Review: New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate

Crate training is one of the most common forms of dog training, and the practice comes highly recommended by the vast majority of canine experts. However, some pet owners don't like to have a bulky crate taking up space in their living room. Once your dog is properly crate trained, the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate is an option that is more aesthetically pleasing than traditional dog crates.

Dogs are denning animals by nature. Wild dogs dig dens to use as a safe, secure home for their families. When done correctly, crate training your Fido will give him a den of his own right in your home that will serve as his own oasis. For this reason, it's not fair to your pet to get rid of his crate once he is completely house-trained.

Once a dog no longer needs to be confined in the crate when he's home alone, most pet owners get rid of the crate. But, keeping the crate setup will provide your dog with a place to go when he wants to escape the craziness of the day or take a rest without anyone bothering him.

A furniture dog crate, like the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate, allows you to keep your dog's crate setup without giving up space in your living room. Furniture crates come in lots of different styles and colors. They are made with lots of different types of materials.

So, with so many other best dog crates available on the market today, what makes the ecoFLEX crate from New Age Pet stand out among all others? Well, the unique material that it is made with is just the tip of the iceberg. I was also surprised by the reasonable price tag and extremely simple assembly.

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New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate Review

Before we talk about the sizing options and colors available, you first need to know what exactly ecoFLEX is. According to the company's website, it's a non-toxic, recycled, plastic-wood polymer composite material. This unique material does not split, warp or crack!

It's also really easy to clean. You can just wipe it down with a damp cloth. If your dog has an accident inside the crate, you could use bleach water to wipe the crate down and sanitize the area.

The crate is delivered in 6 pieces – the top, bottom and four sides. The sides are all molded to fit together by sliding into each other. The top and bottom are also molded to fit in perfectly. Finally, there are pre-drilled holes for the large plastic screws that are included with the crate. The heads of the screws are large enough to allow you to tighten them with your fingers – no tools necessary!

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You'll also notice the stainless steel bars used on the sides of the crate, and the stainless steel bars and latches on the door (pictured to the right). Not only is stainless steel durable and rust resistant, it looks nice too. Plus, it's plenty durable if your dog does happen to paw or push on the bars.

My favorite thing about the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate? How great it looks, of course! I chose the Espresso finish, but it's also available in Antique White, Grey and Russet (light brown).

This crate is also available in 4 sizes:

This crate is NOT chew-proof. As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, your dog needs to be crate trained before leaving him confined in the New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate. Dogs that chew or scratch to get out will easily damage this crate.

Also, the latches are just simple hook latches that may open if your dog pulls/pushes on the door enough. It does come with a 1-year manufacturer's warranty, but if your dog does any damage to the crate the company will not give you your money back.

If you haven't already thought of this, these dog crates are not suitable for traveling. The large size weighs close to 50 pounds when assembled. They don't fold down for storage or travel purposes, and I'm sure you're not going to want to lug this bulky crate around anywhere. Basically, once you set it up in your home, that's where it stays.

I expected these crates to cost hundreds of dollars. I ordered the ‘Large' size (which is absolutely perfect for our Labrador Retriever), and thought I would be paying at least $300-$400 for a crate this durable and aesthetically pleasing. I was surprised to see how affordable they are!

Depending on the size and color that you choose, you can purchase a New Age Pet ecoFLEX Dog Crate on Amazon right now for $68.57-$250.19. The crate featured in my review is selling for $129.19 at the time of this review. For a crate of this quality and size, this is an excellent deal, in my opinion.

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