Omlet’s Hamster Enclosure

I finally did it! I got the Omlet hamster enclosure and set it up for my new, little pal, Chet!

Is There a Sale Right Now??

Why yes, there is! Omlet is currently having a sale (July 4th, 2025 - July 13, 2025), 20% off their WHOLE SITE!!! It’s a great opportunity to try out their playpen, or the whole, kit and caboodle, like I did! For more on my experience, read below!

Chet’s new home from Omlet! Isn’t it pretty!?

Full disclosure, Omlet did gift me this enclosure, but my thoughts are my own!

What I got:

I got the cage with the stand & storage, along with the “advanced kit” for the platforms and ramps. I also opted to add on the sandbath (which comes on stilts for your hamster’s safety!)

The cage comes WITH an 10 1/2”, silent wheel that attaches to the bars of the enclosure. It also comes with two, cardboard, multichamber hides, a water bottle, and a corner food bowl. You can purchase a glass water bowl separately (which I did not, although now I’m tempted to so I can complete my Omlet enclosure!)

I already own the Size L Omlet Playpen, so I did not add that option on (although it is an easy add on and I do highly recommend!)

My goal with this set-up was to use only the items from Omlet to set up a species-appropriate enclosure for my dwarf hamster, Chet. Omlet currently does not sell food, bedding, or seed sprays, so those are the only items I did not purchase through Omlet.

(actually, now that I write this, I realize that I DID add the ceramic strawberry hide (https://amzn.to/3IsxINn), as I think every hamster should have at least one ceramic hide in their enclosure. Omlet currently does not sell any ceramic hides)

Thank you, Omlet, for my new home! -Chet

How it Arrived:

It arrived in a very large box, safe and sound! Once I opened it and start assembly I was SO impressed by how nicely it was packaged (very cleverly designed!) and that there was virtually NO PLASTIC!!! (Yipee!)

SIDE NOTE: I try to reuse packaging or find people who are moving to donate it to, but sometimes I am overwhelmed by Styrofoam pieces that come with new hamster products and end up spending a lot of time finding alternatives for those non-recyclable items other than the trash (I did find a cool crafts center that likes the foam pieces that come with many hamster wheels, so that’s nice! But it does add another thing to my “to-do” list…)

This is not an issue with the Omlet hamster cage! Everything comes on or in cardboard or thick paper! Even the screws come in little paper envelopes!

Overall, everything felt so nice. The way it was packaged was very clever and felt so high quality. I could tell as I pulled everything apart how much love and care went into this enclosure :)

How Big is it?

It’s pretty big! I put it next to the 200 gallon stacker to see how it compared - it’s comparable but definitely feels a bit larger.

The bottom pan tapers a bit, so it’s a little complicated to measure, but if I measure at the base of the acrylic portion, the enclosure is 33” wide, 21” deep, & 19” high. That comes to about 700 square inches of floor space and feels totally suitable for a dwarf or robo hamster.

*Personally, I would not recommend this for a Syrian hamster, as they can be more demanding in regards to square inches, particularly female Syrians. For any Syrian hamster I would recommend a 75 gallon tank, a Bucatstate 3.0 (https://amzn.to/4nzsZd0 ) , a 48” Prolee Enclosure (https://amzn.to/3G9WscP ) or a Niteangel Vista Size L (https://amzn.to/4eA53Cg ).

How Easy Was Assembly?

Assembly was a little more involved than many other hamster cages I have assembled… BUT, I think that’s more of a reflection on how sturdy this enclosure is. It is NOT a flimsy, cheap cage, nor does it come in two pieces that you just plop together.

I know that a challenge with selling large hamster cages is the shipping - these companies need to be able to flat-pack as much as possible to reduce the shipping costs, but it does mean that assembly is a little more involved once it gets to the consumer.

In short- the turquoise pan & wire-cage topper arrive in one piece, but you do need to assemble the acrylic portion that sits between them. There were a few steps that went into this, and it did take me some time to get it together. It certainly wasn’t too complicated and when I was finished, the cage felt extremely sturdy.

Once I got it together, however, I LOVE how easy it is to remove the cage portion on top by releasing the orange bungee cords!

As of writing this post I have not yet put together the legs and storage that go beneath the cage - I got busy this week dealing with some other hamster going ons (I lost sweet, little Peggy this week! AND adopted three new friends a few weeks ago who I’m working on getting settled still…), but once I finish, I’ll be publishing a video on my YouTube channel all about this enclosure!

The orange bungee cords keep the cage portion on the bottom portion of the enclosure

How Easy Was Adding In All the Hamster Elements?

Once I got the cage together, then I could start adding in the bedding, the wheel, the sand-bath, the water, the platforms & ramps.

Like any enclsoure, I think this part can be challenging, particularly when you’re working in a new space with new challenges.

I did find attaching the wheel to the cage a bit challenging. Maybe it was my own fault because I put it way in the back, so I had to have one arm reaching all the way in the cage from the front opening, while I attached it with my other arm on the back of the cage. In that moment I wished there was a top access area in addition to the front access, but I made it work just fine. Maybe you can learn from my mistake and put the wheel on one of the sides instead? …Although you’d still need to attach the platforms, so I think the way I did it was fine, and it’s just a challenge you have to work through! Maybe having a friend would help.

Little Chet inspects his new wheel for safety

Once it has cleared his inspection, he gives it a test run…. all clear!

On the whole, I think this IS the challenge - once you put bedding in the enclosure, you need to attach all the pieces to the cage, so it’s a little bit awkward having to reach in and around. It took me a few tries to get the platforms level (and to figure out where to place them and the sand bath), but once I got it, I got it.

Given that I ended up attaching the platforms, ramps & wheel to the cage, I doubt that I will be removing the cage portion to interact with Chet as they show on the website… but that’s okay! I actually really like the front entrance. I can tell that Chet finds it less threatening than a vertical visit from me. He’s still a bit sassy, but I think we might make some progress…

The platforms are secured onto the bars with these little green circles - the only trick is making sure you have the platform level!

I actually really love the cardboard multi-chamber hide! I am used to the wooden, heavy ones from Niteangel that also function as a platform (https://amzn.to/3TqgPW3 ). While these are great, they do come with the risk of crushing your hamster if you don’t have them on stilts. The cardboard, multichamber hide is the perfect compromise. I didn’t have to over-think where it would sit nor did I have to wrestle stilts onto the hide or get out my hot glue gun to re-attach legs that have come off… I just plopped it in where it felt right and Chet went right to work making it his new home :)

Chet enjoys a millet seed snack outside of his cardboard, multichamber hide

Now That It’s Set Up - How is it Going?

It’s been fun having a wire cage again!

The bar spacing is very small (approx 1/4”) so no fear of a hamster escaping from this enclosure, even a robo would be safe in here!

Since Chet is fairly nervous and a bit bitey, having the wires has given me a new way to interact with him that isn’t so contentious - I can feed him treats through the bars! Chet has started coming out excitedly when he hears me and sticks his little mouth out hoping I’ll slide a pumpkin seed in it (hah!). It’s become almost a party trick of his, and when I have visitors I give them a few sunflower seeds to pass to Chet through the bars. I’m hopeful we’ll make some progress with him this way and eventually he will be a sweet little cuddle bug (although if he’s not, I’ll still love him!).

Wee Chet looks for someone to slip him a sunflower seed…

I also really love the front entry point - Chet definitely does not like a hand entering from above - and who can blame him, he IS a prey animal, after all, and hungry predators would typically attack from above. Entering his space on HIS level does seem to make a difference. Last time I replaced his water dish he wasn’t friendly, but he wasn’t swatting at my hand either.

The only part that is a bit tricky is cleaning the wheel. Chet is your typical, wheel pee-er, and he needs a clean quite frequently. I haven’t figured out an easy way to take his wheel off and on without him getting too upset, so I’ve just been using a baby wipe to wipe it clean every day or so. It’s a bit wasteful and I would prefer not to use a baby wipe, but, it is working for now. I’ll let you know if I think of a better method…

In Summary…

Pros:

It’s a one-stop shop for (almost) all your dwarf hamster needs! If you get the “Advanced Kit” to include the two ramps & platform, AND the sand-bath add-on, you will have everything you need except bedding, sand and food.
Everything is high quality & well made
there’s NO plastic in the packaging (yay!)
The option to have it on legs is a great add on - keeping your hamster elevated is safer for your hamster (particularly if there are small kids or other pets in the home)
Cages allow for more airflow than a tank or tank-style enclosure, which is healthier for your hamster.
bar spacing is 1/4” and suitable for even the tiniest of hamsters (ROBOS!!)
Front entrance is more friendly to hamsters who are prey animals and can be nervous about an entry point from above.

Cons:

It isn’t the cheapest option (but remember that this enclosure comes with items you would normally buy separately - like a water bottle, wheel, platforms, sand bath, bridges, and multichamber hide. When you think of it that way, it is actually a fairly economical way to start your hamster-care journey)
There is just one size option for the enclosure and wheel - for this reason, I would only recommend this cage for dwarf hamsters. Of course there are always exceptions, but most Syrian hamsters will be more demanding when it comes to space needs, and are more likely to be bar-biting or climbing on the bars.
There is a chance for a particularly anxious, dwarf hamster to climb on the bars or bite them - neither is healthy for your hamster. However, IF your hamster has enough burrowing space (10-12” throughout the enclosure is best!) & enrichment (think boredom breakers, sprays, flowers, hides, etc), they will be less likely to have this issue. Based on my own experience, I believe this enclosure is large enough for most dwarf hamsters to be happy in. Some particularly demanding or active hamsters may want something larger or want a lot of time out of their enclosure (a great reason to invest in an Omlet Playpen!).
It’s a bit tricky to get the wheel and platforms in, and hence, a bit harder to remove them to give them a wash. Fix for now is using a baby wipe. Maybe I’ll come up with something better in the future…
Only one entrance point - in the front, which can make it difficult to get things in and out of the enclosure. I do wish there was also a top entrance!

Having lots of bedding (10-12” deep throughout) and enriching seed spays (like the millet Chet is nibbling on) will help anxious hamsters feel more relaxed and happy in their space!

What Do You Think?!

I would love to hear from YOU! Do you have this cage, or are you interested in it? What do you think of it?

*Please note - the links to the Omlet website are affiliate links. The links to Amazon are also affiliate links - I earn from qualifying purchases.