After three tries, we finally found a crate that both I and my 50-lb pit bull (also known as The Pink Princess) could love. She started out in a 42" long metal housebreaking crate, but after months of toe stubbing, it was time for a change. I thought that since her actual bed was only 36" long, I could get a little of my bedroom back. So I ordered the 36" ABO Gear Dog Digs crate. I loved it. After one night of sighing, moaning, thrashing, flopping and digging, it was clear that she did not. Back came the metal monster and her lost 6". Next came the Go Pet Club soft crate AB43
GoPetClub 43" Dog Cat Portable Travel Bed House Pet Folding Crate Cage Kennel AB43 (see full review there). It was certainly roomy enough--in pinch we could both sleep in it--but it is held together with zippers, the inner frame pieces never meet each other, and this would never do for a permanent sleeping crate. Back it went.
Then I ordered this crate. The frame is sturdy. It goes together in a snap (literally). It has only one door and a top opening ( as I preferred--fewer zippers to break). It has semi- opaque covers for ALL the screens (a necessity). The canvas is sturdy with a waterproof coating on the inside and the mesh is tough. The seams are well sewn, the corners are reinforced and there are no sharp edges or poky things on the frame. AND the cover can be removed for cleaning. It is a well-made crate at a good price. I can pick it up and put it on my bed to vacuum under it. It is EXACTLY what I wanted.
A note on sturdiness: No soft crate can stand up to a dog determined to break out. Be sure your dog is really crate-trained before you go from metal to canvas. That said, I was concerned about the mesh in soft crates--I wanted as much canvas as I could get and was disappointed that the crates with the smallest amount of mesh seemed to only go up to 36". My dog is not a digger, but she does have little outbursts every once in a while, and in the mornings she will rake her claws against the sides of the crate as she stretches and tries to let me know she wants out. After a few months, the crate is still as good as new.
Assembly: the easiest way to snap it together is to lay it on the floor, unzip the top, get in the crate and pull the top horizontal supports together. Easy peasy.
Other features: the crate also has two small attached pouches on either side. The photos for the "red soft sided carrier crate"
Red Folding Soft Sided Carrier Crate for Pets up to 25 lbs.which is similar to the Remington crate and is listed on Amazon, show these pouches and what the sides of this crate actually look like, as well as how this crate is assembled. I can't figure why there aren't a complete suite of photos for the Remington crate.
BOTTOM LINE: I am very happy with this crate, as is the dog (yay) and would not hesitate to recommend it to a friend, or to you.