Air, Airline Approved Pet Carrier, Crash Tested, Robin Egg Blue

I just returned from a round trip from LA to Montana for Christmas, and this Sleepypod Carrier was worth every penny even though it might be the only time my puppy will be small enough to use it for air travel. He was 9 pounds on the way to Montana and 10 pounds on the way back (he turned 3 months old during the trip and is a medium Double Doodle). I let him get used to it for a few days before I traveled and he really liked the snug cozy fit. He can still roll over and even duck his head enough to turn around in it, but with the blanket in there, he gets cozy. (Since it was -10 F in Montana with -35 wind chill, I added a fleece woolie blanket and one of my pajama tops to make him even more comfy and he loved it.) His travel day started at 7 AM in the carrier, and he didn't make even a single peep until 14 hours later when we pulled over for dinner during the 3.5 hour driving portion of the trip to rural Montana. The smells in the restaurant finally made him throw a little barking fit, but that's not the carrier's fault! As soon as he ate dinner, he went right back in and settled down for the last few hours of travel. From start to finish, it was a 17 hour day for him in the carrier with a few little leg stretching breaks at airports along the way. Not a peep! This was the third carrier I tried in 2 weeks (Sherpa and Bergen were the others) and this is the only one that kept him calm and quiet! The other two had too much mesh that he could see through and he would bite and scratch and want out because he could see us too easily. Escape seemed possible with the other two carriers. I'm guessing that he felt that "Resistance is futile" with this more sturdy design with the solid sides. I was so worried that it was going to be too big to fit under the seat of the small jets that fly into Eastern Montana (CRJ 200), but it actually fit better under the seat of the little plane that didn't have a metal divider than it did under the A320 I was on for the Salt Lake City to LA leg at the end. You just need to know or like the person next to you on the tiny plane because they'll make you put the whole thing under the seat during take off and landing, and it takes up most of the space for both people's foot space. And since there are no snaps or straps to keep the two ends up, it'll naturally stretch out to the full 22 inch length in that situation. I was in an aisle seat on the A320 and had to suqish up both sides to get it to fit completely under the divided seat in front of me that had the metal bracket. It actually does fit, but very snugly, and doesn't require squishing down on the top. Only the two sides. Right after takeoff, I turned the carrier so that he could stretch out the full length of the carrier. No problem. It would fit fine under the middle seat, but the aisle is tight and you have to fold up the sides. If you know you are on a bigger plane, you might want to choose the center seat for your puppy's comfort! People assumed that it was just a small duffel bag. Nobody knew I had a dog with me until they saw his head peek out after de-planing. This "duffel bag" design comes in handy when you need to sneak him in to restaurants or stores along the way. Nobody suspected I had a dog with me because he was so cozy and quiet and the solid colored sides (mine is red) help it to pass as a high end gym bag. One store asked me to please check my gym bag at the front counter until I proved that it was a puppy. They were so surprised at how quiet he was that they let me keep shopping with him in my cart. The suitcase handle pass-through was invaluable! In addition to the free hand or shoulder, keeping him on my suitcase throughout our many stops really calmed him to be at eye level while waiting in airports with long mechanical delays waiting for our next tiny plane. This carrier also served as his "time out" crate over the holidays when he got too rambunctious around 45 family members and multiple adult dogs. My family was impressed how he immediately relaxed and laid down and slept when I put him in the carrier during our human meals and when he was too feisty with the many adult dogs who tired of his puppy antics. I highly recommend this carrier. It makes me wish my puppy would never get any bigger so that I could take him on more trips in the future! What a great design! (And I loved the zipper pockets for treats and toys)

Is the bag expensive? Yes. Are there less expensive options? Sure. I’ve tried backpacks and other less expensive carrying bags. Immediately it was apparent this bag is in a league of its own. In the case of the Sleepypod Air 2.0, the value is in the high quality materials and engineered safety features. The bag is very stable and structurally sound. Fair warning, the flaps on the side (so it can fold up under an airplane seat) definitely take some work to break in. Overall, definitely cat-mom approved. As for my cat’s vote: As soon as it was out of the box and set up my cat took to it immediately. She loves it for naps and the foam insert for pet comfort is several steps above any other bag I’ve owned. I tried to pack it up to put it away, she came right back over and laid back down inside so I couldn’t take it. Overall, definitely a win. I’m moving for work and I travel cross-country for visits to family. I have zero reservations about having my fur baby in this bag for the long car journey and for long flight days. For what it’s worth, Sleepypod is also the brand Subaru parters with for their pet accessories. Having previously owned a Subaru and experiencing the quality of this bag now first hand, I can see why it’s a logical partnership between the two safety, reliability-focused brands. Note: To address the thick mesh and help keep my cat comfortable on longer flights, I will definitely purchase a small portable clip-on fan (she’s a long haired cat, so she gets warm quick).

I have a Jack Russell Terrier mix who weighs 14 lbs, is 20" long and 15" tall when standing straight up. I frequently travel with my pup by commuter train and airplane. Previously I had a Sherpa bag which literally fell to pieces. Now mind you, it was well used over a couple of years, so I have no complaints about the craftsmanship. However, it was uncomfortable to carry and airlines often questioned whether my dog would be able to comfortably fly in it. Using it became a nuisance. I purchased the Sleepypod hoping it would resolve some of these issues. Yes, it is an expensive purchase. However, it is really well made and very roomy for my pup. As Sleepypod's website instructed, I bent the ends several times prior to use. They are definitely stiff initially, but with each bend, they become easier to fold in. (Based on other reviews of the product, I would suggest Sleepypod provide such instruction on the insert that comes with the product, not just on their website.) Our first flight was very successful. My pup felt very safe and secure inside her bag. She was able to stretch out comfortably and the airline did not question whether she would fly comfortably in it. I also found it really easy to get her in and out of it, however my dog is well trained to use such a bag so she goes in and out on her own accord. I loved having the ability to slide the carrier over my roller luggage handle. I use to fake such functionality with the Sherpa, but it was always clumsy and I was worried my pup would slide off. It's very easy to carry over your shoulder, although the shoulder pad needs to be worn in so that it will sit more nicely. However, I love the handle on top which lets me carry her in front of me in tight situations, such as when boarding the plane. Once I got her on the plane, I only had to fold in one side as there was room for the other side to stay open. It folded easy enough, but I found it too difficult to move her around once we got in the air, so I left her be. It was a short flight. The zipper pouch is spacious enough for her leash and collapsible water bowl. There seemed to be space left over for more items, if needed. The padded bed is soft to the touch and easy to remove for cleaning. I love that it folds up compactly when not in use. It's super easy to store and get out of the way. I purchased it in Orange Dream - the color is really fun and the canvas material seems easy to clean. The only question I have about the product is that it came with a flat piece of black plastic - I have no idea where this goes or what I'm suppose to do with it. If you frequently travel with your dog as I do, I highly recommend this product. If you travel only once in a while, I would save your money and get a Sherpa bag.

I like this little carrier. I imagine it would be really useful for someone whose main transportation is bike and/or who flies sometimes. It was really expensive, though, and it is a very tight fit for my 12-lb poodle. I would not get it for a dog any bigger than that, although the literature says it will fit a dog up to 15 lbs, if I am not mistaken. I like that it can be used on an airplane, in the car, and on a bike. I especially like that it has been tested and shown to protect a dog in a car crash while other products on the market such as harnesses, don't protect a dog that is wearing them. It is really, really nice to be able to bike safely with him in it. It sets up easily. It is lightweight. It has a very nice fuzzy bottom. My dog does not object to being in it, which I facilitated by giving it a name and feeding him treats when I introduced it to him. Every day I would practice with him before he ever had to get in it. I unzipped the whole thing so that my dog could essentially get on top of it without getting into it. I would place a treat there and when he had all fours on the pad I would say, "Good carrier" and give him a treat. From there we slowly worked our way up to being in it and zipped up and from there to being in it on the bike and from there to being in it on the bike and moving. He gets all excited now when he sees he is going in the carrier! I don't use it in the car, though because for short drives I prefer to leave him at home and on the rare occasions when I do drive more than 15 minutes, I use the wire crate which is much bigger, provides far more visibility and air circulation and I assume will keep him safe in a crash although I haven't verified this. I buckle the crate in and wedge it between the back seat and the back of the front seat. I haven't taken him on a plane with it, although I feel cautiously hopeful that it will actually work when the time comes. All in all, it was a rather pricey indulgence just to be able to go for leisure bike rides with my dog, but I don't indulge in much else and it makes me really happy to have it and to know that I could possibly bring him with me on my next flight.

I absolutely love this carrier! Sure, it doesn't fold out into a giant cat tent, but it's very comfortable for my kitten, incredibly easy to clean, extremely sturdy, and most importantly, it's safe. This is 1 of only 2 soft-sided cat carriers to be approved for car crash safety, as well as being able to go on airplanes. It has a whole suite of other perks, like looking like a simple duffle bag from the outside, multiple pockets, and a luggage handle strap, among other things. And most importantly for me, the quality of materials is absolutely top notch! My kitten much prefers to lay on top of the carrier rather than in it, but the top is only held up by the zippers, and they easily support his abuse. When he does lay in it at night, he seems quite comfortable on the enclosed padded, plush bottom. And the first few times that he was in the carrier, before he had gotten used to being in one, my kitten desperately tried to dig his way through the bottom of it, repeatedly, and didn't even make a scratch in the material. He would have torn any other carrier apart, but this one continues to hold strong. I have seen reviews that say that it's too warm inside of the carrier, but I have seen no evidence of this so far. Even when enclosed in the carrier for 4+ hours in my room, which is naturally quite warm, my kitten didn't seem to have any problems. I would imagine that if you have this problem, it's probably caused by having the privacy shield in, which would block off about half of the ventilation. All in all, I have nothing but good things to say about this carier, and I'm glad that I spent the extra money to get it. :)

I can't say enough good things about this carrier. I just returned from a 17 hour airline adventure with my 5 month old kitten, and all I can say is this was so worth the price splurge! The carrier may look sleek but the pockets held 2 ziploc pint bags of litter, one large adult incontinence pad liner, 1 pint bag of kitten food, 2 packets of Fortiflora, a mini bag of dehydrated chicken and a cat toy. The inside tether allowed me to open the carrier to comfort my kitten on our long flight as she wore a harness. It was long enough to let her turn around and come partially out when allowed. Most importantly, this carrier easily fit under the seat in front of me, thanks to the ease of the foldable sides. Yes, you must first flex them a few times at home to break the initial stiffness. Very easy! Cats prefer to stretch out versus sit up, so the lower height room was fine because the extra length option was more important for us. You need to know your pet. If your pet needs more height and less length, the Sturdi Bag works for us too. However, the features are not as outstanding. The Sleepypod gave me two different options to attach it to another bag. This feature proved to be so fabulous when I had to lug my luggage through international checkpoints with the carrier. The adjustable carry strap wass also comfortable to use on my 5'1 frame. A plush, removable pad is included. I removed this for our lengthy travel day and used two Stay-Dri pads to line the base instead. Note: I went with the discreet black color as most people had no idea it was a cat carrier until she mewed. This was useful at the airport and at the gate.

I bought this carrier as a last minute attempt to make my cat more comfortable on an upcoming plane ride. We were scheduled to fly JetBlue, which has notoriously small restrictions with regard to carrier size. My cat is about 13 pounds, but he's long rather than fat. This means that he was unable to lie down and turn around comfortably and in the only other standard carrier cleared to fly with JetBlue - the small Sherpa. We tried to make it work but he was clearly unhappy even for short stretches. The entire travel time for our trip would mean around six hours in the carrier, and I knew the Sherpa carrier would result in yelling at best and mid-flight escapes at worst. (Yes, he had already put a few holes in the Sherpa carrier after a two hour car ride.) The Sleepypod was ideal, as it would allow my cat more space than the Sherpa and could be folded/squished to meet JetBlue requirements. My cat climbed right inside and was able to turn around with ease. He also clearly felt more secure with the privacy mesh than with the larger Sherpa grid. The carrier fit right over my wheeled bag so he was able to travel through the airport without much jostling. Lastly - and perhaps most importantly - he was comfortable for the four hour plane ride and slept almost the entire way. I did not notice any type of terrible smell - there's a bit of a "new fabric" smell, but it didn't bother the cats or me. A few final notes: the JetBlue plane did not have any sort of barriers underneath the seats, so I actually didn't have to fold up the ends at all - but I practiced beforehand just in case, and they work fine after a little bit of breaking in. My smaller cat rode in a different (intact) small Sherpa carrier, and she was perfectly happy on the plane. However, she has since colonized the Sleepypod and likes to sleep in it at home. TLDR; if you have a larger cat but need to fly on an airline with smaller permitted carrier sizes (particularly in the height dimension), definitely try the Sleepypod.

I wanted to love this bag- the materials are high quality & it does fold away nicely for storage. However, My 12.5 lb dog likes to pop her head out & see what's going on. I opened the end of the bag to let her look around but the flap folded up, INTO the animal's space- this meant compressing her to the other end of the bag in order to swing the end in and attach itto the velcro stay inside, on the "roof". I could overcome that, but the flap did not stay up- the velco was not sufficient so it kept falling on her. Additionally, the end-only opening meant that she had to be perilously at the edge of a precipice when riding atop my luggage & some squished toes because when on the floor. I tried unzipping the side, but it either fell open, spilling the dog out, or fell in, on her. I could not adjust the shoulder strap to be comfortable because the buckle cannot slide through the pad- it hung down, past my reach which meant I could not steady it as I walked. The length was good, the width was good, the height was low for the animal on the way to-from the plane, but fit properly under the seat. With some tweaks to the design so the end flaps folded to secure outside the bag, if the shoulder strap were a functional length or the parts integrated better, and if place my pet could pop her head out to sit upright as in most travel bags and, this bag would be worth every penny. My dog and I found it to be uncomfortable.

Giving this product 5 stars as it is the best I've seen so far. I am a "dogaholic", so I want only the best for my fur babies - we go together everywhere, hence, I am very critical when it comes down to practicalities. First, the good parts (and there are many!): - it is roomy, so my 2 "teacup" pooches (each 1.5kg) easily fit in and are very comfortable inside and able to stretch and turn as well as lie down side by side - but it isn't huge, so that being 5'3", it doesn't look grotesque when I carry it - it has very good ventilation - none of the other bags I have (about 6!) provide that - it has a nice cushion at the bottom - it is (almost) non-see-through from the outside, but gives good visibility from inside - it is sturdy and doesn't collapse no matter how much playtime my pooches want; - it is easy to carry using handle or the shoulder strap - it doesn't look like an obvious pet bag (perfect if I want to sneak them into a shop!) - it can be strapped to the car belt or put on the top of your suitcase Improvements desired: - it would have been perfect if it had additional zip opening to allow the pooches stick their head out - I would have preferred a bigger pocket to carry pets passports and leashes and doggie bags - the side pocket is a tad too small - a few hoops on the side to covert this bag to backpack would have made it ideal for any kind of travel (coupled with the possibility of letting the pooches stick their heads out) - it had a bit of a "funny smell" when arrived, but the smell was gone within 2 hours, and frankly, my pooches didn't mind it at all.

Very nice carrier made from quality materials. It looks great and the colours are the same as in the photos. It’s durable and the inside lining is very soft. My cat seems very comfortable in it and I think she appreciates the privacy it provides her with. I have used it for flying with my cat and it fit perfectly in the plane cabin. I have also used it in the car and the extra straps for attaching to the seat belt make it very safe for car journeys. I have used several different pet carriers in the past and this has been by far the easiest and most comfortable for me to carry and is now my favourite.

Great carrier, but you need four hands. Two hands holding both sides up and two hands putting the cat into the carrier. No practical. The carrier is beautiful, study and safe in the car.

Seems sturdy and well made. Straps into the car easily. It is quite small, my dog is a 4kg chihuahua and it is fine for him but I wouldn’t want a much bigger dog in there

Je trouve ce sac de transport vraiment bien. En plus d'être beau, il est très pratique et confortable pour ma petite chienne. Elle s'y est vite habituée. Le coussin du fond est déhoussable pour pouvoir le laver. La partie zippée s'ouvre en grand, ce qui fait qu'on peut aussi l'utiliser comme couchage à la maison pour le chien (voir photo). En plus, qu'on ouvre qu'une seule partie ou le tout, elle sont maintenues ouvertes grâce au velcro. Il y a une poignée pratique pour le porter à la main ou une bandoulière aussi. Il a aussi deux fermetures éclair sur un côté que l'on peut ouvrir pour passer la tige télescopique d'une valise afin de le mettre dessus. Bien qu'il soit un peu cher, je trouve ce sac bien pensé et de qualité. Ravie de mon achat.