As a mum of a very active and mobile toddler and in a house with a long, steep flight of stairs, a good stair gate is high priority. We originally had one passed down from friends but it was an old design and pressure mounted against the wall – it pushed out of place a number of times, which was a worry.
The Extendable Swing Shut Gate is designed to fit into wall cups, which are screw fixed securely into the walls or mounting surface. I really value this feature as it gives extra security and peace of mind, but I do appreciate that it isn’t for everyone – it’s harder to move the gate around the house and it makes four screw holes on each side of the gap (which can of course be filled in later). Because of this, the gate needs to be fitted carefully and this is a bit time consuming. That said, my husband assures me it isn’t over complicated and the instructions are clear, it just needs careful fitting for accuracy. The small spanner included is a nice touch but not quite up to the job!
As the name hints, the Extendable Swing Shut Gate can be extended. It goes from its basic 72.5cm to 95cm using the two included 7cm extensions, or could go further using a combination of other extensions available. This makes it an extremely flexible gate for wider spaces.
What we love
The gate looks good and stylish and comes in two designs - one in white metal with grey fittings and one in silver with natural beech door section. It’s not an ugly beast!
The opening mechanism needs firm pressure but works well and is cleverly design - it really was possible to open it one handed. The gate can be set to open in either direction or locked to one (as recommended for stairs), which is useful.
The gate has a clever ‘swing shut’ mechanism, which works when the gate is pushed wide open. I have to say this didn’t always work but that may have been that we didn’t fit it perfectly accurately.
The best feature for me has to be the flexible width. Our doors are wider than standard and some gates aren’t appropriate – we use one of the two 7cm extensions included in the pack and it’s easy to fit (and a clever design, my husband commented). It works a treat.
What to watch out for
You need to be aware that this gate can only be fixed safely using the four screw-in wall cups. This isn’t ideal for everyone as it’s time consuming to fit and not easily moved.
The gate has a metal bar running along the ground for extra strength but this may present a potential minor trip hazard. That said, this certainly isn’t the only gate have this feature.
Who is the Clippasafe Extendable Swing Shut Gate best for?
Parents looking for a smart but sturdy gate to fix securely in place, especially if they have wider than average doors or stairways.
The Clippasafe Extendable Swing Shut Gate is a smart and safe gate with a clever opening mechanism and thoughtful swing-shut technique. However it’s not for those who want to fix something quickly or need the flexibility to move it around the house.
