STURDI PRODUCTSSturdiBag Double Sided Divided Pet Carrier, X-Large, Earthy Tan

Extra Large 2-sided Divided Sturdibag in Black.I used this to fly my 2 pups from MN to TX on Southwest Airlines in August 2015. This was my first time flying with any pets so I will include commentary about the general flying experience for any people curious to know how that goes (I was nervous and a bit on edge the whole time, never doing it again plus my dogs will be too big to both fit in it when they're full-grown anyway.)But first, about the carrier. My pups (16 lbs and 4 lbs) were able to both fit in the sturdibag without being too cramped or uncomfortable. It is indeed very sturdy--carrying around 2 dogs that totaled about 20 lbs (which by the way was a PAIN on my shoulder) and yet I never felt at any time like it might rip, their uneven weight shifting around and all. The base of the carrier is also pretty sturdy and provided a good surface for the dogs to comfortably be on. The foam cushion is white so it does tend to get dirty easily, but it is also easily washable. The smaller pup would at times scratch at the mesh closures but was unable to do any visible damage. I think my dogs could also tell that the carrier was strong enough that they did not really try to escape, but then again that depends on the dog. There is a divider you can zip up to keep each pup in their own compartment, but IMO it's only appropriate for when each pet is well under 10 lbs. Otherwise, half of the sturdibag is too small of a space for one pet. There are 2 plastic rods you can insert into the top of the carrier to really hold up the "ceiling" and maximize your dog's head room but I find that the top holds up just fine without them, and inserting the rods would have made the XL carrier look even bigger which is the last thing you need. I like that there is an opening on each end as that gives you more flexibility for entrance and exit. Also, 2 openings at the top for each dog's head to pop through (although I did not use this feature much with my pups as I felt it would just encourage them to get out while in the airport.) There was one instance where the bigger pup was able to pop her head out through one end due to the zipper not being zipped up tightly enough; at that point I started using the hook that locks the 2 zippers together to prevent any unfortunate escapes. This is a really neat and (for me) necessary feature. I also greatly appreciated that there were a lot of mesh, on the ends and on top, which allow for more ventilation. One of my pups has long fur and he tends to get warm easily so this was a concern. If he feels too hot in the carrier, he won't want to stay inside of it, and that might be disruptive. You may be able to tell a little bit if you look at my pics: I had half of the closure folded down (which is held in place by velcro) and the mesh closure up, and I placed a flat personal fan faced towards the inside of the carrier in between the 2 closures. This way, my dogs had airflow coming through the mesh without me having to constantly hold a fan towards them. My other pup has short hair and I know it wouldn't have been a problem for her, but I didn't want to risk having the long-haired pup uncomfortable and possibly causing a fuss.If you do not have early bird check-in, try to check in online as soon as you can before the flight so you can have a decent pick of the seats. IMO, when traveling with pets in-cabin, the closer you are to the front of the plane the better, that way you do not have to wait long to de-board. And yes, the middle seat in Southwest Airlines planes has the most leg room.Although the XL sturdibag looks big, none of the airport staff including TSA even batted an eyelash. When I was at check-in to pay for flying with the pets, the lady didn't even look to see how the dogs fit in there. By the way I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was $90 one-way per carrier, not per pet like I had thought. At TSA, none of the staff said a word except to comment on how cute my dogs were (that definitely helps). What I did at the security checkpoint was put my purse and shoes in one tray first, then took my dogs out of the sturdibag with their leashes on, then proceeded to place the sturdibag directly onto the conveyor belt. My dogs and I then walked through the x-ray machine. I did not use any special type of no-metal leashes but thankfully I did not set off any alarms. As I was putting my dogs back into the sturdibag (which took a little while due to one of my pups being not well trained yet to go into the carrier), a TSA employee told me I did not have to place them back in the carrier and could just walk them on-leash because "people walk their service dogs all the time." LOL. I thanked the sweet lady for her kindness but I told her I would keep them in their carrier seeing as how they are obviously not service dogs and I didn't want to cause any trouble. If you didn't already guess by now, the MSP airport is pretty chill. After all that, I still was not totally relaxed because I knew I had to get by the employees at the gate. If any of them thought my carrier was too big to fit under the seat (which to me it honestly looks like it is), there was a chance I would not be able to board. So my solution was to make it look like a regular carry-on duffel as much as possible so as not to attract attention. Right before lining up to board the plane, I zipped up both end closures so one could not see into the bag and I used my scarf to cover the huge white luggage tag they placed on the strap of the sturdibag upon check-in (like they place similarly on all checked-in luggage) so that it was not apparent that it was a pet carrier. I was able to board the plane without the employee even glancing at my "duffel bag".To be fair, I was not trying to get away with anything. The XL Sturdibag does fit under the seat (for the most part anyway) as you can see in one of my pictures; I just didn't want to chance an employee thinking it wouldn't.To fit the sturdibag under the seat, I had to place it on the aisle floor in between the two rows, and slid the bag through (length-wise) in front of the seats and then manuever it under the middle seat in front of me. It is too big to try to fit it starting from right above the seats and to try to shove it in between the back of the seat in front of you and the seat you are about to sit on, especially if you have a pet that weighs more than 10 lbs inside. It has to be navigated from the aisle floor and into the leg room under the seat. Hope that makes sense. Again, this was on Southwest Airlines.All in all, for my first pet carrier, the XL Sturdibag definitely did the job well although I do feel it's a bit too expensive. Would I recommend? Yes!

I've only had this product for a couple of hours so I will update once I use it but I already love it. I have two cats and I needed a big bag to hold them. They don't like being separated but it's needed sometimes, especially for trips to the vet. The size of the bag is exactly as advertised. It is a BIG bag. With the partition up, my cats will still be comfortable and be able to stand up and turn around. With the partition down, it's even bigger. It folds down into a flat rectangle so it's easy to store when not in use. The bag was also easy to put together.Update: I've had this bag for almost a year now and my cats have grown but not outgrown this bag. Its super sturdy and my cats still have room to move around. My cats are not small creatures so this was definitely a good buy. Overall, I am extremely happy with this purchase and recommend it to anyone.

I love this bag… I’ve owned it for 6 years now…. The frame has plastic connectors are getting dry and brittle and are breaking and piercing through the canvas I’m so disappointed…. I’m trying get in touch with company to get new frame pieces

Thank you so much to We Love Paws in Amazon Market place!!!! What a fantastic divided pet carrier! I was travelling on an aircraft with 2 felines...one was about 6 pounds, the other was about 18 pounds. I was the only one traveling, so I could only carry one pet carrier. This divided pet carrier was truly a God-send! Even though the flight was delayed a pretty long time, both were pretty comfy with enough room to move around. I was searching for a divided carrier, and found Sturdi products. I found ONE XL left. I ordered it & had it shipped to mom and dad's place--just in time for travel! The carrier was great because it fit under the seat in front of me...the aisle seat. It collapsed just enough but re-gained its shape after being removed.The carrier is easy to assemble, the inside is roomy, and has a soft base that is removable and washable. The divider in the middle is fabric, but the cats cannot see each other--a good thing. Each end opens with a pretty nice size zipper with a "hook" to attach both zippers so the Houdini cats can't get out, and there are storage pockets on the outside for treats and such. It also had nice mesh venting for ventilation.We took our big boy to the vet for a well check in the carrier, and we got many compliments from pet owners, as well as vet staff! You won't go wrong! We Love Paws shipped easily, on time, and the product was perfect when I rec'd it! Keep up the great work!!

I really like this carrier. I got it so my cats could be together when we go somewhere as it generally keeps them calmer. I keep the divider in the middle rolled down, and both cats have enough room to travel comfortably together. There is a shoulder strap and also two straps that can be snapped together if you want to carry the case by hand. Unlike the hard double carriers, this one is not unwieldy and I find it to feel much more secure. I get two 12 pound cats in the carrier with no problem. It would also be great for a single cat of one of the larger breeds. There are double zippers on all the openings and they come with an extra clasp so you can keep the zippers together, to prevent escapes. The clasps are a little cheap looking, but they do the job. The mesh is durable enough that it would take some doing for a cat to claw it's way out of the carrier. There is also an opaque cloth that can either be zipped up wherever the mesh is, or tied back. I keep all the opaque cloth tied back at all times and wouldn't recommend closing all of it when an animal is in the carrier, but it would be just as easy to keep it closed as open.