The Best Pet Carrier Bag You Never Knew You Needed

I honestly never knew I needed a luxe pet carrier bag until I met the Dagne Dover Kyoto Pet Carrier. But before we get into my obsession with this bag, let me first tell you all about my little furball, Briar Rose. 

My husband and I got Briar in late February 2024, and she’s the absolute light of our lives. Briar is a sweet, funny, outgoing, extremely friendly, and very playful Havanese puppy. And I’ve been spoiling rotten since the day I picked her up from the airport. Like most Havanese dogs, which have been dubbed the “velcro dog,” Briar is pretty attached to my husband and me. And yes, we’re trying to work on the separation issues every day! 

One of the many reasons we wanted to get a Havanese dog was because of their size. They are really great for apartment living (we live in NYC). Plus, their size makes it easier to travel with them, too. 

The first few times I went on a flight with Briar, we used a crappy pet travel bag from Amazon. When I saw a press release in my inbox about the new Dagne Dover Kyoto Pet Carrier, I knew I needed to get the cute pink bag for my little sweetie. 

Below, I go over everything you need to know about this pet carrier bag. I also cover why I think it’s worth the high price tag. 

Why Luxe Pet Carrier Bags?

The brand gifted this bag to me for editorial consideration for the various media outlets I frequently contribute to. That being said, I would absolutely shell out the money for this bag had they not gifted it to me. My husband and I plan on traveling with our pup a lot in the future. And having a luxe, high-quality bag that will stand up to travel (and make Briar feel comfortable) is absolutely worth the price to me. 

There are many pet carrier bags on the market. However, I’ve noticed that there aren’t a ton of high-end pet carrier bags available. I feel like Dagne Dover is one of the few designer bag companies that nailed the versatile pet carrier bag. 

What Is A Pet Carrier?

A pet carrier is basically a little bag that you tote your pet inside. You can bring a small dog or a cat inside a pet carrier (obviously, this depends on their size). Our puppy fits nicely in the Large Kyoto pet carrier bag. At the time of publication, she is almost eight months old. And I don’t think she will grow that much bigger in the future. She is currently eight pounds. 

There are a ton of different types of pet carriers on the market right now. When we first got Briar months ago, we couldn’t walk on the streets of NYC with her before she got all her shots. This was because she could have picked up all sorts of illnesses if she were to get something from another dog (or even rats). To easily carry her around while my husband and I ran errands, we purchased a dog carrier sling to tote her around. She didn’t love it, but she also didn’t totally hate it either. 

The other types of pet carriers that some folks opt for are the hard-sided travel carriers, a pet carrier backpack, or even a pet carrier purse. I’m pretty sure that only soft-sided pet carriers are allowed on most airlines.

What Is The Best Pet Carrier?

The Dagne Dover Kyoto Pet Carrier is the best high-end pet carrier on the market right now. Both the small and large sizes are airline-approved. I love that it comes in multiple colors. 

There are so many cool things about this bag. One of my favorites is the removable, cushiony bed that’s made with sherpa and a washable cover (the rest of the carrier is spot-clean only). I love this so much because 1.) Briar loves laying in there because it’s so comfortable and 2.) You can remove the little bed once you’ve arrived at your destination, and it basically acts as a standard bed for your pup. This means you don’t have to bring a separate dog bed with you while traveling. 

The bag has a few zippered pockets that you can stash any essentials into, and also has an Air Mesh “window” and “doors” so your pup or kitty can see what’s going on outside of the carrier. I also love that it has a sleeve that you can slip it over your luggage handle and roll your pet around while you roll your carry-on luggage, too. It comes with a shoulder strap option or a handheld strap option and also has safe seat belt loops, too. 

The bag collapses easily and you can store it anywhere. The only thing I don’t love about this pet carrier is that it won’t sit upright if you don’t have the large Air Mesh door zipped up. If you open the door and just let your pet wander in and out of the stylish carrier, the top of the carrier kinda collapses a little bit, making it a bit difficult for your pet to go in and out freely. 

Another thing to note is that the carrier dimensions of the “Small” Kyoto Carrier are pretty small. I think I would only get the small option if you have a pretty small kitty or a little Chihuahua or something. I don’t think Briar would be super comfortable in the small carrier when she is fully grown. 

That being said, that’s really the only downside I see with this pet carrier. I love it so much and I cannot wait to take Briar all over the world in this little bag!

*Please note: The brand gifted this product to me. I am under no obligation to review it, and all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through the links on my site at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for supporting my small business by shopping through my affiliate links. It’s what keeps my blog running and I am so appreciative!

My little baby Briar has made my sobriety journey that much more tolerable and enjoyable. For how to enjoy life sober, check out my blog post!