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Marten live trap buying guide: length and the door

Updated: October 2026

If you are comparing a cage whose amazon.co.uk title says marten, start with the animal and the law, not the price. This marten live trap buying guide explains how to read length, doors, review evidence and conflicting specifications before you use the [marten live trap comparison](/hub/traps/marten-live-trap). A shop listing that names martens is not evidence that the cage is approved for taking a protected pine marten. Once the target and the use are lawful, choose enough usable length, check how the door works on the intended surface, and weigh UK reviews above a star average shared across variants. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you are comparing a cage whose amazon.co.uk title says marten, start with the animal and the law, not the price.

Our top picks

VOUNOT VOUNOT 80 cm cage, green

Best overall

VOUNOT VOUNOT 80 cm cage, green
9.0/10about £35.99
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SARSTRY SARSTRY 79 cm folding cage

Rank 2

SARSTRY SARSTRY 79 cm folding cage
8.8/10about £44.99
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Thealyn Thealyn double-door cage, 105 cm

Alternative

Thealyn Thealyn double-door cage, 105 cm
7.2/10about £57.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Start with the animal, not the basket
  2. 2.Match length to a body, not to a coyote cage
  3. 3.Compare doors, mesh and practical placement
  4. 4.What the stars and prices actually tell you

Start with the animal, not the basket

Pine martens are protected in the UK, and an Amazon product title does not replace those rules. In England and Wales, official guidance names Tomahawk models 205 and 206NC for licensed pine-marten trapping. None of the nine ASINs in this comparison is one of those models. Natural England's A29 licence is for survey, research or conservation, rather than a general householder route for removing an unwanted animal. Country-by-country detail is in the pine marten trap licence UK guide. Marketplace titles combine martens with rats, rabbits, cats and foxes, and some are written for markets where marten means a different species. Humane, live catch and marten trap are product descriptions, not UK approvals. If the animal may be a pine marten, pause and contact the relevant statutory nature body.

Match length to a body, not to a coyote cage

Adult pine martens are roughly 46–54 cm long in the body. Vincent Wildlife Trust figures put the tail at about 18–27 cm. That is context, not a do-it-yourself trap specification. Tomahawk model 205 is listed by a UK supplier at 660 x 229 x 229 mm, and that does not make every cage around 66 cm equivalent. Windhager states 61 cm, SARSTRY 79 cm, the VOUNOT pair 80 cm and 100 cm, Kerbl 100 cm, Thealyn 105 cm and the largest Tcowoy 145 cm. The 145 cm cage weighs 17.2 kg, is marketed for animals up to 50 lb and costs £180.99. More length is not automatically better. VOUNOT's title and details swap the same three measurements. Thealyn gives 105 x 40 x 31 cm in the title and 105 x 31 x 40 cm in the details. Windhager's details print 200 g for a 61 cm galvanised wire box. Kerbl's page mixes a Kerbl title with cit in the brand field. Record those conflicts before you pay.
VOUNOT VOUNOT 80 cm cage, green

Testsieger

VOUNOT VOUNOT 80 cm cage, green
9.0/10about £35.99
View offer

Compare doors, mesh and practical placement

A two-entry design may look less obstructive along a run, and it gives wind and uneven ground more mechanisms to disturb. UK reviews of the 105 cm Thealyn report doors jamming when the cage is not level, both ends triggering in wind, and door parts coming apart. The 100 cm Kerbl has two entry places, a pedal and a fold-down handle. Reviews outside the UK report sharp door edges and a setting arm that may close a door before the animal is fully inside. The SARSTRY folds and uses a spring-loaded door. UK reviewers mention cutting cable ties and using the carry handles. One non-UK reviewer found the plate too stiff for a cat. Test a cage only for a lawful target, on a flat surface, with the door path clear. Press the plate from outside with a stick. The sequence is in the guide to setting a live cage. Galvanised steel does not confirm safe edges or a dependable trigger.

What the stars and prices actually tell you

Captured amazon.co.uk prices run from £35.99 for the 80 cm VOUNOT to £180.99 for the 145 cm Tcowoy. The cheaper VOUNOT is the best-value data pick among cages that name martens. That label is a comparison rule, not legality. The 100 cm sibling is £40.99, Windhager £46.01 and Kerbl £66.30. Shelf prices move. Both VOUNOT sizes show 4.5 from 44, and the available review bodies are not UK-labelled and match across the two files. The Tcowoy 32 inch cage is 5.0 from two ratings. Thealyn has 382 UK-labelled reviews and a 3.6 average. SARSTRY has 11 ratings, three of them UK-labelled. Which job those numbers actually fit is in the best marten live trap comparison by stated job.

Common questions

What size cage should I buy for a pine marten?
Do not choose a pine-marten cage from body measurements alone. Pine martens are protected, and England and Wales guidance names Tomahawk models 205 and 206NC for licensed capture. None of the nine Amazon ASINs compared here is one of those named models. Confirm the licence, country rules and approved equipment with the relevant statutory body first.
Is a 61 cm Windhager cage long enough?
The title states 61 cm, and length alone cannot establish suitability. The listing names martens and smaller rodents, while reviews report empty trips and bait taken without capture. It is also not a named pine-marten trap in official England or Wales guidance, so its size must not be treated as legal approval.
Is one door or two better?
Two doors can provide approaches from both directions, and they add another closing mechanism that may be more exposed to false trips. UK reviews of the two-door Thealyn describe wind trips and jams on uneven ground. A single well-aligned door may be simpler, although its trigger and closing path still need checking.
Does humane mean a cage is approved?
No. Humane is a marketing description unless it is tied to the relevant legal approval, licence and use. For pine martens, official guidance and the licence conditions govern the equipment. A live-catch cage can still cause suffering if it is unsuitable, poorly placed or left without appropriate attention.
Which listings have useful UK review evidence?
Thealyn has the largest UK-labelled review base in this set, with 382 reviews and detailed reports of both catches and door problems. SARSTRY has three available UK review bodies among 11 ratings. VOUNOT's available text is shared between sizes and not UK-labelled, while several other rows have little or no written UK evidence.
What should I check before ordering?
Confirm the lawful target, exact dimensions, door count, trigger design, weight, folding joints and the source of the reviews. Save the listing details if its title and specification table conflict. If the animal could be a pine marten, stop at identification and legal advice rather than ordering a marketplace cage.

Related pages

Pine marten in the loft

Marten live trap

Best marten live trap for the job you actually have

How to set a marten live trap on flat, clear ground

Pine marten trap licence UK: country and equipment

Sources

Public UK sources for pine-marten protection, licensing and body size. Listings are the amazon.co.uk captures for these nine ASINs, not a live reload on 17 October 2026. Prices on amazon.co.uk move. None of these sources names any of the nine ASINs as an approved pine-marten trap.

  1. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Schedule 5 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  2. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 11 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK, trapping badgers, beavers, otters and pine martens (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  4. NatureScot, pine marten protection (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  5. NatureScot, pine martens and licensing (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  6. Vincent Wildlife Trust, pine marten (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  7. Animal Welfare Act 2006, section 4 (retrieved 17 October 2026)
  8. Forestry England, pine martens (retrieved 17 October 2026)