Crates/Pens/Containment
Lets start with crates. One of the most important things that you will need for your dog. I personally prefer RuffLand Kennels for my own dogs. They're easy to wash out, they don't take up a ton of space, aesthetically pleasing, fit nicely in my car, and do not rattle like wire crates. They are more pricey so that's really up to you if you choose to make that investment. For the car, smaller is better. If you're in an accident it is safer for dogs to have less space to be jostled around on impact. I prefer the Intermediate size for all Aussies. Now for at home the bigger boys (+60lbs) might prefer a Large if they like to sprawl out, but I've found that most Aussies will curl up in their crates anyways. If you're fine with just the plain white colored crate Scheel's is the cheapest I've found them new, or if you live near a Cabela's I've learned that they will price match Scheels if you show them the web price.
For wire crates I suggest getting a 30" crate for a female Aussie or 36" crate for a male Aussie. They need just enough space to stand up and turn around in the crate. Much bigger and you do risk more accidents while potty training.
I also suggest getting an exercise pen for when your puppy is young. This gives them a controlled environment and more room to move around when you aren't directly supervising them. These are also great for traveling/camping/dog shows if your dog might need a space to move about but you don't want to be stuck holding them on leash the whole time. I have found that 36" height is adequate for most dogs. I also prefer the X-pen without a door and I just open and close if with clips, but that's personal preference.
I'm pretty picky about safety gates. I don't like the ones with horizontal bars as dogs can easily learn to climb them. I also like to be able to keep them open when I'm not trying to section of an area. It's not fun trying to open multiple gates while carrying something like a load of laundry. These are what I've found to work best. They auto-close with a bump but also easily click into a stay open position. The biggest thing you need to do is just decide the height and width you need.
For my puppy pen I use a heavy duty x-pen. Puppies can't move these around very easily like they can regular x-pens. I like using them outside to give my puppy space from the older dogs and know that they're safely secure to be wild puppies. These pens are also great if you go on a long camping trip or to a longer dog show/trial and can leave the pen up for several days. (I like using two of them put together as a play yard for all my dogs at our ASCA National.) They are bigger and heavier and a bit more work to set up than a regular x-pen so not something I'd suggest if you have to take down/move it daily or if you're limited on space in your vehicle. I personally use 16 panels if I have more than one dog that is playing in it, but 8 panels would be sufficient for a single dog or if they weren't roughhousing and you were using it simply as a somewhere for them to hang out and/or a potty area.
If you plan to travel with your dog, visit friends, stay in hotels, do obedience/rally/agility trials, I suggest purchasing a soft crate as well. These are not something that I would put a young puppy in and walk away. It does take some training as they could decide to chew their way out if they wanted to. I usually start using these around 6-7 months when the puppy is closer to fully potty trained and when I'm in an environment where the puppy is not going to actually be fully unsupervised but I'll be in the room. Usually a hotel room or a friend's house. Until I'm positive that my puppy understands that this is the same as a hard crate, I don't leave them unsupervised in this. These are very lightweight, easy to setup and take down, they don't make noise like wire crates, and they come in a variety of colors. They are also very roomy for the dog. I don't believe a male Aussie would need anything bigger than a 30" soft crate. They also make an x-pen version of a soft crate which fits 2-3 trained dogs easily.
For crate beds I find most puppies either prefer the plastic crate pan as they run hot. Some do like beds though and I prefer these basic beds for in their crate. they are cheap and easy to wash.
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This page may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.