Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 Solid, sturdy, metal gate... April 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm amazed at the extremely low reviews these Summer Infant gates are getting. These gates are absolutely wonderful. They are very sturdy, smooth in motion and they latch with a nice, solid feel. They look great and can easily be painted to match your decor. I didn't want hideous plastic gates uglifying my nice house.
I played with all kinds of gates, from plastic ones to wood ones to wire ones. I have 2 of these. I bought them because they are strong metal gates with reliable locking mechanisms and are extremely adjustable to varying-sized openings. I have one opening that is 5 feet wide and another that is 3 feet wide. My dogs and my son all beat on these gates and they're both doing great after 2 years.
Just like with any semi-permanent gate structure, installation is VERY important. Don't let someone with no mechanical ability install this(OR ANY) gate. You need to know where the wall-studs are and you need to properly install gates plumb and level to be happy with the functionality. If you don't know what you're doing, find your neighborhood handyman and pay him(or her) with the beverage of their choice. :) You know your abilities/shortcomings.
 Don't use the plastic drywall anchors!!! May 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The gate itself is great, but for the love of God, do not install this into drywall using the included plastic drywall anchors. These anchors are meant for downward pulling forces, not outward pulling. The top bracket will rip out of the wall because it pulls outward, not downward. Buy some drywall toggle bolts and use those instead. It puts a little bigger hole in the wall but that gate won't go ANYWHERE.
Or, install into the wall studs if possible, obviously. I didn't have that option.
Pretty good for what it is December 5, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am surprised on all these bad reviews that I am reading.
I have owned this gate for 3 years now, bought it in December 2003 when we had our first kid. We have a long and wide staircase and my wife was way too freaked out to even deliver without a gate installed.
I remember researching for over a month which gate to get - and which would fit. I decided on this one.
3 years later, I would buy it again. True, the template included is not too accurate. But then I am quite handy and I never trust templates.
Also, you DO have to measure and install this on the dot so that there's no play on the top or bottom of the hinges.
I mounted mine ON the ballusters at the top of our staircase. Now, 3 years later and 2 kids, it has still survived. Yes, as with all 4 gates in our house, the kids jump and hang on it. BOTH kids actually :) and they are now about 34 lbs each!
The gate has not failed us and has not fallen over any of our kids, not even once. A couple of days ago, my youngest daredevil decided he had enough being restricted by the gate. So he dedicated himself to opening it. This is a 20 month old, 34 lbs, very strong and very determined baby.
He DID manage to push it the other way, then proceeded to sit in front of it and push it until one of the hinges finally gave in.
3 years, almost 70 lbs of kids constantly jumping on it. I don't think there are many gates that would have taken that kind of punishment and still work.
So, overall I am happy and I just ordered replacement hinges for the broken ones. The hinges that were included in the original package were the plastic ones that a lot of people here call defective.
Maybe I was lucky or maybe because I did not follow the temlpate I did install it correctly. Either way, once you've had a kid and had to assemble all the convoluted baby furniture and such, it becomes evident that incorrect/incomplete instructions are fairly common.
 Not Great for Large Doorways! March 20, 2006
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Maybe I didn't understand its operation but I bought this to fit a 64" doorway. The way I understood it from the directions was that if you are using all three panels, then you must have room for all three panels to swing open. I bought it for great grandmom's house and although she lives in a smaller row home she has a large doorway but no room for 65+ inches of a gate to swing open.
 Buyer Beware!!!!! Very Unsafe!!!! February 27, 2006
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The first time this gate came out of the hinges, it landed on one of my twins head. He had a large bruise from his forehead to his jaw. The second time, he had a gash in his upper gums and was bleeding profusely! There is a serious flaw in the hinges of this gate. After the first time, I contacted their customer service through email. A CS rep emailed me back a few times (Maddy Stephens) but when it came to getting replacement hardware the emails stopped. (By the way, this gate came with the NEW metal hardware they made to replace the "defective" plastic ones they used to use!) The second time my child was injured, I called. I was on the phone for appr. 10 minutes before the CSR offered an apology. She did, however, offer to send a new gate "as soon as possible!" 6 days later..I dont have a replacement gate and it just fell on my other twin. Luckily, there was no blood or bruises this time!
Please don't waste your money on this gate. Mine is going in the trash today!
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