Customer Reviews

Petmate Vari Kennel Ultra Fashion, Medium, Bleached Linen/Blue

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I ordered the Petmate Vari Kennel Deluxe fashion medium in blue/clay ($45.99) directly from Revival Animal Health and I'm thrilled with the product, service, and price. It came within 2 days of ordering via Fed-ex and their customer service is nice.

The kennel is study and made of heavy duty plastic. I like the wing nut fastners and sturdy, easy latch door. The color is a nice blue and it's not ugly or horribly plain like most kennels. My only complaint is the plastic handle on top of the carrier seems flimsy and I don't know how long it will last. The metal grate side vents are a little loose and slide back and forth (not a big problem). This should fit my adult Bichon Frise nicely with room to spare.

I also bought the 24"x18" Midwest fleece pad from Revival($10.49)and it fits the bottom of this kennel perfectly.

P.S. Shipping was cheaper with Revival directly ($8.99) than through Amazon and much faster (Fed-ex home).

I love the Petmate Kennels. We are hobby breeders and our dogs are trained to sleep in them at night. Overall the Vari Kennel Ultra gets a thumbs up. It's well built and a good value for the price. My one complaint is that they have a couple of bumps molded into the center of the bottom of the kennel. It is right in the area where the dog would sleep. When I received the first one, I thought perhaps it was a factory second. It almost looked like a molding for a handle which should not be on the bottom of the crate. I went to a neighborhood petmart where they had more of the kennels. Sure enough they had the same molding on the bottom center. The salesperson said that people just buy a cushion to cover it. That would be fine if I did not raise puppies. Till they are done teething they would probably eat a cushion a night! I called Petmate and mentioned it to them so I hope they took note of it. I think it saves them money to mold the top and bottom the same.

I bought two of these carriers, size small, and they are perfect for a large cat. I love the peacock blue color and it is pretty darn close to what is pictured - a rich blue - very nice! I put rubber feet on one carrier so they can be stacked and not slide apart.

The only complaint I have about this carrier is that there is no rear vent as stated in the description; maybe there is a rear vent in the larger sizes? It didn't matter for my particular use, but a more accurate description is definitely needed for those to whom it does matter.

Anyone complaining about their dogs banging on the door and getting out, please check that the install is done properly, otherwise please consider training the dog.

I have been using 2 of these for almost 4 years now without any issue. My GSD is a working GSD ~85lbs and very strong and we never had any issue. While he was puppy he did try to bang the door as that was the only way to get attention but with proper training that was taken care of in few days. Now, one of the crate is kept at the end of my hallway and my dog loves to spend his own time in there whenever he needs some time away from humans :-) My other crate is in the car and we carry him everywhere in this crate. It helps keep the car clean and also the dog is secured.

This crate is quite well ventilated, lightweighted and sturdy, easy to assemble and disassemble , making it very easy to clean. After 4 years of regular use it still looks new (weekly cleaned).

I don't see any flaw in this product.

I have a 85lbs tan German Shepard and I needed something to put him in while in my pickup truck; and this fits the bill. For the price you are getting a well made product. I had search around for one of these in the normal big box stores and Petsmart. They where all way more expensive. I decided on this model because it can be placed in a airplane hold. The metal bars on the sides give you a little added sense of safety for your K9, the other models are plastic holes which could cause cuts on there inquisitive noses. It was easy to put together and I think it is made well. Amazon does a pretty good at packaging, its big and I thought this would be a problem with shipping, but not so much. So yes I would recommend this create, and I do so as a Police K9 handler.

I got this crate for my older German Shepherd. I bought it at the pet store and paid $120. Set it up quickly and was pretty happy with it- it looks nice and the plastic is light which makes it somewhat easy to move around. It was used less than a month before my shepherd detroyed it. She apparently would grasp the door with her teeth and brace her front legs on the pastic just below the door and pull the door in toward her. The thin plastic just bends and the little plastic slots that hold the door pegs ripped all the way through. The metal door also became bent and mangled and would not fit back in place without bending it back into shape, which was fairly easy to do-- the metal is pretty soft. My dog is not very big or strong so I was pretty surprised to see that she completely ruined the crate so quickly. The first time she got out I had only been gone for 4 hours. After the first successful escape, she would get out every single time I left. This crate will probably work just fine for most dogs but if you have a determined escape artist like my dog, get something sturdier. I have a thick gauge wire crate now that contains the same dog...it has some bent wires but at least the dog is still inside when I get home!

My 90 pound German Shepherd can break out of this kennel by banging on the door. However, that is easily fixed by either using bungee cords or turning the kennel to the wall so he sees there is no where to go. Took him about 2 weeks to get used to it. Very easy to put together and to take apart.

When our Large Petmate Vari Kennel first arrived, it was not packaged very well and the top had cracked in shipping. Thanks to Amazon's great return policy, we shipped it back and received a replacement in no time. Thankfully, the replacement was packaged better and was in perfect condition. This crate was super easy to put together and provides a nice, safe place for our puppy to sleep. The last crate we purchased, for a previous dog, was one of the wire ones. I debated on whether to go with another wire crate or the plastic. I'm glad we decided on the plastic one. It is quieter, it provides more privacy (for more of a "den" feel), less distractions (puppy can't see as much outside the crate), and if one were to need to fly their pet somewhere, the airlines will only accept this type of crate. I highly recommend this product. The only reason for the 4 stars vs. 5 was because of the problem with the first shipment.

I was looking for the perfect Den for my Border Collie, that will last forever, will work as a training place for housebreaking, also for sleeping, plus that will work as a safe traveling kennel, it has to meet the breeder specification of size, and durability.

When received, it was a big Kennel, but when I have my Border Collie, I have understand why the breeder asks for this size, the dog can relax inside, can curl, sleep, chew a toy, and stay calm when I have to leave she alone for 2 or 3 hours on reunion days, and sleeps all night without trouble inside his Vari kennel Ultra.

It has added safety measures in it, has four holes in the corners to insert a big plastic tie wrap, just in case the screws fail, and also has holes for another plastic tie wraps, to ultra secure the metal door.

The latch system of the door is secure but it is noisy.

It is a "Go for sure" buy........!

The description says it is airline approved and the photo leads you to believe that the back has ventilation, however - the kennels I received do *not* have ventilation in the back and it is too close to my travel time to return this. Coupled with the fact that you have to buy a separate airline kit because it doesn't even come with dishes - also required by the airlines - well, I'm just not happy at all with this product. I shouldn't have to pay this much and then have to drill the vents in the back myself. This is deceptive. I'd give it a "no star" if I could.