Toddleroo by North States Easy Swing & Lock Gate

The Toddleroo by North States Easy Swing & Lock is a steel walk-through gate that screws to the wall. It has no floor threshold, and you can set which way it opens.

Who it suits

Small and medium dogs, wide doorways and the top of stairs where you want a gate that shuts itself. Wirecutter found it less suited to large or boisterous dogs.

Key facts

• Fits openings 28.68 to 47.85 inches wide and is 31 inches tall, made of steel, hardware mount only (North States)
• The maker says it suits the top of stairs; set it so it never swings over the stairs (North States)
• No-threshold walk-through design to prevent tripping (North States)
• Hardware-mounted gates should never be screwed into drywall or plaster alone (North States gate basics)

What reviewers say

Wirecutter made it the budget pick: very secure, easy to use, and it locks automatically behind you. It has more plastic parts than the top pick, so it is less suitable for large or boisterous dogs; the plastic hinges flexed when testers leaned on it, installation uses fussy paper templates, and you need studs lined up directly across from each other. Wirecutter tested an earlier version; the current Series 2 lists the same width and height.

Your Best Digs (2022) tested a wall-mounted North States gate and liked its finish, light swing and wide opening, but warned that dogs who jump up on gates could strain the wall mounts. We did not test it ourselves.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Closes and locks itself behind you (Wirecutter)
• Pro: No floor threshold to trip on, per the maker
• Pro: Fits openings up to 47.85 in wide
• Con: More plastic parts, so less suited to large or boisterous dogs (Wirecutter)
• Con: Plastic hinges flexed when leaned on (Wirecutter)
• Con: Needs studs lined up across the opening and fiddly paper templates (Wirecutter)

Cautions

• Screw hardware-mounted gates into solid wood or studs, never into drywall or plaster alone (North States, Wirecutter).
• At the top of stairs, set the gate so it cannot swing out over the steps.
• A gate is not a way to leave a dog shut away for long; Dogs Trust advises not leaving a dog alone for more than four hours.