There are stretches of a puppy's day where nobody can be watching them and a crate feels harsh, and this fills exactly that gap. It pops open into an octagon in a few seconds, gives them a defined patch of floor with mesh sides they can see out of, and folds back down flat the moment you want the room back. In the garden or on a weekend away it does the same job without you screwing anything into anything, which is usually the reason people give up on fencing altogether.

The panels are 600D PVC-coated Oxford polyester mesh, which is the material choice that matters most: it is coated so a spilled bowl or wet grass does not soak straight through, and it is mesh so the airflow and the sightlines are both good. A pen a puppy cannot see out of is a pen they will complain about. A zip door lets you get them in and out without lifting them over the side each time, and the whole thing packs down small enough for a car boot.

• 600D PVC-coated Oxford polyester mesh
• Three sizes: 73 x 73 x 43cm, 91 x 91 x 58cm and 114 x 114 x 58cm
• Colours include grey, blue, pink, brown and beige-and-blue
• Zip door for easy access
• Pops up in seconds and folds flat
• Suits both dogs and cats

On what a fabric pen is not. It is a boundary, not a barrier. The tallest side here is 58cm, which any healthy cat clears without trying, and a determined puppy will chew mesh given long enough alone with it. Use it while you are nearby, and use a screw-fixed gate for anywhere that actually needs to hold.

What the options mean. Sold in sizes from 73x43CM to 114x58CM — £17.99 to £28.99.

Who it's for: Puppies, kittens and small pets who need a contained spot at home or away, with an adult in the room.