Safety 1st Perfect Fit Gate - Not a Great Child's Staircase Gate

Safety 1st Perfect Fit Gate is not the answer for your gate needs. When my son started crawling we soon realized that we were going to need to install safety gates on the stairs. We needed a safety gate for the bottom of the stairs and one for the top. I went onto the computer and did a ton of research. I researched every single safety gate on the market and really couldn't find one that had great ratings. The Safety 1st Perfect Fit Gate didn't have the best ratings but it was the only gate that would install properly at the bottom of our staircase. The safety gate that did get a better rating didn't install properly at the bottom so we had to install it at the top of the staircase.

Let's put it this way, it works. It is by no means my favorite gate. I do like that it is white and clear and matches my hallway since we haven't painted and our house is completely white. I don't like the fact that my dog was able to get through it. We must not have had it completely seated in the lock position and my 115 pound golden lab/retriever pushed right though it. The funny thing is that my 225 pounds stepfather can't even figure out how to operate it.

Sometimes when we try to lift the gate to unlock it, we end up lifting it right our of the wall brackets. You are left standing there with the entire gate in your hands. The lock feature can pinch your fingers or your child's fingers if they are "helping" you lock it. Try telling a two year old he can't help, good luck! The screw mount into our new walls completely ruined them. The holes are getting bigger and bigger every time you open the gate. You can forget about the pressure mount, that completely does not work. It barely works with the screws drilled into your walls.

If you are still interested in purchasing this gate after reading my review, you can find it at ToysRUs and BabiesRUs for $29.99. You could also purchase it from the Amazon.com website for the same price of $29.99. Target is selling it for a little higher price at $34.99. I only recommend this product if it is the only one that will fit on your stairs correctly. A not so great gate is still better than no gate. You don't want your little one getting hurt.