REGALO EXTRA WIDE SAFETY GATE

I got this for a pretty unorthodox reason but I'm really glad I did cause it's working out really well for me. I have a litter box for my two cats in the bathroom because it's the easiest place for us to keep it contained....unfortunately I also have two dogs and they will make a huge mess out of it if I don't keep them out of there. For a while I was using a regular baby gate but it was such a pain in the butt to have to step over it every time I wanted to go in and out of the bathroom. I also had to put a box on either side of it so that they could get in and out without having to scale the gate so I not only had to step over the gate, I also had to step over the boxes. And taking the more traditional baby gate up and down over and over again is not a fun task so I was kind of at my wits end.When I got this one I was hoping the bars would be just wide enough that they could fit their heads through but unfortunately they were just a little bit too close together for them to fit.....which ordinarily for most people I'm sure would be a good thing since these are generally used to contain more than one species of creature to one side or the other, haha. After looking at the problem logically for a few minutes I realized that I could actually just mount the gate in the door frame about 5 inches up from the floor so that the cats can pop under it easily but the dogs can't fit through it. And it works PERFECTLY. The frame of the gate is obviously higher off the floor so I have to remember to step over it and I suppose it could be a trip hazard for some, but I haven't had a single problem remembering.Install was actually remarkably easy and it was very well described in the directions - just insert the four pins in the holes at the four corners, hold it in the doorway, and then unscrew the tension cap thingies until the rubber feet are firm against the door. A couple review said it would be better with two people but I did it by myself in 2-3 minutes. I was dumb and didn't even measure my door frame first (Durp!) but even though the item description says 29"-39" opening I was actually able to fit it into the 28 1/2" door frame. Upon first trying it I was actually really afraid it was going to be a bust and not fit even with the tension caps screwed in as far as they would go, but with a little bit of exertion I was able to get it to squeeze in and then only needed to unscrew the caps maybe 1/8" on either side to get it to stay super firm in the door frame. This one stays in MUCH better than the wooden baby gates that I've always used in the past. Even at their tightest with the little notches that the metal piece fits into I could never get nearly as nice, firm fit as this one has. And actually at first I did have it extended too far and the latch kept sticking really obnoxiously but I unscrewed each side just a few turns on and it works very smoothly now. The gate also comes with an extender to make it up to 7 1/2" longer but I obviously didn't need that and ended up just storing it in the closet in case I ever decide to use it in a different area.The latch is extremely easy to use.....which would be a blessing and a curse for most people using it as a baby gate. It does have a little red "lock" that fits over the latch so that it can't be opened, but I can tell you right now my friend's very smart 2 year old would have this sucker figured out in a matter of minutes. I'm not really sure how you would avoid that though because unlike the baby gates that have the closure that can just be put on the other side, this one is right on top and pretty easily reachable. Fortunately for me, no matter how brilliant they are, my dog's don't have thumbs... ;)The metal of the gate itself seems really heavy duty and sturdy and all of the fittings were really nice quality as well. I imagine this gate is going to hold up for a long time and I actually think it looks more attractive than the standard wooden baby gates too. My dogs are pretty annoyed I've blocked their access but the cats and the rest of the family are all happy not to have to deal with that nasty nonsense anymore. :)

I recently bought this baby gate, and it’s been a great addition to our home. Installation was quick and straightforward — took just a few minutes with no headaches. It fits securely in the doorway and feels very solid once in place, which gives me peace of mind knowing our little one is safe.The latch is easy for adults to open with one hand but secure enough that curious toddlers can’t figure it out. The height is just right, and the overall design looks clean and fits in well with the rest of our home.Whether you’re blocking off stairs, hallways, or rooms, this gate does the job perfectly. It’s sturdy, functional, and a must-have for keeping your baby or even pets safe. Highly recommend!

UPDATE: PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS PRODUCT HAS CHANGED MODELS SINCE I WROTE THE FOLLOWING REVIEW. PLEASE SEE UPDATE 2013 COMMENTS ON THE NEW MODEL AT THE END....We needed a baby gate that was wide enough to put at the bottom of our stairs (about 41 inches), but other extra wide gates were expensive once you had to get the extensions to make them wide enough or you had to hardware mount them to the wall and who wants to screw things into their wall? Or, in our case, the banisters on one side of the stairs. (the gate DOES come with hardware mounts though if you prefer)This gate is great and we feel it's a good value. It operates easily,couldn't have been easier to assemble and attaches securely. Our 5 month old daughter pulls herself up on it and it doesn't budge and just the other day we had a very large 18mo old boy at our house and he was pulling on it and it still didn't move.I think there had been a previous version of this gate where a child had gotten their finger injured in it, but after inspecting the latching system thoroughly and even letting it slam shut on my own finger (it couldn't) I really can't see how anyone child or adult could be injured. So I'd say this version seems to have corrected whatever problem the older model had.A tip for attaching it to a banister on one side, just velcro strap a board to the flat part of the banister so the pressure mounts have something to press against.A note.... the gate will look like it's broken and won't close properly if you hold it up straight out of the box. It's the pressure put on the gate when it's mounted that ensures it closes properly.And, a note for the surprising number of people who have gotten worked up thinking this is a "fake" manufacturer generated review..... it's not. While it's been very entertaining over the years to see people who have the time to get worked up over my review of a baby gate, I have no affiliation with the Regalo company other than as a satisfied customer. :)UPDATE 2013: We're kind of annoyed that Amazon has kept all of the old reviews after Regalo changed product models and now probably most of the reviews you seee here which now no longer apply to this new model. It appears that the "Regalo Easy Open 52 Inch Super Wide Walk Thru Gate" now fits the description of the gate we have that I wrote the original review for and that's the one we're getting after we send this "new model" back. We wanted to get a second one of these gates because they're so great and we got what we thought was the same gate we bought in 2010 when I first wrote the review, but opened the box and nope! Not exactly the same, a newer model (the one pictured) which does NOT have the same operating mechanism and does NOT come with the same number of extensions and thus does not expand as far! The old mechanism was very easy to use one-handed. It was simply a spring loaded thumb lever. Check out the closeup of the latch for the "Regalo Easy Open 52 Inch Super Wide Walk Thru Gate" which appears to still have the old latch mechanism and compare it to the closeup of the "EasyStep Walk Thru" mechanism. This new model, after you slide back the thumb lever, you have to use your other hand to lift up another latch to be able to open the gate. Any parent knows you're going to be carrying kid+stuff a lot of the time and a gate you have to use two hands to open is a deal breaker for us! I should note that my husband has large hands and is technically able to open it one handed by pushing the lever with his thumb (instead of pulling it back as intended) and then using his other fingers on the same hand to kind of nudge the other latch up out of the way but he thinks it's ridiculous and I definitely can't physically do it.

These gates are fantastic! They work well and have a great price point. The latch is easy to maneuver and the added feature that the latch can keep the gate closed without “locking” is handy to keep the door from swinging.What keeps me from giving a full 5 stars is what I feel to be a slightly strange size without the extension. I wanted to use the gate in a doorway because we removed the door from my toddlers room to keep her from closing it and visibility, but wanted to keep her contained without the door. The gate is quite wiggly in the doorway because the bolts are near their ends at the tension points. It’s sturdy enough to perform its function though so not a huge deal, but the extension is too long to fit in that space so it’s a bit of an “odd” fit.In addition it would be nice to have the ability for the door to swing both directions but that’s a small thing. Overall very happy with this purchase. We now have 2 and will likely get another!