We Switched from a Wire Pen to Acrylic. Here’s What We’d Tell You Before You Buy Either.
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Quick answer: If you’re coming from a wire exercise pen and thinking about switching to acrylic, do it. The ClimbHope 10-panel is a solid first buy at around $150 — clear panels, secure latch, easy cleanup, and it configures into rectangles, squares, or an L-shape. The FXW AuraSpace is the upgrade: aluminum frame, no screws, height options up to 40”, silicone feet, and a walnut colorway if you want something warmer. Either way, measure your space before you order and read the assembly notes below before you start.
We used a wire exercise pen for Beignet and, at first, Boqui. It was ugly. It was loud — every time he shifted his weight or bumped a panel, the whole thing rattled. I was genuinely nervous watching him try to reach his paw through the openings toward the latch, which he did constantly and with real determination. When he had his first accident, cleaning wire panels is not like wiping down a smooth surface. The mess gets into the joints, the base feet sat directly on the hardwood, and the whole pen would shift when he pushed against it.
We lasted about three weeks before we started looking at acrylic.
What’s Actually Wrong with Wire Pens for Pomeranians
The wire pen isn’t a bad product in general. For some dogs, it’s fine. For a Pomeranian specifically, it creates problems the category isn’t designed to solve.
The gaps are the first issue. Poms are small, dexterous, and motivated. Boqui had his paw through the wire reaching for the latch within the first day. That’s not a training problem, it’s a physics problem. The openings are sized for dogs that aren’t actively trying to pick the lock.
The noise is the second issue. A fold-flat wire pen is essentially a collapsible metal structure, and metal structures rattle. Every time Boqui moved around inside, every time he pressed against a panel, every time he wanted us to know he had opinions about being contained, the whole pen announced it. For a breed that’s already vocal, you don’t need the enclosure amplifying the situation.
Cleanup is the third. Wire panels don’t wipe down cleanly, and the base feet sat directly on the hardwood. The pen would also shift when he pushed against it, which with a motivated Pomeranian is often.
Acrylic fixes all three. Smooth solid panels with no gaps to reach through. Quiet. Wipes clean in thirty seconds. And because it’s clear, your Pom can see the whole room from inside, which matters more than it sounds.
Why Clear Panels Matter for Poms Specifically
Pomeranians are a social breed, and a solid-sided crate cuts them off from the room and from you, which translates directly into more barking, more anxiety, and more resistance to being in there at all. The pen stops being a safe space and becomes a punishment.
Clear panels fix this. Boqui can see the whole room from inside. He knows where we are, what’s happening, whether there’s anything interesting going on. He settles because he’s not cut off, he’s just contained. We can feed him in the pen and watch from across the kitchen. That visibility matters to him, and the peace of mind matters to us.
The other thing acrylic does: it disappears into a room. It doesn’t read as pet equipment. With a washable liner inside and a proper bed, the pen looks intentional. It becomes part of the space, not something the eyesore in the room.
What We Bought: ClimbHope 10-Panel, 24”
We purchased the ClimbHope 10-panel acrylic pen at around $150. Amazon’s Choice in this category, 700+ sold per month, 4.6 stars — and it earns that at the price point.
The panels are solid and clear. The latch on the door is simple and secure, and the door can stay open or closed without latching. That’s a small thing that ends up being useful constantly. Boqui has not gotten his paws anywhere near an opening he shouldn’t. Cleanup after accidents is exactly what you want it to be: a damp cloth and thirty seconds.
The suction cups on the base grip hardwood without scratching. I didn’t press them all the way down because I want to move the pen occasionally. It won’t budge from Boqui pushing against it, but I can pick it up intentionally without a fight.
The pen also configures into a rectangle, square, or L-shape depending on your space and how many panels you use. That flexibility is genuinely useful — different rooms call for different footprints.
What I’d tell you before assembly
This pen is not hard to put together, but it rewards planning before you start. Separating it once it’s assembled takes patience and the right technique.
The connectors that join panels to the frame have a visible screw on one side and a clean face on the other. You want to decide your full configuration before you begin, because you want the clean face pointing outward. If you get halfway through and realize the screw side is visible from the room, you’re taking it apart.
Same principle applies to the bone logo on the connectors. If you care about aesthetics, put them all facing the same way (bottom) during assembly. It’s the kind of thing you don’t notice until you’re looking at it from across the room.
Measure your space before you commit to a configuration. Sketch out your rectangle, square, or L-shape before the pieces are in front of you. Decide which way the door needs to face. It’s a five-minute step that saves a full disassembly.
If you do need to separate panels after assembly: use two of the small orange plastic separator tools that come in the box, and work one connector side at a time. Don’t force it.
One quality control note: I was missing one standard L-shaped connector when my box arrived. The seller responded quickly and resolved it — just check your parts before you start building.
Why We’re Upgrading to the FXW AuraSpace
After living with the ClimbHope, I started noticing what I’d want differently as Boqui grows. The 24" height was fine for a smaller puppy. Now that he’s in his teenager phase, he’s a climber, and we have a small cat house inside the pen for him. He’s already figured out that if he gets on top of the cat house, he can hang his front paws over the top edge of the pen. I’d rather be 100% confident that he can’t escape when left in there alone.
The other reason is longevity. Once he’s past the full-containment phase, I want panels that repurpose cleanly: blocking doorways, blocking stairs, creating soft separation between rooms without permanent hardware. The ClimbHope panels can do some of that, but the FXW Auraspace is built for it.
The construction difference is meaningful. Full aluminum frame instead of plastic. No screws, no connector orientation decisions — it snaps together without the planning overhead. Silicone feet instead of suction cups, which grips without fully committing. The door uses a one-hand locking system and is threshold-free, so you’re not stepping over an edge every time you go in.
The height options are what sealed it: 24”, 32” (what I ordered), or 40”. The colorways are worth noting too: white frame, black frame, or walnut, which reads warm rather than clinical and photographs well in a home that isn’t all-white.
At roughly double the ClimbHope’s price, the construction difference is real. I’ll update this article once we’ve made the switch and I have actual hands-on time with it. What I can say now: if you’re buying your first pen and budget matters, the ClimbHope holds up. If you want the pen to grow with the dog and serve the house long-term, the FXW AuraSpace is where I’d start.
Side by Side Comparison
| ClimbHope | FXW AuraSpace Upgrade | |
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Plastic | Aluminum |
| Height options | 24" | 24" / 32" / 40" |
| Floor grip | Suction cups | Silicone feet |
| Assembly | Plan connector orientation first | Snap together, no orientation decisions |
| Door | Latch, stays open or closed | One-hand lock, threshold-free |
| Colors | White / Black / Green / Grey / Pink | White / Black / Walnut |
| Shapes | Rectangle, square, L-shape | Rectangle, square, L-shape |
| Price | ~$150 | ~$250–300 |
| Best for | Budget-first, smaller puppies | Long-term use, growing dogs, repurposing panels |
Before You Order, Measure
This is the step most people skip. Before you buy any acrylic pen, measure the space you’re planning to put it in. Not just the footprint, but what’s around it. Which way does the door need to face? Does a 10-panel rectangle fit, or would an L-shape suit the corner better? Will it block a traffic path you actually use?
If your puppy is already showing any interest in climbing — or if you’re putting anything inside the pen they can use as a step — factor that into your height decision before you order. It’s much easier to buy the right height upfront than to realize the 24” ceiling has been breached.
A few other things to have ready before day one: a washable liner sized to your configuration and a proper bed inside. The complete list of what to have ready before a Pom comes home is in our new Pomeranian owner checklist.
Once your Pom is past the full-pen phase, gates are the natural next step for doorways and stairs. We cover the options in our best gate for Pomeranians article.
