Safety First Espresso Swing Gate

This is a very nice looking gate, but I am disappointed that it didn't work out for me. It is a very nice dark wood color that looked great coming out of the box, but once it was mounted, we soon discovered it was not something that worked out for us. First, there are latches at the top and bottom of the gate that both need to engage to close and lock the gate. It was not easy to get both latches engaged at the same time because the gate was warped/twisted. (I later discovered other complaints of this issue on another website). The top latch would engage, but the bottom latch would not because it was apparent that when you look down on the gate from above, it is twisted. Second, it was very difficult to open the gate because you have to fully pull up on the latch to get the latches to disengage. You can chose the direction you want the gate to swing, and it was easier opening the gate when it swung out because I could use my hip or leg to push the gate open, but if I was wanting to open the gate towards me, it took more effort and two hands to lift the latch and unlock the gate, which won't fly when you are holding a baby in one arm. We ended up returning this and getting another gate. I wish our new gate was a stylish as this one, but at least it is easy to operate.

• Was the product free of any manufacturer defects? No, it was twisted and warped

It is beautiful wood and I am using it. My problem is that is is not 'tension' set-up. You have to install or attach a bar that will hold the gate in place. I did not attach the bar so I'm using heavy things on each side to hold in place. I live in a trailer and my hallway is so slim that I only need 3 inches addition so I can't even use the sliding open option, I have to climb over. Now in saying that, it is a nice gate and the wood matches all my furniture. The first time I used this to hold my dogs, my little one went crazy and chewed up some of the slats. I was very upset. all my money and it's got teeth marks all over one side of it. For a child or pets that don't bite, this is a great gate that is pretty next to hardwood floors. I wish more stuff was Made In America.

• How accurate was the sizing? Great
• Please tell us about the quality of the product. Great
• Was the product free of any manufacturer defects? It was dusty