Baby gates for doorways, wide openings, and stairs

Our Regalo Easy Step felt solid and was easy to install with its required wall cups. Compare doorway, wide-opening and stair-top gates.

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Quick answer

Our Easy Step worked well at home, but its included parts would not fit a 34-inch doorway. Regalo says that width needs a separate 4-inch extension, so measure before ordering. Evenflo reaches a much wider room opening; Regalo’s separate 1250 is built for a stair top. Neither our Easy Step nor the Evenflo belongs at the top of stairs.

A natural-wood wide accordion gate and a white walk-through doorway gate on one flat floor

Our recommendations

White Regalo Easy Step walk-through gate in a flat hallway doorway with four wall cups

Our family’s pick

Regalo Easy Step Safety Gate, White

Our Easy Step worked well and felt well built. I found it easy to install, and opening the latch became an ordinary habit.

Regalo forbids this pressure-mounted model at the top of stairs and requires its wall cups. Rubber wall protectors do not replace those cups. Regalo Baby · US CPSC

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Worth knowing.

Natural-wood Evenflo accordion baby gate across a wide living-room opening

Wide-opening option

Evenflo Expansion Walk-Thru Room Divider, Natural Wood

The wooden lattice folds back. Its 24–60-inch span is the reason to consider it for a wide room opening.

Evenflo forbids this flexible gate at the top of stairs, even though it mounts with hardware. Evenflo · US CPSC

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White hardware-mounted Regalo stair gate attached to posts beside a stair landing

Stair-top format to research

Regalo Top of Stair Baby Gate, model 1250

For a stair top, this is Regalo’s separate screw-mounted model. It has no floor rail, but needs room to swing away from the steps.

Screw model 1250 into suitable supports at least six inches back from the top step. Its gate must swing away from the stairs; pressure mounting is not an option. Regalo Baby · US CPSC

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The shortlist

Comparison of 3 picks: what each is best for and when to skip it
PickBest forSkip it if
Our family’s pickRegalo Easy Step Safety Gate, WhitePersonally testedLevel doorwaysTop of stairs or fit gap
Wide-opening optionEvenflo Expansion Walk-Thru Room Divider, Natural WoodWide level openingsTop of stairs
Stair-top format to researchRegalo Top of Stair Baby Gate, model 1250Proper stair-top mountingNo wall mount or over 40.5 in

Before you buy

  • Opening and extension fit: Regalo’s included extender skips part of the width range. Evenflo covers much wider room openings; the stair-top 1250 stops at 40.5 inches.
  • Top-of-stairs mounting: A gate can screw to the wall and still be forbidden at a stair top. Evenflo is one example; follow the exact model’s instructions.
  • Everyday passage: The Easy Step leaves a floor rail in the opening. The 1250 has no threshold bar, but its door needs room to swing away from the stairs.
  • Any product: check current recall information before buying — the kids' product recall tracker lists recent CPSC recalls of children's products.

How I narrowed it down

I used the Easy Step with its extender, Regalo wall cups and separate Wall Nanny pads. We also bought the Evenflo. I checked its fit and stair warning, plus the Regalo 1250’s instructions, on the maker sites. The staged pictures show the gates, not my house or our installation.

  • I checked model 1160’s two fit ranges against the six-inch extension we used; the advertised maximum width leaves out the gap between configurations.
  • I compared Evenflo’s wider span with Regalo’s two models, then checked Evenflo’s stair-top warning on its maker page.
  • I checked CPSC’s stair guidance against both Regalo models. The 1250 needs its stated setback and away-from-stairs swing.

I'm Matt, a dad of two boys. If we've used something at home, the card says personally tested. The rest I read up on. I keep a weekly list of kids' product recalls. How I pick.

Sources
  1. Regalo Baby — Easy Step Safety Gate model 1160.Accessed November 1, 2026
  2. Evenflo — Expansion Walk-Thru Baby Gate.Accessed November 1, 2026
  3. Regalo Baby — Top of Stair Baby Gate model 1250.Accessed November 1, 2026
  4. US CPSC — Childproofing Your Home.Accessed November 1, 2026