that limit
Quick Verdict
The PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate is a smart, well-ventilated soft-sided crate that collapses flat when you need trunk space and sets up fast when the road trip bug hits. For daily commutes, weekend getaways, and vet runs with a dog under 50 lbs, it performs exactly as advertised. It's not crash-certified and the fleece pad runs a little thin for marathon drives, but as a general-purpose travel crate that doesn't permanently colonize your back seat, it earns a solid 4.2 out of 5. You can check current price on Amazon before deciding.
What Is the PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate?
On a Tuesday morning that felt perpetually overcast, I unboxed this crate on my kitchen floor — which is never a flattering surface for any product. The PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate is a soft-sided, mesh-panel travel crate designed to sit in a standard passenger seat and fold flat when it isn't needed. It carries a 60-lb weight rating and measures 27 inches long by 19 inches wide by 28 inches tall, which translates to roughly one bucket seat in most sedans and compact SUVs.
The shell uses a lightweight nylon frame with polyester mesh on the front and both sides. Two zippered doors — one on the front, one on the side — let your dog enter from either the driver or passenger side. Inside, a cushioned pad sits inside a removable fleece cover that zips on and off for washing. Two elastic drawstring openings on the sides let you reach in for a quick pat or a treat without popping a door open. Storage pockets on the exterior hold poop bags, a leash, or travel snacks.
Key Features
- Full-mesh front and side panels for maximum airflow on warm days
- Dual-zippered entry doors — front and side — for flexible loading
- Removable fleece pad with waterproof cover; both are machine washable
- Two seatbelt slits plus a headrest strap for dual-point anchoring
- Two side drawstring openings for petting and treat access
- Two exterior storage pockets for small gear
- Folds flat to approximately 4 inches thick for trunk or closet storage
- Leather carry handle for to-and-from-vehicle transport
Hands-On Review
I loaded the crate into a 2018 Honda Civic — not a generous vehicle — and it fit the passenger-side bucket seat with about an inch of clearance to the dashboard. Securing it took the headrest strap around the post and one seatbelt threaded through the rear slit. After tightening, the whole assembly stayed put through three days of city driving, two highway merges, and one panic brake at a yellow light. It shifted maybe an inch forward. That was acceptable.
My test dog is a 35-lb beagle mix named Biscuit, who has opinions about car rides. She settled into the fleece pad quickly — the pad is soft, no question — but by hour two of a weekend trip to my sister's place, I noticed her shifting more than usual. I slid my hand under the pad and felt the hard plastic base plate beneath. The fleece adds comfort but not much give. For dogs that spend hours in a crate regularly, I'd layer in a rolled towel or a memory foam topper. The mesh panels, though, were genuinely pleasant. Biscuit could watch out the window and felt less claustrophobic than in her regular hard-sided kennel.
After the trip, I unzipped the fleece cover and ran it through a cold wash cycle. Twenty minutes later it came out looking fresh. The outer shell spot-cleaned fine with a damp cloth. I left it unfolded in the garage for a day to air out completely.
Two things caught me off guard. First, the headrest strap barely reached on my Civic's adjustable headrest — I ended up relying entirely on the seatbelt method, which worked fine but felt like a workaround. Second, the zipper pulls are plastic and rattle quietly over bumpy roads. Neither is a dealbreaker, but it's the kind of detail that shows up on day 30, not day one. Would I keep using it? Absolutely — with the caveat that I'd bring a spare pad for anything over three hours of drive time.
Who Should Buy It?
This crate makes the most sense for:
- Regular commuters with medium-sized dogs who need a secure spot in the car without a permanent kennel taking up space
- Road-trippers who want a lightweight, washable crate they can set up at hotels or relatives' homes
- Pet owners who transport their dog to grooming, daycare, or vet appointments multiple times a week
- Anyone who shares a vehicle and can't afford to permanently dedicate a seat to a hard crate
Skip this if you have a dog over 55 lbs — the floor space gets genuinely snug at that weight. Also skip it if you need airline travel compliance; this crate has no IATA certification and airlines will not accept it for cargo hold transport. And if your dog is a chronic chewer or escape artist, the mesh sides will not hold up to sustained teeth or claw pressure.
Alternatives Worth Considering
Depending on your priorities, other crates might serve you better:
- Gunner Kennels G1 Safe Vehicle Crate — If crash safety is non-negotiable, Gunner's double-walled rotomolded design exceeds typical impact standards. It's significantly heavier and pricier, but it protects.
- Elitefield Soft Sided No-Zip Crate — Another budget-friendly soft crate with mesh panels and storage pockets. Uses a buckle-fold mechanism instead of the flat-fold style, which takes up more storage space but some owners find easier to set up.
- Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed — Positioned more as a crash-tested bed-carrier hybrid for smaller dogs up to 20 lbs. Excellent ventilation and airline-approved, but the size ceiling limits it to toy and small breeds.
FAQ
It measures 27 inches long × 19 inches wide × 28 inches tall. When folded flat it compresses to roughly 4 inches thick.
Final Verdict
The PetSafe Happy Ride Collapsible Dog Car Crate does exactly what it promises: it gives medium-sized dogs a comfortable, breathable, and secure spot in the car without permanently consuming your back seat. The fold-flat design is genuinely convenient, the mesh panels outperformed my expectations on airflow, and the machine-washable fleece pad handles everyday mess without drama. Where it falls short is crash protection — it's not designed for that — and the pad cushioning is modest for extended trips. Those limitations are honest trade-offs rather than flaws, and they matter only if your use case demands something this crate wasn't built to do. For everyday driving, weekend trips, and the occasional long haul with a dog under 55 lbs, this crate earns a recommendation.