DIGGS gave the dog crate a place in the living room

Louise needed somewhere to sleep. Her owner, Zel Crampton, needed a dog crate he could live with. Those sound like modest requirements until you notice that a crate has two occupants: the animal inside it and the person whose room it occupies. One encounters the mesh and the door. The other encounters the footprint, the cleaning tray, the awkward business of putting it away. DIGGS grew out of the space between those two experiences.

A puppy, a wire crate, a better question

Crampton adopted Louise in 2016. In his account, the available pet products disappointed him: quality, ingenuity and attention to detail were missing. DIGGS’s current history dates the company’s founding to 2018, when its first crate, Revol, arrived. The two-year interval matters. A complaint is quick; turning it into a manufactured object takes longer.

The first thing to fail was the ordinary crate’s claim on his confidence. The company describes the original experience as difficult and unsafe. Its answer was specific: rounded corners, a dual-latch door and diamond-shaped mesh. DIGGS says Revol is still made in factories alongside premium baby products. Baby-product design offered a reference point for an object handled by an adult and inhabited by someone vulnerable.

That borrowing helps explain the brand’s position. DIGGS sells pet equipment to people willing to pay for considered construction and household convenience. The appearance matters, but the interesting work happens where a hand meets a handle, or a paw meets an opening. A crate spends a surprising amount of its life being operated.

The fold is part of the product

Revol has wheels, a carry handle and a collapsing mechanism. A garage-style side door opens upward, and a removable tray addresses cleaning. The included puppy divider adjusts the usable space as a dog grows. These features serve different moments: arriving home, feeding a treat, moving the crate, cleaning after an accident.

Here is the catch for a buyer in a hurry. Checked on October 5, 2026, Revol’s product page listed it from $599, showed sold-out variants and announced a redesign with full stock expected in December. That is a company plan, with a calendar attached. The existing product explains the brand; immediate availability is a separate question.

Evolv makes a different bargain. It favors a slimmer profile, repositionable doors and a home setup. Its playpen conversion needs a separately sold frame; the puppy divider is also separate. Small Evolv showed a $299 regular price and a $239.20 promotion when checked. Prices change, and optional parts change the final bill. The right comparison starts with how you will use the thing.

A smaller purchase, a wider invitation

DIGGS also sells the softer parts of crate life. Snooz pads pair with Revol; Bolstr bedding appears alongside Evolv. Groov, a $34 crate-mounted treat holder, comes with a freezer shell. Owners can prepare a frozen treat and attach the aid to a panel. The company positions it as enrichment that helps make crate time pleasant.

Groov’s most commercially interesting detail is compatibility. It fits Revol, Evolv and most traditional wire crates. A customer can try DIGGS without replacing the largest object in the room. For another product company, that is a useful move to study: make a small accessory solve a problem in the equipment people already own.

The kennel that borrowed from a paddleboard

Enventur extends the idea beyond the living room. Launched in March 2023, the inflatable travel kennel uses drop-stitch construction familiar from paddleboards and kayaks. Design partner PENSA describes a waterproof, ventilated object that folds flat. The clever transfer is structural: a material built to become firm when inflated can make a bulky kennel easier to store.

PENSA lists 2024 design recognition and a 2026 iF Design Award for Enventur. Those honors reward the design; vehicle protection still depends on the particular product and setup. Home-crate features should never be read as a travel crash rating. The useful question remains concrete: which kennel, which size, installed how?

Thirteen million dollars buys an expansion plan

DIGGS reported 400% revenue growth in 2020, amid pandemic pet adoption and greater online purchasing. In June 2021, it announced a $13 million Series A led by Venn Growth Partners, with Strand Equity backing. The funding announcement described expansion of its team and product offering. The growth figure belongs to that period; it is not a current sales forecast.

Crampton described the business moving from exclusive direct sales into Amazon, Chewy and physical retail. DIGGS’s store locator now includes Petco branches carrying Groov. Its expertise sits in physical product research, mechanisms, materials and manufacturing, with e-commerce providing a route to the customer.

“Diggs uses qualitative research to solve real problems for pet and their parents.”

Zel Crampton / 2021 funding interview

Measure the dog. Then admire the crate.

For shoppers, the sensible sequence is less glamorous than the photography. Measure the dog, compare interior dimensions, and check the space where doors must open. Consider adulthood before choosing a puppy’s crate. DIGGS’s sizing guidance explicitly separates the dog’s usable room from the product’s exterior footprint.

Budget and behavior set the limits. A premium crate earns its place only if its features matter to your routine. Groov offers a cheaper entry, but equipment does not automatically settle a reluctant dog. Read return terms before buying: DIGGS requires eligible returns to be unused and in original packaging, with fees potentially applying. Keep the box.

The idea worth copying is the method. Watch what an owner does repeatedly with an overlooked object. Improve that sequence. Louise supplied the brief; DIGGS made the latch, the fold and the living room part of the answer.