Siivton 4 Way Expandable Pet Carrier, Airline Approved Collapsible Cat Soft-Sided Carriers W/Removable Fleece Pad for Cats, Puppy, Small Dogs (18"x 11"x 11")

I got a new kitten in November just before Thanksgiving and knew I wanted to travel with her. My previous furbaby had a hard case and I rarely traveled with her because it wasn't comfortable or roomy!After searching online and reading reviews, I found this one. It arrived very quickly and was easy to figure out how to expand as shown in the pictures. I used in Thanksgiving weekend to go to my sisters which is a 5 hour drive.; It was easy to travel with, left her plenty of room, and she pretty much feel asleep in it. I used it again for Christmas week, making the same drive and I got the same results. We were there a lot longer but she would find this and sleep & play in it.Overall, it's very sturdy and comfortable with lots of room for you pet. The material is made to last. It would fit a small dog as well.

I purchased this in June of 2021 and waited until now, February of 2022, to write this review (I wanted to really test it out and see how it held up) and I’m pleased to say I absolutely love this carrier! Keep in mind the attached photos are current so pardon any soil/hair you may see but I wanted to show how it has held up after 8 months.SPACE:I purchased the x-large in case I needed to put both cats in one bag in the event of an emergency then once in a safer place I could open the sides to let them spread out. For regular use it provides my 10 lb cat with a ton of space.SHAPE:Other carriers I’ve had have all ultimately succumbed to collapse and/or the metal rods giving it shape have bent or the tabs holding them in place have ripped. This carrier has maintained its shape and has proven very durable.DURABILITY:Another plus for me is the durability of the mesh used. Said 10 lb cat is not a fan of carriers, or anything that restricts her movement, and has destroyed many a mesh inset. She had a couple of episodes in this carrier and the mesh came out of it no worse for the wear. While she was able to force her claws in the tiny space she was not able to rip through it like she did the others. The zippers are strong and easy to work.FEATURES:I love the ability to open all 4 sides. It allows more options to open the sides when setting the bag down on different sized surfaces. It comes with the standard top and front side access that most carriers have but it goes a step further in allowing access via all the mesh expansions as well. In total you have the 2 animals access points when closed and 5 when expanded! I like this for security reasons if ever there’s an emergency and you need to get your pet out fast. There’s a good sized, secure pocket on one long side to hook over the pull handle of rolling luggage which I also use to loop a seatbelt through in the car. On the same side are 2 tabs for use with straps in a car to attach to a seat or to hang items from like a leash, poop bags (for dog owners), or additional storage/supplies bag(s).The downsides:There’s only a couple of changes I would make to this bag. They’re more of just a nitpick on my part and things I hope the company will consider if they every revamp the bag…1. There are little velcro tabs on the inside (1 on each length) to help keep the folded mesh contained. They are not very strong and won’t stay hooked. Luckily the mesh is pretty thick and, in combination with the supports, stays in place but it’s still a bit annoying because it can encroach on the available space. I plan on adding my own extra strong, and longer, velcro pieces to each end of the long sides at the very least.2. Storage space. There is 1 pocked on the narrow back side but it’s very thin and you really can’t put much more in there than a couple of receipts. I have small hands but even I have to squeeze my hand in there and the zipper teeth scrape it. I’d like to see a more spacious pocket when I can store the cats collars and tags when they are home as well as a baggy of food, the tube of medication one of them is on, a small comfort toy (one has anxiety), and emergency information on my girls and how to reach myself or vet for when we are traveling. Right now I have a small makeup bag attached to hold this stuff. It works but it gets in the way and really kind of ruins the aesthetic since it doesn’t match and swings around.

Extra Large versionDeboxing: The carrier arrived in a flatter box that was beat up. The bag inside was unaffected by it's packaging.Assembling: The bag needs to be zipped on all sides bringing it to form. The bag can be unzipped so that it can be stored flat. This is a very convenient feature for storing or transporting in luggage. The zippers are plastic and do not zip smoothly. They need some caressing and patients to get them to zip or unzip.Functions: All the sides expand in an accordion fashion allowing the bag to expand. Excellent feature that allows your pet a level of comfort that can't be found in other bags during longer containment times. There is a 3 sided fleece (center + right + left sides). The center piece isn't very sturdy so when you carry your pet it will fold like a taco. There are velcro pieces but they are not well placed or of appropriate size rendering them useless. un the bottom there is a safety leash but because it is under the fleece bottom, it too is rendered unsafe and useless. The shoulder strap is good - thin but adequate. The carrying straps where "wrong". They were not centered making carrying my dog lopsided. I am pretty sure this was a manufacturing defect. You can access your pet from the top, side, or the front.Traveling: I am a small female so things like this are harder to carry. No matter how you do it - you look weird and struggling. The company can make this better by offering some sort of removable wheels that would solve the "not so study fleece". My dog is 19 pounds (Mini Aussie) and was snug as a bug in this carrier. He didn't complain as he CURLED up inside. SWA is conservative with the seating and I can show and tell you that the Extra Large bag fits just fine under the seats (window/center/isle on 700's/800's/Max). On the Max I was able to unzip the front so he could stretch out a bit. On the older planes there isn't enough space for the expansion and your feet. {Remember, I said I am small}.I read there were a lot of conflicting information about the weight limits for the extra large and my dog was about 20 pounds and that was about all the bag could handle.