KidCo Center Gateway Reviews

• This gate exceeded my expectations

  
  By A1DEPWGUNKS5B9 on 2002-03-09
  I purchased this gate just recently because I have a eleven month old son who is always trying to climb up the stairs. I purchased an inexpensive gate several months ago and it wouldn't even mount properly. There are several reasons why I am so pleased with this gate:

  1). It's pressure mounted so there are no holes in my walls.
  2). Each of the pressure mounts can be adjusted individually. What I mean by that is each pressure mount twists forward until it reaches the wall. The reason this was so important for me was because my home has old wood work and the baseboards are almost seven inches high and about an inch thick. If each of the pressure mounts were not separately adjustable, then the gate would meet at the baseboard, but would not be able to touch the wall. This gate handles that dilemma beautifully.
  3). It's extremely durable and sturdy. My son grasps onto it and shakes it violently and it doesn't budge. And because it's made of metal, there are no worries about splinters and cracking.
  4). It's attractive and comes in different colors. We choose white and it looks great.
  5). It was wide enough that I could mount it at the bottom landing of our stairway without an extension. There are extension kits available if you need them though.
  6). Finally, I like the swing door feature. I can use the gate with one hand so it's convenient when I have my son in the other hand. The handle is also very easy to open and close with one hand.

  I know this is a lot of info but when I was searching for a gate, these are the types of things I wanted to know.

  I highly recommend this gate to anyone looking for one for the bottom of their stairs or a doorway.
  
  

• Best gate I've found

  
  By A32FGHKCNU8P5U on 2005-07-24
  After trying 3 different gates (that all had high ratings on Amazon), this is my favorite. I turned my home into my own version of a baby gate showroom to figure out which one I wanted, so here's my take on three different gates.
  
  I think they are all pretty good gates, it just depends on your situation and what features you're looking for. The key features that ended up making a difference to me were 1) the width of the gate opening and 2) the latch mechanism
  
  Kidco Center Gateway:
  ---------------------
  cost $85 & extensions $24 / gate is 29.5" Tall / fits 29.25" to 37.5" doorway width / 1" bar to step over / gate opening 22"
  
  - Has the widest gate opening (the space you walk thru, not the doorway that it fits into) of any of them - about 22". (This certainly won points from my 6'2" husband who was pretty irritated when walking thru some of the others). I was surprised after reading so many reviews on all these gates that there wasn't more mention of this feature.
  - This one also had the most secure latch feature. You have to push a button to lift the handle and lift the gate over a little ledge to open it and walk thru. I figure this will absolutely be the hardest one for my little one to figure out.
  - This gate has the most adjustable widths and therefore would probably be the strongest in most door widths. The gate has about 2.75" pieces on the ends that you can use or not with the optional extensions (more 2.75" spindles as additions - 2 per box) to provide the most width flexibility. Because all the gates become "weaker" if the posts are extended too much, this one seems the sturdiest in my doorways. (ie. if the gate says it fits up to 37" and your door opening is 36.5", it won't seem as sturdy as if the doorway was 34").
  - It doesn't have its brand name printed on it anywhere (a plus in my book) so it's totally white.
  - It has the lowest bar across the floor that you have to step over at only 1" high (seems less of a tripping risk).
  - This is the one that has the highest rating from Consumer Reports. (Child safety gates 08/04)
  - Unfortunately, it also is the most expensive of the bunch at about $85 + any extensions you need.
  - I do have to say that this one had the most confusing directions, but you can still figure it out ok - none of them took longer than 10 minutes to set up.
  - It's the shortest gate and I wish it was a little taller.
  - All in all, if you can afford the price of this one, it's definitely worth it!
  
  Summer Infant - Sure & Secure Extra Tall Gate
  ---------------------------------------------
  cost $60 & extensions included / gate is 36" Tall / fits 28"-48" doorway width / 2" bar to step over / gate opening 19"
  
  - This is the one that I wanted to like because I thought it was the best deal.
  - The gate opening is about 19" - which I thought was ok, but hubby wanted wider.
  - The latch mechanism is really easy to operate and I thought kids could figure it out easily, but because the gate is so tall, they would probably have a hard time reaching it.
  - It does come with its own extensions in 5" and 10" so it more easily fits the wider doorways.
  - However, depending on the width of your doorway, this one may or may not fit as well. For example, I had a lot of doorways that are about 33" and this gate didn't end up fitting well in them because the gate without any extensions was too small and the posts had to be extended so far it didn't seem stable. And the 5" extension was too big to add. (vs. the kidco gate's extensions add 2.75" as needed).
  - It's by far the tallest and I liked that since my daughter has been in the 95% so far. I also just like the way the taller gate looks.
  - It does have the highest bar across the bottom to step over - 2".
  - If it fits well in your doorway it is probably the best value for the money.
  
  First Years - Hands-Free Gate
  -----------------------------
  cost $50 & extensions $15 / gate is 32" Tall / fits 29"-34" doorway width / 1.5" bar to step over / gate opening 17"
  
  - My gripe with this gate was primarily because the gate opening is only 17" wide! I'm 5'8" and I felt like I was going to have to really pay attention walking through it so I wouldn't end up bumping it every time. However...
  - The hands-free step pedal is pretty cool and worked pretty easily. I wouldn't worry about a little kid figuring it out and having enough weight to be able to push it down to open it. For me it just wasn't cool enough to overcome my issue with the gate opening width.
  - Good height to the gate.
  - It was very sturdy in my doorway.
  - This one did have a little ramp feature for the bar that goes across the floor that helps minimize the tripping factor.
  - Fits only up to 34" doorways so has the best chance of needing an extension.
  - All that being said, if you really want a hands free gate, and the width of the gate opening doesn't bug you, try this one.
  
  All three gates seemed to:
  - Fit pretty tightly in the doorways after being adjusted properly. Depending on your walls and if you have moldings etc, you might need to take an extra 5-10 minutes to adjust them and get them straight and hanging correctly.
  - Had the same type of post for the pressure-mount that is covered with a rubbery material to help it not slip on the wall.
  - Were pretty easy to set up.
  - All look about the same from a quality point of view - in other words one of them didn't look "cheaper" to me than the others.
  
  Please remember that for safety, only hardware mounted gates are considered stable enough to put at the top of stairs, so don't use any of these for that. Think about how you will use these gates in your house and what features you will value. Good luck with your own purchase!
  
  
  

• Safety Hazard

  
  By A29PZXT1W584DX on 2001-06-19
  We bought this gate to use with our 13 month old and were very excited not have to install hardware to the wall. It was up for about 24 hours when I heard the baby cring that cry that you know they are in pain. I found her at the gate, both knees were wedged between the vertical poles. I managed to get one knee out but had to put vegtable oil on the other one to free it. She of course was screaming the whole time and her knees were bruised. Very nice design but I bought it for safety and that's not what I got. The company said they just shortened the space between the rails, but I think it's too close now seeing how her knees got stuck. Good luck to anyone trying to keep little ones out of harms way. That's a job in itself.
  
  

• Great Looking Gate

  
  By on 2001-06-15
  This gate looks so much better than those white plastic ones. It looks great with the stainless steel appliances in the kitchen. As it stands it looks like it is part of the house. And we didn't even have to drill any holes so it can be removed at any time. It seems to be withstanding the pressures of a 1 year old and a 3 year old.
  
  

• Love this gate!

  
  By on 2003-02-11
  We love that this gate did not require drilling into our walls, and once installed it is extremely sturdy. It also is not easy for little ones to climb over since there are only vertical bars We have two of these gates at the bottom of our stairs on a landing. The only bad thing is the bar that goes across the bottom of the opening - it makes things a little precarious if the gate is on the bottom step of a staircase, or at the top and you need to step over it to go down (we had one at the top of the stairs and ended up moving it. Luckily, no holes to patch!). The opening mechanism is tricky for a first time user, but once you read the instructions or someone shows you how to use it, it is very simple.
  
  
• A great gate!
  By on 2002-02-26
  I purchased two and love them. The gate was easy to open and close. Installation was easy, but took some time to get the tension in place correctly. I felt it was very sturdy. I think the people who thought is was not, did not install the gate correctly. My little one was constantly hanging and pulling on them. Another thing I found great was, you can install it on walls that are uneven since the top and bottom screws adjust individually. I also loved the fact that they did not need to be permanently installed which leaves holes in the walls. We were just renting at the time, and I didn't want the hassle of taking them off and repairing the holes when we moved. I would certainly recommend this gate, just take the time to install it correctly and you will not have any trouble. However, like the safety experts say, a permantly installed gate is better for the top of the stairs.
  
  
• Very dangerous
  By A2YRCNIVHPFTCH on 2002-08-17
  I bought this gate with two extension kits to use in a wide space. The extension kits break into small pieces. The first day I had it up it fell on my foot and broke into several pieces, we put it back up, when my baby stood up and held onto it the gate again broke into several pieces and fell on top of him. I returned it the next day.
  
  
• Mother of Twins
  By on 2001-09-11
  I am the mother of active 11 month old twin boys. I purchased this gate for the bottom of our stairs. My husband and I had had a difficult time finding a gate to fit the uneven opening of our staircase; the spindles curve inward a great deal. We tried this particular gate and it worked great. My boys both stand up next to it and try to shake it but are unable to even budge it. It is a good, sturdy gate. I recommend it especially for those who have uneven openings. I plan on purchasing another to place upstairs.
  
  
• Overpriced scam
  By A4DFJWTWZ71WN on 2003-12-27
  We bought this gate as it seemed designed to work with the bannister at the bottom of our stairs. Wrong. Meanwhile the photos on the box both show this gate with one or two "optional" extensions. This is the most expensive gate on the market to begin with and it's too small to fit anywhere without an "optional" extension, at another $35. It went straight back to the store.
  
  
• Sturdy Child Gate
  By on 2001-06-13
  The strong yet attractive steel construction and ease of setup without permanent wall marks are the positives for this product. The main negative is the need to order extension kits for wide openings such as stairways. Extension kits are hard to find.
  
  
• Great Gate
  By on 2004-03-24
  We've been through many gates trying to baby proof the house. Let me tell you, I orginally bought this gate over a year ago for my puppies. I orginally purchased this one because it didn't need to be harware mounted. It works great. It was so easy to open the latch compared to some other gates I've had AND RETURNED! It's by my garage entrance. I can manage the baby, two pups and groceries. Pressure mounted this gate keeps back two percious at 200 pounds each and a 9 month old baby with ease. I, also, like the way it closes, not locked, but closes wihtout being locked. GREAT PURCHASE!!
  
  
• Best Gate Available
  By A2XS0TWU68PTQJ on 2001-10-10
  I needed a gate that would not only stop my adventurous climber but be easy enough for my 9 and 5 year olds to manage. It is so sturdy my 12 month old is not able to pull it down (hard as he tries) and it with-stood 7 nine year old boys going up and down the stairs at my son's birthday party. I've had other swing open gates, but this one is the best so far!
  
  
• The best gate and no holes in walls!!!
  By A2NU7UC4MPRURI on 2003-10-14
  This gate has held up so well. We have two in our house and I am ordering another. The one we have downstairs is holding up perfectly under heavy traffic. It is easy to use and so sturdy. Make sure that you tell people to walk over the bar that supports it on the bottom - you will be surprised how fast you can train yourself to lift your feet!! Overall - excellent gate that comes in some great colors to match any decor.
  
  
• Great, sturdy gate!
  By A1NTHKVH7858DB on 2004-02-20
  This is a great gate and definitely worth the money. We bought one originally to contain our two 70lb dogs. Even with them leaning on it or standing on it with their front paws, it doesn't budge. Our cats are continually bouncing on it as well, with no problems. Another nice feature is the fact that each wall contact can be adjusted separately, meaning that old houses with "un-square" doorways can be accomodated.

  We now have a baby and got a second gate to put into a 48" doorway. We got this same gate again along with extensions, and it works fantastically! I was concerned at first that the wider gate wouldn't be as stable but it's just as good as the regular doorway one. They even improved the gate itself: where before the gate would "seat" into the bottom bar via a little knob, it now has a U-bracket that sits _over_ the bottom bar, which seems a little more stable and easier to manuever. My baby isn't crawling yet but I have no trouble using these gates while carrying him in and out. Highly recommended!
  
  

• My 2 year old figured this one out
  By A21KZCDXB1LU3S on 2001-12-12
  My mother and Father-In-Law have this gate at the top of their staircase and my 2 year old has figured out how to open it. However, my 10 month old has not had any problems with it. The design is nice, but it was somewhat difficult to install, and seems to need adjusting quite often. We have a spring-loaded gate at home that has stayed in place, but does not swing open. I would recommend this gate if you have a child that is not yet able to climb to a standing position or pull up on it.
  
  
• Buy this gate only if you want a broken toe!!!
  By on 2002-06-24
  This gate is horrible! Every person who came to my house tripped over the gate or stubbed their toe on it. If you look at the picture, you can tell that there is a stationary bottom rail that goes across it. The rail is not part of the gate that opens....it stays on the floor and sits above the floor in a fashion just perfect for tripping. My mom broke her toe on the gate. A dinner guest of mine (who was investing in our company) tripped and fell flat on his face carrying a glass of red wine. My husband and I had black and blue toes for weeks until we got used to it. Also I had to tighten the gate constantly or it would get lose enough to fall under pressure. This gate is a safety hazard to the poor adults that have to use it every day!
  
  
• Great gate and no drilling!
  By AI4CJFJY9YAVY on 2003-07-24
  This is the perfect gate WHEN PROPERLY INSTALLED.
  Tighten until there is only 1/8" gap
  between closing mechanism when the handle is lifted.
  If you can open it by lifting up on the gate
  without releasing the handle, IT'S NOT TIGHT ENOUGH.
  
  
• Worth the Moola!! (So Far)
  By AJC4771P4QNBF on 2003-08-31
  We bought this gate because we have an old school thin metal banister on one side of our steep stairs coupled with a 6 inch tall molding on the wall on the other side, and it was very hard to find a solution to keep our one year old from speeding up the steps at will. We originally bought a cheapo that worked fine but I couldn't stand having to move it every time I was going up or coming down with my arms full, so we started shopping around.

  This Kidco center gate has been WONDERFUL so far because of the expandability (we didn't need the extension), the four independent spindles (which make for an extremely tight fit), and a 3 step process to open the gate (although frustrating, its also way more comforting knowing she can't open it).

  I definitely recommend it for those who don't mind spending - and are able to spend - more (the cheapo is already very distorted from moving it around so much) for a gateway that is so simple you can set it up while your baby is playing with you and your husband is putting away the groceries!
  
  

• So far, so good
  By on 2004-02-22
  I'm glad we read the reviews before we bought this gate, but wish we had measured our stairway first. The reviewer who said he had to buy the extension kit was right. We bought this gate anyway because we didn't want to mount brackets. ... The opening takes some coordination as well and seems to work easier right-handed. I give it 4 stars mainly because of having to buy the extension and it doesn't really accommodate the design of our stairway, but it is adjustable. And keep in mind the manufacturer's comment that it isn't best suited for a stairway because of it being pressure mounted. Stepping over the bottom rail is awkward too when it's on a step like ours is.
  
  
• Great Gate
  By on 2001-09-30
  My son is now 18 months old and we have gone through 4 different gates. This gate is my most recent purchase and i am very happy with it. The steel construction keeps my little wild child from breaking the gate. I like that you have to lift up after releasing the handle because this keeps my son from being able to figure out how to get out(so far anyway).Even though it is a pressure mount i found that it is very stable and secure.
  
  
• Love this gate
  By A3MLPDBOVPJLV0 on 2003-02-11
  We love that this gate did not require drilling into our walls, and once installed it is extremely sturdy. It also is not easy for little ones to climb over since there are only vertical bars We have two of these gates at the bottom of our stairs on a landing. The only bad thing is the bar that goes across the bottom of the opening - it makes things a little precarious if the gate is on the bottom step of a staircase, or at the top and you need to step over it to go down (we had one at the top of the stairs and ended up moving it. Luckily, no holes to patch!). The opening mechanism is tricky for a first time user, but once you read the instructions or someone shows you how to use it, it is very simple.
  
  
• Love It!
  By A2OOS63FZLYKJD on 2003-10-04
  I love this gate. I originally tried the Sure and Secure gate, which was a complete nightmare, and returned it for the Center Gateway. The Center Gateway is extremely simple to install (it took me only minutes) and is very secure and well-built. Even my little escape artist won't be able to climb it or open it. The extra money is more than worth the quality and ease-of-use of this gate. I can't think of anything I don't like about it.
  
  
• Sturdy
  By AROGBUWKYERKG on 2001-07-24
  I like the sturdy construction of this gate. I already have one at home. But there is a big disadvantage. the screw on the sides get stripped after a while because of constant opening and closing. You have to lift the center to open it so the constant lifting moves the screws on the sides stripping it. I improvised new screws from the hardware store to mount it again. Maybe if it just locks so you don't have to lift the center to open it, then this gate will last a long time.
  
  
• Gate Works Great
  By on 2003-01-03
  We just bought this gate a couple of weeks ago and it works like a charm. We installed it properly, it fits snugly in the doorway, and our 9-month old has pulled up on it many times with no problems. And our 5-year old is able to operate it so that he can get through the door with ease.
  
  
• We love this gate!!
  By A2GNH0UNO9CI2Q on 2003-04-28
  We have a 14 month old little one. He likes to shake the side of his crib, the gate, anything that he can possibly stand and shake. Even under all his abuse, we have had no problems with this gate. It is very secure when it is mounted properly and no holes in my walls - beautiful. I will be buying another for my upstairs hallway.
  
  
• Watch where you place this gate!
  By A1Q9I5AI833L7Q on 2002-10-15
  We originally purchased this gate for use at the bottom of our stairs. Unfortunately, it put a hole in our wall from the tension. Would recommend placing this gate only on reinforced walls or doors. Works very well in the door frame, as long as the bottom "ramp" is installed to keep it from shifing with each opening and closing. Difficult to replace the "ramp" when it breaks. Difficult to adjust the tension, especially the lower nuts with carpeted floors. We replaced this gate with the "Soft and Wide" by Evenflo (much gentler on our walls, doesn't leave marks and adjusts to fit various size openings).

  Would not buy this Kidco gate again, but we would definitely buy the "Hands-Free Gate" by First Years. Similar idea to Kidco, but a cinch to install, very easy to use and much more secure in the openings we want to block. We bought the First Years gate for use at my in-laws house and they liked it so much they wouldn't let us take it home!
  
  

• Poorly designed and expensive to boot.
  By on 2003-04-21
  First, to those who complain about the bar across the bottom: hey, people, that's the only way you can get a tension-type gate to work. Without it, the gate would fall apart when you open the door. If you don't like it, you have to get the type that you screw into the walls. Now for the bad stuff. The gate does not work at the maximum advertised width, like 37 1/2 inches without extensions, etc. The gate is absolutely dangerous. If you set the tension per instructions with the gauge included, your 11-month old WILL open it. With the handle locked in place, all you have to do is pull up on the door and it is unlatched. My son can't even walk yet and he opened it. He pulls himself up to his feet against the gate. Then he lifts up on the bars, which frees it, and since he is leaning against it... kaboom! Not a good scenario at the top of the stairs, folks!
  
  
• Excellent!!!
  By A33BBTY62DP9SS on 2005-04-06
  The gate is easy to install, sturdy, and easy to operate. I was worried about adding the 2 extra extensions i needed to fit a 48" hallway opening, but it fits excellent. An incredible gate, anyone purchasing this will not regret it.
  
  
• The Best Gates
  By ALCQXJCYLPTJF on 2002-01-16
  We purchased 2 of these gates and are very happy with them. It took a little longer to install then the instructions suggested, but it was well worth it. If you follow the directions you should have no problem installing them. The gates swings open both ways in or out, and the area you step through is quite large, wider then we thought it would be. We are delighted with these gates and highly recommend them.
  
  
• Excellent Gate
  By A3R52CUF6118MB on 2002-06-17
  As a Firefighter/Paramedic I think this product is wonderful. There is still NO substitute for parental/adult supervision. This product could only be improved by decreasing the amount of space between the bars. If the proper time is taken to install this product it works great. I not only own two Center Gateways but also own the Configure Gate product as well and am very please with the Kidco products.