We got this wide gate to keep our baby in the baby-proofed living area and away from the entryway. This product is actually Cardinal's SS-30 gate, 2 BX-2 extensions, and a T bar. We have no problem opening it one-handed, but it can hurt your fingers a little to hold the latch and pull up. It swings quickly and easily out of the way, coming and going.
We had several obstacles to installing the gate though. First, the hinge bar used to attach the gate to the extensions did not have screw holes appropriately spaced. I called the company, and they sent another one free of charge, which the man said he would personally drill using the BX-2 extension. We had the same problem with the new one and decided to drill a new hole in the extension. The T bar is meant to stabilize the wide gate assembly on a level floor, and you're supposed to either screw it into your floor or use the provided velcro stripes to adhere it to the floor. Well, we have carpet on one side, which is significantly lower than the tile on the other, and we couldn't have effectively adhered the T bar to the carpet, nor did we want to put a hole in the tile. However, it turned out we didn't need the T bar because this assembly was about an inch too big for our doorway. It will work with a doorway no smaller than 71" apparently. The adventure continued, and I ordered a BX-1 extension, which is about half the width of the BX-2. After a few more days and a game of undo-most-of-your-previous-work, the gate was finally up, and there was much rejoicing. Now we have an extra BX-2 extension to return to Cardinal Gates."..." Read more
- Amy in Oklahoma City, OK