How big should a hamster cage be?

Most hamster experts agree that the minimum area of a hamster cage should be 450 square inches, but Ramsey recommends looking for a cage that’s 600 square inches or larger on one level. Putting a hamster in a cage that’s too small can result in stress behaviors such as bar chewing or biting. Additionally, a large hamster cage will give you ample room to place accessories, toys, and deep bedding.

How do you clean a hamster cage?

You’ll need to clean your hamster’s cage at least once a week, which involves changing its bedding. To do this, you’ll want to put your hamster in a safe place, such as a pet carrier or hamster ball. Start by taking everything out of the cage and disposing of the used bedding, then wash the enclosure with a cage cleaning solution or a mild soap and water. You’ll also want to wash all the cage accessories and let everything dry before putting new bedding in. Once this is done, you can return your hamster to its home.

The 8 Best Hamster Cages of 2021

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If you’re planning to bring home a hamster, one of the major purchases you’ll have to make is a cage for your new four-legged friend. There are lots of hamster cages available out there, but several factors set good models apart from the rest.

“Hamsters need the most space you can possibly give them,” says Erin Ramsey, owner of Cheeks and Squeaks Hamsters, an ethical breeder of Syrian hamsters. “The bare minimum should be 600 square inches of unbroken space—this means that the second levels do not count towards this number. Not only do studies show this to be true, but we see that, in homes, they thrive when in extra-large cages.” She also recommends looking for a cage that has bar spacing of 0.5-inch or less, can hold 4 inches of bedding, and is tall enough for a full-size hamster wheel.

The following are the best hamster cages to house your adorable new pet.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home at Amazon

At more than 600 square inches, this cage gives your hamster plenty of room to exercise and play.

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Best Budget:

Ferplast Favola Hamster Cage at Amazon

While not quite as large as generally recommended, this affordable cage can be expanded via a play tube.

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Best Large:

Aivituvin 3-Tier Hamster Cage at Amazon

The base level of this cage is an impressive 700+ square inches, and there are two additional play areas above.

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Best with Wheels:

MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Critter Nation at Chewy

This unique cage is mounted on locking caster wheels, and you can purchase an add-on for additional hamsters.

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Best with Accessories:

Savic Hamster Heaven Metro Cage at Chewy

Hamsters will love all the extra accessories that this cage comes with, including tunnels and a "penthouse."

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Best Glass:

Aqueon Glass Aquarium Tank, 55 Gallon at PETCO

This simple glass aquarium tank would make a spacious home for your hamster.

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Best Chew-Proof:

Tucker Murphy Pet Romelia Cage at Wayfair

An 8-inch glass base prevents your hamster from chewing on the sides of this high-end enclosure.

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Best for Dwarf Hamsters:

Savic Mickey 2XL Hamster Cage at Amazon

The 0.25-inch wire spacing on this cage will prevent smaller hamsters from squeezing out.

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In This Article

Our Picks
What to Look for
Why Trust The Spruce Pets?

Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home

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Dimensions: 32.5 x 19 x 17.5 inches | Weight: 14 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.375 inch | What’s Included: Raised platform and ramp

What We Like

Extremely spacious
Tight 0.375-inch wire spacing
Tall enough for a large wheel
Easy to clean

What We Don't Like

No accessories included

Ramsey recommends the Prevue Pet Products 528 cage as one of the best hamster cages you can buy. The extra-large cage offers your furry friend roughly 617.5 square inches of space to play in the extra-deep tubby base, as well as a spacious raised platform and a wide plastic ramp. The cage is topped with tight 0.375-inch wire spacing that will prevent hamsters from escaping, and the plastic base is 6.25 inches deep, allowing you to offer a generous amount of bedding.

This cage has two large entry doors—one on the top and one on the side—giving you easy access to your pet, and its 17.5-inch height gives you plenty of space to arrange accessories and toys. The snap-on mesh top is held securely in place by six clips, but it comes off easily to make cleaning a simple task.

View On Amazon

Dimensions: 23.6 x 14.4 x 11.8 inches | Weight: 6.28 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.25-inch | What’s Included: Food dish, water bottle, hide away, 5.5-inch exercise wheel, connecting port for play tubes

What We Like

Affordable price
Includes essential accessories
Comes with connection port to attach another cage

What We Don't Like

Smaller than recommended

Not only is the Ferplast Favola Hamster Cage an affordable option for new owners, but it also comes with a number of key accessories, including a food dish, water bottle, hide away, and exercise wheel. This cage features two levels—a 4.65-inch plastic base that’s topped with a wire mesh level. The wire spacing is 0.25-inch, and the two levels are connected by a solid plastic ramp.

With an area of roughly 340 square inches, this cage is smaller than Ramsey recommends, but it comes with a connection port that allows you to connect it to another enclosure via a play tube. The cage has a small door on the top to access your hamster, and when it’s time to clean the cage, you can undo the latch clips on each side to separate the base from the top.

The 7 Best Guinea Pig Cages of 2021

View On Amazon

Dimensions: 39 x 19.68 x 24.2 inches | Weight: 33 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.5-inch | What’s Included: Food bowl, chewing toy, 2 hideouts, 2 seesaws, 3 ramps

What We Like

Extremely spacious
Acrylic sides allow you to see inside
Two doors for easy access

What We Don't Like

Hamsters may chew the wood
Heavy

Your hamster will feel like it’s living in the lap of luxury in the Aivituwin 3-Tier Hamster Cage. The main level of this cage offers more than 700 square inches of play space for your pet, and there are two additional levels where hamsters can explore, play, and nap in the included hideaways.

This cage is made from acrylic panels and fir wood that’s finished with grey paint, and it has wire mesh side walls where you can hang a water bottle and other accessories. There’s a no-leak plastic tray in the bottom that you can access via a side door, and the top of the cage also flips open for easy access. The cage can fit a hamster wheel up to 9 inches tall, and it comes with several accessories, including a food bowl and two seesaws.

MidWest Homes for Pets Deluxe Critter Nation

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Dimensions: 36 x 24 x 39 inches | Weight: 39 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.5-inch | What’s Included: Adjustable shelf, plastic ramp, ramp cover

What We Like

Spacious design
Mounted on locking caster wheels
Lower shelf for storage
Expandable system

What We Don't Like

Expensive

If you want to be able to move your hamster’s home easily or expand it to accommodate additional animals, the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation cage is a worthwhile splurge. This large cage is mounted on four locking caster wheels that let you move it easily, and the brand sells add-on cages that can be stacked on top of the setup.

This cage offers more than 800 square inches of room for your pet, and it comes with an adjustable shelf and ramp, as well as a ramp cover to protect your hamster’s toes. A leak-proof pan and full-width double doors make the cage easy to clean, and there’s a built-in lower shelf where you can stash food and other supplies.

View On Chewy View On Amazon

Dimensions: 31.5 x 20 x 20 inches | Weight: 12.7 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.4-inch | What’s Included: Tunnels, exercise wheels, 2 houses, a toilet, water bottle, 2 feeding bowls and more

What We Like

Includes a variety of accessories
Fun, colorful design
Has large carrying handles

What We Don't Like

Complicated to assemble

Your hamster will never get bored in the Savic Hamster Heaven Metro Cage, which comes with a wide range of fun accessories. This colorful cage offers around 630 square inches of space for your pet, and it has a deep plastic base that’s ideal for burrowing. Plus, the cage comes with tunnels, an exercise wheel, two hideaways, a water bottle, two feeding bowls, and more—everything new hamster owners need to get started.

The cage is topped with mesh wire where you can hang its accessories, and there’s even a clear tunnel that sits on top of the cage, allowing hamsters to explore their surroundings. The base detaches from the wire portion for quick and easy cleaning, and there are two handles on either side of the cage, allowing you to easily move it around as needed.

Aqueon Standard Glass Aquarium Tank, 40 Gallon

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Dimensions: 48.75 x 21.25 x 14 inches | Weight: 76 pounds | Wiring Spacing: N/A | What’s Included: N/A

What We Like

Simple and customizable
Spacious interior
Prevents chewing

What We Don't Like

Heavy
Lid sold separately

Instead of using a traditional bar cage, you can transform a glass aquarium tank into a suitable home for your hamster, and this 55-gallon tank from Aqueon offers around plenty of space for critters to play. Overall, it’s a fairly standard aquarium tank, featuring glass walls with a black frame and silicone-lined edges. However, keep in mind that you will need to buy a screen lid to ensure your hamster doesn’t make a great escape!

View On Wayfair

Dimensions: 36 x 18 x 22 inches | Weight: 44 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.39-inch | What’s Included: N/A

What We Like

Helps prevent chewing
Sleek modern design
Dual front-opening doors

What We Don't Like

Expensive

If you’re tired of your hamster chewing on their cage, you might want to consider upgrading to the Tucker Murphy Pet Romelia Cage. This cage has an attractive design that features 8 inches of glass at the bottom, preventing your furry friends from chewing on the sides and giving them plenty of room to burrow, and it’s topped with white wire mesh for ventilation.

This cage gives your pet more than 626 square inches of space, and it has dual front-opening doors that give you easy access for cleaning, feeding, and interacting with your hamster. The cage is quick and easy to assemble without any tools, and it even has a specially designed lock that will keep pets securely enclosed.

View On Amazon

Dimensions: 31.5 x 20 x 20 inches | Weight: 17.7 pounds | Wiring Spacing: 0.25-inch | What’s Included: Sputnik rat house, water bottle, exercise wheel, feeding bowl, wire platform, metro tunnels

What We Like

Small wire spacing
Lots of included accessories
Handles for portability

What We Don't Like

Wire ramp can pinch toes

Dwarf hamsters are smaller than Syrian hamsters, and they often benefit from cages with a smaller wire spacing. The Savic Mickey 2XL Hamster cage is quite spacious, with 630 square inches of room in its plastic base, and its black wire mesh has 0.25-inch spacing that will keep even the smallest animals contained.

The Mickey Cage comes with a number of accessories for your pet, including a rat house, water bottle, exercise wheel, feeding bowl, wire platform, and more. The top unclips from the plastic bottom when you need to clean, and there are two handles on either side of the cage that let you easily lift and move it.

Final Verdict

The Prevue Pet Products 528 Universal Small Animal Home (view at Amazon) is a highly recommended option for hamster owners, as it offers a deep and extremely spacious base where animals can burrow and explore. If you’re planning on getting multiple hamsters, consider the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation (view at Amazon), which is mounted on locking caster wheels and can be expanded with additional cages on top.

Size

Many widely available hamster cages are actually far too small for these active little creatures, so it’s important to look at the area of a cage before buying. “Hamster owners should look for a cage that is over 600 square inches and tall enough to fit the proper wheel and at least 4 inches of bedding,” says Ramsey. To figure out the area of a cage, multiple the length by the width—this will give you the measurement in square inches.

Wire Spacing

Hamsters can squeeze through surprisingly small spaces, so you'll want to make sure the gaps in wire cages are small enough to contain them. Dwarf hamsters require gaps to be smaller than 0.25-inch, while Syrian hamsters can live in cages where the wire bars are up to 0.5-inch apart. When in doubt, opt for a cage where the wires are closer together.

Material

“Hamsters are chewers by nature, so if you get an extra chewy hamster, you will want to provide a cage that isn't wood or plastic,” says Ramsey. You'll also want to make sure you pick a cage with a removable liner or a plastic bottom to make your cage easier to clean thoroughly.

FAQ

How big should a hamster cage be?

Most hamster experts agree that the minimum area of a hamster cage should be 450 square inches, but Ramsey recommends looking for a cage that’s 600 square inches or larger on one level. Putting a hamster in a cage that’s too small can result in stress behaviors such as bar chewing or biting. Additionally, a large hamster cage will give you ample room to place accessories, toys, and deep bedding.
How do you clean a hamster cage?

You’ll need to clean your hamster’s cage at least once a week, which involves changing its bedding. To do this, you’ll want to put your hamster in a safe place, such as a pet carrier or hamster ball.
Start by taking everything out of the cage and disposing of the used bedding, then wash the enclosure with a cage cleaning solution or a mild soap and water. You’ll also want to wash all the cage accessories and let everything dry before putting new bedding in. Once this is done, you can return your hamster to its home.

This article was written by Camryn Rabideau, a freelance writer and lifelong animal lover. To get more information about what makes a good hamster cage, she spoke with Erin Ramsey, owner of Cheeks and Squeaks Hamsters and an ethical breeder of Syrian hamsters. While selecting products for this list, she looked for cages that offered at least 600 square inches of space and had wire spacing of 1/2 inch or less. She also considered the material of each cage and whether it came with any accessories.