As Seen on Viewpoints.com
Low profile, easy to use, baby gate for stairs
Author: Alysia DeVries
Retract-A-Gate is a great buy – Very Happy!
My staircase is in the middle of my home so I wanted a retractable gate that wasn’t hard to open/close. After reading some reviews, I decided to spend a little extra money and get the Retract-A-Gate.
I am very glad I did. You can open/close the gate with one hand. It is very well made, tough, thick plastic. The mesh is nice. I wouldn’t spend the extra money on the spacers as wood shims will do just fine. And, we had an awkward configuration so needed a certain thickness shim to attach this to the wall. We also have the banister kit which worked out well. One thing to note is that you need to attach the banister kit to something square. So if you have a round post like we do, you have to use the bottom stair as the “square” and shim behind it to reach the post, or else it will twist. The gate is quiet when opening/closing too. I really like this product. It does have a locking mechanism for the top of the stairs, but I am not sure I would feel comfortable with it there. My son already tries to lift up the fabric which is nearly impossible at the bottom of the stairs, but he might be able to slip under it at the top. That is just my opinion. It does say it is certified for top of the stairs use.
As Seen on Preview It | Review It.com
Author: James Gottry
Retract-A-Gate: Extending Safety Throughout the House
My wife and I have three children. The oldest is 4. The youngest recently started walking. If I told you nothing else about our lives, you would understand the pandemonium that ensues on a regular basis.
Now add to this information the fact that our house is laid out in such a way as to allow our kids to travel in a big circle from the living room to the kitchen to the dining room. As a result, we regularly have three small humans walking, running, pushing (their toy shopping cart) or driving (their toy car) in this Toddler 360 Circle.
As you might imagine, this gets a bit crazy as meal time approaches. Accordingly, we needed a way to block off the kitchen when we are using the oven, knives, and major kitchen appliances, but because of the configuration of the entrances, traditional baby gates are not a feasible option.
After an exhaustive search, we found the solution: Retract-A-Gate.
Here are just two reasons traditional gates were not a good solution for us.
Traditional gates often have a “foundation” piece that is permanently stretched across the floor. We aren’t wanting to permanently prohibit our kids from using the Toddler 360 Circle; if fact, it’s one of the features we loved about this house. We like that they can run (or “drive”) through this circle over and over–it’s filled our house with laughter time and time again. But we also need to be able to “close the track” during certain times. A gate like this wouldn’t work for us. Traditional gates often have to swing open and stretch across a wall when opened. What you can’t see in the picture above is our kitchen table just to the right. Even if we could find a long gate that swung open and left the floor clear for the kids to run and drive their car, it would be impossible to swing the gate open to either wall without hitting the table.
The gate is retractable.
When you are done with the gate, you simply allow it to automatically rewind into a small roll. Baby gates can be an eyesore but Retract-A-Gate has a very small “footprint.” Even more impressively, in just a few seconds you can remove it from the two small brackets that hold it in place, leaving only those two clear brackets on the wall.
The gate comes in three colors.
White was perfect for our needs, but the black and “cafe” options offer more flexibility than most traditional baby gates.
The gate fits a wide opening.
We had two openings to block off. One space, pictured below, was approximately 50 inches, so the 52-inch wide gate fit perfectly. The other opening, pictured at the top of this review, was approximately 70 inches. Retract-A-Gate was the only gate I found that was large enough to fit this opening, while also offering the flexibility we needed in terms of installation and operation.
The gate is tall enough.
Our two oldest are tall for their age and a shorter gate might have tempted them to try and climb over. At 34″ tall, this gate is taller than many competitors.
The gate is mesh.
Another reason our boys don’t try to climb Retract-A-Gate…they can’t! They are constantly standing on the lower beam of our traditional baby gates at the bottom and top of our stairs (we bought these years ago, before we knew about Retract-A-Gate). With the mesh Retract-A-Gate, there’s nothing to try and climb. Another thing I like about the see-through mesh is that our kids can see what’s happening on the other side, lessening the temptation for them to try and pull down the gate.
The gate locks.
Like many kids, ours like to open things. Doors, cabinets, drawers, boxes…if it can be opened, they’ll try to do it. Retract-A-Gate has a great childproof lock that keeps children from opening the gate when you want it closed, and keeps them from closing it when you want it open. It goes without saying that this is an essential feature for a gate!
The gate is easy to install.
If you have kids, you know that time is precious. The last thing I wanted to do was spend hours installing a baby gate. Thankfully, Retract-A-Gate is one of the more simple installations I’ve done. Two brackets on the left, two on the right, and you’re done. The only remotely tricky part about the installation is making sure you get the brackets level, and this was a moderate challenge for me only because I had a short level. If you have a good level or a plumb line, this won’t be an issue at all. And even if you don’t, it will only require you to take a few extra minutes when you are lining up the brackets, to ensure everything is level.
BOTTOM LINE I highly recommend the Retract-A-Gate. In fact, we will likely purchase another one for a hallway upstairs, even though a traditional baby gate could work in that location. Retract-A-Gate is easy to install and easy to use; it’s well-made and less obtrusive than other baby gates, and it solved our problem in a way other gates could not.
As Seen on Viewpoints.com
Author: mommyDoc
Retract-A-Gate is the best retractable gate on the market!
I am the mother of 2 young children in a house with stairs. I have a relatively wide stairway and have tried using multple gates both at the top of the stairs and at the bottom (to prevent my crawler from getting hurt). I was tired of tripping over gates myself or shimmying between the gate openings. This was particulary hard when carrying anything or when it wasn’t very bright. I ended up hurting myself pretty badly after tripping at the base of the stairs because of the gate. It was then that I began researching a retractable gate that uses a single hand to open/close. I love the idea of a mesh gate that could neatly disappear when not in use and one that I wouldn’t have to end up at Home Depot looking for adjustments to get into my banister. I found it. Retract-a-gate is primarily sold online. There are a few catalogues both for children and pets that do sell it for about the same price. I find that the accessories that get it up on banisters without drilling are sold primrarily at the website (retract-a-gate.com). The gate is made only in one color (beige/tan) and it comes in a tall and regular height version. I have purchased the regular height but could see how for a larger animal, it would be good to have a taller version. I have been extremely happy.
True to the claims on the site. It is very easy to open with one hand. My four year old can be taught how to open it but someone younger could not open it. It looks fantastic. Sometimes I have to look twice to see that it is there which is amazing considering that I have white wood and not tan and dark floors. It looks amazing and it is very easy to use. The mesh is soft and breathable and not scratchy when my infant is burying his face in it. It is very easy to clean and wipe off. I love the look and the safety features of it.
I attached it to the bottom of the banister and another at the top. This replaced my handsfree safety first gate, my summer’s extra tall gate and another top of the stairs evenflo see through gate. Hand down, the retract a gate is the best! Very durable and reliable — all the things that you could want in a gate.
Drawback: It’s more expensive. When all is said and done with 2 bansister attachments and the gate it is approximately $150. Shipping is required because it is only online. Worth it! Every penny.
I would recommend this gate to any parent or person who needs to keep someone away from something. It is great. It comes in two sizes and two height.
