Summer Infant's Stylish & Secure Gate

I've read countless reviews on parenting products, but I don't think I've ever come across a detailed description of one of the most important goods on the market: the baby gate.

This seriously under-praised product is an absolute lifesaver for families with crawling babies, curious toddlers or pets—but not all baby gates are created equal. That's why I was so excited to discover the Stylish & Secure Extra Tall Decorative Walk-Thru gate by Summer Infant.

This gate far surpasses the countless cheapo contraptions I've dealt with in the past—you know the gates I'm talking about: the flimsy wood and plastic contraptions that are a pain to adjust and force you to high-step over them in order to get around. Those old-school gates were stressful in general, but I found them to be particularly frustrating when we would would have company—I always felt like I had to shove them in a closet to prevent friends and family from breaking their necks when they tried to walk from room to room (and, let's be honest, I was a little embarrassed by how unattractive they were, too). With the swinging, walk-though gate on our Summer Infant system, that's no longer the case. It's easy-to-open for a mom who has her hands full, but not-so-simple that your wee one could wiggle his way out. The gate swings open smoothly, and latches back into place once you're through, ensuring that and your guests will never get tripped up while trying to step over a barricade ever again. Plus, it's really pretty. It seems strange to describe a baby gate as “attractive”, but when you spend your days staring at a sea of primary-colored, cartoonish toys and baby-themed gear (or in our case, squeaky, rubber dog toys and frisbees), it's a nice break to have something that doesn't compete with your decor.

I was impressed that Summer Infant's Stylish&Secure gate can be a semi-permanent fixture in our home for as long as we see fit. Easily installed in any regular-sized door or hallway (they make special Stylish&Secure gates for extra-wide doorways, too), we had the option to either screw the gate in place or tension mount it without damaging the wall or door frame. We tension-mounted ours, and it's amazing how stable it is. It's held up really well against our neighbor's toddler, who constantly uses it as a leaning post, and our puppy, who occasionally crashes into it as she slides full-speed across the wood floors. This particular gate has another perk: it's really tall. The added height will keep kiddos safe for many years, and it does a great job keeping of our bouncy puppy on her own side of the living room.

If you're looking for a useful, long-term solution for safely confining your baby, this Summer Infant gate is sure to please.

Price: $75
Buy it: toysrus.com