Keeping your pup secure and entertained – that’s a hard task but that’s why we have puppy playpens. Whether it’s jumping over the couches and leaving fur behind or licking the plates clean, puppies can be mischievous friends. You can easily curb this by adding in a playpen to your list of must-have doggy accessories.
Well-designed playpens for puppies will help keep your pup safe and sound in there. You can lure your canine bud in there with toys and treats and he’ll stay there for hours on end. If you miss your bud, you can drop by, cuddle up with your bud and let him rest in there again.
What are Puppy Playpens?
Simply put, a puppy playpen is your puppy’s own sanctuary within your home. It’s great to give your pup the place to rest, enjoy, sleep, or cuddle up in its own company. Most puppies will go in there, have a good ol’ chew session with their toys or even exercise in there.
Playpens are excellent at training your puppy as well. Unlike crates which will confine your pup for longer times, the playpen can help you know your pup’s safe in its own company while being trained. However, they’re not great for potty-training aids and should only be used for crate training.
Most playpens also offer attachments, doors, or safe paths to other playpens. It’s a great world for puppies to explore and they’ll never be bored. Through a series of steps, we’ll help you pick one of the best playpens for puppies – keep reading!
How To Choose The Right Playpens for Your Puppy
One step closer to the reviews – we’re excited. But before we hop in there, you need to have some pointers in mind which will help you think and choose better. What are those pointers? They’re small buying tips you can use and make a checklist of, so you know what features are in the perfect playpen.
Assembly
Some of us are die-hard DIY fans, some of us aren’t. We love ready-made stuff with little aid. And that’s the first tip – the playpen’s ease of assembly. Whether it’s a complete DIY project or a ready-made, easy to assemble playpen, it all depends on the product itself.
Some manufacturers are kind enough to consider this factor, some might require you to work a tad bit. But that’s not going to be something grand – it’s just a bunch of screws, hinges, and clips. That said, research into the assembly of the playpen and make sure you’re comfortable with it.
Portability
Whether you’re deciding to keep the playpen indoors or outdoors, it’s you who’s going to pick it up. For that reason, you have to look at the portability of the playpen. Usually, sturdier and heavy-weight playpens are hard to lift and move around, as compared to light-weight ones.
Often, we’re on travel with our canine buddies and you might decide to take the playpen with you. In that case, you’re obviously looking for something that’s both light-weight and can actually fit in a small place – compact. Some playpens are extendable as well. They’re portable, easy to use, and assemble as well – we’ll see some of those soon too.
Weight
Playpens can either be very flimsy or super sturdy based on their material. Although we’ll be discussing the materials used to manufacture them later, let’s cover their weights first. It’s obvious all of us love to buy stuff and pray that it lasts longer and stays durable. When it comes to playpens, it’s the weight of the material and the material itself, which plays a part in its durability.
Playpens which will be manufactured with heavy, industry-grade metals will be heavier, but that also means that they’ll be sturdier. On the contrary, plastic or fabric playpens will be easier to lift and move around, but less durable.
Size
It goes without saying – if you’re the owner of an energetic pup, you’ll have to make space. Puppies are small cuddly beings and the playpens you get for them don’t have to be huge. However, they’re going to grow someday yet their goofy habits won’t die – they’ll still love to enjoy their playpen.
That said, you need to consider your dog’s size when you’re buying a playpen. We’ll take two things into consideration here – space and height. If your dog can’t play there, the pen isn’t really serving its purpose and if the pen is short, your puppy will hop right out.
So, you need to consider your doggo’s size and get something that’s appropriate for all ages. Quite obviously, a Tibetan Mastiff and a Chihuahua don’t require the same playpen. We’ll see what sizes are available along with the number of panel support you can get to make your purchase worthwhile.
Material
Our final factor for choosing playpens for puppies is its material. Some puppies can chew through anything, and your playpen has to be durable enough to avoid damage. That said, playpens are available in these three basics materials including mesh, plastic, and metal. There are three things you need to think of before you pick the right material – where are you going to place your playpen, the budget, and your dog’s breed. Flimsy playpens won’t last a week against your chew-loving puppy, so what do you do?
Metal playpens are sturdy but they’re hard to pick up every now and then. They’ll really contain your pup inside if he loves pulling a Houdini (the illusionist!). However, they’re a bit expensive. Similarly, plastic is a little less sturdier, less expensive, but very prone to damage against dogs who chew through everything. Lastly, mesh is the lightest material which also helps with a low price point, but they’ll easily rip if your puppy is destructive.
In terms of placing these, the mesh and plastic playpens are the easiest to handle. Metal playpens will be hard to anchor and you might want to place them once and don’t lift them very often. Also, they’re suitable for indoor usage, while plastic and mesh playpens can be used anywhere (mainly due to their weight).
10 Best Puppy Playpens
Let’s put our research on playpens to use. We’ll be reviewing some of the hottest playpens on Amazon right now, and give you our first-hand review of them for a better idea. If you’ve made yourself a checklist from our last section, this is where you put it to use. Here’s our list of the best playpens for puppies:
1. MidWest Homes for Pets Exercise Pen
If you’ve been searching for an exercise pen with an average price, the Midwest exercise pen is a solid option. The security standpoint of the pens is great as well – as it comes with a secure hatch lock along with 8 long metallic panels ranging from 24” to 48”. The list doesn’t end here as the pen features a step-through door, a mesh/sun-screen top, with the option to fold the panels flat and allows for easy portability and assembly.
Most pet owners are mainly concerned about the quality and finish of the material. Luckily, the Midwest series is one of the best out there- it’s well-made, with a fine finish, and sturdy when upright. The panels add a great touch to the extra-large dog playpen, keeping your pet contained and secure inside. You can also add in a dog playpen liner for your pup to rest. It’ll also help your pet fully exercise without cramping inside.
A few pet owners commented on their pens having poky shards which caused slight cuts. Though the pen has received tremendous reviews so far!
2. IRIS Exercise Playpen for Dogs
Holding little mischievous puppies in is a hard task. That’s a clear call for you to own the IRIS exercise playpen – that’s both inexpensive and provides great security. The 4-panel pen is made from a durable molded plastic with soft rubber feet to protect your floor. The snap-in panels also feature built-in twist locks which add a touch of security to the playpen. The panels are 24” and cover up to 8 square feet of space, which makes it perfect for both the indoors and outdoors.
The size of the exercise playpen makes it perfect for small to medium-sized dogs. Keeping the sizing in mind, most pet owners loved their playpen for their furry friends. If you’re a no-DIY person, the assembly of the playpen will amaze you as well – since it’s only snap-in and not fixing manual clips.
Currently, the pen doesn’t feature an optional top which gives room to a few active pups to hop out.
3. Pet Trex’s Playpen for Dogs
Pet Trex is a name well-known in the pet industry. They’ve launched one of the most versatile playpens to date – their 2300 exercise playpen series for doggies. The playpen features 8 panels which are manufactured from a heavy gauge wire and can raise as high as 30” (lowest being 24”). You won’t ever feel an issue with the portability of the playpen either as its fold-down design makes it easy to move the playpen around. The doggie door is a great add-on to this playpen as well, allowing easy access to you and your pup.
Energetic puppies need all the exercise they can get and these dog playpen indoors are perfect for that. Pet owners seem to be enjoying their purchase keeping the size limits in mind. It’s perfect for dogs which weigh less than 25 pounds and can fit in the 24” wide playpen. The sturdiness and finish of the playpen was an appreciated side-feature as well!
A few pet owners suggested the playpen should be more sturdy. A few strong-willed pups were able to push the fences over and move the playpen itself – bold move furry friends!
4. ESK COLLECTION Blue Puppy Playpen
Let’s move on to some mesh playpens – and what better to start with but the amazing playpens from ESK Collection. The playpen is best suited indoors with an 8-panel (25” height with 48” diameter), easy to assemble design which is made to save a lot of space. It’s made from a waterproof, 600D oxford cloth, which makes it perfect for small and adult dogs, who aren’t prone to chewing through the mesh clothing.
The simple assemble and tear-down design makes it the perfect accessory to keep while you’re traveling. It also comes in a few color choices which can help you make a purchase based on your indoor theme. The playpens also offer security and comfort to your pup without them worrying about confinement as the comfortable features all make it go away!
The mesh clothing doesn’t make it an appropriate purchase for dogs who love to chew. Other than that, the indoor dog playpen with floor has managed to receive great reviews!
5. Tespo Pet Playpen
Our next playpen is an in-house favorite and one of the most innovative designs of all – the Tespo pet playpen. Tespo allows you to play with your creativity with this playpen – sending out 12 plastic panels (20” long with metallic wiring) along with ties and connectors for you to make the perfect pet exercise pen. It features a large play area, easy assembly, and several upgrade points if you ever wish to expand.
It’s an actual dream come true for creative pet owners. You’ll love assembling the playpen and will definitely be needing some good puppy pen ideas. The self-assemble design gives you the chance to separate rooms for your pup as well. You can even make a playpen with raised floors to give your puppy an exciting change.
A few complaints were regarding the snap-in panels and their ease of disassembly. You might want to secure the panels properly to secure your puppy inside.
6. Furhaven Pet Playpen
Puppies need a little change in their fun routine, and the FurHaven playpen is the perfect option for that. The mesh playpen is suitable for all environments with several features – 360 degrees open view, removable top, and a zipper entrance. Its assembly won’t bother you either and can easily be folded back into the carry bag that ships with the pen. FurHaven also offers three color options and four sizes, ranging from small (23.75” tall) to larger pups (29.5” tall).
It wouldn’t be an understatement if we called this one of the best portable dog playpens. It has enough room for your puppy to feel free to roam around and enjoy the lovely playpen you’ve set up.
The playpen has received mixed reviews – though most of those are because of puppies ripping through the mesh lining. It isn’t the best playpen for puppies who love to chew or rip through things.
7. BestPet Puppy Pet Playpen
Sturdy, safe, secure, and tall – these perfectly define the BestPet playpens for puppies. One amazing thing about this playpen is that it isn’t a budget breaker and offers many features in the price range.
It’s manufactured with a strong solid metal wire, with an 8 panel (30”) design, which is customizable into several shapes. The metal won’t rust either as it is double coated with an epoxy finish. As we’ve seen before, the metal panel design is super easy to assemble and won’t require many tools.
The playpen has managed to receive good reviews so far. If you’re looking for a puppy pen with floor grids, you can add in more layers to this playpen by BestBet.
8. Ruff ‘n Ruffus Foldable Pet Playpen
If you’re an avid traveler and want heavy-duty mesh playpens which are portable, the Ruff ‘n Ruffus playpen will be a great pick for you. The playpen is shipped with a food bowl and a carrying bag that can fit in your accessories while you’re on the go. Its top is also removable or can be zipped based on how you want it to be. The attached playpen mat is super comfortable and pups will love it while resting or during their play. It is available in three different sizes with 8 panels and extra spacing, based on your doggo’s size.
One amazing feature of the playpen is its assembly – actually there isn’t any assembly involved at all. You can simply pop it open and it’s ready for service and for your puppies to enjoy. Owners also love the fact that the design doesn’t make it look like a crate, rather a funhouse with lots of space for the pupper to move around.
A few owners express their concerns with the durability of the playpen. In most cases, the manufacturer can fancy returns or send a better quality pen.
9. Yaheetech Puppy Exercise Playpen
Eight panels aren’t enough for you and your furry friend? Yaheetech has designed playpens with 8, 16, and 32 panels! These 24-40 inch fences are excellent for securing your pup while allowing him to enjoy and exercise inside.
Each panel is made of iron plates which are powder coated, ensuring both sturdiness and a non-rust material. The metal rods and latch bolts add into the stability of the playpen as well.
The playpen has managed to stand tall with positive reviews from pet lovers and owners. The quality of the material isn’t compromised considering the price of the pen. You can also design the puppy playpen with floor grids to support your needs
10. EXPAWLORER Pet Playpen
Looking for the best dog playpen for hardwood floors? Our last playpen by EXPAWLORER is a great one and will give you a bang for the buck. It’s a DIY customizable design with several panels for you to make your puppy a new sanctuary.
The steel plates and high-quality connectors can add a touch to the security of the playpen as well. It also comes with 60 cable ties and 32 anti-slip mats for your flooring so it isn’t ruined with scratches. If the transparent design doesn’t suit you, they also have a wire design.
Several puppy owners aren’t happy with the playpen. It’s basically because of the material and its flimsy nature. It isn’t suitable for puppies who are energetic and can break through it.
Best Puppy Playpens – FAQs
That’s it for the review part folks. We won’t be leaving you here though – let’s move on to answering some questions related to some modern dog pens. Whether it’s about the size you need or about how long a puppy needs a playpen, we’ll answer some of your queries.
Playpens are great for puppies as they’ll afford calmness to your parenthood worries. Puppies love playpens too as they’re spacious, fun, and comfortable for them. You can even leave some water or something to eat while your pup’s in there.
Crates, on the other hand, are slightly cramped up and can frustrate your pup. They’re better for grown-up pups to help them realize their own sanctuary within your house. It’s better to use playpens from an early age so your puppy doesn’t feel any frustration with being in the playpen.
Puppies need human interaction or a chance to relieve themselves every now and then. You shouldn’t leave your pup in the playpen for longer than two hours. Even if you do, there should be an easy chance for the pup to be entertained so they don’t feel lonely, whine out of boredom, or learn a bad habit.
Older pups can go much longer without interaction or going for poo runs. However, you can leave toys or treats for your pup to make use of while you’re away. If it’s because you’re busy elsewhere, you can hop in at lunch break or ask a caretaker to fill in some cuddles for you!
You should pick a playpen based on your dog’s age, height, and weight. Young puppies won’t mind smaller playpens and will still enjoy their surroundings. As your puppy grows, you might want to switch to a playpen that has more panels and is a teensy bit larger.
Secondly, the playpen is your dog’s leisure place. Puppies need lots of rest during the day, stretch, or jump around out of excitement. The playpen will be their place for that and so, it should be spacious enough for them to be in.
Setting up a playpen is simple, but you have to accustom your pup to it slowly. Simply set aside a small area where you’ll be placing the playpen. Next, you have to lure your pup in so he can enter and you can confine your pup to the playpen.
You can use some delish treats or plush toys to lure your furry friend in. Also, make sure there’s a fine balance between exercise and interactive activities for your pup to enjoy. Though most indoor dog pens with floors also have step-through doors which make it easy to place your pup inside. Remember, puppy playpens are for their safety and comfort – don’t ever use it as a punishment.
Playpens should be a safe and comfortable space for your dog. It should also be easy to use and portable for you. The ideal playpens for puppies are out there! Take a look at our reviews for some of them.