How do I measure my boot for a dog crate?

What you need

• A metal tape measure (a fabric one sags over longer spans).
• A straight batten or broom handle to bridge the wheel arches.
• The crate's external dimensions from the listing or the manufacturer.
• Somebody to hold the tape while you check the closed-tailgate depth from the rear seats.

Steps

1. Empty the boot and remove the parcel shelf.Put the rear seats in the position you normally drive with. If the boot floor has adjustable height, set it where it will stay.
2. Measure the opening height. Measure from the boot floor (or the top of the load lip, if it is higher than the floor) up to the lowest point of the tailgate opening, which is usually the rubber seal or the latch area. In many hatchbacks the opening is lower than the space behind it, so this figure decides whether the crate goes in at all.
3. Measure the floor depth. With the tailgate closed, measure from the back of the rear seats to the inside of the tailgate trim at floor level. Doing this from inside the cabin, with the seat back as your zero, is easier than guessing with the tailgate open.
4. Measure the depth again at crate-top height.Raise the tape to the height of the crate you are considering and repeat the depth measurement. On cars with a sloping rear window this figure is noticeably shorter than the floor depth, and it is the one a square crate has to fit.
5. Measure the width between the wheel arches.Lay the batten across the narrowest point and measure along it. Note the width above the arches too, because a crate wider than the gap can sometimes sit on top of them if the height allows.
6. Compare with the crate. Decide which way the crate will sit (long side across the car or front to back) and check each crate dimension against the matching boot figure, keeping a margin for the tailgate seal and for getting your hands round the crate when you lift it in.

Opening height versus floor depth

These are the two numbers that rule most crates out. A boot can have plenty of floor depth and still refuse a crate because the opening is low, which is common on hatchbacks with a deep load lip or a steeply raked tailgate. The reverse also happens on estates: a tall, square opening but a floor that is too short once the tailgate closes. Write both down before you look at any crate.

The Ellie-Bo listing itself makes the same point: it says the crate will fit most cars but asks buyers to measure the boot and compare it with the product dimensions before ordering, and to consider the size of the dog.

Slanted-front crates for hatchbacks

A slanted crate has a sloping face at one end so it follows the angle of a raked tailgate. The base is full length; the top is shorter. That is why step 4 matters: you are matching the crate's top length to your depth at crate-top height, and its base length to the floor depth.

The catch is that slanted crate listings often give one height and one length only. The Ellie-Bo Deluxe Slanted Medium is listed at 76 cm long, 54 cm wide and 54 cm high, but the listing does not state the height of the sloping end or the length along the top. Ask the seller for those two figures, or measure the crate as soon as it arrives and before you throw the packaging away.

Folding the rear seats

If the floor is too short, folding part of a split rear seat adds depth. Before relying on it, check three things: whether the folded seat back sits level with the boot floor or leaves a step, whether the crate then rests partly on the seat back (which is not designed as a load floor), and whether you can still carry the passengers you need. Measure the folded configuration in exactly the same way as above.

Securing the crate

Highway Code Rule 57 says that when in a vehicle you should make sure dogs or other animals are suitably restrained so they cannot distract you or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. It names a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as ways of restraining animals in cars.

A crate only restrains the dog if the crate itself cannot move. Push it hard against the rear seat backs so it cannot slide forward, and strap it to the boot's lashing points if your car has them (the owner's manual shows where they are and what they are rated for). Do not rely on the crate's weight alone to keep it in place.

Common mistakes

• Measuring with the parcel shelf in place, or with the boot floor in a different position from the one you will use.
• Measuring floor depth only. On a sloping tailgate the depth at the top of the crate is the number that matters for a square crate.
• Taking the crate's "30-inch" name as a size. Use the external dimensions from the listing.
• Forgetting the wheel arches. The boot may be wide at floor level near the tailgate and narrow between the arches.
• Leaving the crate loose. An unsecured crate is not a restraint.

Related pages

• How to measure your boot for a cargo organiser
• Cargo organiser buying guide
• Ellie-Bo slanted dog crate review
• All "how to measure" guides

Frequently asked questions

Which way round should a slanted dog crate go in the boot?

The sloping face goes towards the tailgate, so it follows the angle of the rear window and the tall end sits against the back of the rear seats. Check that the door you will use is on the tailgate side, otherwise you will have to reach over the crate to let the dog out.

Does the Highway Code say a dog has to travel in a crate?

No. Rule 57 says dogs or other animals should be suitably restrained so they cannot distract you while you are driving or injure you, or themselves, if you stop quickly. It lists a seat belt harness, pet carrier, dog cage or dog guard as ways of doing it. Rule 57 is not one of the rules worded as MUST, but the Highway Code's introduction says the Code may be used in evidence in court proceedings under the Traffic Acts.

Will a 30-inch crate fit in a hatchback?

Sometimes, but there is no general answer. The Ellie-Bo 30-inch crate is listed at 76 cm long, 54 cm wide and 54 cm high, so you need a boot opening taller than 54 cm and either 76 cm between the wheel arches or 76 cm of floor depth, depending on which way the crate sits. Small hatchbacks often fail on opening height or depth, which is why the measurements below matter more than the car's class.

Should I measure with the rear seats folded?

Only if you will actually travel with them folded. Folding one side of a split rear seat adds floor depth, but the folded seat back is rarely level with the boot floor, so measure the step as well as the extra length, and remember the seat is then out of use for a passenger.