I bought this gate because I was desperate and it was the first one I found that could keep my crawling baby out of the kitchen in our apartment. It is definitely a softer wood than I expected it to be but I did like how easy it was to install and since it was a doorway I went in and out of a lot I liked how easy it was to open and close. Now that we are in our dream home I found that it was perfect to keep my daughter in the playroom or out of the kitchen when I need to. Our home is very open and we didn't want to see baby gear when it isn't in use so I really like how easy the gate is to take down completely, all that is left are the small hooks. I will say that I am lucky that my daughter doesn't seem interested in getting through the gate because now that she is a bit bigger and stronger I'm not convinced that it would hold up very well if she really tried. And I definitely wouldn't feel safe using it on stairs.

mariecarey

USA

Cons: My baby is one year old, and pretty good about rattling/smashing/banging/hanging on/throwing things. She has not yet broken the gate, but I think it's time to reinforce it. It looks like it's ready to fall apart at any second. It can also be difficult and frustrating to open/close the gate (it's one of those things that they almost made parent-proof in an effort to make it child-proof). I can't complain too loudly about that one---it kind of comes with the childproofing territory--but sometimes, when you're opening one side, the bottom latch comes off on the other side (there are two latches on each side). It's not wide open, but it's not the best childproof design. Pros: Despite all this, it works, it hasn't broken, and it hasn't let my baby out or injured her. Also, it's really cheap. Even with the alterations we're going to make to it, it will be so much cheaper than any other gate of this size.

jetank

Newnan, GA

My wife and I recently had a new deck built on our house. The deck is elevated off the ground, and has a 48-inch wide stairway. We have an 18-month old child that loves to play outside. This gate fit the stairway opening perfectly. The hardware mounts to the deck posts perfectly. Better still is that the gate can be lifted up and off of the mounting hardware. This extra feature allows us to bring the gate indoors during inclement weather (rain, snow, etc.), to ensure longer life of the gate. the latch mechanism is simple to operate, yet challenging enough to small children that they cannot open it. I recommend this gate without reservation to anyone looking for a safety gate to fit a wide stairway opening.

robenecker

Linthicum Heights, MD