We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 10 Best Pet Gates, Tested and Reviewed Keep your furry friend safely contained By Anna Mejorada Anna Mejorada Anna Mejorada is an editor for The Spruce Pets and best friends with a Pomeranian named Gidget. She has tested hundreds of products, many with the help of Gidget, whose refined taste and cheerful nature continuously inspire Anna's work. Learn more about The Spruce Pets' Editorial Process and Mary Jo DiLonardo Mary Jo DiLonardo Mary Jo DiLonardo is a writer and dog mom to Brodie, a border-collie mix who loves to learn. She is also bringing in new foster dogs in need of a home and has cared for over 75 dogs and puppies. In her 25+ years as a journalist, she has contributed to WebMD, CNN, and Treehugger, covering pets and animals, health and wellness, nature and sustainability, and all things environmental. Learn more about The Spruce Pets' Editorial Process Updated on 06/10/26 In This Article View All In This Article Top Picks Reviews How We Tested What to Look For FAQ More Pet Gates We Love Why Trust The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets A pet gate is a handy tool to create a safe, visible space for your pet, so your furry buddy feels included while staying out of harm’s way. It helps control interactions with visitors, other pets, and potential triggers. It should be tall enough to prevent your pet from jumping over it, wide enough to section off your chosen space, and stable enough that it can’t be knocked over. We bought 27 bestselling pet gates and sent them to testers to try with their pets in their homes, evaluating performance, functionality, and aesthetics. See our favorites below. Top Picks Best Overall: Carlson Pet Products Extra Wide Walk-Thru Pet Gate at Amazon $45 Jump to Review Best Retractable: Hakuna Paw Proof Retractable 3-Way-Locking Dog & Cat Gate at Amazon $55 Jump to Review Best Pressure-Mounted: Frisco Steel Extra Wide Auto-Close Dog Gate at Chewy $40 Jump to Review Best for Height: FairyBaby 55"/61" Extra Tall Cat Gate with Narrow Bar Spacing at Fairybaby.com Jump to Review Best for Stairs: NMN Designs Logan Dog Gate at Amazon $109 Jump to Review Best for Outdoors: Cardinal Gates SS30OD Outdoor Baby Gate at Amazon $110 Jump to Review Best Freestanding: Richell Wood Freestanding Gate at Amazon $168 Jump to Review Best Clear: Hiddin Clearview Freestanding Pet Gate at Chewy $399 Jump to Review Also Great: Regalo Easy Step Walk-Through Safety Gate at Amazon $45 Jump to Review Also Great: Cumbor Auto-Close Pet Gate at Amazon $90 Jump to Review Best Overall Carlson Pet Products Extra Wide Walk-Thru Pet Gate Credit: Amazon $45 at Amazon $35 at Chewy $45 at Target What We Like One-touch release safety lock for human walk-through door Chew-resistant steel Dog tester batted at gate and it remained in place Smaller built-in door for pets What We Don't Like Our dog was able to squeeze through smaller cat door Printed instructions unclear, recommend viewing online videos for setup The Carlson Pet Products Extra Wide Walk-Thru Pet Gate is chew-resistant and offers flexibility at a reasonable price. The pressure-mounted gate features both a small pet door and a walk-through door for humans, which we found highly convenient. Once installed, the gate remained firmly in place despite multiple instances of batting and jumping on the gate from our participating canine tester. However, this determined medium-sized dog was able to squeeze through the deceptively small 8 x 8-inch pet door, so we recommend keeping it shut when a secure barrier is needed. No tools or drilling are needed for installation, but the gate comes with additional screws for reinforcement if that is preferred. We found the printed instructions provided in the box to be unsubstantial, an issue that came up frequently with products from Carlson Pet Products that we tested. Fortunately, there are instructional videos online for step-by-step guidance. Height: 30 inches | Material: Steel | Expandable: Yes, from 29 to 36.5 inches Credit: Parents Credit: Parents Credit: Parents Credit: Parents Best Retractable Hakuna Paw Proof Retractable 3-Way-Locking Dog & Cat Gate Credit: Amazon $55 at Amazon $59 at Chewy View on Hakunapets.com What We Like Expands up to 71 inches Stain-resistant mesh Available in three colors What We Don't Like Only suitable for dogs up to 40 pounds The Hakuna Pets Polyester Paw Proof Retractable gate is made of mesh and retracts into an unobtrusive case on the side of your doorway. It has a very low profile and is barely noticeable when it’s retracted. The gate comes in black, white, and gray and is made of stain-resistant polyester and nylon. Installation took us about 30 minutes and required some tools including a drill, screwdriver, and a level. Once installed, it’s very easy to open and close with just one hand. The mesh is durable and the gate seems sturdy, but it’s only for dogs up to 40 pounds. Height: 36.6 inches | Materials: Polyester, nylon | Expandable: Yes, expands to 71 inches Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Best Pressure-Mounted Frisco Steel Extra Wide Auto-Close Dog Gate Credit: Chewy $40 at Chewy What We Like Easy to assemble Durable and secure Three panels to fit various-sized doorways Can screw into the wall or use suction What We Don't Like Hard-to-remove protective sticky pads can mark paint The Frisco Steel Extra Wide Auto-Close Dog Gate can be secured to the wall with screws or attached with pressure mounts. It was easy to assemble and mount in about 10 minutes using a drill, screwdriver, and pencil. Once installed, it’s simple to open, even with one hand. The gate is durable and secure, it remained in place when tester dogs pushed it or jumped on it and even when we accidentally kicked it while walking through in the dark. There are three panels and you can use one, two, or all of them in order to fit your doorway. It works in doorways ranging from 29 to 52 inches (specifically 29-32 inches, 36-40 inches, 41-46.5 inches, and 48-52 inches). You can also control how the door closes in case you need to push it open without latching or leave it open. We used the gate with the enclosed sticky pads, which are supposed to protect walls from damage. However, when the pads were removed, they took some of the wall paint with them, so we recommend using them with caution. We wish it came with rubber stoppers instead. Height: 30 inches | Materials: Steel, plastic, metal | Expandable: Yes; fits doorways 29-32 inches, 36-40 inches, 41-46.5 inches, and 48-52 inches Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Best for Height FairyBaby 55"/61" Extra Tall Cat Gate with Narrow Bar Spacing Credit: FairyBaby View on Fairybaby.com What We Like One-handed open and close Narrow bar spacing Extenders available What We Don't Like Can take some time to get to fit correctly Cats can be determined and agile, so it can be hard to keep one confined if they have other ideas. The FairyBaby Extra Tall Cat Gate is designed to corral cats. It comes in either 55-inch or 61-inch height with bar spacing of only about 1.3 inches, so a creative feline can’t escape through the bars. The durable gate is easy to open and close with one hand and will stay open if you leave it open all the way. Our cats tried to squeeze through or knock the gate open but had no luck. Although putting the gate together seems fairly straightforward, we found that there was a bit of trial and error. You can buy extender pieces if you change locations or it doesn’t fit your spot, but as is, it covers doorways from 30.1 to 65.4 inches. Height: 55 or 61 inches | Materials: Steel | Expandable: Yes, fits spaces from 30.1 to 65.4 inches Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Best for Stairs NMN Designs Logan Dog Gate Credit: Amazon $109 $100 at Amazon View on Nmndesigns.com What We Like Automatically latches or stays open Appealing combo of wood and metal Expands from 29.5 to 51.5 inches What We Don't Like Instructions are difficult to follow The NMN Designs Logan Dog Gate is a handsome wood and metal gate that is a good upgrade option if you want to improve the quality and features of your current gate. It expands to fit doorways that measure from 29.5 to 51.5 inches. The gate felt very sturdy and resisted a cat that jumped on and off it. The gate automatically latches when you open it and walk through, but if you don’t want it to close, you can just leave it open until you need it shut again. We loved this gate very much once it was assembled, but we found the directions unclear, nothing was labeled, and the diagrams were very hard to read. We ended up watching videos on YouTube to figure it out. It’s priced less than some gates that aren’t as sturdy and reliable and it looks very handsome with the wood and metal combination. Height: 29.5inches | Materials: Wood, metal | Expandable: Yes, fits doors 29.5 to 51.5 inches Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Best for Outdoors Cardinal Gates SS30OD Outdoor Baby Gate Credit: Amazon $110 at Amazon $100 at Target What We Like Weather- and rust-resistant Durable and reliable Neutral design blends into most settings What We Don't Like Doesn’t have the option to remain open The Cardinal Gates SS30OD is made of weather-resistant and rustproof aluminum and stainless steel, so it’s an option for deck entryways or other outdoor use when you’re concerned about the elements. It comes in either black or brown and fits openings from 27 to 42.5 inches wide. It’s durable, seems to be made of quality materials, and looks good. We found the printed instructions difficult to understand but had better luck with an instructional video that was linked via QR code. You need a drill and a wrench to install it and there’s no option to pressure-mount it instead. The locking mechanism can be confusing and difficult to do with one hand and the bracket placement has to be precise in order for the gate to open and close correctly. We had to drill two sets of holes. Height: 29.5 inches | Materials: Aluminum and stainless steel | Expandable: Yes, fits spaces from 27 to 42.5 inches wide Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Best Freestanding Richell Wood Freestanding Gate Credit: Amazon $168 at Amazon $240 $199 at Petco $145 at Wayfair What We Like No assembly required Two height and width options Can be placed in a variety of ways What We Don't Like Lower than other gates This Richell convertible pet gate is sturdy and easy to move around. There's no installation required, either. Simply open it up and put it across the doorway or area you want to section off for your pet. And since it is accordion-style, it can be used in other ways, including as a pen to keep your pet safely secured in one spot. The gate's frame is made of durable rubberwood (a medium-density wood) and has tiny rubber legs that keep it from damaging floors. While this is a bit pricey, we found it to be a high-quality gate that worked flawlessly in a home setting. When a full-grown dog jumped up on it, the gate did not even budge. The gate has an easy-to-open swinging door that has been opened and shut numerous times during our testing and continues to work beautifully. It is available in two heights (20.1 inches and 27.6 inches) and two sizes: a four-panel option and a six-panel option. Height: 20.1 or 27.6 inches | Material: Wood | Expandable: No, but the width can be reduced by folding Best Clear Hiddin Clearview Freestanding Pet Gate Credit: Chewy $399 at Chewy View on Wayfair View on Perigold.com What We Like Available in five sizes Very easy to assemble More aesthetically pleasing than other gates What We Don't Like A bit awkward to move due to shape and weight The Hiddin Clearview Freestanding Pet Gate is a plexiglass wall that you can use to block off rooms, staircases, or doorways. It comes in five sizes—30, 32, 36, 42, and 48 inches wide—and the setup is very easy. You just put the gate into the base and put it in place. We loved that it was see-through and clear, making it less distracting and clunky than a typical gate. It’s more aesthetically pleasing and lets you see what’s going on easily on the other side of the wall. The gate doesn’t attach to a door frame and is meant to be moved around as needed. However, it is fairly heavy and we worried that it would scratch hardwood floors. A very rowdy or very heavy dog could likely nudge this around a bit or even push it over. Height: 30 inches | Materials: Acrylic, plastic | Expandable: No Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Credit: The Spruce Pets Final Verdict Our favorite pet gate is the Frisco Steel Extra Wide Auto-Close Dog Gate, which is durable and secure and can screw into the wall or attach via suction. Another great upgrade option is NMN Designs Logan Dog Gate, a handsome combination of wood and metal. How We Tested We researched and selected 27 pet gates and sent each one to a home with a pet for real-world testing. Within each participating household, our human tester set up their pet gate according to the instructions provided, taking note of any difficulties encountered, tools required, and overall duration of the installment process. Over the course of two weeks, our testers gathered insights, documented their experience, and provided feedback in the following categories: ease of setup, ease of use, durability, and value. They were also asked if they would recommend the pet gate they tested. Equipped with this firsthand information, we ranked and categorized our top picks. All of our recommendations received very high marks from our testers. What to Look for in Pet Gates Height and Built-in Doors The gate you select should be tall enough to prevent your pet from hopping over. If you have a smaller dog, a lower height may be sufficient. With a shorter gate, most adults will easily be able to step over as needed. Some taller gates have a door for humans or a smaller door built-in for small pets which can provide flexibility for you to determine when your pet can come and go without the need to uninstall the gate. Durability Durability is high on the list of things to look for when shopping for a pet gate. After all, if your large dog can plow right through it, it won’t do you a lot of good. Steel pet gates are usually considered the most durable, but they can be heavy and cumbersome. Aluminum is another durable option that offers a lot of strength in a more lightweight design. Other options are wood and plastic. Plastic is considered the least durable of the bunch, but if you have a pet who won’t try to jump up on the gate, it’s still a good option. Materials Materials don’t just matter for durability. They also play a big role in the aesthetic of your pet gate. If you’re blocking off an out-of-the-way area, you might not care much about how the gate looks, but if the pet gate is going in a main area of your home, you might want it to blend in with your decor a little more. Wood and steel gates have a higher-end look, while plastic and aluminum may stand out a little more. Installation Another important thing to consider is how your pet gate is mounted. Pressure-mounted: Pressure-mounted pet gates are wedged into place by putting pressure on the door frame or walls around them. They don’t require drilling and don’t put holes in your walls. They work best for the bottom of stairways or in doorways, but can’t block off a room without something to hold onto.Hardware-mounted: Hardware-mounted pet gates are similar to pressure-mounted in that they need walls or a door frame to secure to, but they’re installed using screws and are generally considered sturdier than pressure-mounted gates. We recommend hardware-mounted gates for use at the top of stairways.Freestanding: Freestanding gates have feet that allow them to stand up in any room, without the need for a door frame or walls to mount to. Freestanding gates aren’t as secure as either pressure-mounted or hardware-mounted gates, but they give you more flexibility since you can use them to block off any room, with or without a door frame. FAQ Do freestanding gates work with dogs? Freestanding gates work with some dogs, but they are not as secure as pressure- or hardware-mounted gates. Since they’re easy to move around, you can transport them to different rooms or anywhere you need them. Freestanding gates may not be suitable for especially large or strong dogs. Just make sure that the freestanding gate you choose is heavy enough to prevent your dog from knocking it over. Can I use a baby gate for my dog? A baby gate is suitable for a dog if it is sturdy and tall enough to prevent your dog from jumping over it. Baby gates can be particularly useful for puppies and smaller breeds. How tall should a pet gate be in proportion to a dog's height? The height of the pet gate you choose should be determined by your dog’s height as well as their disposition and jumping ability. A good rule of thumb is that your gate should be twice as tall as your dog. However, if you have an older pet, a gate that’s less than twice their height gate may be sufficient. The gates on our list range from 24 inches to 61 inches in height to suit a wide range of dog sizes. More Pet Gates We Love Still haven't found the right pet gate for your home? We haven't tested the following options, but they're incredibly popular. Also Great Regalo Easy Step Walk-Through Safety Gate Credit: Chewy $45 at Amazon $40 at Chewy $45 at Target Also Great Cumbor Auto-Close Pet Gate Credit: Amazon $90 at Amazon Why Trust The Spruce Pets This article was updated by Mary Jo DiLonardo, a product tester and writer for The Spruce Pets. Mary Jo is the proud mom of a rescue dog named Brodie and she has fostered over 70 dogs and puppies. A previous version was written by Anna Mejorada, an editor for The Spruce Pets, who shares her home with a lovely pomeranian named Gidget. When Gidget was a puppy, Anna relied on a Richell Freestanding Pet Gate to keep Gidget safely contained to one area of her home while she was away. The 8 Best Cooling Dog Beds, Tested With Real Dogs Explore more: What to Buy Dog Products