Yorkie Playpen

Best Yorkie Playpen

The best Yorkie playpens easily collapse and are lightweight for transportation and use while camping or staying at a friend’s home. Keep reading to see our top picks.

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Yorkie playpens are a great multipurpose solution for your puppy needs. In addition to being a great help when housetraining a puppy, they also provide a safe location to keep your furball when you need to run errands and don’t want to leave them in a crate.

In this review, we’ll show you some of our favorite playpens for Yorkies, even teacup pups.

In this review:

Yorkie playpens: At a glance

Our top pick
MidWest Homes for Pets Foldable Metal Dog Exercise Pen / Pet Playpen, Black w/ door, 24'W x 24'H
Ruff 'N Ruffus Portable Foldable Pet Playpen + Carrying Case & Collapsible Travel Bowl | Indoor/Outdoor use | Water Resistant | Removable Shade Cover (Medium)
Premium option
IRIS USA 24" Exercise 6-Panel Pet Playpen with Door, Dog Cat Playpen For Puppy Small Dogs Keep Pets Secure Easy Assemble Easy Storing Customizable Non-Skid Rubber Feet, White
MidWest Homes for Pets Steel Pet Gate w/ Textured Graphite Frame & Decorative Wood Door, 29H x 28-38W Inches
Best standalone fence
SPIRICH 96-inch Extra Wide 30-inches Tall Dog Gate with Door Walk Through, Freestanding Wire Pet Gate for The House, Doorway, Stairs, Pet Puppy Safety Fence, Support Feet Included(Espresso)
MidWest Homes Exercise Pen
Ruff ‘N Ruffus Portable Playpen
Iris 6-Panel Exercise Pen
MidWest Pet Gate
SPIRICH Extra-wide Gate
Best overall
Best for teacups & puppies
Premium option
Best puppy gate
Best puppy fence
Our top pick
MidWest Homes for Pets Foldable Metal Dog Exercise Pen / Pet Playpen, Black w/ door, 24'W x 24'H
MidWest Homes Exercise Pen
Best overall
Ruff 'N Ruffus Portable Foldable Pet Playpen + Carrying Case & Collapsible Travel Bowl | Indoor/Outdoor use | Water Resistant | Removable Shade Cover (Medium)
Ruff ‘N Ruffus Portable Playpen
Best for teacups & puppies
Premium option
IRIS USA 24" Exercise 6-Panel Pet Playpen with Door, Dog Cat Playpen For Puppy Small Dogs Keep Pets Secure Easy Assemble Easy Storing Customizable Non-Skid Rubber Feet, White
Iris 6-Panel Exercise Pen
Premium option
MidWest Homes for Pets Steel Pet Gate w/ Textured Graphite Frame & Decorative Wood Door, 29H x 28-38W Inches
MidWest Pet Gate
Best puppy gate
Best standalone fence
SPIRICH 96-inch Extra Wide 30-inches Tall Dog Gate with Door Walk Through, Freestanding Wire Pet Gate for The House, Doorway, Stairs, Pet Puppy Safety Fence, Support Feet Included(Espresso)
SPIRICH Extra-wide Gate
Best puppy fence

Best Yorkie playpen

Best overall

On Sale
MidWest Homes Exercise Pen

  • Eight panels measuring 24 in. x 24 in. provide 16 square feet of enclosed space. 
  • Panels can be arranged into various shapes to accommodate your home; folds flat for convenient storage.
  • Easy setup. No tools required for assembly. Includes 1-year manufacturer's warranty.

What we like

We like that you can configure this sturdy, adjustable playpen around your furniture or walls. You can remove panels if needed, add a sunscreen roof or additional panels, and even attach the wire panels to a wire crate. 

A step-through doorway makes it easy for you to access the play area to clean up messes or refill water bowls. Wire stakes keep the pen anchored to the ground when used outdoors. This pen does not have a floor, so you may want to consider laying a washable, waterproof pad underneath if you are training a puppy or dealing with an incontinent senior.

What we’d change

While sturdy and solid, the set-up and tear-down of this pen is a bit more work than the following pop-up style playpen.

Best teacup Yorkie playpen

On Sale
Ruff ‘N Ruffus Portable Playpen

  • A roomy 29 in. x 29 in. x 17 in. eight-panel design is fully enclosed with an attached floor to keep your puppy safe.
  • The removable zippered top provides shade when used outdoors. A zippered screen door provides easy access for your pet. Screened side panels allow air to flow through the pen and allows your puppy to see out. 
  • This lightweight, portable pet playpen pops up in seconds and folds flat for easy carrying and storing.

What we like

We love how easily this playpen collapses and transports in its carrying case. It can be used indoors or outdoors, making it a great option for traveling. While this puppy playpen is small enough for teacup Yorkies, there are larger sizes for average or bigger dogs. 

What we’d change

We love that this playpen has a floor. However, we learned the hard way that it is not waterproof. You’ll need to add pee pads or a washable mat to protect your carpet or flooring. Also, the lip of the door was initially a bit high for our Yorkie puppy to easily climb over.

The premium option

Iris 6-Panel Exercise Pen

  • Made of durable molded plastic, the 24-in. Iris 6-panel exercise pen with door can be used as a dog play yard, gate, or fence.
  • The Iris playpen is portable and provides plenty of play space for pets.
  • Dimensions: 60.75 in. L x 60.75 in. W x 23.75 in. H and made in the USA.

What we like

This attractive playpen, available in white or black, is customizable to fit your current living arrangement. It can also be used as a pet gate or fence. 

Panels snap together without additional hardware and non-skid rubber feet keep the pen in place. Additional panels are available to create a larger pet play area. A locking door securely closes while providing you easy access inside.

What we’d change

If you envision you’ll need to collapse and store this pen often, it could be more of a hassle than the pop-up tent style playpen above.

Best Yorkie puppy gate

On Sale
MidWest Pet Gate

  • One-handed operation pet gate with a secure, spring-loaded latch keeps gate safely closed when not in use. 
  • 19 in. wide walk-thru pet door swings in either direction. An auxiliary lock allows you to change the directional swing of the pet door. Spacing between vertical bars is 2.375 in. wide.
  • Includes four tension gate mounts for easy and secure installation, two additional 3-in. extensions and hardware for installation.

What we like

This textured graphite frame and decorative wood door is not a playpen, but it allows you to turn an entire room into a play area if you want to keep your puppy in a specific part of your home. 

The gate measures 29.8 inches high and expands 29.5 to 38 inches wide to fit a variety of door widths. The wood door can be changed to swing in either direction. For larger doorway openings, additional pet safety gate extensions are available in 3 inch, 6 inch, or 11 inch lengths. The spacing between the bars is 2.375 inches to keep even the tiniest teacup Yorkie puppies secure.

We also love that this gate can be kept in place for everyday use due to the easy open door. And, if you decide to remove the gate, there will be no damage to the doorframe. 

What we’d change

Set-up may take longer than other gates with no door due to the need to adjust each tension rod.

Best Yorkie puppy fence

SPIRICH Extra-wide Gate

  • Choose from multiple configurations due to the four pet panels connected and secured together with sturdy 360-degree hinges.
  • The free-standing design requires no wall attachments, and the fence is lightweight, allowing for easy transport.
  • Panels are constructed from a durable, solid-wood frame and a minimalistic, metal wire interior that open to 96 in. wide and collapse to 24 in. wide.

What we like

With a maximum expanse of 96 inches wide, this attractive, solid-wood-frame fence can close off areas of your house that cannot be enclosed by a traditional pet gate. It’s freestanding with stable feet so it won’t damage any of your walls.

The lockable door allows you to move freely between rooms without having to step over it or move it out of the way. You can also connect the frame together to form a playpen.

What we’d change

Although it expands to 96 inches wide, this fence will be most stable at a maximum width of 80 inches.

Do I need a playpen for my Yorkie?

Puppy pens are extremely useful when potty training a Yorkie puppy since they minimize the area where you’re likely to find “surprises.” They also keep your puppy (and your belongings) safe when you can’t supervise the dog constantly—there’s no end to the wires, boots, and cushions your pup can chew on. Pens can also be used in conjunction with the dog’s nighttime sleeping area if you aren’t crate training. In this case, a playpen limits the area where your puppy can urinate during the night. 

Portable pet playpens are great for people who like to take their pup everywhere they go. Some easily pop up for an instant safe spot at the beach, park, campground, or a friend’s house.

Gates, fences, or tethering your Yorkie with a leash can also be used when you need to supervise your dog or restrict access to certain parts of the house.

>> Read more: Yorkie Supplies: All the Stuff You’ll Need to Bring Your Puppy Home

What’s the difference between a playpen and a crate?

Playpens, although multi-purpose, are typically used to provide a safe area where a puppy can play and learn good housetraining habits. They are typically much bigger than crates and allow for room to play and exercise. 

They provide a safe location for your dog to be while you are away from home, or when you need your dog to stay out of the way of guests or repairmen in the home. Additionally, they can provide a known space in an unfamiliar, new location, such as a hotel room. 

Crates, on the other hand, are typically used for sleeping when crate training a Yorkie a puppy. Like playpens, they can also be used to keep the puppy away from danger during the day. But they provide a small, confined space not large enough to allow the puppy to urinate. 

You shouldn’t keep your dog in a crate longer than they’re able to hold it, so get familiar with your pup’s potty schedule and take them to their designated potty location every couple of hours.

When the crate door is left open, it can be used as a safe retreat away from the busyness of the home. 

While both metal crates and playpens are typically collapsable, playpens tend to be easier to collapse and transport.

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