Puppy Essentials · Travel Essentials
Puppy Travel Carriers: What to Compare
Specifications come from the manufacturers’ own product pages, checked on 2026-10-25. This is not a hands-on review, and no carrier has been tested by us. This guide covers hard-sided carriers, soft totes and carrier backpacks. Home crates are in the crates guide.
This guide focuses on products and manufacturer information for the US market. Product specifications and the recall search described here reflect the sources checked as of the review date; they do not guarantee that a product has never been recalled or that it is suitable for every puppy.
What you need to decide
A carrier has to fit your puppy now and be easy to carry. Start with your puppy’s size, then check the weight limit and the carrier’s own weight.
What to consider before buying
- Size. Petmate advises that a carrier be 3 to 4 inches taller and longer than your pet. Sherpa advises measuring your pet while it sits: height from the floor to the top of its head, and length from the base of its tail to its front paws.
- Weight limit. Each manufacturer gives a dog weight limit. Treat it as the maximum, not as the target.
- Carrying. Compare the carrier’s own weight, and how it is carried: hard-sided, tote, or backpack.
- Cleaning. Check the care statement for each product. Sherpa’s liner is machine-washable; Kurgo’s liner is machine-washable on a gentle cycle; Petmate does not state a cleaning method on its page.
Compare the documented specifications
Three carriers from two manufacturers, with the sizes listed on each manufacturer’s page. Exterior length and width are shown as printed; no exterior height is shown for Petmate. On a small screen, scroll the table sideways.
Scroll sideways to see every column.
| Carrier | Type | Dog weight limit | Size (as printed) | Carrier weight | Care | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petmate Pet Porter, 19″ | Hard-sided plastic, wire door | Up to 10 lb | Exterior length × width 19.1 × 12.6 in | 2.96 lb | Not stated | Petmate product page |
| Petmate Pet Porter, 24″ | Hard-sided plastic, wire door | 15–20 lb | Exterior length × width 24.1 × 16.7 in | 5.0 lb | Not stated | Petmate product page |
| Petmate Pet Porter, 26″ | Hard-sided plastic, wire door | 20–25 lb | Exterior length × width 26.3 × 19.6 in | 5.75 lb | Not stated | Petmate product page |
| Sherpa Around Town Fashionable Pet Tote, Black, Large | Soft tote with pockets and shoulder strap | Up to 22 lb (fit 14 in high × 16.5 in long) | Carrier 17.5 × 7 × 15 in (L × W × H) | 2.40 lb | Liner machine-washable; interior wipe-clean | Sherpa product page |
| Kurgo Rucksack | Carrier backpack with interior tether | Up to 25 lb | Carrier 12.5 × 9 × 18.5 in (W × D × H) | Not published by Kurgo | Liner machine-washable on a gentle cycle; pack spot-clean | Kurgo product page |
The Pet Porter 23″ size is not shown: its dimensions on the manufacturer’s pages conflict. Only one size was researched for the Sherpa tote and for the Kurgo Rucksack. Prices are not shown.
Options by need
No carrier here is named the best. Each one suits a different way of travelling, based on what the manufacturer states.
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A hard-sided carrier
The Petmate Pet Porter comes in three verified sizes (19″, 24″ and 26″), each with a weight limit and a carrier weight. Its page says it “meets most airline requirements” and asks you to check your airline.
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A soft tote for a small dog
The Sherpa Around Town Large tote is rated for dogs up to 22 lb. It is one size only. Its liner is machine-washable.
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A carrier backpack
The Kurgo Rucksack is rated for dogs up to 25 lb and has an interior tether for your dog’s harness. It is one size only, and Kurgo does not publish its weight.
Limits and what to check before you buy
- We have not tested any of these carriers. Everything here comes from the manufacturers’ pages.
- Airline rules vary. The Pet Porter page says to contact your airline before you travel. We did not check any airline’s rules.
- None of these pages makes a crash-protection claim, and this guide does not make one. Do not treat a carrier as a car restraint.
- The Pet Porter 23″ size is not shown because its dimensions conflict on the manufacturer’s pages. Its exterior height is not shown for any Pet Porter size because the page’s exterior heights are smaller than its interior heights.
- The Sherpa tote and the Kurgo Rucksack were each checked in one size only.
- Check the fit on your puppy before you buy. Measure it while it sits, as Sherpa advises.
Questions readers ask
Are these carriers safe in a car?
We have no evidence that these carriers are crash-tested or designed as car restraints. Sherpa’s FAQ warns: “This product is not crash tested and is not intended to secure your pet in the event of a collision or a sudden stop.” Kurgo’s Rucksack is a backpack carrier, not a car restraint. For car travel, check each product’s own instructions and ask the manufacturer.
Will an airline accept these carriers?
Petmate says its Pet Porter “meets most airline requirements” and asks you to check with your airline. The others make no airline statement. Airline rules are set by each airline, so check before you fly.
Are any of these carriers recalled?
We searched the US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall listing on 2026-10-26 by manufacturer and product name (Petmate, Pet Porter, Sherpa, Sherpa Around Town, Kurgo, Kurgo Rucksack) and found no matching recall. The search is name-based and leaves out archived items, so a search with no match does not prove that no recall exists. Check cpsc.gov again before you buy.
Sources, dates, and method
Each specification comes from the manufacturer’s own product page, read on 2026-10-25. Retailer listings were not used. Prices and ratings were not used. Dimensions are shown as the manufacturer printed them. Carrier weights are the manufacturer’s figures.