We've gotten a lot of questions about how the black kennel will fare in the heat. Here's the deal.
Temperature Ceiling
Based on our testing, the black kennel color should not make a significant difference in interior temperature.
Essentially, the material we use for the GUNNER kennels has a "temperature ceiling" or a maximum temperature it will reach from sun exposure. All of our kennels—regardless of color—could reach this specific temperature depending on weather, location, and various other factors.
Our black and gunmetal kennels are very similar, and color has little bearing on the heat performance with the materials we use to create the kennels. The difference is that each color reaches this temperature at a different rate.
So yes, the black kennel could reach this temperature faster than other lighter colors. It's important to note though that the double-wall construction keeps the temperature inside the kennel relatively stable. Although the surface of the kennel may feel warmer, the interior will not due to the double-walled construction.
Plus, keep in mind that we compared the G1™ kennel against two other crates and the results showed that the GUNNER consistently stayed an average of 10% cooler than the other single-wall rotomolded box and the aluminum crate.
Black Kennel Testing
Our engineering team conducted testing on the black kennel to ensure the color difference wouldn’t impact the interior temperature or the dog in the kennel. The testing results show that there’s very little difference between the interior temperature of the black and gunmetal color variants:
For Those Who Speak “Engineer”
Most heat transfer from the sun takes place on the far infrared spectrum. Looking at our kennels on far-infrared wavelengths, our kennels would all look the same as they are all made with the same resin. A small amount of heat transfer on the visible light spectrum will cause the kennel's exterior to feel warmer.
However, the double wall construction eliminates any difference your dog would feel. The surface may feel different; however, the inside will feel the same.
If you don't believe us, we got our R&D team to shoot us this to back it up:
"Lighter colors and also whites and metallic substances absorb less of the illuminating light, and as a result heat up less; but otherwise color makes little difference as regards heat transfer between an object at everyday temperatures and its surroundings, since the dominant emitted wavelengths are nowhere near the visible spectrum, but rather in the far infrared. Emissivities at those wavelengths are largely unrelated to visual emissivities (visible colors); in the far infra-red, most objects have high emissivities. Thus, except in sunlight, the color of clothing makes little difference as regards warmth; likewise, paint color of houses makes little difference to warmth except when the painted part is sunlit.” (Blundell, Stephen, and Katherine M. Blundell. Concepts in Thermal Physics. Oxford University Press, 2008.)
