Customer Rating:  
Summary: Noisy, Cheap Hardware, Disappointing
Comment: I needed this gate for our hallway as the walls are not plumb and it is impossible to get a tension mounted gate to stand firmly (without toppling over with the slightest bit of pressure from a baby leaning on it). I also love the idea of not having to constantly take down and put back up the gate. It seemed to make so much sense to have a retractable gate! First of all, as many other people have said, the screws are absolute garbage. They stripped very easily and one broke off in the wall (now I have screw protruding from my wall). Second of all, I have quarter round besides the usual molding and so it is almost impossible to mount this gate. Maybe if I were handier I could work around it, but since I'm just your average Mom, it is turing out to be big problem. The spacers provided are helping, but they are very hard to work with. Lastly, the mechanism is definitely loud. It doesn't really bother me that much, but if you have a light sleeper in the house, it couldn't definitely be a problem. If you do get this gate, definitely get better screws and find somebody who is handy to install it for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Should opening a gate wake up the whole house?
Comment: I own three of these gates and appreciate them from an aesthetic point of view.
Installation is not easy and you can toss out the packaged screws upon opening the box. You are going to need better screws.
You will have a hard time mounting both ends on a straight line when not dealing with a door opening. That's not really the products fault, but you better have some basic home improvement skills when dealing with these gates.
Does your baby or toddler ever fall asleep with a closed baby gate between him/her and the crib? If so, this is not the gate for you! Unless you like telling your spouse after your child has fallen asleep in the car: "You guys wait here in the hot garage while I go open all the baby gates". Yes, you can reduce (reduce, not eliminate!) the noise if you hold the gate handle and slowly let it retract. Can you do this while still maintaining a solid grip on your sleeping pride and joy? I end up trying to scale the gates while holding a sleeping child. Aren't these gates for safety?
Oh, and if your dog has a little brain power he or she will be tunneling under the gates in under 48 hours. Your toddler won't be too far behind once the dog shows him or her once or twice. But hey, they look pretty good when retracted!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Better than the pressure gate
Comment: I installed this gate between the kitchen and the hallway. I wanted a gate that wasn't always in the way like the pressure gate we have at the bottom of the stairs.This one is out of the way when we aren't using it, and can be closed with one hand after I've swooped the ten month old up from where she's not supposed to be!I was a lttle worried about the twenty month old destroying it because she pulls down on the fabric pretty hard when she sees her uncle walk over it. So far after two weeks it is good as new though, so we'll see.This is a good gate for anyone who doesn't want to mess with a gate when they're not using it.I just wish they had something like this that could be used at the top of the stairs.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Great "stealthy" gate!
Comment: The First Years HideAWay Gate
I purchased this for our home since our baby has started to crawl. We wanted something that wasn't too bulky, easy to use, but safe. We really didn't want the typical metal gate. So, when we saw this, we thought it was a good idea.
The installation was easy. It only involved screwing 8 screws into the wall. I used wall anchors for safe measure that I bought at the local hardware store. It's easy to use. It appears totally safe for our baby. And, it's NOT as noisy as other members have complained about. Now, if you don't use the safety release button (do it one-handed), then it can be noisier. But, if you use it correctly and use the safety release button, the "noise" is minimal.
So, I honestly don't understand the bad reviews. As I've stated, the noise wasn't an issue and the installation was as simple as can be. I certainly will be buying another one for the bottom of our staircase. I totally recommend this product for other parents out there. The only knock is the price.
By the way, about the other review which stated that it's unsafe for toddlers because his/her baby could get under the gate, the person obviously installed it INCORRECTLY. I tested it out and the mesh gate only lifts up about 3 inches when locked....not enough space for a baby to crawl under.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Comment: I love this gate. I would say that it is not intended for, or good, if you plan on going through it often. It is not a one handed operation (nor does it claim to be) and could be quite difficult if you have things in your hands. However if you use it like I do to keep your child in their room at night it is perfect. I agree that it is quite loud and the screws are terrible (don't even bother trying them just buy your own to start with) but to me the convenience of not having a bulky gate in the doorway all the time far outways these small problems.
|
