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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
from Derby on 8/6/2008
This products is a very good idea and is brilliant for different sized doorways especially on stair ways as there is no bar for you to trip over, the only down side is that very awkward to assemble and you cannot operate it with one hand so you would have to put your child down to operate it. The only other downside is that when you draw back the gate it makes a loud noise which I appreciate was for security but can wake a child up if it is on a bedroom door way.
from Nottingham on 8/6/2008
Once you get the hang of this gate, it's very easy to use - even when you're holding a little person!
We love the fact that the gate is less obtrusive than most - we can roll the screen away after bedtime, until it's needed again.
from Hampshire on 7/28/2008
We use these stairgates at the top and bottom of our stairs. I am a mum with a 5 and 2 year old and I also childmind.
I love the fact that the stairgate is available all the time but can be neatly stowed when it is not needed.
It took a while to figure out how to attach the stairgate. Initially it was placed too high and my 5 year old realised that he could wriggle underneath it. It is not as sturdy as a fixed gate (eg BabyDan) but it does form an effective barrier and definitely provides better protection than a pressure gate. The older children understand that it means they are not allowed up or down stairs.
from edinburgh on 7/19/2008
i am a childminder and need gates up on my stair top and bottom and on the kitchen so i found this product the best as they are quite discreat when not in use and found them very easy to use.
from Surrey on 7/14/2008
Easy to use, no trip bar which is important, especially when it's at the top and bottom of the stairs. It rolls back when not in use, so no need to open and close stairgates when little ones are in bed.
I use the guard at the bottom of my stairs. I think it's a great idea to design a guard like this one but it needed a bit more thought!
It's not easy to operate when holding a baby for example and just doesn't feel secure on my timber walls!!
Not worth the money I spent
from Leicester on 7/8/2008
Fantastic to find a product for an angled wall/staircase.
Strong, safe and easy to use when used to it.
This product is impossible to operate one handed -- something I did not realise before I bought it. It is also very difficult to operate from the other side of the handle, in our case this makes it difficult to put back in place if you are going downstairs. It is also expensive when compared with other similar products.
from Exeter on 7/3/2008
I've rated this 5 stars because there's nothing else like it; it's basically a strong window blind on its side that you pull out across an opening.
It's strong enough to prevent a child pushing through it but easier to get over than a solid gate.
In operation you release a ratchet, pull it out and hook it to the opposite wall and it locks as it tries to spring back. To stowe it you release the ratchet again and let it spring back into its casing.
It's nice and neat, and ideal for the bottom of the stairs if there's no room for a solid gate. However there are two serious problems;
1. It is VERY fiddly to operate - you have to keep it under tension whilst trying to hook it at the top and the bottom. If you release the tension as you're doing this it locks and you have to let it rectract so you can release the latch and try again. Two handed it's really annoying - one-handed it's hopeless.
2. It is VERY noisy. They claim this is some sort of alarm that the gate has been released - it's not, it's a cheap and nasty ratchet mechanism. It's easily loud enough to wake a child, and initially our little one was petrified of it. It's taken three weeks for him to get used to it, and it still scares him if you don't warn him first.
Overall it's a great idea, but it's spoiled by these usability issues. However if you've got no space at the bottom of your stairs it does solve the problem, and does look very nice.
from Derbyshire on 6/26/2008
When we 1st un-packed the stairgate we thought 'oh my god'!! It looked so complicated and the instructions looked scary!! But once my other half got his head round them and got the gate fixed we were really pleased we bought it. With a little practice we soon got the hang of opening & closing it. I definitely think it is worth the money.
from Maidstone on 6/23/2008
Very easy to install and neat on the stairs. My daughter was very annoyed to find she couldn't climb the stairs anymore. A bit fiddley to open when coming down the stairs but couldn't be without it.
from Cockburnspath on 6/20/2008
Although this safety barrier is more expensive than all the others it's well worth it. It rolls away so you don't have anything to trip over, easy to install, loads of options included for attaching to bannisters/stairs. The only downside is that I can't seem to work it with one hand. We will be buying a couple more for other areas in the house.
from Essex on 6/19/2008
The first one was sooo good we bought another!
from Cornwall on 6/17/2008
Easy to install, strong construction.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Essex on 6/12/2008
This is a brilliant stair gate. The mechanisim is easy to use. There is no bar to trip over whilst going up/down the stairs. It rolls away when you aren't using it - unlike all other stair gates you only use it when you need to and you don't have to squeeze yourself through a tiny gap! I am about to order a second for the bottom of the stairs :-)
from Hampshire on 6/9/2008
Out of the way so good in that respect, but have had to give family of 6 a lesson on how to open and close, have not found it to be one handed yet! Older children cannot get the hang of it either but maybe with practise as we all find the opening/closing easier. Took a while to fit - read all instructions before starting, we put stuff on it showed at step one and later showed we did not need to!
from london on 5/31/2008
product is very useful in protecting areas with usual dimensions. The product, however, is definately NOT for one handed operation as advertised, the locking/unlocking mechanism is fiddly. Overall a sound & innovative product at a steep price.
from South Birmingham on 5/21/2008
Great as no trip hazard at top of the stairs so have piece of mind if my baby manages to get to the top of the stairs anytime.
from Hull on 3/8/2008
Fantastic product, I don't normally review products but is such a great stairgate I thought I should....it gets 5 stars from me.
The stairgate can easily be opened and shut one handed once you know how to do it, although it did take my partner a while to work it out. The good news is that it's difficult for a toddler to work out how to use it. My eldest daughter is really close to working it out, but she is now 2 1/2 years old. It's also very sturdy, my eldest daughter puts her weight against it and it's still safe.
All in all the stairgate is fantastic, it does make a very loud noise when you open it but that's a safety feature in case your children learn how to open it you'll hear them. On the plus side, you can open it quietly if your children are asleep if you use two hands.
When not in use the stairgate retracts next to the wall where you have fitted it. There are no trip hazzards, no small gate to squeeze through and it's simple to install.
It isn't one of the cheapest stairgates around, but it is definately value for money. We have tried several stairgates in the past and my darling clever daughter always managed to open them with lots of pulling and general roughness. Another plus is that the stairgate is very neat and doesn't spoil the look of your house.
I highly recommend this stairgate to anyone, it's just great.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from London on 3/7/2008
When you unpack this stairgate, fitting it looks like it will be a doddle. And it will be as long as you are not attaching it partially to a skirting board or anything else that means that the two screw-points are not parallel. You need to "find" a piece of wood the same thickness of your skirting to pad out one of the fittings. I had to use a jigsaw, sandpaper, a drill, a chisel, glue, a spirit level and a screwdriver to fit the stair gate. I think Lascal could have included some spacers in the box for the price of this stair gate.
Once the gate is up, it looks pretty good. It still protrudes from the wall by a good four or five inches but is less obtrusive than the standard style.
It's a tricky gate to operate. One-handed and quiet operation is not going to come easily and is the price you pay for good aesthetics.
Ultimately, buy this stairgate if, as well as safety, you care about how your home looks and you can handle the huge price tag.
from York on 2/27/2008
This is simply a must if you have an unusual stair case and the gap is wider than most - we are using it stretched right to its limits at 130cm!! and it works a treat securely keeps my little one safe and does nto look unsightly when not in use - a little bit more costly than the others but to know that it fits sbugly is worth every penny!!!
from OXFORDSHIRE on 2/26/2008
VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS - BOUGHT 2, SENDING ONE BACK! IT'S DEFINITELY NOT ONE HANDED OPERATION - THE BOTTOM CATCH IS IMPOSSIBLE TO LATCH ONTO WITH THE OTHER HAND MANIPULATING THE BLIND. ALSO ONLY GOES UP TO 2 YEARS OLD! I WANT MY 3 YEAR OLD TO BE SAFE TOO! MY HUSBAND CURSES THE DAY I BOUGHT IT... BUT IT DOES STOW AWAY TO LEAVE THE STAIRS COMPLETELY FREE, WITH NO GATE SWINGING, SO ONLY SOLUTION FOR SOME TIGHT SPACES = NEEDS MORE DESIGN DEVELOPMENT!
from Notts on 2/24/2008
Folds away neatly, it is a shame that it only comes in white as it rather stands out against wood door frames. It is simple to assemble which is just as well as the instructions are useless. Also unhooking it one handed is not as simple as it should be and the lock mechanism engages when you don't want it to, this makes it tricky to open when carrying baby.
from hertfordshire on 2/21/2008
Great product which doesn't block the stairs when not in use. Looks neat and blends in better than a metal stairgate. If I could have afforded it would have bought all 3 stairgates I needed like this!! The 2 upstairs are metal ones!
from birmingham on 2/20/2008
This is a really good stairguard. i
think its worth the money, because its easy to use and not in your way when not needed.
from welling kent on 2/19/2008
this stair gate is brilliant, as a childminder i don't have to worry about the older children having to step over the bottom of the gate, which makes it much safer for them
from Stamford on 2/18/2008
The instructions for assembly & fitting are quite easy to follow & once it's fixed in position the gate is very easy to use & retracts back out of the way again when it's not needed. The only downside is it makes you realise how out of square walls & bannisters can be!!
from scotland on 2/18/2008
once you get the hang of this its quite good. the instructions aren't the best but you can figure it out. good product for wide stair areas. only down fall is its a bit noisey when it winds back to the side.
from sussex on 2/17/2008
Great product. Love it. Don't notice it at all when not in use and brilliant when my daughters in bed. Can just walk up stairs without having to deal with unsightly stairgates! Brilliant invention.
from Nottingham on 2/16/2008
Takes a little getting used to but after a while of using it, it gets easier. It is very compact which is great for when baby isn't here as you wouldn't know it's there. The only downside is that it takes two hands to open it, abit inconvenient when holding baby! But it does only take one hand to close it, so all in all i would recommend this product and would say that it is a brilliant buy!!!
from Tonbridge on 1/30/2008
Little bit tricky to use one handed at first but you get the hang of it after a while. Nice to have it roll up so there is no gate to get in the way or bar to trip over.
from Maidstone, Kent on 1/29/2008
Its brilliant because it disappears!
I live in a town house so we probably use the stairs more... & the hallways are not huge for the family to be able to navigate around a fixed gate opening & closing... so the 'roller blind' gate is superb in this respect.
Nor is there any possibility of tripping over a bar at the bottom of the gate.
Adjusting the width of the gate to the stairway/door is very easy too, no fiddling involved - just stretch to the needed size.
Only disadvantage is it is not quite so easy to shut one handed. There is a time delay switch to release the 'roller blind' gate on the opposite end to the gate fixing (which fixes at the top & bottom of the post)
But this does not change my mind that I bought the best gate for my requirements.
from bristol on 1/29/2008
The unit is very discreet whilst being very secure and allowing easy access for adults. We've installed 4 in our house and have recommended to friends and family.
from Llandudno, North Wales on 1/29/2008
We have just done a loft conversion and the stair opening was quite narrow. The Kiddygate fits perfectly and now the children can play safely. really good invention. Recommended it to two of my friends.
from Leeds on 1/29/2008
great for the stairs aas it folds back against the wall has no bar to step over. A bit tricky opening and closing
from Watford, Herts on 1/28/2008
This gate is the only one that I could find to fasten to our round balustrades, although the fitting is not large enough for our newel post.
It is fairly easy to install. However, a skirting board at the bottom requred the use of a spacer on the top wall fitting, which was not supplied, making things more awkward for us.
It is useful because it can be mounted at an angle and will extend up to 130cm. We find that the lack of gaps to see through also makes our son less interested in trying to get past it because he can't see the stairs.
It stows away very neatly.
from Bristol on 1/28/2008
Great design, no tricky bar at the bottom like most stairgate options. Drawbacks. . .noisy retraction unless you hold the button down, a bit tricky to operate one handed.
from stamford, nr peterborough on 1/28/2008
I really wish we had brought these stair gates with our first child - she then grew up with the normal hinged gate and continued to fall over the bar at the top and I quite often trapped my finger in the mechanism. These gates are fantatsic they are very minimalist (we brought them when we moved for our new baby), they do not cause a hazard on the stairs and can be used and connected with one hand - because as a mum the other hand is always busy carrying something or someone!! they are quite expensive but only by about [$], so save that little bit extra and get these ones!!
from Kingston-upon-Thames on 1/28/2008
This is a very practical and nice looking gate. I use it to divide the kitchen and the dinning area. My little one starts to crawl and very active on his walker. this product makes me feeling safe. In addition, it can be roll into the side, very compact. unlike the traditional gates which are very visible. this makes your home look nicer.
from Ringwood, Hampshire on 1/26/2008
AS a family we don't need safety gates anymore as our own children are teenagers;so it's great to know that the safety gate is always there and available all the time for when we have minded children at home - but when not in use you barely know it's there.
Fabulous design - shame they didn't exist when our own boys were little.
from Fareham, Hampshire. on 1/26/2008
My husband is quite good a DIY but we have two of the Lascal Guards and they seemed to go up fairly easily (myself standing from a distance though). We have one on the bottom stairs which is a 120cm gap and the other entering the kitchen which is a smaller than usual doorway gap. They are stronger than they look although more fiddly than I thought they were going to be but with more use and practice they are more one handed friendly to handle now. I was originally going to buy pressure gates but I love the fact that there is no bar at the bottom, although we have cats! They've managed to work out the spindals on the stairs to get through but the kitchen is tricky and we have to let them through. It looks great when it's rolled up not in use as you barely notice them and it doesn't look like they are going to go faulty any time soon. So all in all I rate this 4 out of 5, a little fiddly and pricey but worth it.
from Milton Keynes on 1/23/2008
We've got one of those difficult shaped staircases that a traditional stair gate won't fit. It's also narrow so we needed a gate that would retract back to the wall and not be an obstacle so for us the only suitable gate I could find was the Kiddyguard one.
On the positive side it is flexible and by buying extra fittings we can use it to block off the stairs or shut the baby in his room whilst still being able to keep an eye on him.
On the down side it can be very difficult to both open and close it - definitely not one handed operation in my case! Also it's quite short so you are supposed to stop using it when the baby is about 2 years old.
Overall I would recommend the KiddyGuard but wish there were more options available for those of us who don't have a 'normal' staircase.
from Reading on 1/21/2008
We have an old house which wouldn't accommodate a normal stairgate. This one works really well, is sturdy, and does the job. Best of all, it completely retracts so there is nothing to step over and not much to look at.
The downside is that you need two hands to do it, and it does take a few tries to get the hang of it.
from milton keynes on 1/21/2008
This is a great stairgate. We really didn't want one that was always visible (in evenings)It's easy to fix and totally unobtrusive, you just don't notice it's there. Very strong...our daughter likes to lean against it at the top of the stairs to see who's downstairs. I don't think there are any down points about it, i can open it with one hand and my knee when i am carrying her too.
from Sandy Beds on 1/20/2008
The web demonstration clinched this for me. After a botched installation, I must check for wires in future I finally fitted it! The Versatility of the door guard is it can span awkward openings and widths. I our case the fixing points are not at 90 deegrees so the flexibility of the roller design enabled us to use this and no other guard. It a needs two handed operation but a foot can be used to help when toddler is in tow to give it some slack before unhitching it.
from Stevenage on 1/20/2008
Easy to use and compact when installed, one handed use as described. Tricky to get catches that gate hook over even on the opposite side of stairs when installing so that the door hooks over easily. Also as it is low it had to be padded out from the wall to avoid the skirting boards. Overall good stairgate.
from Ruislip on 1/19/2008
This product is almost faultless with its compact design. However it does take a little getting used to, the nack of opening and closing the gate. Once mastered this gate is great!!!
from Vale of Glam on 1/19/2008
A very good product. This item is a must for child safety on the stairs.
from Stamford, Lincs. on 1/18/2008
I already had ordinary stairs gates, but when i tripped holding my daughter I did not feel safe. this is great. I can easily hold baby in hand and un do and do back up again. and is perfect for when you dont want a stair gate as folds right back. Only thing i'd like to change is to make it wider to use on french door openings within house.
from Aberdeenshire on 1/18/2008
difficult to use with only one hand but other than that pretty easy once you know how it works, and hardly noticeable when it is folded away
from london on 1/18/2008
we have the gate on our staircase and find it really great, as it doesnt have a 'dor' but neatly rolls away when not used, so you barely notice it- even when its in use, as it is white like the wall to the staircase. its not that easy to open, which is a bit annoying for adults, but i suppose make it safer for children.
from County Durham on 1/17/2008
This product is fiddly to install and awkward to use but on the plus side it can retract back into an almost hidden position so you do not have to struggle round it when your child has gone to bed. Hint - get it installed properly or it wont work well.
from Haywards heath, West Sussex on 1/16/2008
Once you get the hang of this,I would say that this is the safest and best looking safety gate that I have come across. There is no bar to trip over,no hinges to trap fingers and no gate to swing into little ones. Its a bit more expensive than the others, but well worth it. It rolls up so, it is out of sight when not in use..one of the must haves for parents.
from reading on 1/16/2008
We bought this gate to use at the top of the stairs because of its baby magazine awards. As there is no bottom bar it is safer than a lot of basic stair gates as there is nothing to trip over. Also once the little ones are in bed you can use the stairs without noticing it is there - which is great. However, it has a security mechanism which is very difficult to use one handed ie. when your carrying your little one. In addition the installation of the stair gate is fairly complex and needs to be performed correctly to ensure that the gate is secure. Our little one loves leaning on the gate when its closed and I am not sure the gate will be capable of taking her weight in a few years time (the gate is attatched to the top of the stairs not the inside of the stairs). Also it makes a very loud noise when being opened, definetly loud enough to wake up a little one thats just gone to sleep. So in summary i probably would not spend ?60 on this product again - I would go for a standard stair gate (without a bottom bar).
from Hampshire on 1/16/2008
Our stairway is very narrow and the walls aren't straight, so this was the only stairgate we could find to fit the bill & it does - perfectly. It is strong , safe and fairly discreet. No bars to step over or stub your toe on as it opens fully.
from Loughton, Essex on 1/15/2008
Think these stair gates are fantastic. Opening and shutting them can be tricky until you get the hang of it but you dont want little hands being able to do it anyway!
No bars to trip over and very sturdy. Would definitely recommend.
from Brighton on 1/15/2008
If you don't want anything unsightly this blends in to your wall.
from Staffordshire on 1/14/2008
This is a real shame because the Idea is brilliant however the locking unlocking mechanism is extremely fiddly/difficult to use. Older children tend to climb over the gate, stressing the materials because they certainly can't open it. Adults, with one hand employed working the locking mechanism you have to try and un-hitch the gate with your other hand whilst the tensioning mechanism works against you. Yes it can be opennned and closed but it becomes such a difficult task that the gate tends to be left open. It really needs some improvements before the poor practicalities of this gate catch up with the brillaint idea.
from Plymouth on 1/14/2008
Great product if you are using it from one wall to another, be wary if using it on stairs as in the photo. It was not able to be attached to our stainless steel stair banister, we had to use pieces of wire! Also very hard to open or close with one hand whilst baby in the other.
from Welling, Kent on 1/14/2008
Took a little while to get use to the way this stair gate opens and closes but once mastered it is really easy. This is the only stair gate that my kids haven't been able to either open or pull off and crawl under and it's quite compact when open so doesn't spoil the decor at all.
from North Stifford, Essex on 1/14/2008
The main reason for this purchase was for the gate to be out of sight when not in use. Well, almost out of sight. Its the most discreet stairgate we could find and it does not have the annoying base which one has to step over as in the usual gates. Hint: to open silently keep your finger on the button. It took us a little while to figure that out so we thought it was too noisy with the rattling sound.