Pros: - Solid construction and weight - Fully Collapsible to allow for easy storage or travel - TWO door latches to better protect against bends from your dog pushing against just the top or bottom of the door - Fully painted and coated without exposed rough edges, etc - Easy to customize shape of exercise pen to allow for multiple setups for your particular room or purpose Cons: - Included hardware is slightly flimsy (the plastic edge supports can pop off fairly easily with enough pressure) - Welding clamps that connect consecutive panels provide some sharp edges that could potentially cause injury Personal Experience: I have a rat terrier puppy and wanted to find a quality and reasonably priced exercise pen to create what I consider to be the perfect indoor setup for a puppy still learning to be crate trained and potty trained. Essentially, I wanted my puppy to be able to stay in a safe and confined space indoors during times when I am unable to be at home, and for use for travel when we make our frequent road trips to visit our extended family's home. But I'll describe this a little more later, and I have included pictures to show this setup. First impression: Our puppy is expected to be approximately 35lbs, so I purchased the 36" size just in case. After doing some research, I found a couple of comparable models that had similar measurements, features, and were reviewed highly, but ended up deciding to get the MidWest Exercise Pen because of the overall strong reviews and relatively reasonable price. It came in a pretty flat box and was extremely easy to setup. The exercise pen arrives collapsed (obviously), but is already assembled when shipped. All I had to do was un-collapse it and stand it up to the shape I desired. It includes plastic edge supports that hook over successive panels to reinforce the structure (think of it as a plastic guard that prevents two consecutive panels from collapsing past a certain angle). It is not too heavy, so it is definitely manageable to travel with as well. The coating and paint covers all areas and I did not see any exposed steel or rough edges (unlike some other reviews). I also particularly like that it has two door latches to ensure that the door is not bent from your dog pushing on either the top or bottom of the door. Also, the design allows the exercise pen to easily be customized to form different shapes to accommodate the space in your room (i.e., octagon, large rectangle, etc). After using the exercise pen for approximately a month, I am still very satisfied with all aspects of it. However, my biggest complaint is that the hardware used and the welding clamps (used to hold consecutive panels together) are not as sturdy as I initially thought. The plastic edge supports can pop off fairly easily if enough pressure is applied, and the welding clamps are a little rough and provide some sharp edges that could hurt an unsuspecting puppy. However, I have not had any particular issue with either of these things since my puppy does not push against the walls, nor has she been injured by the welding clips. I'm just making observations. Conclusion: I am very satisfied with the MidWest Exercise Pen and do not regret the purchase at all. It has quality construction, it is easy to "assemble" and collapse for easy storage and travel, it is easily adjustable to form customizable shapes, and all at a reasonable price. My only minor complaints are that the included plastic edge supports are rather flimsy and the welding clamps provide some sharp edges that could potentially cause injury. **I also purchased the AmazonBasics Single Door Crate to create what I consider the perfect indoor setup for puppies when you're away from home (the MidWest crate should work the same). I position the crate so that its door faces inside of the pen, and I have the pen encapsulate to each side of the crate door with the rest of the crate protruding out of the pen (the picture shows the setup). The Exercise Pen is secured to the crate by simply using your standard swivel keychain hooks (these actually came with the Exercise Pen). This setup allows my puppy to sleep and enjoy her crate, but also walk around a safe enclosed area when I am not home. I also leave a puppy pad in the far corner of the pen area to allow my puppy to potty there if she really needs to. I have included a few pictures of the set-up =)
