Evenflo Top of Stair Gate (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

After spending considerable time researching stairway gates, I stumbled onto this gate. At-first glance it appeared somewhat inadequate compared to other gates we were considering. However, after having conducted a lot of research into baby gates and finding that a major factor in gate safety is the quality of the hardware, we found that the hardware included with this gate more than made up for its simple wood construction. Even though this gate is fairly basic, the mounting hardware is a lot more robust than gates costing a hundred dollars more. This was an important feature for us since we had once bought a beautiful stained wood gate (paid around $150.00) which was very sturdy and very well constructed -but came with hardware that was terribly cheap. This forced us to ultimately remove the gate due to safety concerns (the hardware kept pulling free from the wall and finally bent beyond repair under normal pass-through conditions). The obvious emphasis of that product was cosmetics. Conversely, the EVENFLO Top of Stair gate comes unfinished and is of a simpler construction than one would intuitively expect. However, its design emphasis was clearly on providing an adequate (affordable) wood gate with very good mounting and latching hardware. We feel strongly that no matter how well a gate may be built; if its mounting hardware is cheap it won't perform as needed to ensure the safety of your little loved ones. We've now had two of these gates installed at the top and bottom of our stairs for the last two months and remain very happy with their consistent performance when subjected to the constant testing of a 14 month old.

We've been fighting with our pressure lock gate at the top of the stairs for about 2 years now. We finally decided to look for a replacement and this seemed like a good choice. Reading previous reviews gave us a good idea what we were getting into with installation. (Thanks everyone!) Armed with that knowledge, we were able to install the gate with little difficulty. The template is useless if you have molding, as predicted. To my mind, the wood doesn't seem as sturdy as I'd have liked. We have the gate essentially to prevent accidental falls, and it's good enough for that. It is not hard to open or close. Anyone getting fingers pinched isn't paying enough attention to what they're doing, imo. I can't say if I'd recommend it for a high traffic area, since that's not where ours is, and I don't know how it would stand up to normal toddler abuse. But as a safety net, this gate is a good choice.orig review date: 2007, updated July 2013-- this gate is still in place! No problems with it whatsoever. That's a good value!

I will say up front that I use the gate at the bottom of the stairs and not at the top as the product suggests. The gate is built well...simple and functional. It has the optional ability to restrict the direction of movment and the hinges give a great angle of movment and detach easily. It went up easy and works as designed. It is just a tiny bit awkward to reach for the latch to release and pull back the gate but this is a very minor issue. In a similar vien, you have to line up the bottom rail at the same time you line up the top rail in order to close. My guess is that it would be less awkward if used at the top of the stairs as recommended. Overall I would recommend the gate for both locations on the stairs.

I purchased two of these gates, one for the top of the stairs and another for the bottom of the stairs. It is simple for an adult to use, but tricky enough that a toddler can not open it independently. Unlike other swing gates, this gate does not have any parts that run along the floor. I have heard complaints of adults and children tripping over the "threshold" of some other gates, so I think this is a better design. Another nice feature is that this gate is made out of wood. My favorite feature is the price! I only paid about $35, while many similar gates sell for $100. I cannot give this product 5 stars, because it is a little difficult to install properly. You must be precise or the latch will not line up. Once you have it in place, it is a wonderful gate!

We got this gate for the top of the stairs from our outdoor patio down into the garden. It was hard to find a gate for a 42" opening, we didn't want to buy yet another expensive gate (we own the  North States Auto-Close Metal Gate - Pressure Mount , they are very nice and work great), but this one was a great deal!Even though one side of the opening were raw bricks, the installation was easy with the measurement paper strip. The hinges have enough wiggle room to cope with the slightly uneven surface, though thy are sturdy enought to withstand a rough play of our 26 pound toddler.The gate is made out of unfinished wood. Though it is great to the touch, obviously it's not that great for outdoors - but fortunately it's easy to paint with a gel stain. One drawback: the metal clamps on the top and bottom to allow adjustment are a little bit hard to paint around...This gate is not an easy open-close gate for constant use, but we knew that from the description. You need to wiggle it into the upper and lower sturdy metal bracket to close it, and you need to wiggle it open after releasing the metal buckle. Nice detail: for patio parties we can completely remove the gate out of the hinges without tools, so no hazard to trip down the stairs.We are very satisfied, as we were looking for something less expensive that is easy to mount on the uneven surface with a wide opening. The unfinished wood surface is great for colorful paintings.UPDATE 2009-01-06: We moved and I mounted this gate on a wooden U-frame as I didn't want to screw it into the side shingles of the house (it now prevents the kids running into the alley between the houses and onto the street). I really didn't do a good job with the frame, it's a bit warped, too, so I'm really happy that this gate even installs easily when you didn't do a meticulous measuring job. As it is exposed in full weather now, it does expand and shrink a bit with the moisture, but no problem again. It really served us well, and being out of wood made it very versatile for painting (currently it's green).

This gate is awesome. It was quick and easy to install and just as quick and easy to slide off if needed. The gate is strong and sturdy, and even my 5 year old has difficulty opening it - but easy once you know how! My 18month old shekes, pushes, and pulls on the gate constantly but it holds firm. He has tried climbing over and under, but to no avail! I am confident in the gate and feel that it was great value for money. Highly recommend it over some of the more expensive models.

Easy to install and easy to use (but not TOO easy). Keeps the active toddler from taking a header down the stairs but simple to remove if needed. It would have matched better if it were white, but small complaint.

Has performed flawlessly for 4 years

It was fairly easy to install but the screws were too long and I couldn't put them to the hand rail support columns. I had to buy shorter wood screws for proper installation. Good product over all.