11 Best Hamster Cages + Checklist [2023 Review]

When we got our hamster, Mr. Bubbles, we were excited and, after a while, a little disappointed.

We just had a feeling that he wasn’t really enjoying his life and the answer quickly became clear: His hamster cage was too small!

That very same cage we were told was large enough didn’t live up to the size requirements (more on that later).

So we dug through the information and found the perfect cage for him. And today, we’ll show you precisely what you need when it comes to hamster cages.

PS: Mr. Bubbles lives a hamsterrific life now 🙂

If you’re in a hurry, you can find our pick of the best hamster cages right below the cut.

Below this, you’ll find an extensive guide on how to set up your hamster cage.

This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

Top Hamster Cages at a Glance

• Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation – Includes a ramp, ramp cover, one resting shelf, and an easy-to-remove base pan
• Savic Metro Hamster Cage – Included accessories are fun and interactive
• Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home – Portable with the handlebars on top
• Favola Hamster Cage – The transparent base makes it easier for you to see your pet’s activities
• Kaytee My First Home 30 X 18 Multilevel Exotics – Chew proof locks and wire

Don’t have time? Here is a quick comparison of our favorites!

The 11 Best Hamster Cages Out There

After researching more than 20 different kinds of hamster cages [1], we have found three large hamster cages that we can honestly recommend for all hamster owners out there.

These three cages are simply the best options, so we’ve listed them below whether you are looking for the best dwarf hamster cages or the best Syrian hamster [2] cages.

Here are the five main reasons:

• Large hamster cages with lots of ground space to explore
• The bars in the cage are close together – not even the thinnest hamster will squeeze out!
• Very easy to clean
• Lots of interior decorating options
• Houses 1 Syrian Hamster or 1-2 Dwarf Hamsters

For more information on each of these hamster cages, keep reading, and we’ll get to it!

#1 Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation

This cage can be used for Syrian Hamsters or other large breeds that can’t slip through the wire. It offers an immense amount of room for your pet to explore.

There is an option to pick a single or double-level cage for even more space. While most hamsters will do fine with the single choice, the double option can add more activity to their lives.

Purchase some additional levels and hamster-safe ramps to make this an even better habitat. This will give you the most use out of the cage space.

This cage comes with a storage bottom you can place your supplies and has optional wheels for easy movement.

The doors of this cage are full-width to give you complete access to your hamster. Just be careful not to let him escape.

Cage Highlights:

• 36 x 25 x 38.5 inches
• 1-year Warranty
• Storage Space
• Includes a ramp, ramp cover, one resting shelf, and an easy-to-remove base pan

#2 Savic Metro Hamster Cage

The name “Hamster Heaven Cage” promises a lot, and luckily, it lives up to it. This Lixit Cage is, with some distance, our preferred hamster cage out there with a lot to love.

First off, the cage comes with build-in tunnels that are wide enough to fit both Syrian and Dwarf Hamsters.

With these, our little furry friends can run up and down these tunnels, piquing their curiosity and allowing them to get their much-needed exercise.

Speaking of exercise, the cage comes with a built-in wheel. If you want another wheel, the built-in wheel can easily be replaced, and another wheel can be attached to the cage.

With dimensions of 31.5 x 20 x 20 inches, it is the largest cage we recommend, and there is ample room for your hamster to run around and explore the cage.

Further, we also really enjoy the colorful material and find that these works great for kids.

With its allergy-friendly, high-quality material and practically odor-less environment, we recommend it as the top pick of the available hamster cages out there.

Key Features
Measures 31.5 x 20 x 20 inches
Contains A LOT of accessories already, including play tubes, igloo houses, wheel, and water bottle
Made in Belgium

Benefits
Easy to move around with the help of the handles on top of the cage
Included accessories are fun and interactive
Clear tunnels expand the play area of your pet

Drawback
Plastic platforms can get slippery when wet.

#3 Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home

If you are looking for a more budget-friendly option, you will not regret purchasing this cage for your hamster.

It has plenty of room for your hammy [3] to run around and for you to put additional accessories and toys for your pet’s entertainment.

Many hamster owners swear on the excellent quality and performance of this cage. It keeps them confident that their beloved pet won’t be able to escape between its gaps.

There is no doubt that you will get your money’s worth with this cage – it is well-built and will last a long time.

Clean-up will not be an issue. The bottom tray is made up of easy-to-clean plastic – wash with soap and water, and you’re done.

Key Features
Measures 32 ½’’ L x 19’’ W x 17 ½’’ H
3/8’ Wire spacing
With two doors – one on top, one in front
With 2 handlebars on top

Benefits
The gap of the wires are close enough to prevent escape
Portable with the handlebars on top

Drawback
The simple lock mechanism can get your hamster to break out.

#4 Favola Hamster Cage 

Among the four cages, the Favola is the only one that is a two-story structure. We believe that it is an excellent way to make extra ground room for other stuff inside the cage.

The transparent base is made of robust plastic. Its clarity will help you watch your pet and see the situation inside easier.

The floor of the second story is made of wire mesh. Although not likely, these can pose a threat to your pet’s hands and feet, but you can top it with a mat or anything to create the solid ground.

For the price, it is an excellent hamster cage and comes with many features to like including a water bottle, feeding dish, exercise wheel, hideaway, and a ramp.

Key Features
Measures 23.6 x 14.4 x 11.8 inches
Accessories like a nest, feeding bowl, wheel, and bottle are included
Two-story structure

Benefits
The transparent base makes it easier for you to see your pet’s activities
Accessories are already provided

Drawback
The 2nd level, made of wire mesh, is not safe for the hands and feet of your pet.

#5 Kaytee My First Home 30 X 18 Multilevel Exotics 

Multi-level pet homes can encourage your hamster to get even more exercise than usual. With four different levels to play on, this will keep your hamster entertained all day long.

The cage features a deep base to keep messes to a minimum and ½ wire spacing. The locks and cage wire are chew-proof to keep your hamster from getting loose.

The ramps used between the levels are made to be pet safe. The shelves themselves are made from solid, durable plastic that won’t give under your hamster’s weight.

In addition, the shelves can be removed for extra room or cleaning.

Key Features
Measures 5 x 18 x 30 inches
Includes safety ramps, comfort shelves, and food dish
Four levels for play

Benefits
Chew proof locks and wire
Deep base is less messy.
Solid, durable construction

Drawbacks
A bit pricey
Hard to assemble

While the five above are my top picks for sure, there are other great options out there. Let’s check out a few more if you haven’t found what you’re looking for just yet.

#6 Ware Manufacturing Chew Proof 4-Story Hamster Cage

Ware has made a cage perfect for small breeds hamsters who love to climb. The ramps and shelves that come with this cage are made of metal and harder to chew through.

Design-wise this cage was made to be well ventilated and easy to maneuver. It features two easy-open doorways with safety locks to keep your hamster put.

Even the drop pan of this cage is made entirely of metal. This helps the product last long on top of being easier to clean.

Additional ramps can be added to give your pet even more room to roam.

Cage Highlights:

• 12.8 x 17 x 24 inches
• Chew proof design
• Metal drop pan
• Includes two ramps and three shelves

#7 Midwest Critterville Arcade Hamster Cage

This multi-level hamster home is easily assembled and gives your hamster plenty of room to play. This can be an excellent choice for a baby or a smaller breed of hamster.

The cage is designed with an easy-to-clean deep base that keeps messes inside the cage. The vertical play area has an acrylic window for easy viewing of your pet.

The included vertical ramps are made of non-slip material to keep your pet safe. This cage is easy to assemble and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Ports are equipped to this cage to add on more tubing or connect to another habitat.

Cage Highlights

• 11L x 11.61W x 21.26H Inches
• ½ inch bar spacing
• Includes an exercise wheel, water bottle, food bowl, circular cubby, and interior play tubes
• 1-Year Warranty

#8 ZENY 37″ Ferret Cage

Zeny has made the perfect cage for a larger hamster that needs more room. This cage is equipped with two doors, one on the bottom and one on top, for easy access to your pet.

The cage itself has four wheels to make the habitat easy to move. The wire is made out of chew-proof metal that will keep your pet from escaping.

The tray slides out, and the platforms can be removed to make cleaning easy. The cage is also anti-rust so that you can keep using it for years to come.

The ramps can lock to make cleaning even easier.

Cage Highlights:

• 25 x 17 x 36.2 inches
• Top and bottom door
• Easy access tray
• Includes wheels, three shelves, and three ramps.

#9 Large Twin Tower Habitat Hamster Home

The Twin Tower offers multiple levels of play space and connects to other cages.

It has a charming townhome appearance that many owners will love.

This cage also features a sleeping area for your hamster to hide away in. The extra vertical space provides enough room to add new interactive or chew toys for your pet.

There are three doors on this cage so that you can reach your hamster no matter where they climb. The doors are on the left, right, and the front of the cage.

Tubing is also included with this product to create extra room for your pet.

Cage Highlights:

• 5 x 14 x 30 inches
• Three access points
• Removable ramps
• Includes tubes, ladders, water bottle, play tubes, food bowl, hide house, exercise wheel

#10 Ferplast HAMSTERVILLE Hamster Habitat Cage

Wooden hamster cages are the perfect choice for those who prefer a more robust look. The cage is still made to be easy to clean with a pull-out tray.

The cage is surrounded by wire netting that is durable enough to keep your hamster from chewing through it. The shelves are coated with a liquid-resistant coating for durability.

This cage comes with many of the accessories you need to start and will comfortably house a smaller hamster. All parts of this cage are made to be pet safe.

As a bonus, even the cage accessories are mostly made of wood.

Cage Highlights:

• 6 x 13.4 x 19.3 inches
• Waterproof coating
• Slide-out tray
• Includes hamster house, wheel for exercise, drinking bottle and feeding bowl

#11 Savic Mickey Hamster and Mouse Cages

The Mickey hamster cage is a good quality cage. However, it is pretty expensive since this cage was made in Belgium. In addition, the set already includes a wire platform, bottle, house, an exercise wheel, and a feeding bowl.

You can already purchase a cage with the same or better quality than this one at a cheaper price if you think about it.

The good thing about this is that you won’t have to buy separate items anymore, saving you time and effort. Talk about convenience, right?

Key Features
Measures 20 x 31.5 x 15 in
Comes with metal wire platform, drinking bottle, house, exercise wheel, and feeding bowl
Made in Belgium

Benefits
Accessories are already provided
Durable and easy to clean
Huge front door makes for easy for you to pick your hamster up when necessary.
Narrow wire gaps

Drawbacks
Wire platform may hurt your pet’s hands and feet. You may top it with a mat to make a solid course.
This cage is quite expensive. You can get a better quality cage for a cheaper price.

How to Choose the Best Hamster Habitat

We have just given you a short answer regarding which hamster cage to pick. However, we have outlined our methodology below if you want to venture on your own and find one or figure out how we know “what is best”.

Hope you enjoy it – below is an overview of the topics, and you can click these links to be taken to our research.

• Large hamster cages: Make sure your hamster has enough space!
• Choosing between a wire or a plastic cage
• Hamster bedding: Getting the right type and depth
• The importance of hamster tubes, toys and accessories
• Hamster toys
• Hamster house: Create a snuggle nesting area
• Hamster food, water and treats

Large Hamster Cages: Make Sure Your Hamster Has Enough Space!

The minimum size of your cage naturally depends on the type of hamster you bring home.

Generally speaking, there are two hamsters: The larger Syrian Hamster and the smaller dwarf hamster. The latter comes in various types, and you may already have heard of breeds such as Campbell Hamster and Robo Hamster.

When getting a roborovski dwarf hamster cage as well as for Campbell, you need to make sure there is ample space to run and play and room for other accessories such as a wheel, tubes, a sleeping area, and a toilet area.

Also, don’t forget to check our guide on the best 450 square inch hamster cage if you really need a cage big in size.

360 square inch hamster cage = minimum hamster cage size

The minimum recommended sizes are the following (but remember, bigger is always better!):

• For a Syrian Hamster you need a large hamster cage with a floor space of at least 360 square inches (30×12 inches) (2,300 square centimetres) and a total area of 2 cubic feet (55 liters). The space between the bars should not be more than half an inch apart (1cm).

• Dwarf Hamsters are more active and have the same requirements. For each dwarf hamster you add, you should double in size. For dwarf hamsters, it is best to get an acquarium so they do not squeeze through the bars.

The Hamster House: Choosing Between a Wire or a Plastic Cage

• The main things to consider when choosing a hamster cage are:

• Natural place for you hamster to climb – but make sure it cannot fall too far!

• Very easy to clean – just lift it open and remove the bedding

• Very good ventilation and thus, good air quality – just make sure it is not in a draft

• Your hamster can become obsessive chewing the bars

The main reasons for choosing a hamster aquarium are:

• Escape proof – there are no bars it can chew open or squeeze in between. Also, other house pets cannot bother your hamster

• Still relatively easy to clean but can be somewhat clumsy and heavy to clean

• Worse air quality than the cage

As you can see, there are pros and cons for both types.

Rule Of Thumb Regarding Hamster Cages

We recommend a hamster aquarium if you have other “free-roaming” pets, such as a cat or dog. Also, the smaller your hamster, the safer it is with an aquarium.

If you get an aquarium, make sure to get a climbing wall, a wooden ladder, or climbing blocks for your hamster.

If your hammy is the only pet in the family and will be placed far away from any air condition equipment or other things creating a draft, we recommend getting a hamster cage.

It is easier to clean, has better air quality, and will create a natural place for your hamster to become a little mountain climber.

Hamster Bedding: Getting The Right Type & Depth

Unfortunately, not all hamster bedding materials sold in pet stores are suited for hamsters.

What Hamster Bedding To Avoid:

Another unfortunate feature of wood is the risk of your hamster getting a skin reaction from the dust. Although hamsters have suitable wood types (most notably Aspen wood), it is easier to avoid them and run no risks.

Choose Paper Based Bedding:

Instead, you should choose paper-based bedding.

If you urgently need bedding, you can use non-inked and non-chemical paper (such as toilet paper). However, this does not do an excellent job disguising odors, and your cage will quickly get smelly.

You can get a much better paper-based option for containing the smell in stores, which we recommend getting.

Some stores also sell scented paper (to hide any odor), but we do not recommend this due to the risk of hamster allergy.

Getting The Right Amount Of Bedding In The cage:

Once you have decided on the type of hamster bedding, you need to give it the right depth. By instinct, hamsters love to burrow, and thus, you need to make sure there is something to burrow in.

You should at least have 2 inches (6cm) of suitable bedding, and beneath it, the bottom of the cage should be solid (if you have a wired cage at the bottom, put in some cardboard.

The Importance Of Hamster Tubes, Toys & Accessories

This is where your hammie will shine, and seeing it crawl through tubes, run on its wheel, and chew on toys is where your hamster’s personality will shine.

So, let’s get right into what you should place in your cage.

Hamster Tubes:

Hamster tubes are mimics of the real-life environment for a hamster. Here, they dig their tunnels underground, and by placing tubes in your cage, you can give them the same feeling.

You can buy plastic tubes at the store. Otherwise, it works well putting toilet paper rolls in the cage.

Hamster Wheels:

Hamsters run. They run a lot. Therefore, it is vital to have a hamster wheel in your cage.

You can get both metal and plastic wheels. However, metal wheels are becoming a thing of the past, and you should get a plastic wheel. The reasons are:

Reasons For Getting a Plastic Hamster Wheel:

• Metal wheels are made with rungs (like a ladder). Your hamster can fall through the haps and hurt itself

• Metal wheels are made of several pieces and often with sharp edges. This increases the risk of your hamster getting injured as well

• Contrary to metal wheels, plastic wheels are made of one piece which is moulded together. There are a variety of both open and more enclosed options

You decide to get your personal preference, as the most critical thing in a hamster wheel is the size.

Hamster Toys

Your hamster is very active during the night, and besides a wheel and tubes, it should also have some hamster toys.

These toys will give the hamster something to chew on while relaxing after a good run.

The teeth of your hamsters are constantly growing (yes, that’s not a typo), and like a dog, hamsters are low to chew.

You can get wooden pet toys at the pet store that your hamster can chew on. In addition to wooden chew toys, cardboard is also excellent. Again, you should buy these at the store and make sure they are chemical-free.

We do not recommend getting plastic toys for hamsters. This is due to the risk of your hamster gnawing plastic loose and digesting it.

Hamster Habitat: Create a Snuggly Nesting Area

Hamster Food, Water And Treats

Like us humans, our little hamster friends eat plants, seeds, and meat (insects).

Besides the insects, this is mimicked in the hamster food you can get.

However, there are many types of hamster food out there, and it can be a challenge to figure out what is best. Generally, there are two types of food you can buy:

• Seed Hamster Food

• Pelleted Hamster Food

Historically, seed hamster food has been the main choice of food when getting a hamster. While it can be okay, it does risk your hamster being picky, only eating its favorite seeds.

This will lead to a diet that is not balanced and worse. Your hamster will not get all the vitamins it needs.

Thus, if you go with seed hamster food, ensure the food bowl is empty before giving it more food.

Pelleted hamster food is now seen as a better option. In it, everything is mixed together, so every bite your hamster takes is by definition balanced. Pelleted food usually looks like small biscuits, cookies, or cereal.

Due to the ensured balanced diet, we also recommend getting pelleted hamster food.

What Is Pelletted Hamster Food?

As pelleted foods are also specifically made for other animals such as birds and rabbits, it is vital to buy pelleted foods specifically for hamsters. An example of pelleted food is below.

Putting it All Together: Our Current Hamster Ground Floor Plan

By now, you may have information overload trying to make sense of hamster cages, hamster accessories, and where to put the hamster house.

Luckily, it’s not rocket science. In the video below, a hamster habitat is shown that works well.

FAQs

Back to Where We All Started – The Best, Large Hamster Cages

With this said, we are back to the beginning, and for your convenience, we have listed our two top picks below.

• Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation
• Savic Metro Hamster Cage

For you, what are the best hamster cages? Please share with us below!

Resources

• 1. Hamster – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics [Internet]. www.sciencedirect.com. [cited 2022 Feb 10]. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/hamster
• 2. Syrian Hamster – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics [Internet]. www.sciencedirect.com. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/syrian-hamster
• 3. Ross AP, Norvelle A, Choi DC, Walton JC, Albers HE, Huhman KL. Social housing and social isolation: Impact on stress indices and energy balance in male and female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Physiology & behavior [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2022 Feb 10];177:264–9. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5538356/