In the train from Milan to Venice, Italy in her Travel Carrier from Wild One.

After a year of extensive use of a travel pet carrier we purchased on Amazon, I decided it was time to to upgrade and decided on the Wild One Travel Carrier which came highly recommended by friends who are also traveling dog owners.

We’ve now tested our new bag for the last six months, and I can confidently describe a few of the pros and cons about the Wild One Travel Carrier I’ve gathered from our personal experience. While I have many great things to say and my dog seems to love just about everything about this bag, there are a few things that I would consider are less-than-ideal.

Continue reading to discover my review of the Wild One Pet Travel Carrier to help you decide if it’s a good choice for your travel needs and preferences.

Would I recommend the Travel Pet Carrier from Wild One? Yes, but..

I say ‘yes’ because the Travel Pet Carrier from Wild One is a great, high-quality bag. It’s held up well during the last six months of use on various road trips and train trips across Europe, and my dog loves it– she seems to relax into it much faster than our other Amazon Pet Carrier we had used for over a year prior. Because of its quality construction and materials, the Wild One Carrier is our favorite bag when traveling to elegant destinations or hotel properties.

I add a ‘but..’ because I haven’t found it to be great when traveling by plane. While I’ve only taken it on two flights so far (on a short-haul Air France/Embraer round-trip), it was too big to fit under the seat in front of me. Not only was the bag too wide to slide in horizontally, it was also too tall and rigid to clear the height of the seat. The bag is advertised as airline-approved, and I did not have any issue regarding size requirements when checking in, but it was a simple observation that had me reconsidering using a different pet carrier for our next flight. If you are looking for a general travel bag for your pet, and not necessarily for just for flights, the Wild One Pet Carrier is a still a great option that I highly recommend.

The Wild One Carrier’s clever construction allows each side to unzip independently to create a convertible bed.

My Favorite Features

My favorite feature about the Wild One Pet Travel Carrier is definitely its high quality. Compared to the Amazon Carrier we used, the Wild One Carrier is crafted from materials that I can trust to not break as I’m carrying her while quickly transiting through train stations or in and out of rental cars. After six months of use, the bag is showing no signs of wear.

The structure of the Wild One Carrier is creatively designed to open into a little cabana/bed where my dog can comfortably sleep when we’ve reached our destination. The main zipper runs along the top of the bag, and each of its four sides can be independently unzipped and opened outward. Because of this creative construction, it’s also easy to fold it down flat for storage or for packing away when not in use.

I also love that there’s a dedicated sleeve to slide the carrier over your luggage handles, which helps keep her secure while in transit. There are plenty of pockets, some with zippers and some without. I appreciate the ability to change between mesh and opaque fabric on either end of the bag, as well as the additional zippered openings that allow for easy access to give my dog water or treats. The short straps seem to be the perfect length, and I can comfortably carry the bag on my forearm. The long strap is removable, which is greatly appreciated because I personally rarely use it and am happy to do without the added weight. The zippers on either end can also be snapped closed for extra security and peace of mind.

Another one of my favorite features (and likely my dog’s favorite feature) is that the interior cushion is crafted from a padded neoprene, which I prefer exponentially over shearling. The neoprene is extremely easy to keep clean and doesn’t trap any hair or fur the way that shearling does. When previously using our other Amazon travel carrier that came with a shearling-lined interior cushion, it seemed that every time I would check on my dog she would have fuzz or lint in her eyes due to the over-accumulation in the bag. Having clear eyes on a travel day, thanks to this Wild One Travel Carrier, gives us one less thing to worry about. The neoprene cushion is also doubled to fit in the carrier while closed, and when the carrier is opened the cushion can be unfolded to give my dog a larger surface area to relax on.

Lastly, another big benefit about this bag is that I was able to order it online and receive it internationally (outside the US)! For those who live in Europe, the Wild One Pet Travel Carrier is available for purchase on Revolve’s International Websites.

The bag is wider than my small rolling carry-on, so if Gigi shifts her weight to either side the whole bag swings around the suitcase.

Without designated buckles or straps to attach to a seatbelt, it’s not as secure for roadtrips.

The bag was too wide, tall, and rigid to slide under the seat on an airplane.

A Few Things I Don’t Love About It

For me personally, my biggest gripe with the Wild One Carrier is its size. I find it to be too wide, not only for my dog, but also for my suitcase, for the car, and for an airplane. My dog is 3kg/6.5lbs, and the interior seems to be overly spacious for her. If the bag was about 3-4 inches shorter, I think it would be perfect and would more closely match the size of the Amazon Carrier we also use. Even if I use the dedicated sleeve to slide the Wild One Carrier over my luggage’s handle to fix her in place, the bag is still wider than my small carry-on suitcase– and anytime my dog shifts her weight from one side to the other, the whole bag swings around to the opposite side.

Another feature that is sadly missing from the Wild One Travel carrier are seatbelt buckles. Because it doesn’t have seatbelt buckles, I can’t convert the bag into a “car seat” like I would with our Amazon Carrier.

While this is only a minor inconvenience, one other feature I’ve noticed with the Wild One Carrier is that its mesh is very dark, and hard to see through. I’m not able to quickly glance and see if my dog is sleeping, awake, panting, or looks stressed. This is really only inconvenient when I’m driving alone with her and I want to quickly check if she’s doing ok, but other times doesn’t seem to be too big of an issue. As I did mention earlier about how my dog seems to enjoy spending time in this carrier and easily relaxes and falls asleep inside, I wonder if it’s because it’s nice and dark in there for her due to the dark mesh.

I certainly love the Wild One Travel Carrier for its zippers, shape, and convertible construction, but something else I’ve noticed is that there isn’t a way to have the top of the bag open for my dog to comfortably pop her head up while we’re relaxing in transit, without either me or her holding it open. In the first photo included in this article of Gigi on the train, she somewhat has to force the top of the bag open.

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How to clean a Wild One Pet Travel Carrier?

I simply wipe mine down with baby wipes when we are on the go or at home. Thankfully, the neoprene lining of the interior mat and the exterior of the bag don’t trap dirt or pet hair– but I’ll often use baby wipes to quickly and gently remove any travel germs, especially if I’ve placed it on the ground or a surface other than my other travel bags.

A Final Note:

Overall I’ve been very happy with our Wild One Travel Carrier for road trips and train trips, and that its high-quality construction and materials make it an elegant choice for chic destinations. I personally find it to be a little to large to be comfortable for flights, but if you’re willing to sacrifice a little leg room on the plane for your pup, all the other advantages can make up for it.

If you’re interested in learning more about how I travel by plane with my pet in the cabin, you can read all of my tips here: Tips for Flying Internationally with a Pet in Cabin

I’ve also compiled a checklist of all the considerations I take into account when preparing to travel internationally with my pet. You can check out the list here: A Checklist of Considerations for Traveling Internationally with a Pet in Cabin

Are you planning to travel with your pet soon and have any questions about my experience using the Wild One Travel Pet Carrier? Let me know in the comments below!