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Dog sling carrier? Yes, it’s true, there are actually pet carrier slings! Most pet owners love to be with their dogs 24/7, or suffer from puppy separation anxiety, so why not carry them around all day with you too! Well, dog sling carriers make this possible. But choose wisely, there are several dog sling carriers on the market and many key features to understand. We’ll make sure you go into your buying decision well educated, so you end up with a dog sling carrier that you and your dog love!
We researched over 50 dog sling carriers closely (& eyeballed about another 50 more) to arrive at our list of well designed dog sling carriers. We tested various designs primarily with comfort, safety, durability and cleaning in mind. But, we couldn’t leave out fashion either! You gotta look good with it too, am I right?
We looked at all sorts of dog sling carrier styles and materials. Some unique designs surfaced, including a hoodie/dog carrier combo. Along the way we ran into a lot of cotton, polyester and some mesh dog sling carriers. To be clear, this doesn’t cover backpack carriers or hard-sided carriers.
We also took into account additional nice features such as reversibility, adjustability, storage/pockets, and available sizes/colors. Well, hopefully you understand. We were extremely thorough.
In creating our list, we did the following:
Top Dogs: Best of the Best Dog Sling Carriers
We love all the dog carrier slings on our list below but if we had to short list a couple, here are our top dogs!
Alfie Reversible Dog Sling Carrier (Best Overall Dog Sling Carrier)
Best overall dog sling carrier, great combination of practicality and style at an affordable price.
Go directly to review
Cuby Dog Carrier Sling (Best Value Dog Sling Carrier)
Best value dog sling carrier with all the major features you want. Great price and very close runner-up. Gave the slight edge to the Alfie Reversible Dog Sling Carrier due to our preference for style and a couple features.
Go directly to review
What Makes for a Great Dog Sling Carrier?
Comfort
Comfort, in our mind, is the top consideration when buying a dog sling carrier. If it’s not comfortable for you and your dog, it just won’t get used all the much or at all. Things to consider relating to comfort:
- Comfortable Material (soft & breathable), to prevent chaffing/discomfort for you and your dog
- Removable Comfort Padding, usually at the bottom to provide extra comfort for your dog
Durability
Although not a crazy expensive purchase, you want to make sure your dog sling carrier is durable. Look for high-quality material that will last but be sure to balance that out with our first consideration, comfort.
Safety
Look for basic safety features in your dog sling carrier. Common things to look for include:
- Hardware (we prefer metal, when possible) but again comfort/weight is a consideration too, so some strong plastic buckles can work well too
- Collar Clips (for extra security) are a basic safety feature for most dog carrier slings to prevent your dog from jumping out and running away. Make sure it’s durable and holds up.
- Zippers, Velcro, Snaps and Other Closures can also be “safety” features to help hold your dog in place. Just make sure these things are a good fit for your dog. These work good for some designs and some, not so much. Also, long-haired dogs tend to have issues with these generally. Keep that in mind!
- Weight Rating. Make sure you abide by the weight rating suggestions to make sure it’s properly aligned to your dog’s weight. The risk of injury to you dog is just not worth it!
Adjustable Straps
It’s smart to be safe and go with adjustable straps. Usually these adjustable straps include metal rings or plastic buckles. As mentioned above, we prefer metal rings. There’s almost always some adjusting that you need to do to your dog sling carrier. It’s something to keep an eye out for since some models for the top rated dog sling carriers aren’t adjustable. Most people find the fixed straps work well, but keep this in mind, especially if you’ don’t have an average body build!
Related to this, make sure you’re good with the level of support provided by the particular dog carrier sling or you feel it is something you’re confident you can get used to using. Wider straps help to distribute your dog’s weight better too!
Cleaning
Choosing a fabric that is easy-to-clean is also another fairly important consideration as well. Fortunately, most dog sling carriers are now machine washable, which makes things easier! If the dog sling carrier isn’t machine washable, at least make sure it’s easy top wipe off.
Storage
Easily collapsable designs are almost always preferred, unless you feel you need some additional support provided by a more sturdy design. For this reason, many dog carrier slings are made of soft cotton or a combination of cotton and/or polyester. In addition, it’s a nice added touch if your dog sling carrier has secure pockets for personal items – cell phone, wallet, etc.
#1 Furry Fido Reversible Pet Sling
The Furry Fido Reversible Pet Sling is a solid option for toting around your furry buddy. This great dog sling carrier is made of comfortable, soft cotton material that is machine washable, which makes it easy to clean. The safety collar hook will keep your dog secure so they are unable to jump out of the sling. Since it is reversible, it’s like getting two slings for the price of one! This sling’s hands-free design gives you great freedom to do other things with your dog close at hand.
The Furry Fido Reversible Pet Sling usually runs a little big. It is also pretty elastic, so it can stretch. This may require you to tie a knot on the sling to prevent more stretching. The wider shoulder straps are a plus for comfort!
Furry Fido Reversible Pet Sling
Key Features:
- Soft cotton material, breathable
- Adjustable shoulder straps
- Metal safety collar hook
- Reversible – plain/patterned sides
- Pouch for items/treats
| Positives (+) | Negatives (-) |
| Affordable price | Available in limited colors |
| Lightweight | Straps stretch over time |
| Soft cotton material, breathable & sturdy | Tends to run small |
| Pet owners say it feels secure for small dogs | |
| Machine washable, easy to clean |
#2 Alfie Reversible Dog Sling Carrier
The Alfie Reversible Dog Sling Carrier is nice combination of comfort and fashion. The reversible design provides two attractive options – one a bit more casual (light gray) a more stylish denim. The wide adjustable straps are more comfortable and the deep pocket are both nice enhanced features. The machine washable material makes it super easy to take care of too. The safety collar hook keeps your dog secure and prevents them from jumping out of the sling.
You can learn more about Alfie Pet here.
Alfie Reversible Dog Sling Carrier
Key Features:
- Soft, breathable cotton/denim materials
- Reversible – light gray/denim sides
- Adjustable, wide shoulder straps
- All metal hardware (adjustment rings and safety collar hook)
- 9″ deep pocket
| Positives (+) | Negatives (-) |
| Very durable | Available in limited colors |
| Soft, comfortable and sturdy | |
| Wide shoulder straps for added comfort | |
| Machine washable, easy to clean | |
| Very stylish and lightweight |
#3 Cuby Dog Carrier Sling
The Cuby Dog Sling Carrier has a lot of the elements of a dog sling carrier that you’d appreciate. It’s made of lightweight, soft, breathable cotton with a metal safety collar hook. It’s also reversible and machine washable. One catch is the wide shoulder straps are fixed, so that isn’t ideal. It also has a slightly lower weight rating (10 lbs) relative to other dog sling carriers. However, it comes at an affordable price and is offered in a broader range of colors vs the competition, and looks nice too! This one should be on your short list, all things considered, especially for a small dog sling carrier.
Cuby Dog Carrier Sling
Key Features:
- Soft cotton material, beathable
- Fixed, wide shoulder straps
- Reversible – plain/patterned sides
- Metal safety collar hook
| Positives (+) | Negatives (-) |
| Soft, comfortable and sturdy | Fixed shoulder straps |
| Affordable price | Weight rating only up to 10 lbs |
| Reversible – plain/patterned sides | |
| Wider range of colors available (vs competition) | |
| Machine washable, easy to clean |
#4 YUDODO Pet Sling Carrier
The YOUDODO Pet Sling Carrier is a unique design, which provides more support for you when carrying your furry friend around. This dog sling carrier is made of soft mesh. The structure is more sturdy and rigid vs the soft material slings that make up the majority of the offerings. Adjustable shoulder straps and a safety collar hook are complimented by some nice additional features, including a cinch string and zipper (with a velcro strap) – for additional safety – convenient accessory pouch and several color options.
This design makes it harder to store and you have to make sure you choose the correct size for your dog. That said, the sturdy design and varied sizes allow you to carry around dogs up to 14 lbs with solid support! Think about this one if you pooch is on the, ahem, heavier side. If your furry buddy needs to trim down, check out our articles on nutrition for dogs and what can dogs not eat!
YUDODO Pet Sling Carrier
Key Features:
- Soft, durable & breathable mesh material
- Design provides more support
- Adjustable shoulder straps
- Safety collar hook
- Cinch string and zipper (with velcro strap) – additional safety
- Accessory pouch
| Positives (+) | Negatives (-) |
| Highly durable mesh material | Not machine washable |
| Design provides more support | Not as easy to store as soft cotton slings |
| Soft, breathable mesh | |
| Broader range of colors available (vs competition) | |
| Available in three size (5 – 14 lbs) |
#5 Slowton Carrier Sling for Dogs
The Slowton Carrier Sling for Dogs is a very good compromise between the very soft cloth dog carriers and the more rigid YOUDODO Pet Sling Carrier (mesh). The cotton material is relatively soft and breathable, but not as much as the softer material dog carrier sling styles. The padded adjustable shoulder straps provide extra comfort for heavier dogs or if you’re carrying your buddy for longer periods of time. It also comes with a metal safety collar hook and a great zipper pocket compartment. It can handle dogs up to 15 lbs and the material is easy to wipe off. The one big downside is it’s not machine washable and it also stores more like a backpack or purse – so not as easily stored as the soft material dog sling carriers.
Slowton Carrier Sling for Dogs
Key Features:
- Relatively soft, breathable cotton
- Adjustable padded shoulder straps
- Customizable opening size
- Metal safety collar hook
- Nice zipper pocket compartment (cell phone, wallet, etc.)
| Positives (+) | Negatives (-) |
| Relatively soft, breathable cotton | Not machine washable |
| Adjustable padded shoulder straps | Bit harder to store |
| Decent range of colors (vs competition) | |
| Easy to wipe off | |
| Available in four sizes (2 – 15 lbs) |
To Sum It All Up
The options for dog sling carriers are many. Most of them are of the soft cotton material variety. We intentionally reviewed an array of designs to give you a sense for what’s on the market. Since you’ll want to use your dog sling carrier frequently, it’s important to focus most on comfort and some other features (adjustable straps, adjustable padded straps) can help get you to your comfort happy place. Other good things to focus on include durability, safety, storage and if the dog sling carrier is machine washable. The best dog sling carrier for one person may not be optimal for someone else. Keep that in mind when doing your additional homework on your dog sling carrier and happy dog slinging!
FAQs
How do I choose the best dog sling carrier?
We suggest doing your homework here and using other resources. Read product descriptions carefully and go through the reviews your self as well. In addition, if you have an opportunity to try a few designs out first, we suggest doing that as too, if possible.
What’s most important in choosing a dog sling carrier?
You obviously want to choose a dog sling carrier that is appropriate for your dog. Our strong opinion is the comfort should be at the top of your criteria. Keep in mind, one design may be more comfortable for one person relative to another person primarily due to different body builds. Related, be sure to understand how adjustable the particular dog sling carrier may or may not be and if other key features are of value to you.
What are the most important features to look for in a dog sling carrier?
Comfort (material, fit and straps), durability, safety, cleaning and storage are all important things to look for in a dog sling carrier. Key features we found that are important are soft, breathable material, wide adjustable (padded, if possible) straps, a safety collar hook and if is it machine washable. For safety reasons it’s a great idea to at least have your dog know some basic dog training. This is helpful if they slip out and you need to retrieve or at least stop them quickly.
What is the largest size dog you should put in a dog sling carrier?
First of all, make sure the dog sling carrier is weight rated to handle the weight of your dog. Most dog sling carriers max out at a weight limit of 12 – 13 lbs. But, there are definitely dog sling carriers that are rated higher – 14 – 15 lbs+. In our opinion, that’s probably the maximum weight (or close to the maximum weight) for a dog carrier sling. Even if you feel the dog sling carrier you’re using feels like it can handle the extra weight, you have to also take into account the weight on our back and shoulders for an extended period of time. Again, this goes back to comfort.
