We bought two of these as pet gates, and although our nimble calico can jump to the top and drop on the other side, that's no fault of the manufacturer. :)
These are constructed of welded square steel tubing, and as an engineer I'm very happy with the quality of the welds, the type of finish (a hard, durable gloss paint that is easy to clean and scratch-resistant), and the overall design.
They're easy to assemble, requiring no tools for a pressure-fit installation and only a screwdriver (and maybe a cordless drill) for semi-permanent mounting.
I have a couple of very small negative remarks, but these are insignificant enough (for us, at least) that I am still giving five stars.
1. At the bottom of the moving gate section, there is a dropdown plastic tab to provide extra resistance at the bottom in case a toddler or a larger pet tried to bend the bottom aside to squeeze through. This is no doubt a safety feature, but we occasionally have a problem with that tab dropping down when not intended, so one has to flip it back up to open the gate. I may simply remove that tab since we don't need it for the cats.
2. The 4" extensions work well (one comes with each package), but if the opening is just a little narrower than an extension will fit, the situation will be that the threaded pads extend far enough to leave a cat-sized gap along the side. I've worked around this by using a [nominal] 2x2 board pressure-fit between one side of the gate and the door frame. It works fine, but I would be thrilled if the manufacturer offered a 2" extension for those in-between situations. Longer term, I am going to try shortening one of our extensions by trimming the tip of the horizontal tubing and moving the plastic insert to the new end. (Obviously that will void the warranty, so if you try this, you do so at your own risk.)
I'm still giving the product five stars because these are small issues that don't detract from the quality, and since the product does everything it's advertised to do. In an era of corners being cut and cut and cut in consumer products, as an engineer I'm always happy to find something that's built to last. This gate is definitely built to last.
Despite the minor issue with the extra safety tab at the bottom, the locking mechanism at the top is very convenient to use and yet secure against accidental unlocking. Since we're using the gate for pets and not children, we're able to treat the hold-down clip as optional; for pet-gate use the locking feature will stay secure with the lever down but not clipped. I don't recommend this for use with human children, of course. Our cats are clever but don't have opposable thumbs.
I wish the company made a taller version, because we do need at least one that the calico can't hop over, but the product as designed and as specified does everything it claims and is a good value.
| Mounting Type | Pressure Mounted |
|---|---|
| Target Species | Dog |
| Unit Count | 1.0 Count |
| Age Range (Description) | 6-36 months |
| Closure Type | Latch |
| Product Dimensions | 18.7 x 3.35 x 37.6 inches |
| Item model number | 1166 B DS |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Target gender | Unisex |
| Maximum height recommendation | 41 Inches |
| Material Type | Metal |
| Material Composition | steel |
| Number Of Items | 1 |
| Style | Black |
| Batteries required | No |
| Item Weight | 0.32 ounces |
| Country/Region of origin | China |
