Tired of having a loose dog food bag rolling around your pantry or garage? Grab one of the best dog food storage containers to keep your dog’s food fresh and the dog food bag out of sight.
Do I Need a Dog Food Storage Container?
Dog food storage containers keep your dog’s food, treats, or dental chews safe from pests and from your pets! Unsecured dog food bags are hotbeds for ants, mice, and other bugs—and dogs and cats can easily get into them too. Dog food storage containers can also help keep dry dog food fresh for longer when used properly.
Dog food experiences changes in its nutritional value when exposed to air, moisture, and varying temperatures, so keeping your dog’s food in a stable, secure environment will make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need.
Is It Safe to Use a Dog Food Storage Container?
It’s recommended to keep your dog’s food in the original bag and then put the entire bag into the storage container. This ensures your storage container doesn’t get dirty, and that you retain all the information on the original food bag (UPC code, lot number, “best by” date, and other info) in case of a recall.
If you want to pour the food into the dog food storage container, ensure the container is clean and completely dry, and that it’s airtight. If your container isn’t dry before you pour food into it, it’s a mold risk. You should also wash and dry the container each time you finish a bag of food and before adding a new bag of food to it. This ensures that no crumbs or fat remain in the container, which can go rancid and affect the fresh batch.
Traits We Want in a Dog Food Storage Container
Secure design: Dog food storage containers should be secure enough that crafty pets can’t open them and that pests like ants and mice steer clear.
Airtight: An airtight seal on your dog food storage container will keep your dog food fresh for longer and ensure that any excess moisture is kept out.
Easy to clean: Whether you pour an entire bag of dog food into it or keep the food in its original bag, you’ll eventually need to clean your dog food storage container. An option without too many nooks and crannies makes it easier to hose off or to scrub in the sink.
Extra features: Additional dog-proof and wildlife-proof locks and included food scoopers or measuring cups are nice-to-have bonuses.
Read on for the best dog food storage containers tested for Whole Dog Journal:
| Whole Dog Journal Rating | Product Name | Size & Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Gamma2 Vittles Vault Pet Food Storage | $40 for 30-pound capacity $50 for 50-pound capacity $100 for 80-pound capacity | Sitting at the intersection of functionality and affordability, the Gamma2 Vittles Vault is made of BPA-free plastic and features double gaskets for an airtight seal that keep moisture and bugs out. |
| GUNNER Food Crate | $225 for 30-pound capacity $275 for 50-pound capacity | The Gunner Food Crate is easily the most durable option on this list and its proven IP66 waterproofing rating inspires confidence against mold, moisture, odors, and UV light. |
| Simplehuman Pet Food Storage Container | $120 for medium $140 for large $150 for XL | This Simplehuman Pet Food Storage container is sleek, has an airlocking lid, and comes with a magnetic food scoop. It’s pet-proof, so it’s a good option for keeping inside your house if you like to store your dog’s food in the kitchen or pantry. |
| Yamazaki Home Tower Airtight Pet Food Storage Container | $30 for small $40 for medium $55 for large | Made for small spaces and even smaller breeds, the Yamazaki Home Tower Airtight Pet Food Storage Container brings minimalistic style in a small package. The largest size is ideal for small bags of food up to 15 pounds, while the smaller sizes are good storage options for dog treats or dental chews. Just be careful with the lid—some user reviews say it’s not the most durable. |
Best Overall Dog Food Storage Container: Gamma2 Vittles Vault Pet Food Storage
The Gamma2 Vittles Vault is one of the most popular dog food storage containers on the market. It comes in a wide variety of sizes, holding from 4-6 pounds of food up to 80 pounds. Although the wide-mouth lid isn’t the easiest to open, it makes up for since it’s easy to put your entire bag of dog food inside if you want to keep the food in the original bag.
Note that you’ll likely want to size up if you want to keep your dog’s food inside the original bag when using this container. All of the sizes seem to hold slightly less food than advertised, too. The 30-pound container I received for testing held about 20 pounds of food.
The Vittles Vault is made of BPA-free plastic, has a threaded locking system in the lid, and double gaskets that all work together to keep pests and moisture out of your dog’s food. It’s lightweight, has built-in handles that make it easy to move around, and isn’t too much of a hassle to clean, thanks to the wide mouth opening.
Best Pest-Proof Dog Food Storage Container: GUNNER Food Crate
Like the brand’s crash-tested dog crates, the GUNNER Food Crate is built tough. This rotomolded dog food storage container can withstand any impact, pest, or weather that comes its way. It features an IP66 waterproofing rating, meaning that it’s airtight and will protect your dog food from moisture, UV light, rancidity, and mold.
Those aren’t the only thing the Gunner Food Crate keeps out of your dog food. It’s also pest proof (and dog and cat proof). The draw lock makes it difficult for pests to get into your storage container and the pin adds an extra layer of safety. This container is ideal for storing food in your garage, outdoors, or on the road if you camp or overland with your dog.
The food crate is easy to hose off with a seamless lip and interior, but it’s not the best shape for scrubbing with soap. It’s also not the easiest to keep an entire dog food bag inside this container, as it’s difficult to get a full bag in the small opening. However, I’ve been able to do it with a 30-pound bag of food with a little bit of readjusting. These minor issues plus the high price ($225 for a container that holds 30 pounds of food or $275 for a container that holds 50 pounds of food) kept it at a 3.5 paw rating.
Best Stainless Steel Dog Food Storage Container: Simplehuman Pet Food Storage Container
The Simplehuman Pet Food Storage Container is really one of the most convenient options on this list. It’s stainless steel with a special coating that repels fingerprints and germs, has an airtight locking lid that pets can’t open themselves, and features a magnetic food scoop on the inside of the top lid.
It also has a wide mouth and comes in a variety of sizes for different sized bags of dog food. The large version we tested fits a full 30-pound bag of food directly in the container—no need to pour it out. The XL size fits up to 40 pounds of food. If you do decide to pour your kibble in this container, the Simplehuman Pet Food storage container features an inner plastic can that can be easily removed and washed.
The main downsides to this dog food storage container are that the wheels on it are relatively small and don’t move smoothly, and the price is high.
Best Dog Food Storage Container for Small Breeds and Small Spaces: Yamazaki Home Tower Airtight Pet Food Storage Container
If you have a small dog and don’t need to buy more than a small bag of food at a time, the Yamazaki Home Tower Airtight Pet Food Storage Container is great for small amounts of kibble. The largest size fits about 10-15 pounds of dog food while the smaller options are best suited for treat or dental chew storage.
This dog food storage container is simple and minimalistic, and comes in white and black with both featuring sleek transparent lids that make it easy to see how much food you have left. It also comes with a handy food scoop so you can measure your dog’s meals.
Just be careful with the lid—it’s not the easiest to open/close and some user reviews say that it’s not the most durable. It may break if you open or close it with too much force.
I fit my dog’s Farmina 26.4 lb bag in my Simplehuman large container. It might be a tight fit as my Farmina bag fills the container (the food stays in the bag). I love mine as it has a wonderful seal and back wheels.
I rotate about 4 brands of food for my dogs. I purchase most in small (~5#) bags, but two I purchase in 10# sizes. Could I fit 2 small and 2 medium bags into the Simplehuman large container?
I fit my dog’s Farmina 26.4 lb bag in my Simplehuman large container. It might be a tight fit as my Farmina bag fills the container (the food stays in the bag). I love mine as it has a wonderful seal and back wheels.