The trouble with a carrier sized to slide under a seat is that the animal has to spend the entire journey inside it. One that unzips outwards handles the two halves of the problem separately: it stays compact while you are moving through a station or a car park, then opens into something a cat can genuinely turn around and lie down in once you have stopped and put it down.

Expanded, the cabin measures 52 x 36 x 32cm and is held out by four internal support bars, so it keeps its shape rather than sagging inwards onto the animal, which is the usual failing of expandable soft carriers and the reason many of them are only used once. Mesh panels along the sides keep air moving and let a nervous cat see out. A dual-use mat is included with a winter side and a summer side, along with a safety rope to clip to a harness and a matching storage pouch. Empty, it weighs 2.05kg.

• Expands to 52 x 36 x 32cm
• Four internal support bars stop the cabin sagging
• Mesh panels for airflow and visibility
• Polyester, in khaki or black
• Includes a winter and summer dual-use mat, safety rope and storage pouch
• Weighs 2.05kg empty

Before you book a flight. We are making no airline claim for this carrier. Cabin limits vary by airline and change without much warning, and the expanded measurements above will not go under most seats. The safety rope is a tether to stop a bolt while the carrier is open, not a restraint for the journey itself.

Who it's for: Owners of one cat or a small dog travelling by car or train, who want a carrier that opens out into something liveable at the other end.