Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Wire Crate.

The Gavler Review.

Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Wire Crate Review: Chewy's iCrate, For a Few Dollars Less

The Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Wire Crate ranks number 3 on Gavler's Best Dog Crates list with an 8.7, and its entire pitch is refreshingly simple: it's Chewy's in-house answer to the category-defining MidWest iCrate, built to the same folding double-door formula and frequently priced a few dollars under it. The trade-off is that it doesn't do anything the iCrate doesn't already do — this is a value pick built on price and convenience, not innovation, and it carries the same budget-tier wire and latch caveats as every crate in this class. As Dogster puts it about crates in this category generally, "the metal wire construction isn't one of the sturdiest options and can bend under pressure, especially if your dog suffers from separation anxiety or gets scared."

What it is

Frisco is Chewy's house brand, and the Fold & Carry Double Door is its direct competitor to the MidWest iCrate — the wire crate that rescues, trainers, and vets default to. The formula is identical at a glance: a folding steel-wire enclosure with two doors (front and side), a removable plastic pan for cleanup, and a divider panel that lets the crate grow with a puppy so owners buy one crate instead of three as the dog matures. It sets up without tools in under a couple of minutes and folds flat for storage or transport, with a built-in carry handle.

Where Frisco tries to differentiate is the size ladder: six options from extra-small to extra-large, one more than the iCrate's five-size range, giving marginally finer fit control for dogs that fall between standard sizes. In practice, the two crates are close enough that the deciding factor for most buyers comes down to whichever is cheaper that week — and Frisco frequently is, especially when bundled with a Chewy order.

In use

Chewy's own customer reviews — over 6,800 ratings averaging 4.8 stars at the time of writing — paint a picture of a crate that does the basic job well for the average dog. One buyer, Dina, described the experience plainly: "I wish I would have bought it sooner. My 17 week old (very big) GSD puppy has room to stretch out, and he immediately goes to sleep in it... This cage is great w/ durable two doors on it. Great locks. I love it." Another reviewer, Yvette, praised the out-of-box experience: "It's essentially put together when you receive it... It is lightweight." That combination — minimal assembly, functional latches, decent capacity — is exactly what most owners are looking for in a first crate.

But the criticism in the review pile is consistent with the budget-tier caveats Gavler's own data flags, and it's worth taking seriously rather than glossing over. Alyse, a buyer with prior experience assembling this style of crate, ran into a hardware problem: "This is the first crate I had to get pliers out to bed the metal to detach the top piece from the side wall piece because the metal 'hooks' were too tight and in the wrong spot. Ended up breaking off one of the hooks." More concerning for security-conscious owners, Kayla reported a door that a persistent dog could defeat: "Literally nothing holding this door in the hinges. The laziest dog in the world figured out that she can pop the door up and off the hinge point. Even with the lock engaged she can still wiggle it out easily." She added, tellingly, "other than this glaring design flaw the crate is a great quality" — a fair summary of the whole category. Another reviewer, Donnell, flagged the latch mechanism itself as a two-handed operation that leaves an opening for a determined dog: "it requires two hands to throw the latches and... the dog can charge the door once the latches are thrown. I would not put an assertive/impulsive dog in this crate."

None of this is unique to Frisco — it's the same trade-off Gavler's verified data notes for the entire budget wire-crate tier, including the iCrate itself. But it's worth knowing before you buy for a dog with strong escape-artist tendencies.

Strengths

• Price. Frequently undercuts the MidWest iCrate at Chewy, and Chewy verified reviews confirm it "covers the same folding double-door basics" at a lower cost.
• Six-size range. One more size option than the iCrate's five, giving a marginally better fit for dogs between standard sizes.
• Fast, tool-free setup. Consistent with Yvette's experience: "essentially put together when you receive it."
• Fold-flat portability. The integrated carry handle and one-motion fold make it easy to move between rooms or pack for travel.
• Puppy-to-adult divider. Buy once and adjust the interior size as a puppy grows, rather than replacing the crate entirely.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

This is a budget wire crate, and it carries every trade-off that category implies. The wire gauge is thinner than premium alternatives, the plastic pan can flex under a large or heavy dog, and — as multiple Chewy reviewers documented — the door hinges and latches are not escape-proof against a motivated dog. Owners of anxious, reactive, or notably strong dogs should look at a heavier-gauge or reinforced-mesh crate instead. Gavler's Diggs Revol Collapsible, ranked 2 on the same list, is the upgrade path for exactly this scenario — its reinforced diamond mesh is built specifically to resist the bending and hinge failures that show up in budget wire crates like this one.

How it compares

The obvious comparison is the MidWest iCrate Double Door Folding Crate, ranked 1 on Gavler's Best Dog Crates list and the crate this one was built to compete with. They're functionally identical — same double-door layout, same divider system, same tray — and the honest recommendation is to buy whichever is cheaper on the day you shop, or the Frisco specifically if you're already placing a Chewy order and want to consolidate shipping. For owners who want to skip the budget tier's wire and latch trade-offs entirely, the Diggs Revol Collapsible costs roughly six to seven times more but replaces welded wire with reinforced mesh and adds a ceiling hatch — a meaningfully different product for a meaningfully different price.

The Gavler verdict

At an 8.7, the Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Wire Crate earns its spot as a genuine value alternative to the category-leading iCrate, not a lesser copy of it. It does the fundamental job — containment, portability, a divider that grows with a puppy — at a price that's frequently the lowest in its size class. The trade-offs are real but predictable: thin wire, a latch that a strong or anxious dog can defeat, and a pan that can flex under a big dog. For calm, average-sized dogs and budget-conscious owners, it's a smart buy. For escape artists or dogs with separation anxiety, spend more on something like the Diggs Revol Collapsible instead.

Common Questions

Is the Frisco Fold & Carry Double Door Crate worth it in 2026?

For most owners, yes — it's a near-identical alternative to the category-leading MidWest iCrate, often priced a few dollars lower at Chewy. One verified Chewy buyer summed up the appeal: 'This crate is excellent... they look and feel very sturdy,' though buyers should expect the same thin-wire trade-offs common to every crate in this price tier.

Is the Frisco crate sturdy enough for a strong or anxious dog?

Not necessarily. Dogster's review of the category notes 'the metal wire construction isn't one of the sturdiest options and can bend under pressure, especially if your dog suffers from separation anxiety or gets scared.' One Chewy reviewer also reported a door that could be popped off its hinge: 'even with the lock engaged she can still wiggle it out easily.'

Should I buy the Frisco crate or the MidWest iCrate?

They're close enough to be a coin flip. The [MidWest iCrate](/products/midwest-icrate-double-door) is the more established default with a slightly higher expert consensus score, while the Frisco is 'frequently undercuts the MidWest iCrate at Chewy while covering the same folding double-door basics.' Buy whichever is cheaper the week you shop, or the Frisco if you're already placing a Chewy order.