SOLID gate solution for WIDE locations
Pros:
STRONG, withstands toddler use, moveable, fits WIDE areas, easy to install.
Cons:
Leaves marks on the walls when removed. Hard to find for sale.
The Bottom Line:
If you need a wide gate that a standard gate won't fit, this is an excellent, strong, easy-to-use solution.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
This gate was 1 of 2 successful solutions we found that fit our super-wide doorways. We had a difficult time finding gates that fit our home -- our doorways are not standard widths in the downstairs.
We were VERY impressed with the STRENGTH of this gate. Our 2.5 year old son will climb on the bottom rail of the gate, hold onto the top rail, and JUMP. Yes, urgh. But the gate stayed SOLID.
This gate has an infinite adjustment width -- you twist the top and bottom horizontal rails to lengthen and shorten the width. You can even, if you like, make the top and bottom different widths -- say, the bottom lines up with your baseboards, which come out 3/4" from the wall. It takes a little tweaking to get it right, but it's a relatively painless process.
The center area is spanned by a mesh similar to what is on our pack and plays, and has stood up to 2 years of boy-filled use.
THERE IS NO HARDWARE INSTALLATION, so this is an excellent solution if you need to move the gate to different locations at all, say, upstairs, downstairs, or between rooms. It uses tension from an internal spring system and rubber ends to stay up against the walls (not unlike a super heavy-duty tension curtain rod, emphasis on the "heavy-duty").
The only drawback is that when you remove the gate it has a tendency to remove paint from the walls where the rubber was pressed against the wall. Although this is not so great, the alternative is filling and painting over screw holes common to other types of baby gates.
Oh, yeah, one more drawback -- they are difficult to find. They are not in high demand, so you can't just go down to WalMart and find them. You have to go to a baby specialty store like Toys R Us or Babies R Us, or find a distributor online. It tends to be a little more expensive: you can buy a cheap gate at WalMart for $10, these are $40-$50 a piece. However, the cheap gate won't fit a wide area and even in a narrow area, it often won't fit tightly enough to keep a child safe. It's worth the extra effort and expense to find this effective solution.
