Summer Infant Extra Tall Decorative Walk-Thru Gate - Babyphone Discounters

By 

Charles Evans “Call me Kevin” (North Carolina) –

  

  

  

Customer Video Review Length:: 3:53 Mins

There is a lot to like about Summer Infant Walk-Thru gate, but it also has some (in my eyes) serious drawbacks.

Pros -

+ Installation is relatively painless
+ Sturdy construction – this is a product I am confident in leaving in place without fear of accidents
+ Nice appearance – it certainly does not look cheap
+ Has the ability to adapt to span openings from 28-48″ – this is the SPAN that the entire gate covers “from rail-to-wall”

Areas for improvement

- The gate opening is just not wide enough – I dread trying to go through the gate with suitcases or anything of width. This is different than the gates span … what I am referring to is the actual fixed opening that you walk through.
- The catch mechanism sticks into the opening by about 2″ – It is positioned perfectly to catch onto clothes and pockets. I see things getting caught and ripped in our immediate future.
- For some reason our gate does not automatically close.

Final Verdict – While I can’t give this gate a hearty recommendation I am still not convinced that it is not the best baby gate on the market. I know that sounds crazy, but I have not found a product that I don’t have major complaints with – so with that

3 Stars

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (6)

By 

William Moorefield “Tourpilot” (Los Angeles) –

  

We have purchased many gates since our two kids arrived, and this one is the first one I like. Actually, we love this gate. The other plastic, pressure mounted ones are ugly and impossible to use. We gave those away. Then we bought wooden ones that were so flimsy they fell apart. Then we bought the XT Superyard, which is great as portable enclosure, but simply is not a gate for room entry or stairs. I was able to mount this gate in just a few minutes. The assembly was very intuitive, and they DO provide simple instructions. The gate is sturdy, surprisingly stylish, and works, very, very well. Only because we have wasted so much time and money do we truly appreciate this particular model. FINALLY a gate that works as promised!.

I will note that the auto-close feature can be defeated if the turn knobs are not adjusted properly. Other reviewers complain that the gate ceases to close after a bit of use. But this is only a matter of adjusting the knobs properly – not just the top one necessarily, but all of them. It’s not rocket science, and the adjustment of knobs (there are only four) is not nearly as trying as it sounds. They also include a specialized wrench for turning the plastic knobs well and accurately. We are very pleased with this purchase, and have recommended this gate to any friend in need of one. Our 16-month old son, who is very good at destroying things and escaping most enclosures, has yet to defeat this gate. He throws all of his weight into it, but this gate does not budge. Our four-year old, on the other hand, figured out that lifting the door straight up is easier than using the latch. Now we just lift, and swing it open, then close it. Makes the latch superfluous. The lift trick also makes is very easy for their grandmother (who suffers from arthritis) to open the gate too.

Installing it you will notice that the doorway of the gate is not square when you first position it across the hallway or entryway. This is by design, as turning the knobs applies the pressure necessary to make the gate swing shut. As the knobs are tightened, the gate squares up. Brilliant. The gate we bought also came with two extra panels, to adjust the width. Four metal pins hold the panel in place. We only needed one panel. The whole design is so incredibly simple, it’s quite astonishing that it works so well.

And finally, there is some hardware provided for screwing the seats for the knobs into the wall. If you’re going to use this at the top of the stairs, DO NOT rely on a pressure mount. While this is a great gate, you never want to rely on pressure-mount only to keep your toddler from falling down the stairs. Sacrifice a little putty and paint rather than your kid’s neck, and install the screw mount if you use it for the stairway. Common sense is common sense.

While I agree that some Summer Products have been a bit flimsy, this particular model of gate is a real star. We recommend it without hesitation, and we’re very demanding consumers. If you find some defect, take it back and swap it out. Both of our gates are perfect.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment

By 

Shirley A. Engel (St. Louis, Missouri) –

  

We really like this gate. We have two big dogs, and we put the gate up in between the living-room and the kitchen, to keep them out of the living-room. It is really nice they cannot break the gate down. We have one dog that is a Irsh Wolfhound, and weights 120 lbs, and a Black Lab weigh 80 lbs. The gate is tall enough too. Our son also brought one for his house when he saw mine. He has also a Black Lab.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comment