Evenflo Top of Stair Gate

Features:

• One hand release mechanism
• Convenient for high traffic areas
• Removable swing stop mechanism
• Four point hardware mounting
• Easy to install and remove
• Adjusts from 28" to 42" wide
• Stands 28" tall


Amazon.com Review
Here is what a parent's mantra should be when seeking a safety gate: Easy for me, difficult for child. Because really, what else do you need? A good-looking gate is nice, sure, and it's important to have the right size for various entryways. But it all comes down to safety for the kid and ease-of-use for the parent. The Evenflo Top of Stair Gate meets and exceeds these stipulations. And it's not bad looking, either!
Perfect for High Traffic Areas
Designed to secure that most dangerous of crawler/toddler attractions, the stairs, the Top of Stair Gate features key safety elements, including four-point hardware mount, one-direction swing setting, and kidproof latch. Four-Point Hardware Mount
This is an extremely secure mounting when used with the one-direction swing setting for the gate. A Phillips screwdriver and electric drill with 1/8-inch bit are required (not included). A mounting template is included for quick installation—this is a very useful benefit, as most parents spend far more time than they had originally planned or hoped, installing gates. The gate is easy to remove (leaving the hardware in the walls) for those times when you don't need it and do want easier grownup access to the stairs.

Swing Mount
Correctly installed, the gate can swing both ways or be used with the one-direction swing setting for top of stairs use. The usefulness of this setting becomes obvious when you consider the danger of the accidentally unlatched gate swinging open over the stairs…

Childproof Latch
To open the gate, press in and slide out. You'll hear an audible click. Once you've got the hang of it, it's a quick, one-handed operation that will allow you to pass through the gate even while carrying a child—but foil even the most dexterous toddler's attempts to break out.

Vertical Bars: Not Just for Prison Anymore
Vertical bars are crucial to any gate's effectiveness. Amazingly, some gate manufacturers have not figured this out yet. A horizontal bar across a gate is an open invitation to climb. Evenflo, fortunately, has a firm grasp on this concept. The Top of Stair vertical bars' smooth, non-toxic, splinter-resistant finish thwarts little climbers. A Good, Basic Gate
Standing 30 inches tall and extending from 28 to 42 inches wide, the gate fits standard doorways and keeps children (up to 24 months) appropriately frustrated in their efforts to topple down stairs. --Emilie Coulter



Amazon.com Product Description
Keep your home safe and secure for your growing child with Evenflo's Top of the Stairs Plus gate. This protective device meets the two key demands of a safety gate: it provides reliable protection from stairs for baby and is easy for parents to set up and take down. Once installed, this sturdy wood gate has a height of 30 inches tall and expands from 28 to 42 inches wide, and helps protect children up to 24 months.

The Top of the Stairs Plus gate offers: Sturdy wood construction. One-hand operation. Secure 4-point hardware mount. Easy set up.

Prevent any accidents by installing the Top of the Stairs Plus Gate. View larger.

Key Safety Elements Protect Your Child From Falls
Designed to secure the stairs, perhaps the most dangerous of enticements for crawling babies and new-to-walking toddlers, the Top of the Stairs Gate features key safety elements to help prevent accidents. First, the four-point hardware mount ensures that the gate stays in place, even when your child is pushing against it, and is highly secure for stairs and other entryways. And the mounting works in tandem with the one-direction swing setting and the kid-proof latch to provide additional security.

Ideal for High-Traffic Areas
The Top of the Stairs Plus gate is very user-friendly. Parents can set it up in minutes with the included mounting template and operate it with just one hand--an option that's especially helpful while carrying a child.

Once it's correctly installed, it can swing right, left or 180 degrees, or it can be used with the one-direction swing setting for extra security at the top of the stairs, an option that does not allow the gate to swing out over the stairs. It's also extremely convenient for high-traffic areas because it keeps baby safe while allowing adults to come and go quickly and easily.

Vertical Bars and Solid Construction
Vertical bars are crucial to any gate's effectiveness because unlike horizontal bars, they do not entice curious children to attempt to climb on them. That's why the Top of Stair Plus features vertical bars with a smooth, non-toxic, splinter-resistant finish. Built to last, this gate also features durable construction and looks attractive in any home. For added peace of mind, it comes with a limited 90-day warranty.

About Evenflo
For over 85 years, Evenflo has been a worldwide leader in the development of innovative infant equipment and is now one of the nation's leading manufacturers of high quality baby care and juvenile products. Evenflo began as a company that solely distributed baby care items. They have now expanded to manufacturing products, like car seats, strollers, high chairs, play yards and activity centers, that meet all the needs of children from birth to the pre-school years.


Amazon.com Hands-On Review
Here is what a parent's mantra should be when seeking a safety gate: Easy for me, difficult for child. Because really, what else do you need? A good-looking gate is nice, sure, and it's important to have the right size for various entryways. But it all comes down to safety for the kid and ease-of-use for the parent. The Evenflo Top of Stair Gate meets and exceeds these stipulations. And it's not bad looking, either!

Perfect for High Traffic Areas
Designed to secure that most dangerous of crawler/toddler attractions, the stairs, the Top of Stair Gate features key safety elements, including four-point hardware mount, one-direction swing setting, and kidproof latch. Four-Point Hardware Mount
This is an extremely secure mounting when used with the one-direction swing setting for the gate. A Phillips screwdriver and electric drill with 1/8-inch bit are required (not included). A mounting template is included for quick installation—this is a very useful benefit, as most parents spend far more time than they had originally planned or hoped, installing gates. The gate is easy to remove (leaving the hardware in the walls) for those times when you don't need it and do want easier grownup access to the stairs.

Swing Mount
Correctly installed, the gate can swing both ways or be used with the one-direction swing setting for top of stairs use. The usefulness of this setting becomes obvious when you consider the danger of the accidentally unlatched gate swinging open over the stairs…

Childproof Latch
To open the gate, press in and slide out. You'll hear an audible click. Once you've got the hang of it, it's a quick, one-handed operation that will allow you to pass through the gate even while carrying a child—but foil even the most dexterous toddler's attempts to break out.

Vertical Bars: Not Just for Prison Anymore
Vertical bars are crucial to any gate's effectiveness. Amazingly, some gate manufacturers have not figured this out yet. A horizontal bar across a gate is an open invitation to climb. Evenflo, fortunately, has a firm grasp on this concept. The Top of Stair vertical bars' smooth, non-toxic, splinter-resistant finish thwarts little climbers. A Good, Basic Gate
Standing 30 inches tall and extending from 28 to 42 inches wide, the gate fits standard doorways and keeps children (up to 24 months) appropriately frustrated in their efforts to topple down stairs. --Emilie Coulter

My main reasons were the fact that it is made of wood and that it is very sturdy. Forgive my for vanity, but I wanted something that was at least partially tasteful to look at. I was skeptical about the sliding aspect, I felt it might not be easy with only one hand. But it works fine with just one hand. I liked it enough to purchase and install another at the bottom of hte stairs.

The gate is bombproof! I always felt 100% certain my child was safe while he jumped and played on the gate at the top of the stairs.

The other key feature is that the gate can be removed (sans hardware) in 2 seconds. That is more handy than I originally thought it would be.

I think the key to success with this gate is proper installation. I actually hard mounted lumber onto my drywall and then added the gate hardware to the lumber. In that way I mount the hardware with 2" screws into solid lumber. At the same time I could control where I put the screws going into the drywall so that post restoration would be easier. For the Newell post I zip tied a piece of lumber to the post and mounted the hardware to it.

We sold that house and bought another. Our toddler is competent on the stairs but we have another on the way. There is no doubt we will be installing more of these gates here.


If you have a climber this one is for you.   May 29, 2001
Mary R. Smith (Manhattan, Kansas)
160 out of 162 found this review helpful

We bought a few of these gates after our son began to climb the other gates we had. These wooden gates are a bit more expensive but are well worth the price. They are easy to install, heavy duty, better looking and vitually impossible to climb over. We feel much saver with them on the stairs. Our previous gates were made of plastic and were the type with the large "holes" in them. When our son began to pull up to standing we noticed the plastic gates swayed and twisted a bit. A few weeks later he figured out how to get his little feet in the holes and climbed to the top of the gate. Spend the little extra to get a gate that will last and will keep your climber safe.


Outstanding gate, very safe!   January 13, 2003
K. Velicer (Overland Park, KS United States)
71 out of 72 found this review helpful

We bought two of these gates for our split-level home to prevent our toddler from tumbling down the stairs or exploring the house in the middle of the night and are thrilled with how well they have worked out for us! This gate is easy to install, with the right tools, but MUST be installed into studs for maximum safety. I noticed that another reviewer added additional wood since they originally screwed the gate into drywall which, no matter how thick, cannot compare to the stability of wall studs. We have had great success with this gate on both sets of stairs. It also looks nice with our decor and does not cost a fortune. One note, even if your little one stands on the bottom bar of the gate, they cannot climb over it as there are no footholds for them to climb onto, unlike gates with criss-cross patterns.


Super safe and easy to use   September 20, 2001
Scott McAfee (Springfield, VA)
52 out of 52 found this review helpful

After buying 3 gates at Home Depot and toy stores, I finally did the research and decided on this one. Really glad I am. If you've ever put a compression gate at the top of the stairs, you know how inadequate that is. This gate was easy to install, and contrary to other reviews, I can open with one hand. One potential problem is wall moldings, which can get in the way of the bottom wall mounted socket. I got around this by installing the socket at an angle, half on the molding and half on the wall. It still latches smoothly and is a solid, solid gate.


Have two, one works and one doesn't   August 11, 2001
kmaginot@aol.com (USA)
50 out of 55 found this review helpful

We had a baby safety company baby-proof our home, and several safety gates were installed. The Kidco, inc pressure gate works well in our hallway and is easy to open and close. We have two Evenflo Walk-through stair gates. One, at the top of the stairs, works fairly well, but you need to use two hands when opening and closing this gate (which means putting down a crying child momentarily while wrestling with the gate). The one at the bottom of the stairs is useless, since the wood appears to have warped and can not be closed without pulling the entire gate (screws and all) out of the wall. We're in the process of looking for another gate (anything-but-wood)which can be opened easily with one hand. Hope this helps.