Pressure-Mounted Gates

• Pressure-mounted baby gates expand to fit the exact width of a doorway or space between two walls and are secured using tension. This kind of baby gate should never at the top of the stairs because it is possible that the weight or pressure exerted by a child on the gate can push over. Portable pressure gates are also available, which can be useful to take on vacations or to friend's homes.
  
  

Hardware-Mounted Gates

• Hardware-mounted gates are attached to walls or door jambs with screws. These types of baby gates usually open and close like a door, and have a childproof latch on them. Most types can be mounted in between two walls, two stair banisters or a banister and a wall. Given the fact they are mounted, they are considered the most secure type of baby gate and are recommended by safety experts for use at the top and bottom of stairs, as well as in between rooms.
  
  

Hardware-Mounted Walk-Through Gates

• This type of hardware-mounted gate is secured to walls and banisters in the same fashion as the non-walk-through variety. The difference is that on walk-through baby gates just a portion of the gate swings open and closed, instead of the entire gate opening and closing. This type of baby gate works best in small areas where it is inconvenient or impossible for a entire gate to swing out. These gates can extend up to 20 feet long and do not necessarily have to be placed in a straight line, making them useable in doorways that are irregular in shape or areas that require the gate to wrap around a corner.
  
  

Pressure-Mounted Walk-Through Gates

• This type of baby gate works in the same manner as the hardware-mounted walk-though gate, where an opening smaller than the width of the whole structure can be unlatched for adults to walk through. As with other styles of pressure-mounted gates, this style is not secured the wall and should not be used at the top of stairs. Pressure-mounted walk-through gates are best used to separate two rooms on the same level, particularly in small homes where saving space is important.