10 Best Hamster Cages in the UK in 2022 – Reviews & Top Picks

A general rule of thumb when housing pets is to replicate what they would have in the wild. For example, that’s why a heat source is necessary for reptiles. The same advice applies when keeping hamsters. Unlike other rodents like chinchillas, their needs are more modest. Hamsters don’t need a lot of space. As long as your pet has clean bedding, a hiding place or two, and a solid floor underneath it, it’ll be content.

Our guide covers the things you should look for when buying a cage for your hamster. We discussed the must-have features that will make it an ideal choice both for your pet to live and for you to clean. After all, that’s the key to keeping your hamster healthy. We’ve also included detailed reviews of some of our favorite products available to help you pick the best Syrian hamster cage UK.

A Quick Comparison (updated in 2022)

The 10 Best Hamster Cages in the UK

1. Little Friends Grosvenor Hamster Cage – Best Overall

The Little Friends Grosvenor Rat and Hamster Cage is our pick for the best overall hamster cage. It provides a lot of room at an affordable price. While it includes a hiding place, the shelf on the upper level also offers some privacy. The cage opens from the top, making for easy cleaning and access. The ladders are detachable so that you can give them a rinse when necessary.

While we don’t choose a hamster cage for its looks, this product is quite attractive, with its silver and black colour scheme. Overall, it’s well-made to last.

2. Zoozone Habitat – Best Value

The Zoozone Habitat is our pick for the best hamster cage for the money. The standout feature is the size. It provides plenty of space for a single hamster, with room to add accessories since it doesn’t include any. To be fair, there is a food compartment built into the cage, along with a water bottle holder. The price is right, even if the colour wasn’t to our liking.

The cage opens from the top, making it easy to clean. The product is completely enclosed, except for this access. It is also lightweight, which is another point in its favour.

3. Ferplast Cage for Hamsters – Premium Choice

There’s no doubt that the Ferplast Cage for Hamsters is a deluxe choice for your pet. The bottle part is tempered glass and tall enough to provide a deep bedding layer. We liked that it was transparent so that we could see our pets. It also kept the bedding in the cage and not on the floor around it, which we appreciated. The clips holding the two pieces together are sturdy, too.

The accessories are a welcome addition, although you may find the wheel too small for larger animals. The overall design is well done and sure to keep your hamster occupied.

4. Ferplast Hamster Cage

The Ferplast Hamster Cage has everything you need for your pet, except the bedding. It includes a slew of accessories, but most seemed too small and cheaply made. The water bottle doesn’t leak, which is always a plus. We liked that it sits on the outside of the cage to keep a hamster from chewing it. It is a top-opening model, which we appreciated for easy access.

The cage unhooks into two parts. The shelf in the upper part does a better job at providing a hiding place than the house. We just wished that it was a bit larger.

5. Savic Hamster Plaza Hamster Cage

The Savic Hamster Plaza Hamster Cage is one of the larger products we reviewed. That’s good for your pet, but it may make it hard to find a place for it in your home. It’s a hybrid model with reinforced corners for added durability. The hiding place and wheel are a decent size, making it an even better value for the price. While it’s well-designed, we wished that it were sturdier.

The large door made access easier, which we appreciated. The large size also gives you lots of room to add toys and other accessories for better enrichment.

6. Savic Hamster Cage

The Savic Hamster Cage scores high marks with the accessories it includes. You get a lot of stuff for the price. The size is adequate, although it’s a bit cluttered if you put everything in it. The use of the tunnels on the top frees up some room. The cage is a decent build, with adequately sized toys. Some, like the hanging house, seemed unnecessary.

The platform in the cage doubles as a hiding place for optimal use of the space. The handles make it easy to transport to the sink for cleaning.

7. Kerbl Small Animal Cage

The Kerbl Small Animal Cage is a roomy cage that stands out for its wooden accessories. It’s also roomy for swapping out accessories. The platforms provide additional hiding spots, which we liked. The base is plastic, although it’s a bit short to contain the litter completely. The two pieces come apart for cleaning. While it doesn’t have a wheel, the bridge is an adequate substitute.

Our only other complaint was the size of the door. It’s hard to take out your pet because it’s too small, especially if you have large hands.

8. GNB Pet Hamster Cage

The first impression we had of the GNB Pet Hamster Cage was how busy the design was. It comes with a collection of tunnels for creating a DIY habitat that you can change to keep your pet entertained. They are well-designed for what they are, with breathing vents for better circulation. Unfortunately, the overall space is small, even with the extra tunnels.

The cage is also harder to clean with all these extra moving parts. On a positive note, the tunnels are compatible with several other leading brands.

9. Rosewood Pico Hamster Cage

You could call the design of the Rosewood Pico Hamster Cage a space saver. Unfortunately, that applies more to its footprint than to the optimal use of space for your pet. It has several platforms to allow your hamster to explore. However, the amount of space is inadequate, with a cluttered feel to the cage. It has a plastic bottle. However, it seemed a bit short to contain the bedding totally.

The hiding place seems large enough, although its location at the top seems counterintuitive for a ground-dwelling animal.

10. Petface Petface Habitat Hamster Cage

The Petface Habitat Hamster Cage bills itself as suitable for these pets, except for the fact that the climbing surfaces are mesh. They may be easy to clean, but they also pose a health risk for your hamster. The shape is also odd and doesn’t provide adequate space, even though it’s tall. We thought the design made it top-heavy, especially since it’s lightweight. That’s good for cleaning but not for stability.

The bottom half is tall and will contain the bedding well. However, it does affect air circulation inside of the cage. The design also leaves little room for adding a hiding place.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Buy the Best Hamster Cage

It’s worth noting that hamsters are rodents with teeth that grow their entire lives. They’re not unlike fingernails. That means these animals like to chew. It’s something to keep in mind when buying a cage, water bottle or any other supplies for your pet. The last thing you want is to put something toxic inside where it can gnaw it.

The point to remember is that if there’s an easy way to get out, your hamster will find it. And if that happens, good luck trying to figure out where it’s hiding. Things to consider with this purchase include:

Dimensions

Hamsters prefer housing with deep bedding that resembles their habitat in their native Syria and Turkey. That fact comes into play when deciding how large of a cage to get. While hamsters will do well in ones that are 15 cm high, they’ll fare better if the cage is at least 20 cm. According to the Hamster Society (Singapore), the minimum size you should get is 80 cm x 50 cm or 4000 sq cm.

However, bigger is better in this case. Remember that hamsters are best kept alone. Nevertheless, a larger living space offers more mental stimulation. It gives you more room to add a wheel and hiding place, which can also provide enjoyment for your pet. The other consideration is bar spacing. Bored animals often engage in repetitive behaviour, such as bar biting. Room to roam can help prevent it.

Material

The most popular cages are plastic, wire, or a combination of the two materials. You’ll often see plastic cages as elaborate products, with various structures, tubes, and other features. These designs are more likely to sell you than the pet. Two problems exist with them: a lack of ventilation and difficulty cleaning. All those nooks and crannies are more places you’ll have to get to disinfect at least once a week.

Wire cages solve these issues by providing plenty of air movement. The essential thing is that it has a solid floor as opposed to wire. That’s why you’ll often see hybrid products that combine the best features of both materials. The reason for the solid flooring is to prevent a bacterial disease called bumblefoot. Wire surfaces put excessive pressure on the animal’s feet, which can cause injuries that invite infections.

Some people keep their hamsters in aquariums. While it provides a safe home, you may find it cumbersome to clean because tanks are heavy. That’s particularly true when you consider the optimal size for your pet is about 140 L.

Accessories

Many hamster cages have other goodies included with your purchase. They may have things like wheels, ramps to higher levels and hiding places. The primary consideration with these add-ons is that they have solid tracks and that they’re big enough for your pet to use. Syrian Hamsters get about 17–18 cm long and weigh about 110–140 g. Accessories are desirable but not necessary when choosing a cage.

The Number of Doors

Most cages have only one door. The main consideration is that it’s large enough for your hand to fit through carrying your pet. Look for products with secure latches. Alternatively, you can also get a click to keep it shut. The door should open and close smoothly to make handling your hamster easier.

Ease of Use

This feature applies mainly to you as the one taking care of your hamster. The essential thing is that it’s easy to clean the cage, with access to all parts of the cage. We like hybrid models where the top detaches from the base. It makes maintenance easy-peasy since you can take it to the sink and do a thorough job cleaning it.

Conclusion

The Little Friends Grosvenor Hamster Cage topped our list of reviews as our favourite product. It provides plenty of room for your pet with a product that is easy to clean. The Zoozone Habitat is a barebones model without the bells and whistles you see in similar products. It provides an excellent base for adding the accessories you prefer to provide for your hamster.

Featured Image Credit: Natalia Kopylcova, Shutterstock