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Rating:  -
This gate is really great. It is very easy to install and use. Regular gates are a hassle if your walls are not perfectly straight, but that is not an issue with this gate-No more spending 5 minutes fighting with the gate each time you pass through it. It is also very convenient that it expands so easily to accomodate different doorways.
I can see that you would have to be careful with toddlers who might be tempted to climb over it or play with the latches, but for a pet gate, it is perfect.
Rating: -
I already had one of these gates at the top of our stairs from when our children were small. It's the only one that I could find that was simple enough for my older children to work and expandable to a very wide doorway. I needed a second gate to lock our toy poodle into an area of the house, and too many of the gates were too difficult for the children to manipulate. Some other gates had holes on the edges that the dog was small enough to squeeze through. I couldn't find this anywhere in local stores, so had to buy it online. Love this gate.
Rating:  -
4 stars instead of 5 because I think this gate is ideal for pets (5 stars), but I believe it would have serious limitations for use with toddlers (3 stars). Frankly, I'd invest more bucks and get a more secure gate if this was being purchased to protect a child. That said, this gate was very quick to install, and we found that the latching mechanism was easy to work. Once unlatched, the super lightweight gate lifts up and out of eye hooks and swings open. Seems like an adventurous kid could climb this gate, but to keep our dogs from using the living room as their own private crash pad... it's been perfect. I love how this gate expands to accommodate a wide range of doorway sizes. So if you're looking for a cheap, versatile gate to restrict pet access, this is a terrific one.
One year later, I'd like to add to my review:
We just bought a second one of these gates to block access to another room. If you're using these for pets, and therefore a toddler's safety is NOT a factor, you can use a screwdriver to wedge the latch into a permanently open position. This way you can lift the gate up and out of the top eye hook without having to fuss with the latch each time. Makes for an ultra easy gate to live with. But please, I'm only suggesting this for PET usage. In NO WAY should anyone fiddle with the latch if they're using this for a child.
Rating:  -
We have wide opening about 4.5 feet wide and bought the Graco Expansion Swing Gate as the only decent option for a wide opening.
Pro:
-Really easy install (I did it with only a tape measure and pencil)
-Effective* (see negatives for more detail)
-Covers a wide opening* (see negatives for more detail)
Con:
-Make sure that you close the gate properly... the bottom latch is easy to miss
-The "locking latch" is very small, not an issue for us, but I can see others having trouble
-The wider applications open up gaps in the gate that can be used to climb over it
-No options to consider to let our cats pass
Bottom line: Not a substitute for supervision. We think you should carefully weigh pros and cons of any gate before making a purchase, and consider more than one style in your home (like we did) to custom taylor your solutions to each situation.
Rating: -
I was having a terrible time finding a baby gate that would stretch enough to cover our large wall to wall opening. This one was the only one I could find that did it! My husband installed in relatively fast & it works great. Taller people may be able to step over it, but I'm a shortie (5'0) so I have to use the latch. Unfortunately, the latch is kind of difficult to use. You have to press hard & be careful not to pinch yourself. So far I'm very pleased with this purchase!
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