Dog Car Seats for Holiday Road Trips: The Few That Are Actually Crash-Tested

Holiday road trips have a rhythm of their own. The car is packed to the roof, there is a pie balanced on somebody’s knees, and the dog has claimed the best seat before anyone else is in.

Thanksgiving falls on 26 November this year, and plenty of dogs will spend part of it on the interstate. Some because the family always drives, and some because flying a dog over the holidays has quietly become harder.

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So the same question comes up every autumn: which dog car seat is the safe one?

The answer is a little surprising. Most products sold as dog car seats are booster seats, and the one independent group that crash-tests pet travel gear has never certified a single one.

Here is what that group found, the restraints that did pass, and how to match one to your dog before the big drive.

Why no dog car seat is certified

The Center for Pet Safety, or CPS, is the independent group behind the crash ratings you see quoted on harness boxes. It takes no funding from pet product makers, and brands that join its certified programme volunteer for testing, quality control and honest marketing.

Its certified list has exactly three categories: safety harnesses, pet travel carriers and travel crates. There is no car seat category, and no booster seat has ever appeared on it.

That isn’t an oversight. In 2015 CPS ran a pilot study on pet travel seats, the raised baskets that lift a small dog to window height, and it describes them as seats that elevate a pet but do not fully contain it.

The results were rough. On impact, the anchor strap of the Snoozer Lookout I failed and the test dog was left completely unrestrained.

The Kurgo Skybox booster’s connections failed too, and CPS says the seat itself became a projectile. A Top Paw booster sold by PetSmart also failed, and CPS noted it was likely a private-label version of a Solvit seat, the brand PetSafe’s Happy Ride boosters used to carry.

No real dogs are used in any of this. CPS crashes instrumented dog dummies on a test sled.

Harnesses haven’t always fared better. In its 2013 harness study, CPS wrote that it did not agree with the crash-protection claims most of the makers were printing on their boxes.

I also couldn’t find any federal safety standard for pet car seats or harnesses. CPS certification is voluntary, so the word “crash-tested” on a box can mean very different things.

The restraints that did pass

Here are the certified harnesses and Sleepypod carriers on the CPS list as of October 2026, with the size of the test dog CPS used. The crates on the list (Gunner G1, Lucky Duck Lucky Kennel, Cabela’s GunDog and Rock Creek Crates) are big kennels for an SUV’s cargo area, so I’ve left them out of the picks.

The list also includes the Sleepypod Air, the Away Pet Carrier and several PawsInCar carriers, which are worth checking if you already own one.

Match the restraint to your dog

Under 15 lb

A certified carrier, belted into the back seat, is the closest thing to a true dog car seat. The Mobile Pet Bed passed with a 15 lb test dog, the Atom with 12 lb and the Mini with 7 lb.

15 to 25 lb

The Clickit Sport in size Small is rated by CPS to 25 lb. Sleepypod says its newer Clickit Range isn’t meant for dogs under about 17 to 18 lb, because smaller dogs have more fragile bones.

25 to 90 lb

This is Clickit Sport territory, in Medium, Large or X-Large. CPS rates the larger sizes to 90 lb.

Over 90 lb

The Clickit Range is the only certified harness tested with a dog this big, a 110 lb test dog. A certified crate strapped into the cargo area is the other option for giant breeds.

The picks one by one

Each card shows what CPS or the brand publishes. Solid bars are CPS ratings, the hatched bar is a brand’s own crash claim, and an empty bar means no crash claim at all.

Keep every dog in the back

CPS is blunt about the front passenger seat: it is not the safest place for a pet, because of the airbag.

That applies to boosters too, even ones sold as fitting front or back. Sleepypod designs the Clickit Range for the rear seat, with a three-point attachment.

A small dog in the back can still see you. It just isn’t sitting in front of an airbag.

What the law says

There is no single US rule, but a few states have one. Hawaii bars drivers from holding an animal in their lap, or letting one sit in the driver’s immediate area, if it gets in the way of control.

Rhode Island requires animals riding in open-air vehicles to be enclosed, held by someone other than the driver, or restrained with a harness that isn’t attached at the neck. A first offence can cost up to $50.

In New York, a Senate bill introduced in January 2025 would require dogs in a vehicle’s load space to be enclosed, cross-tethered or caged. Check its progress before you rely on it either way.

Before the holiday drive

Fit the harness or carrier at home a week or two before the trip, and do a few short drives with it. A dog that already knows its harness has one less new thing to deal with on a six-hour run to Grandma’s.

Plan stops around your dog, not just the gas gauge. The dog-friendly road trip planner helps with that, and a harness like the Clickit Sport means you can unclip from the seat belt and go straight for a walk.

If your dog gets queasy, read the guide to dog motion sickness before you go, and if the car makes them nervous, these ways to calm an anxious dog can help.

And if you’re driving because flying got complicated, here’s what US airlines actually restrict at Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Frequently asked questions

Are dog car seats safe in a crash?

No dog car seat or booster seat is certified by the Center for Pet Safety, which has no car seat category. In its 2015 pilot test, three booster seats came loose on impact, so treat a booster as a comfort item and pair it with a crash-tested harness.

What is the safest way for a dog to ride in a car?

In the back seat, in a CPS-certified harness clipped to the seat belt or a CPS-certified carrier belted in. For dogs up to 15 lb that means a carrier such as the Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, and for bigger dogs a harness such as the Sleepypod Clickit Sport, rated to 90 lb.

Is the Kurgo Tru-Fit harness crash-tested?

Kurgo says it crash-tested the Enhanced Strength Tru-Fit at Calspan in 2018 for dogs up to 75 lb, using an adapted child car seat standard. That is the brand’s own testing, and the harness is not on the CPS certified list.

Can my dog ride in the front seat?

It’s best not to. CPS warns that the front passenger seat exposes pets to airbag deployment, so even a dog in a booster seat should ride in the back.

Is it illegal to drive with a dog on your lap?

It depends on the state. Hawaii, for example, bars drivers from holding an animal in their lap if it interferes with control of the car, and Rhode Island requires dogs riding in open vehicles to be restrained or enclosed.

What is the best car seat for a big dog?

Big dogs don’t fit booster seats, so a crash-tested harness is the answer. The Clickit Sport is CPS-rated to 90 lb, and the Clickit Range was certified with a 110 lb test dog.

References

Center for Pet Safety. CPS Certified products, Pet Travel Seat Pilot Study and 2013 Harness Crashworthiness Study.

Center for Pet Safety product results: Sleepypod Clickit Sport, Sleepypod Clickit Range, Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, Mobile Pet Bed Mini, Sleepypod Atom and Saker Bomber Harness.

Brand pages: Sleepypod Clickit Range, Sleepypod Clickit Sport Plus, Sleepypod Mobile Pet Bed, Kurgo Enhanced Strength Tru-Fit and Kurgo crash testing methodology, K&H Bucket Booster, PetSafe Happy Ride Quilted Booster.

State law: Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-124; Rhode Island General Laws 31-22-28; New York Senate bill S675 (2025).

The Nomad Paws is in memory of Woody, a great traveler and, most of all, the best, kindest and wisest friend I have ever had.

By Gio. Gio’s research, sharpened with AI. How we make our guides.