what's your favorite walk-thru baby gate?

palegreen

Putting the baby gate up and down is starting to get really old. Since we'll likely be using gates to keep the baby/dog in or out of the kitchen for the next several years with #2 on the way, we're looking to install a gate in the kitchen doorway. Like everything baby related, there are a zillion different kinds to choose from. Hand operated/foot operated and price being the big differences I'm seeing. I don't want to buy the expensive one if the less expensive one works just as well (or better).
If you have had any of the walk-thru style baby gates, which brand did you have, how did it open (hand or foot operated), and would you recommend it?

K&H

We have the Regalo extra tall because we have a crazy child and a weird space. I don't love the "hardware" that attaches it to the wall, they're just these little cups that the pressure mount sits in. Also, make sure you measure your space and get one that is just right. Ours has an extension kit, but it's too long with the extension and just slightly shorter then I would like without.

Oh, and it opens by hand on top. It can be opened with one hand, but it's tricky.

Klt86

Oh I will be watching this for sure!! Same reasons-keep the dog in the kitchen and the baby out! Right now I have the couches pushed to make a baby corral lol so baby stays in the living room.

Shaeley Mae

I got mine at Walmart, and it opens with one hand. Besides the fact that it doesn't work on the stairs like I had hoped (and like it warned on the box :rolleyes: ) I thought it was a great gate.

Shanny

http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Years-Hands-Free/dp/B000058CC7

merilung

http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Extra-Decorative-Walk-Thru/dp/B000XT30G4/ref=sr_1_11?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1351533803&sr=1-11&keywords=baby+gate+metal <---- this is the one we have to keep the dog out of the kitchen and I really love it. I'm a little neurotic about how things look in the house so I really, really wanted to find a metal or wood gate instead of a plastic one. It opens with one hand easily.

mommylove

We have this one and really like it...it also comes with extenders so it worked for us best since not all of our doorways/hallways/staircases are standard size in a house built in 1890.
http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Infant-Extra-Decorative-Walk-Thru/dp/B000XT30G4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1351536897&sr=8-3&keywords=Baby+gate
Sebastian also likes to stand and shake the gates and this one doesn't budge. He also figured out how to open a simpler Regalo brand gate...but this one is a little more complex for our smarty pants. HA!

mysweetangel

I also have two of the summer infant extendable gates mentioned above. They are easy to set up and use and they look much nicer than the plastic ones. I actually chose this one because I have a big dog and this was just tall enough to where she couldn't jump over it.

Flowergirl

This question came up once a couple years back on the forum and I put in my vote for the one we had and I will do so again today cause its still the best gate I've seen/used! We have the exact one Merilung and Mommylove posted the link for - ours is the extra tall one and we got it at Shopko for about $60 on sale. Best thing ever - it can be pressure mounted or bolted to the wall and comes with a couple extenders. It opens by hand at the top and is very easy to open with one hand by an adult (you have to push out the latch with your thumb, while lifting up gently on the gate and pushing) and swings shut and closes on its own behind you which is also convenient. It was originally purchased for our dogs (one could jump over a normal height gate) and it has withstood 2 dogs, and triplet boys and still looks and functions great. The boys could not open it nor were they able to climb or really lean over it because of its height and the fact that its metal and has nothing grippy to get toes hooked into for leverage the only thing I would not use it for is at the top of stairs, as it doesn't actually lock shut- it latches nice and tight, but I still wouldn't trust it for the top of stairs.

palegreen

DP had been looking at the Summer infant gate, so we'll likely go with that one since several of you use and recommend it. Thanks for the input ladies!

2moms

We love this one: http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Supergate-Close-Bronze/dp/B0038OLMX4/ref=sr_1_6?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1351663097&sr=1-6&keywords=northgate+baby+gate

The "auto close" seems pointless now but we bought a manual closing gate for our basement and I hate that I have to close it every...signal...time.

OneSmallStep

We have two of the same (just different heights) one blocking the kitchen and one on the stairs. We initially bought ours to keep the dog from bugging the cats while they eat, and from going where the cat boxes are at. Unfortunately we also have a weird 40+lb german shepherd/golden retriever/husky mix that is able to army crawl her way through the cat door (which logistically speaking shouldn't be happening!) She's gotten so good at it she can do it without even making a sound and at a running start! It's crazy!

That being said, otherwise we love the gate! We are hoping as she starts to grow out of the puppy energy that she might gain some weight and no longer be able to fit through the door. The nice part is the cat door does lock, so when we really need to keep the dog out, she is kept out - unfortunately though, so are the cats.

Another down side is that Stitch is a 5th percentile baby, so we expect he'll be able to fit through the cat door for a while longer too.

This is the one we have:

http://www.amazon.com/Carlson-Pet-Gates-Extra-Tall/dp/B006P482I2/ref=sr_1_5?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1351667382&sr=1-5&keywords=carlson+baby+gate+with+pet+door

We like it, and find it easy. I can do it with one hand while the other hand is full balancing a full laundry basket, and on the stairs. My sister hated it though when she was here waiting for Stitch to be born, she could not get the hang of it to save her life!

palegreen

I like the North State gate too (in the tall version). How did I not come across this one in my searches? I like that this gate has the stay open option (since we don't keep the gate up when we are at work so the dog has access to her water bowl).

2moms

palegreen wrote:

I like the North State gate too (in the tall version). How did I not come across this one in my searches? I like that this gate has the stay open option (since we don't keep the gate up when we are at work so the dog has access to her water bowl).

We love that too. Our gate is set up at a point in our house which blocks C from his playroom. 90% of the time we have it wide open or opened with the lock on (so it can't lock closed) so C can play but when we have other things going on we close it. It was very easy to put up too. I really despise our manual close gate because it's a pain to close. Which ever route you go get the auto close!

palegreen

2moms wrote:

We love that too. Our gate is set up at a point in our house which blocks C from his playroom. 90% of the time we have it wide open or opened with the lock on (so it can't lock closed) so C can play but when we have other things going on we close it. It was very easy to put up too. I really despise our manual close gate because it's a pain to close. Which ever route you go get the auto close!

Is this one auto close?
http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Supergate-Extra-Bronze/dp/B0038OLMXE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=25AYH0V7NZV39&coliid=I37FR3TSEVYM9G

2moms

Yep! I guess they call it "easy close" not auto close sorry about that!