Wide Pet Gate – How to Choose the Right Gate

Today, pet gates are available in numerous designs, styles and colors. Even if you are looking for a specific type like a wide pet gate you still have multiple options to choose from, which can be quite challenging. Wide gates for pets can be broadly classified into three types and let’s have a brief look at the pros and cons of each type to make your choice easier.

Pressure mounted wide pet gate: These types of pet gates are held in position against solid surfaces like door frames or walls by pressure applied on pressure screws provided on the ends of the gate. Since the gates are held by nothing but pressure, this type of wide gates are usually not stable beyond 60 inch in width.

However, they are easy to install and dismantle. Pressure mounted wide gates do not leave a permanent mark or hole on the walls. They can be used in between rooms or to secure doorways or the bottom of stairs, but they are not safe to be used on top of the stairs.

Fixed or hardware mounted wide pet gate: These are the most stable of all types of wide gates for your pets. The only disadvantage of a fixed gate is that you have to drill holes in walls or door frames to fix the mounting brackets to which the gates are then secured.

Hardware mounted wide gates are very stable up to about 72 inches in width, beyond which it might need additional support like a T-bar to make it adequately stable. With these additional support and gate extensions there is no limitation to the width of a fixed mounted pet gate.

Free standing wide pet gate: Though there are various designs available, the most common among free standing pet gates are the T-bar supported gates and the more recent zigzag patterned gates that are made up of multiple panels.

Here the width is limited by how far the panels can be extended without compromising the stability of the wide pet gate. 

The choice of a wide pet gate ultimately depends on the layout of your house and the disposition of your pet. An active pet who is not so comfortable with barriers will need the most secure gates available like a hardware mounted gate, while a pet who is more inclined to respect a barrier might be safe enough with a free standing wide gate.