Kidco Safeway Wall Mount Top of Stairs Gate
by Kidco
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List Price: Our Price: $49.50 You Save: $126.85 (72%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Kidco Safeway Wall Mount Top of Stairs Gate
Customer Review: So far so good
Summary: 4 Stars
I just bought this one for the top of the stairs and a pressure mounted gate for the bottom of the stairs. My first impressions is that a pressure mounted gate is fine for the bottom of stairs. However, gates which attach to walls with screws are way more sturdy than even the best pressure mounted alternative.
We considered this model and the Evenflo "Top of Stair Gate". After inspecting both gates in the store we opted for this one because the wood spindles on the Evenflo seemeed less sturdy and potentially prone to breaking. If one of the spindles breaks you have to replace the entire unit. Also, why take the chance with safety?
Anyway, here are a few things to consider when installing this item:
1. I took the advice of others and only used the template for the swing side hardware only. This is a must do. It would be a wall-damaging crapshoot to try to get both sides lined up exactly right using templates on both sides of the wall.
2. Unless you are screwing the hardward into a banister and don't want to damage them by having screws go all the way through, use longer screws than the dinky 1/4" to 1/2" screws that are provided in the kit. I went with 2" screws for additional strength.
3) Installation isn't that big of a deal. Just take your time to avoid silly mistakes that result in extra holes in your walls. I found the picture-based instructions at the back of the booklet far more useful than the word-based instructions at the front of the booklet. It wasn't a five minute job but it was not hard at all.
I'll be back in a few months to post my thoughts on the gate after it has had some wear and tear from our 11 months old son and our 100lb dog.
Customer Review: Concerned about ease of using lock?
Summary: 5 Stars
I was confused when I read the reviews for this gate and the KidCo Elongate (same locking mechanism) because some people said the locking mechanism was easy to use while others said it was very difficult. After installing an Elongate and a Safeway, I think I might know why there is the difference of opinion.When we did our first iteration on the Elongate, it was very difficult to work. However, by adjusting the length of the screw which hooks into the lock, we were able to make it work very easily. When we did our first iteration on the Safeway, it was impossible to work. We realized that the mounting brackets on the two sides were at different heights, thereby making the gate on a slight angle, which made the lock unworkable. We repositioned the brackets and tried again. This time the bottom latch worked fine, but the top was difficult. We then realized that the distance between the brackets on the one side was one eighth of an inch different from the distance on the other side, such that the screw that fits into the lock is an eighth of an inch too high. We didn't bother repositioning the bracket again. It works, but not nearly as easily as the latch on our Elongate. So I think the ease with which the lock works is determined by the preciseness of the installation.
About the installation kits ... We wondered if we needed to buy an installation kit. You can get a parts listing for the kit and the instructions for using it off the KidCo website. After looking at these documents, we decided to do it without buying the kits. My husband is not that handy, and we did just fine (of course, some trips to the hardware store were required).
Bottom line - Great gate!! Even looks reasonably nice too.
Customer Review: Good value for the money, expect to be creative in installation
Summary: 4 Stars
A good, solid baby gate for the top of the stairs. Once installed, is easy to operate with one hand.
Plan on doing a bit of carpentry on your own to install properly though. The gate must be installed to a solid surface (wall studs on hinge side), and most staircases do not have a flat surface to mount the latch surface to if they have a rail post there (as pictured!).
I used a bit of scrap lumber that I had around to create a solid wood surface to mount the hinge side to, since the location I wanted to mount it in was in-between the wall studs. Also, if you are lucky enough to have a stud in the right place, you will need longer screws than those provided with the gate.
Plan on making a good surface to mount the latch side to, unless you are lucky enough to have a flat wall to attach to with a stud in the right place, and/or if your rail post is square the entire length. If your rail post is round in the middle you may need to mount a board to the side of it to put the latches on.
Installation instructions are only accurate for the best of mounting locations, but with some simple carpentry skills, you can mount this gate anywhere - just plan on having to do some extra work. Make your plan before starting - see exactly what you're up against so that you don't have to stop and go get things a million times in the middle! A quick trip to your local hardware store and you'll have all you need. I installed the gate in less than an hour, even with doing the 'extras' needed for the location I put it in.
Customer Review: SO FAR IM MAD...
Summary: 2 Stars
OKAY, FOR STARTERS, I DID LOOK AT THE VARIOUS OTHER REVIEWS AND THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE MY CHANCE. IT SEEMED THE GOOD OUTWEIGHED THE BAD. UNTIL...I BOUGHT IT AND AM TRYING TO INSTALL IT (AS WE SPEAK BUT GOT IRRITATED SO AM TAKING A BREAK TO WRITE THIS.) WHERE TO BEGIN, THE LOCKING MECHANISM SEEMS TO BE FINE IF YOU CAN GET IT TO INSTALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTER ONLY INCLUDES SCREWS FOR WOOD WALLS. WHICH MEAN, IF YOU DONT HAVE WOOD WALLS YOU HAVE TO GO BUY OTHER SCREWS! I HAVE DRYWALL AND THE SCREWS ARE NOT RELIABLE. SECOND, I BOUGHT THIS GATE WITH THE EXTENSION (24", THE ONLY ONE THERE IS) BECAUSE THE TOP OF MY STAIRS MEASURE 44 1/2 INCHES. THIS GATE IS SUPPOSED TO FIT THAT WITH THE EXTENSION. IT DOESNT. I HAVE TRIED FOR OVER AN HOUR TO GET IT TO FIT AND IT DOESNT FIT EVEN WITH THE EXTENSION. IT WOULD WITHOUT THE EXTENSION HOWEVER THERE IS ABOUT A 5 INCH GAP FROM THE WALL TO THE BOLTS ON EACH SIDE AND THAT IS WITH THE BOLTS ALL THE WAY UNSCREWED ALSO. NEEDLESS TO SAY IF I WANT THIS GATE TO WORK, I HAVE TO GO TO MY LOCAL HARDWARE STORE AND BUY NEW HARDWARE SO THIS WILL MOUNT SECURLY OR I HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO THE STORE AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE. UNLESS I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT FIT HOW IT IS, THIS GATE HAS BEEN A WASTE OF MY TIME AND MY MONEY. THE ONLY REASON I GAVE IT 2 STARS IS BECAUSE IM SURE IT WOULD BE JUST FINE IF I HAD WOOD WALLS AND IT FIT TO WHERE I CAN INSTALL IT. NOW I HAVE HOLES IN MY WALL AND CONFUSSION TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT FIT IF ITS AT ALL POSSIBLE. DOESNT LOOK LIKE IT IS THOUGH.Customer Review: Very Pleased so Far
Summary: 4 Stars
I too am very pleased with this gate. Over the past week I installed one each at the top of our two staircases.
I strongly recommend following the advice of one of the other reviewers to skip using the template. The lower fixture on the hinge side is lowest to the ground, so I installed that first, then held it in place to mark the spot for the upper hinge. After that was on, I put the gate on the hinges, held it in place and marked the opposite side. Worked great, and it allowed me to work around the mouldings, which would have been difficult with the template.
The wood screws held great in the one bannister on one staircase. On the other staircase, I had to put the gates into drywall. There was a beam on one side, so I had to buy much longer screws to ensure a tight grip. The other side was hollow, so I bought some good metal anchors, so the gate is on very tight. All I did was bring the fixtures to the hardware store and found screws and anchors that would fit the holes. Cost me about $10 to get enough anchors and screws for four gates.
Most of the poor reviews sound like there are some hardware issues. I take one star away because I think the gate should come with alternate screws, and maybe anchors, because I think it's a bad assumption that most people are installing into wood. I would very much recommend this gate, but advise paying close attention to what you're installing into first and make sure you've got the right hardware.