Maybe it’s because we live in a house with a lot of stairs, railings and other places from which children can fall, I’m a big fan of “baby gates”. I’ve written about fireplace gates and have a variety around the house. But often the gates you tend to see at your local store just don’t seem to fit in the types of doorways we tend to have in modern houses.

So, I was excited to see this Wide Spaces Swing Gate, available from Evenflo. It expands from 42” to a big 5 feet for those really wide doorways. You can even buy add on panels for…well, I don’t know…really, really wide spaces.

Anyone who has carried a baby while coaxing a toddler down the stairs knows that a one-handed gate is optimal. This one closes easily with just a quick shove and swings wide to allow easy passage of adults, kids, dogs and other sundry family members.

The mounting hardware is low key so it prevents huge holes on doorframes and can easily be removed when not in use. And, it’s moderately attractive so your home doesn’t end up looking like a prison for little ones. Though, of course the gate is childproof so prison may not be so bad a choice of words…NOT!