The 9 Best Dog Car Seats
Updated by · How we research
No dog booster has passed an independent crash test, so we compared nine seats on fit, anchoring and build. The Petsfit Elevated Booster suits most dogs. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
When the Center for Pet Safety crash-tested pet booster seats with Subaru in 2015, every one failed to protect the test dog, and the group has not recommended one since. A booster's job is a calmer ride: it lifts a small dog to the window and keeps it off the driver's lap. Pair it with a sturdy harness in the back seat.
Editor's Notes
November 1, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Petsfit Elevated Booster now leads because its buckles fasten to the car's own seat belt, which holds it steadier than the headrest straps most boosters rely on, and it fits dogs up to 35 pounds. Other picks cover the real range of dogs: the Snoozer Lookout I for toy breeds, the Petsfit Medium Booster for two small dogs, and the Ruff Liners Extender for big dogs that no booster fits.
Only two seats carry over from the earlier version. The PupSaver, K&H Bucket Booster and Outward Hound PupBoost are currently unavailable, the Pettom carrier was never a car seat, and we dropped the older Snoozer and Petsfit models for their current versions. The Kurgo Rover replaces the Skybox, and the PetSafe Happy Ride is the seat once sold as the Solvit.
What shaped the order was a 2015 crash study in which every pet booster tested failed to protect the dog, so we ranked on anchoring, build and fit, not on safety claims, and added two makers whose carriers and crates did pass crash testing.
Earlier notes
February 26, 2020, by Brett Dvoretz:
Just like humans, canines need a safe and secure place to ride in a vehicle. While nothing can completely eliminate the possibility of injury in the event of a crash, the dog car seats on this list can greatly increase the changes your pooch will come out unscathed if one happens. They also keep them in a dedicated space, rather than moving about the vehicle and distracting the driver. One important thing to note when using these is that they should always be attached to a harness on your dog and not their collar. Additionally, one should meticulously follow the manufacturer's guidelines regarding securing them in place and weight limits.
One of the most innovative models on this list, and we feel most likely the safest, has to be the PupSaver Crash-Tested, which exceeds Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for canines. It is designed to wrap around your dog in the event of an accident, providing them with soft cushioning to absorb the impact.
If a classy look is what you are after, you'll probably like the Snoozer Lookout II, which has an attractive aesthetic and plush microfiber cover. It also features a little drawer in the front to store a few treats. The Petsfit Booster is another model that boasts some storage pockets, two in this case, as do the Pettom Collapsible Carrier and Outward Hound PupBoost. However, these last two don't provide nearly as much cushioning as most of the other models on this list. This is due to the fact that they double as carriers, so keeping them lightweight was an important criteria.
Since some dogs suffer from motion sickness, just like their human companions, we wanted to find a few models that keep them elevated and allow them to look out the window, such as the Kurgo Skybox and Devoted Doggy Deluxe, both of which hang suspended in the air. Additionally, we have the Snoozer Luxury LHBC, which can be attached to a center console, and the K&H Bucket Booster, which provides them with a few extra inches of height.
Special Honors
Sleepypod Sleepypod makes pet carriers and beds that strap into a car with the seat belt and are sold as crash tested for pets up to about 18 pounds, plus crash-tested harnesses for bigger dogs. A Sleepypod carrier was a top performer in the Center for Pet Safety's carrier study. It costs much more than a booster, and it holds the dog inside rather than giving it a view. sleepypod.com
Gunner Kennels Gunner builds the G1, a heavy, double-walled plastic dog crate. Its Intermediate, Medium and Small sizes are certified by the Center for Pet Safety with a five-star crash rating. It suits dogs too big for any booster, at a far higher price. gunner.com
What A Booster Seat Can And Can't Do
A dog booster seat lifts a small dog so it can see out, keeps it in one spot and stops it from climbing onto the driver's lap.
A dog booster seat lifts a small dog so it can see out, keeps it in one spot and stops it from climbing onto the driver's lap. That last part matters: a loose dog is a real distraction. What a booster can't do is protect a dog in a crash. In a 2015 pilot study run with Subaru, the Center for Pet Safety crashed four pet travel seats at child-seat test speeds, including the PupSaver, the Snoozer Lookout I and the Kurgo Skybox. None protected the test dog, and the group named no top performer (Canine Chronicle). In the Skybox test, the seat's connections let go and the seat flew with the dog still clipped in (Autoweb).
Those models have changed since, and no newer study of boosters exists, so treat any "crash tested" claim on a booster as the maker's own. If crash protection is the goal, the same studies point to certified harnesses and to strapped-down crates and carriers. The 2015 crate study's top performer was a Gunner kennel, and a Sleepypod carrier did well in the carrier tests (Subaru).
Size By Weight, Then By Length
Every seat lists a weight limit, but body length decides whether a dog can curl up. Kurgo, for example, rates the Rover to hold 30 pounds yet recommends it for dogs up to 20, because heavier dogs often can't lie down in it (Kurgo). Measure your dog lying in a curl, nose to rump, and compare that with the seat's inside floor, not its outside size.
Toy breeds fit small buckets such as the Snoozer Lookout I; Snoozer sells larger Lookout sizes, up to the Lookout II for dogs to about 34 pounds (Snoozer). From about 25 to 45 pounds, look at wider seats such as the Petsfit models (Petsfit), which also take two small dogs. Past that, boosters run out. A big dog does better on a back-seat extender that bridges the footwell (Ruff Liners) plus a harness clipped to the car's belt.
Where It Goes And How It Holds
AAA advises restraining a dog with a harness or a strapped-down crate in the back seat, and warns that a front airbag can kill a pet in a crash even when the pet is restrained (AAA). Many boosters, and every console seat, are sold for the front, so weigh that advice before you mount one there. On a 60/40 split rear bench, wide boosters often fit only the smaller side.
Look at how the seat anchors. A bucket held only by headrest straps can tip forward in a hard stop; seats that also thread the car's seat belt, or buckle onto it, stay steadier. Clip the built-in tether to a harness, never a collar, and keep it short enough that the dog can't reach the edge. Few U.S. states address a dog loose in the cabin directly, but several limit dogs in open truck beds, and police can apply distracted-driving or cruelty laws to a dog on the driver's lap (Orvis). Check your own state's rules.
How we researched this
We compared 17 dog car seats, console seats and back-seat extenders, read the makers' sizing, anchoring and care details for the nine picks, studied the Center for Pet Safety's 2015 crash results for pet travel seats and AAA's advice on restraining dogs, looked at long-term owner feedback, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. None of the picks has a recall.
Sources (14)
- Canine Chronicle: CPS and Subaru pilot study of pet travel seats
- Autoweb: pet products that failed crash tests
- Subaru: CPS studies of crates and carriers
- Center for Pet Safety
- AAA: driving with your pet
- Orvis: dog road safety laws
- Kurgo
- Snoozer Pet Products
- Petsfit
- PetSafe
- Ruff Liners
- Sleepypod
- Gunner
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: recalls
Frequently asked questions
Are dog car seats safe in a crash?
Not as far as anyone has shown. In the only independent crash study of pet booster seats, from 2015, every seat failed to protect the test dog. A booster keeps a dog calm and contained. For crash protection, use a certified harness or a strapped-down crash-tested crate or carrier.
Can my dog ride in a car seat in the front?
Many boosters are sold for the front seat, but AAA advises the back seat because a front airbag can badly hurt a dog even when it's restrained.
What's the best car seat for a small dog?
For dogs up to about 18 pounds, a firm, high-walled bucket such as the Snoozer Lookout I holds its shape and keeps the dog snug. For small dogs up to 35 pounds, the Petsfit Elevated Booster adds seat-belt buckles and a washable cushion.
Is there a car seat for a large dog?
Boosters top out at about 45 pounds. A larger dog is better off on the back seat with a crash-tested harness clipped to the seat belt, or on a back-seat extender such as the Ruff Liners Extender, which gives it a level floor to lie on.
Should the tether clip to the collar?
No. Clip it to a harness. A collar puts the jolt of a sudden stop on the dog's neck, which is why AAA advises a harness instead.
Can I use a child's car seat for my dog?
No. A child seat is built and tested around a child's harness and body, not a dog's. For children's seats, see our list of convertible car seats.
