Very Sturdy If Set Up Correctly
Pros:
Very strong, self-closing, flexible installation directions
Cons:
Expensive (at least where we ordered it from)
The Bottom Line:
I would recommend this gate to someone who needs a sturdy child or pet safety gate because this one will stand up to the challenge -- literally!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
My husband and I decided to put up a child safety gate in order to save us the daunting task of childproofing the whole kitchen. Because we're renters, we were looking for a tension-mounted gate capable of blocking off our whole kitchen area. We also wanted the convenience of a door that opened and shut rather than the type of gate that requires the user to remove and re-install the entire gate each time. Finally, we found the North States Auto Close Gate in a baby catalog.
It was very expensive through the catalog, and I've found it for less in stores. Be sure to shop around for a good price!
To cover the whole entry to the kitchen, we ended up having to purchase the gate as well as one extension kit.
When our gate arrived , I was instantly impressed with the quality of the steel frame. We owned three other cheapie plastic gates, but wanted one that would stand up to our little guys. This one sure met our expectations! It has stood up to repeated abuse from our little guys (now 17 months old), who have jumped on, hung off of and rocked back and forth on this gate in several attempts to get in to help mamma in the kitchen.
One other feature that we also like in the gate is the auto close feature. It will close behind you with a pretty loud "click" to let you know that it has shut. This is very handy for absent-minded me! Just note that the instructions are not kidding about being sure that the gate is level. If the gate is "off" in one direction, it will slam shut each time. If it is "off" in the other direction, it will stay open.
Because of our kitchen's layout, we would have to install the gates between two of our kitchen cabinets. Because we are renters (and therefore unable to drill into said cabinets if we wanted our deposit back), this involved some pretty creative installation techniques. Because of this (and not because of the gate itself) our gate can be wobbly at times.
