Review on Regalo Extra Tall And Wide 2-In-1 Stairway And Hallway Wall Mounted Baby Gate, Bonus Kit, Includes Banister And Wall Mounting Kit by Hco Cortes

Pros:- I didn't find installation of it to be too difficult. I use it on the top of the stairs where both sides have molding. I found the instructions to be fairly simple to follow. I drilled pilot holes before screwing into the wall, which I think helped. But basically, the steps included installing mounting poles with three screws each, then insert gate.- The height is ideal for our top of the stairs. I was worried I would have to remove a hand rail on one wall, but it is low enough to go under the handrail, yet seemingly high enough not to worry about our 1 year old being able to climb on it.- It is sturdy when in the locked position.Cons (and reason for the 3-star "It's okay" rating:- The locking mechanism seems too much of a hassle to use frequently. It has a top and bottom prong that fit into respective holes on the mounting pole. To close/lock you have to (1) pull up on the gate while squeezing a handle at the top, (2) align both prongs on the holes while fighting the tension of the gate, and (3) lower the prongs into the holes while still squeezing the handle. This is nearly impossible with one hand, so I couldn't imagine doing it while having a kid. I'm also a relatively in shape guy and fighting the tension to lift and maneuver the gate takes a little elbow grease. My wife is already content just aligning the top hole since it is rather sturdy. Based on all this, I envision us only keeping it locked when the baby is upstairs and roaming around. Defeats some of the purpose though since I then have to consciously remember to do it.- You can't permanently fix the length of the gate. This makes the locking hard as well because in aligning the prongs you have to make sure the length remains correct (and it slides in and out pretty easily).- The knob meant to sit on the floor is too large. It's adjustable but at its highest level, it still scrapes our carpet to much so that it doesn't swing well. You can remove it but there's a screw that doesn't detach, so not having it would probably damage your floor.All in all, it works as it's supposed to and I'm impressed by the sturdiness of it. I may try a few of the fixes suggested in the reviews (which I wish I read more of before purchasing), such as using zip ties so it doesn't slide in and out as much. But it sucks you have to result to home remedies for a product you paid good money for. I also may reposition it a bit higher to help overcome the knob issue (though that's additional holes in my walls).I wanted to try one before buying another for the bottom of the stairs. But now I think I'll look for one with at least a different locking mechanism for the bottom of the stairs.