I have both the wire crate and the plastic crate. During crate training, I used the wire crate because it's recommended that there is sufficient space for the puppy to stand with an inch or two of space above the head and enough space to turn around. The plastic crate I had was from my previous dog and it's much too low to stand up. My dog now uses both - he likes to crawl into the smaller plastic crate as a napping place.
In the wire crate I use towels. Not too much, or they'll feel comfortable to pee inside. When he used to cry, I covered four sides of the crate, leaving the side with the crate door uncovered.
About the crying and acceptance of the crate.
PLEASE do a proper introduction of the crate. It requires training on your part. You cannot just lock up a puppy in a crate and expect them to like it.
All good behaviours you're looking for requires training on your part.
Take a good thorough read through these tips of DO's and DON'Ts.
The Dog Trainer : How to Teach Your Dog to Love His Crate :: Quick and Dirty Tips ? https://positively.com/dog-behavior/...joy-the-crate/