KidCO Auto Close HearthGate, Black

Lets face it, most products designed for kids arent all that well made because the manufacturers know it only has to last a short time before it will never be used again or out on the curb. This Kidco heart gate is quite a bit better than that level of quality and with a few small improvements it would be a five star item. I'd like to give it 5 stars because it does what it is supposed to do but I have a few tiny issues.First off, any reviewer that complains that it is flimsy and that it couldnt stop their aggressive child has unrealistic expectations about a $150 gate. I'd suggest to those people to start paying better attention to their child. No gate like this could stop a determined child over age two. And quite frankly, gates like these are designed to prevent accidents. Gates are not babysitters.That said, this will work just fine for babies and small toddlers. The gate's sections are held together by rotating hinges that have a plastic piece that locks them in place. This is where it loses a star. These joints are easy to use but could be a wee bit stronger. They are reasonably functional but feel a bit weak. I suppose a stronger heavier child could wack this and pop these sections loose sending the gate open or crashing down. Once again, you wont get a prison cell for $150. The good news is that Kidco sells parts so if you have to replace a broken part you can. You can also buy additional sections to replace or extend the gate. Does a guest of yours have an annoying dog? Make this into a pentagon or hexagon depending on how many sections you have. Not bad. Can also place a baby on the lawn on a towel in such an arrangement to protect it from an annoying pet.As long as you dont plan on using this for long term unsupervised children next to a 800 degree fireplace I think you will be pleased. It will absolutely prevent the accidental touch and burn of a curious child's hand. For maximum rigidity you have to attach it to your wall. I get the feeling from other reviews that a few people did not do that.

Our stairway has on of those wide bases then narrows up to the stairs so it's been difficult trying to find a baby gate that would first off fit, then be strong enough to handle our toddler shaking it, and tall enough to keep him out. This gate is PERFECT!It was more expensive that I wanted to spend but it's worth it for the quality of product and the piece of mind of your child's safety. We got the black one and it looked fine against out beige colored walls. It took me about an hour start to finish, opening the box to cleaning up. I used some bigger than average wall anchors, a small level, and my cordless drill.Out toddler would throw plastic toys at the gate, shake it when he wanted to go upstairs, he never was able to open the gate either! Our older children had not problems opening the gate by themselves either, 8 & 6 yr old.We had our gate up for about 1 year and it was very sturdy and strong. We all have bumped into it and gave it a lot of abuse. The gate also closes by itself if you don't put it at a 90 angle to the gate. So whenever we took clothes, etc upstairs we'd just open it enough to walk in and it would shut by its self so you didn't have to put down what you where carrying or hold on the gate behind you to shut it. But it does close back slowly so don't count on it shutting very fast if your baby is right behind you.Well worth the price, heavy duty and strong, easy to install. And also easy to uninstall. Get this gate if you have those wide bottomed shaped stairs or just need a heavy duty baby gate. It looks great and strong.

I bought this to keep our little ones away from our family room’s woodstove as it is extremely hot. It shipped fast and arrived in perfect new condition as expected. It was well packaged and pretty easy to install even going way out around our hearth with a few extension section we bought separately. It was easy enough with just me doing it but when the wife jumped in to help it went even smoother. Only tools really needed is a screw driver and tape measure, I used an impact driver. I must say it looks very nice and is very strong. The gate works flawlessly still and I bought this in 2014 and I’m finally reviewing it in 2018. Our carpet was days old when I installed this and this gate has never marked or stained the carpet in anyway. The finish still looks new today, I will post some pics soon to show you how nice it looks at 4 1/2 years old. The most important thing is it has kept my children safe, they can’t climb it, push it down or open the gate which closes automatically behind me when I carry in wood. We have a strict rule for the kids of no touching this gate or the one or the stairs (same brand), but they have no the less run into, hit it with bikes, leaned on it and every other test it could take. They are now two and four , I feel comfortable leaving the family room with them playing to switch laundry or use the restroom with the stove going, never for long encase a toy gets thrown and lands on the stove. I highly recommend this as it’s a great product! I hope this helps you

Enclosed instructions were easy to follow. It has been very thoughtfully designed and well made. The fence was simple to adjust and functions perfectly. You will love the gate that stays open (can swing inwards or outwards freely) while you bring wood to the fireplace, then closes automatically when released. The latch for the gate opens very nicely- with just one hand- no jerking or jiggling to wresltle it free like some others. Also it is very quiet to operate no squeaking hinges no loud clattering as it closes- just a secure 'click' that confirms that it's shut. This is a great product!

Product as described, and came well packaged for shipping. Seller was very responsive to inquiries.

Love this gate, it fits perfectly and looks great. So much better than the plastic gate we were using. Definitely recommend this gate for anyone needing to block off your fireplace.

This is a great product. Our little primate is very safe around the fireplace because of it.

Extremely happy great Quality really awesome product