Baby Gate Use Frequently Asked Questions

After installing the Mounting Brackets, simply attach the safety gate to either side of the doorway by fully snapping the gate into both brackets. The baby gate has a secure lock on it, so once you pull the mesh across and hook it in place; you can then lock the retractable safety gate. The lock is a double acting (and very secure but simple) push and then turn mechanism. This keeps the retractable safety gate from being pulled out or pushed down. When you want to retract the baby gate, simply unlock and then unhook the handle rod from the brackets.

Retract-A-Gate uses an internal spring to automatically rewind the mesh; no manual winding is required. The mesh can only rewind when the lock has been moved to the open position; preventing any inadvertent retracting of the mesh. The action of the Retract-A-Gate baby gate as it retracts is smooth, steady, and quiet. Once it is fully retracted, the mesh and handle are neatly contained. Retract-A-Gate is the ONLY retractable safety gate which retracts easily, quietly, and automatically. The opening and closing process is very simple, can be done with one hand, and only takes a few seconds to do. We went to great lengths to engineer and design the Retract-A-Gate baby gate for safety AND convenience and are confident that you will be satisfied. To see for yourself how others have benefitted from using Retract-A-Gate, see our customer Baby Gate Videos and Reviews here.

Please refer to our Retract-A-Gate Install and Specs page for use and installation instructions.

Smart Retract has done extensive testing of all the other retractable gates on the market. The main difference is simply quality. Retract-A-Gate is priced very competitively and offers the most value of any gate in its class. No other safety gate is as easy to use while keeping your little ones safer. Other retractable gates have complicated parts and don’t hold up well to extended use. It is tempting to buy something cheaper, but the old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ is very true here as well. Here is a quick list of why Retract-A-Gate is better:

• Other gates have a loud ratcheting noise when retracting; Retract-A-Gate is quiet.
• Some gates make you manually rewind them; Retract-A-Gate rewinds automatically.
• A few claim one-hand operation; Retract-A-Gate truly has simple, one-hand use.
• Others use complex parts for installation; Retract-A-Gate is simple and fast to install.
• Pausing while opening or closing other gates causes them to jam; Retract-A-Gate was engineered to avoid this cumbersome method of use and operates smoothly.
• Retract-A-Gate is made in the U.S.A. while most other gates are made in China.
• The mounting hardware for other gates is ugly and stands out; Retract-A-Gate mounting brackets are clear, nearly invisible, and guaranteed strong and durable.
• Retract-A-Gate is the only retractable gate designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
• The widest any other retractable gate can cover is 55 inches; Retract-A-Gate can accommodate openings up to 72 inches.
• Any other gate is limited to its maximum opening; several Retract-A-Gates can connect together to cover as wide as you need (this is for special circumstances only).
• No other gate on the market allows for simple relocation; the brackets for the Retract-A-Gate are universal and allow quick, easy relocation.
• The Retract-A-Gate is one of the tallest available with a mesh height of 34 inches.
• There are many gates that specify using the gate for just children or just pets. Retract-A-Gate was engineered for use with both children AND pets.
• Retract-A-Gate was designed with ease of installation, ease of use, durability, and safety in mind.
• It offers the best balance of features and security of any gate in its class.

To see why our customers feel Retract-A-Gate is the best baby gate on the market, watch our Baby Gate Videos here, and read the reviews.

We offer two Retract-A-Gate models which fit within openings UP TO a maximum of 52 or 72 inches. These maximums are the total distance (gate and brackets) that the baby gate can cover if the gate is installed within an opening. The height of the mesh on the retractable baby gate is 34 inches and the total height to the top of the lock is just under 38 inches. The wall brackets must be mounted about 3 and 30.5 inches off the floor and require about 2.5 inches of flat surface to attach to. There is some leeway to the height for where the brackets are mounted, especially on the reel side that holds the safety gate. When completely retracted, Retract-A-Gate is less than 4 inches wide.

When the retractable baby gate is mounted within a doorway, most doors will still be able to close with the mounting hardware and baby safety gate in place. If you don’t have the 2.5 inches necessary to mount your baby gate in the doorway, the brackets can also mount around the corner of the doorway, either on the door molding or on the wall. If the gate is installed on the outside of an opening however, the mounting brackets will no longer contribute to the maximum width of the gate.

If there are baseboards where you will be installing your Retract-A-Gate, you must measure the height and thickness of your baseboard to determine if you will need wall spacers and how many you would need. For more information on wall spacers, shop our Online Store page. In the description of the Wall Spacer Set will be a link to help you determine if you need that item.

The Retract-A-Gate can be installed virtually anywhere in and around the home or office. Often times, difficult installations can be simplified by incorporating some of the installation accessories sold on our Online Store.  Below are some common installation types and a helpful list of all the items you may need to simplify your installation efforts.

Wall to Wall Installation

A wall to wall installation refers to installing the Retract-A-Gate in the middle of a hallway or walkway where there is a wall on both sides of the installation. The items you may need for this installation are listed below:

Retract-A-Gate
Drywall Anchor Kit
Wall Spacer Set

The Retract-A-Gate comes with all the mounting hardware (screws, washers, and mounting brackets) included. The brackets that come with the gate are universal which means that the brackets will pair with every Retract-A-Gate without exception. If so inclined, several sets of brackets can be installed throughout the home or office and the gate can be moved from one location to the next as needed. Dry Wall Anchors will be needed if the gate will be installed to a drywall surface or when the brackets cannot be screwed into the wall studs behind the drywall. Wall Spacers are needed if installing to a wall that has a baseboard or molding at the bottom of the wall. Because the mounting brackets do not protrude from the wall more than 2 inches, baseboards can interfere with the gate’s ability to connect to the brackets. Because of this, the wall spacers need to be installed between the brackets and the wall to push the brackets out past the baseboard. Often times the bottom bracket needs to be installed on the baseboard. If this is the case, spacers are needed between the upper bracket and the wall so that both brackets are plumb/flush with each other.

Stair Post to Wall or Banister Post to Banister Post Installation

A stair post, banister, or spindle to wall or post to post installation occurs when a gate is installed from a banister post to a wall or a banister post to a banister post at the top or bottom of the stairs or on a porch or deck. The items you may need for this installation are listed below:

Retract-A-Gate
Stair Banister Adapter Kit
Wall Spacer Set
Drywall Anchor Kit

Please read the Wall to Wall section above for more information about the Retract-A-Gate, Wall Spacer Sets, and Drywall Anchors. The Stair Banister Adapter Kit is needed if installing to a banister post that does not have a flat surface for the bracket to be placed at 3 and 30.5 inches off the floor or if screwing into the banister, stair post or spindle is not acceptable. The adapter is a 36 or 48 inch long plastic board that can be strapped to the banister post which creates a flat surface for the brackets to connect to and avoids screwing into the banister post. The mounting brackets that come with the gate are mounted to the adapter with the hardware that comes with the Stair Banister Adapter Kit. Once the brackets are in place, the adapter is then strapped to the banister post. One Stair Banister Adapter Kit is required per banister post.

Doorway/Entryway installation

For a normal doorway or entryway installation where no stairs or baseboards are present, and the bracket can be screwed into a solid wall, no other accessories should be needed. For more information, please visit our Retract-A-Gate Store page which lists all the retractable safety gates and accessory items that we offer. In the description of each item is a link to help you determine if you need that safety gate accessory.

Retract-A-Gate is certified for use at the top and bottom of the stairs, has been tested for that application, and can withstand a push out force of up to 200 pounds. When attaching to a stair post or spindle, you can screw the wall brackets directly onto your baluster or newel post (stair post) if you want, however, using a Banister Adapter Kit saves you from drilling holes into your stair post.

The brackets that come with each retractable baby gate screw into the Banister Adapter, then that assembly ties to your stair post using the straps provided with the kit. The Banister Adapter straps can accommodate up to 7 inch square posts. Our Banister Adapters are designed to also work with metal or wrought iron spindles. For thick iron spindles the adapter would fit against the metal, or if the spindle is small (1 inch or less), it fits into the gap between the two sides of the adapter.

When installing at the top of stairs

We recommend that you mount the retractable safety gate a minimum of 6 inches back from the edge of the top step; being close to an edge can create a gap. If this is a problem for you, Retract-A-Gate is very unique in that it can be installed diagonally, at any angle, which can help achieve the 6 inch requirement by angling it away from the stairs (see FAQ #6). Another option would be to block off near-by areas which still restrict access to the stairs.

When installing at the bottom of stairs

For the bottom of the stairs we recommend mounting the Retract-A-Gate on the floor and not up on a step. If the safety gate was mounted up on a step, a child would have farther to fall if they stepped up and then fell backwards. Some stair configurations do not lend themselves well for mounting the gate at the very lowest level, however. For those configurations, installing up a step can be done successfully if certain safety considerations are taken. Contact us for assistance if you need help determining the suitability of installing Retract-A-Gate on a step.

How many do I need?

If you are going to attach both sides of your baby gate to stair posts, then you will need two Banister Adapter Kits. Only one Banister Adapter Kit would be required if you have a wall on one side of your staircase that you will be attaching to.

Which size do I need?

We offer two lengths of Banister Adapters: 36-inch or 48-inch. The 36-inch adapter will work for most installations and the 48-inch adapter is for taller posts. For example, some posts have flat or rounded areas at the top and bottom and then are narrow in the middle. The adapter is designed to span over this narrow area to provide a level surface for the brackets. If the distance from the floor to the upper round or flat area of the post that the adapter must reach is more than 36 inches you will need the 48-inch adapter. The adapter may be cut shorter (using a saw) to avoid standing taller than your stair post. The adapter should not be cut any shorter than 32 inches.

More detailed information

For full installation instructions and users guides on all products and accessories; visit our Install & Specs Page.

Absolutely! A nice advantage of Retract-A-Gate is that it can be installed at any angle, opening up numerous mounting options. This is just one of the many great features which few if any other baby safety gates on the market have. If installing at the top of stairs, you can install the Retract-A-Gate at an angle away from the stairs to the wall so that the distance between the gate and edge of the top step is at least 6 inches.

For proper installation, the openings of the brackets should face away from the Retract-A-Gate.

There are many alternative surfaces that the Retract-A-Gate can be mounted to. Some of the more common ones are listed below along with what you need to consider for that surface.

Bookcase or cabinet: You can mount the brackets to a bookcase only if the bookcase is stable (wall-mounted). You may need to put a backer board on the inside wall of the bookcase (or cabinet) if the wall is thin so that the screws have a minimum of 1 inch of solid wood to bite into. If you wish to mount the Retract-A-Gate baby gate to a cabinet where there is a small counter top overhang, the wall spacers can be used under both the top and bottom brackets. The spacers should move the safety gate out away from the counter’s edge to provide enough clearance to mount the baby safety gate.

Brick, stone, concrete, or mortar: You will need appropriate masonry anchors which you can purchase at any hardware store. Simply take the screws that come with Retract-A-Gate to the store and have them size an appropriate masonry anchor for you. The screws we provide are 2 inches long. If you need to use shorter screws be sure to use #6 flat head screws and use the included finishing washers. Another option would be to fasten a board to the brick/stone/concrete/mortar using similar anchors and then attach the brackets to the board.

Fiberglass: We always recommend mounting the brackets to the support/stud behind the fiberglass as that will provide the best holding power. If there is no support then you need to use appropriate anchors or a backer board that will work with your fiberglass.

Vinyl siding on a house: You can attach the retractable baby gate wall brackets to the house siding as long as there is solid wood sheeting/boards underneath the siding (this is normally the case).

Absolutely! Retract-A-Gate has been extensively tested in wet rainy seasons and hot dry summers. We have also tested the retractable safety gate outside during a full northern winter with flawless results. With that said, we do recommend you bring the Retract-A-Gate inside during freezing temperatures (simply unsnap the safety gate from the brackets). Anything, including Retract-A-Gate, which is left outside will have a reduced life compared to only indoor use; but you can feel confident that the retractable safety gate will stand up well to outdoor use. Retract-A-Gate was designed to handle UV exposure, but one thing to be aware of is that some minor fading or possibly long-term degradation due to extended sun exposure is possible. Because of this, we recommend bringing the Retract-A-Gate indoors when not in use in order to maximize its life.

Installing on a Trex or composite deck?

If installing outside to a Trex or composite deck, the posts will normally have a 4×4 wooden post inside them. In this application we would recommend pre-drilling your holes and using stainless steel screws the same size as the ones we provide (#6 flat head). Stainless steel will hold up much better when in contact with the treated wood posts that are normally on the inside of the Trex. You can also attach the wall brackets to your house siding if there is solid wood underneath.

At the present time we only offer two standard sized retractable safety gates which fit openings up to 52 and 72 inches. Some possible solutions for wider openings are below:

Option 1: The best option is to connect multiple Retract-A-Gates together using straps. How this works is the handle rod of one gate connects to the rod of the reel section on the next gate (see photos below). This can be repeated with as many gates as you need to cover your opening. The benefit of this solution is that you can still easily use one hand to open or close the gates.

If you decide to use this solution, make sure to always lock ALL gates connected together. This solution is only for special situations such as non-critical applications or where only a visual barrier is needed. Hooking multiple gates together with straps has not been certified for use with children. It is just a special option for non-critical applications. There are straps (Gate Connector Straps) available for purchase on the Retract-A-Gate Online Store page if you decide to use this option.

Option 2: Some customers have hooked two Retract-A-Gates together using two S-hooks in order to cover up to 104”/144”. Each retractable safety gate mounts to either side of the opening, and then the handle rods hook together in the middle with the S-hooks. One S-hook would be used in the top cutouts and one S-hook would be used in the bottom cutouts (see photos below).

This solution is also for special situations such as low traffic areas, non-critical applications, or where only a visual barrier is needed. Retract-A-Gate is very easy to operate with one hand; however, when using this option, you would need two hands and the process will be slower. The S-hook solution has not been tested or certified for use with children, it’s just a special option for non-critical applications. If you decide to use this option, a set of S-hooks is available for purchase on the Online Shopping page.

Option 3: To make up short distances of 1 to 2 inches, spacers can be put under the brackets to increase the overall coverage. Do not use more than a 1-inch spacer underneath the brackets. The only other option to allow the safety gate to span a wider distance would be to put up a partition to close the gap and then attach Retract-A-Gate to that. You could then paint or stain the structure to match the surroundings.

When installed properly, there will be some amount of give to the mesh material due to the fact that it needs to be flexible in order to retract. However, if installed incorrectly there may be too much flexibility. By following these guidelines, you can minimize any issues:

• Make sure to always lock the retractable safety gate by pushing and turning the lock. This will keep the mesh taut and help prevent your young one from pushing the mesh out.
• Be sure the base of the gate is sitting on the floor and is not mounted up off the floor at all. When in use there should be no more than about 1/4″ gap between the bottom of the mesh and the floor.
• If you have the retractable safety gate mounted near a step, make sure the mesh is at least six inches back from the edge of the step. Being close to an edge can create a gap that small children may be able to push through.
• When the mesh is extended and locked, both the top and bottom should be tight with no slack. If there is slack in the bottom, it probably means the bottom brackets are spaced too close to each other (compared to the upper brackets). Adjust the brackets so the distance between them across the opening is identical.
• To apply a slight amount of additional tension before locking the mesh in place, tighten the roll of fabric (no more than 1/8 of a turn), and then lock the gate.

With a mesh height of 34 inches, Retract-A-Gate is one of the tallest available. When locked, the mesh is held taut, so it is difficult to push or pull down. Retract-A-Gate’s tightly woven mesh fabric is thinly spaced which negates a baby’s ability to gain a foothold to climb over.

The Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, Inc. (JPMA) is a national trade organization chartered in 1962 that is dedicated to educating consumers on the safe use and selection of juvenile products. JPMA developed an extensive Certification Program to help guide consumers toward purchasing juvenile products that are built with safety in mind. To become JPMA Certified, Retract-A-Gate was professionally tested by an independent testing facility for compliance with the specific American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) standards. Once a product passes the tests, JPMA allows the manufacturer to label it with the JPMA Certified Seal. Our baby gates are re-tested every year to maintain their certification. Additionally, Retract-A-Gate is tested and exceeds the UK, European, and Canadian Safety Standards for baby gates.

6-24 months is an age range which most baby gates are certified for by independent testing organizations. The common belief by testing organizations is that beyond 2 years children start to become strong enough and smart enough to open most baby gates. A small child wouldn’t figure out the lock on the Retract-A-Gate baby gate unless they were shown how, since you have to push down and turn at the same time (kind of like child-proof caps). Retract-A-Gate is designed to be very easy for adults to operate, but would be difficult for small children to open the baby gate.

The mesh fabric used for Retract-A-Gate is a tough, non-toxic, reinforced polymer composite. Our material does not contain Lead, Phthalate, Latex or BPA chemicals and is formaldehyde free. We’re proud to say that we are far ahead of the curve when it comes to eliminating those chemicals.

The mesh is very durable, yet still allows you to clearly see through it. The retractable safety gate mesh material is UV and mildew resistant. In other applications this same mesh is used for truck tarps to hold down cargo.

Would you like a sample?

If you would like a sample of the mesh, be sure to include your name and mailing address and we will be happy to send you a small fabric sample of the Café, White and Black Retract-A-Gate mesh. Just e-mail our customer service at: info@SmartRetract.com

The Baby Gate can be cleaned with mild soap and water as needed. For stubborn stains rubbing alcohol can be used.

All of our safety gates and accessories are priced competitively and Retract-A-Gate offers the most value of any gate on the market – that is our promise to you! We don’t run sales on overpriced items or do other repetitious advertising gimmicks that end up doing little more than clogging your inbox. We want to simply focus on bringing you the best retractable gate and the best service and support at the best value. Sometimes, however, we do run promotional drawings to encourage customer engagement, or if the occasion were to arise that we would offer any general promotions or discounts, we will put details of those in Step 1 of our Check Out. If you don’t see it listed there, then it’s not available.