Best Pet Gates of 2026: Regalo, Carlson, Richell & Frisco Compared
Shiloh’s House Team
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6 min read
The Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru is the best pet gate for most homes – cheap, sturdy enough for average dogs, and quick to install in a doorway. Use a hardware-mounted gate like the Carlson at the top of stairs, a Richell wood gate where it has to look like furniture, and a freestanding gate for a determined chewer who will simply push through pressure mounts. The most important decision is not the brand. It is whether the gate is pressure-mounted or screwed into the wall, because those two things are not interchangeable.
Best pet gates compared
Every gate below is widely available in the US and covers a different job – there is no single best gate for every doorway.
| Gate | Best for | Mount type | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru | Best overall for doorways | Pressure | Bottom bar you have to step over |
| Carlson Extra Wide Walk Through | Wide openings and multi-pet homes | Pressure, hardware kit available | Small cat door is a plus or a bug, depending |
| Richell Wood One-Touch / freestanding | Rooms you actually look at | Pressure or freestanding | Costs several times a metal gate |
| Frisco Steel Pet Gate | Budget pick that still feels solid | Pressure | Check width range before ordering |
| Retractable mesh gate | Odd openings and tight hallways | Hardware | Mesh is not chew-proof |
| Tall freestanding panel gate | Big dogs and open-plan rooms | Freestanding | A shoving dog can walk it across the floor |
Pressure-mounted vs hardware-mounted: the only choice that matters
Pressure gates hold by friction against the door frame, and they have a bottom bar; a dog or child leaning on one can pop it loose, and the whole assembly goes down the stairs with them. Hardware-mounted gates screw into the wall studs or frame and swing like a door with no bottom bar to trip on. Every safety organization that writes about baby gates says the same thing, and dogs are no gentler than toddlers.
Pressure gates are perfectly fine at the bottom of stairs, in doorways, and across hallways where a failure means an escaped dog rather than a fall.
Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru: the default pick
Buy this one unless you have a specific reason not to. It is inexpensive, the metal frame is more rigid than the price suggests, the walk-through door means you are not stepping over it forty times a day, and extension kits cover wider openings. The compromise is the bottom rail on the walk-through opening, which is a genuine trip hazard in a dark hallway and the main reason people upgrade.
It suits small and medium dogs, average-energy dogs and puppies. It does not suit a 70-pound dog who has decided the gate is a suggestion.
Carlson Extra Wide Walk Through: the multi-pet answer
The extra-wide models handle openings a standard gate cannot, and several versions include a small hinged pet door in the panel – ideal when you want the cat to move freely between rooms while the dog stays put. That door is also the reason to skip it if your dog is small enough to squeeze through. Many Carlson models accept a hardware-mount kit, which makes this a rare gate that can legitimately work at the top of stairs.
Separating a new cat and a resident dog is one of the best uses for a gate like this. Our step-by-step cat and dog introduction guide uses exactly that setup.
Richell wood gates: for rooms you look at
Richell is the pick when the gate lives somewhere visible and a beige metal grid would drive you mad. The wood construction genuinely looks like furniture, the one-touch latches open with a single hand while you carry laundry, and the freestanding versions fold flat when guests come. They cost several times what a Regalo does, and a serious chewer will treat the frame as a project. For calm adult dogs in a nice living room, they are worth it.
Freestanding and retractable gates
Freestanding panel gates are the right answer for very large dogs and for openings with no frame to press against – but they contain a polite dog, not a determined one. A big dog who leans will slide the whole thing across a hardwood floor. Retractable mesh gates are excellent for awkward angles and narrow hallways because they disappear when not in use, but the mesh will not survive a dedicated chewer, and they must be screwed into something solid on both sides.
How to choose the right size and height
Measure the opening at the exact height where the gate will sit, and buy a gate at least as tall as your dog’s shoulder plus half again – roughly 30 inches for most medium dogs, 36 to 41 inches for large or jumpy ones. A few practical checks:
Measure twice, at the narrowest point. Door frames are rarely square, and pressure gates need something flat to press against – not baseboard trim, and not a wall corner.
Check the bar spacing. A gate that stops a Labrador may be an open door to a chihuahua or a kitten.
Think about jumping, not just walking. An athletic dog clears a 30-inch gate without much effort. If your dog jumps, either go tall or go with an appropriately sized crate for the times you need real containment.
What a gate does not fix
A gate manages a dog’s access; it does not treat separation anxiety, and a genuinely panicked dog will hurt themselves on one. If your dog scrabbles, screams or destroys things the moment they are gated away from you, the gate is not the tool – our calming aids comparison and a conversation with your vet or a trainer will get further. For a new puppy, a gate is one item on a longer list; our new puppy checklist covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pet gate for stairs?
A hardware-mounted gate, always, at the top of a staircase. Look for models that explicitly state they are approved for the top of stairs and mount into studs or the door frame. Pressure-mounted gates are acceptable at the bottom of stairs only.
How tall should a dog gate be?
Around 30 inches suits most small and medium dogs. For large breeds or dogs who jump, go to 36 to 41 inches. A rough rule: the gate should be taller than your dog’s shoulder height by at least half again.
Are pressure-mounted gates safe for dogs?
Yes, in doorways and hallways where the worst case is a loose dog. They are not safe at the top of stairs, where a gate that pops out of the frame turns into a fall.
What pet gate lets cats through but stops dogs?
Look for a gate with a built-in small pet door, such as several Carlson walk-through models, or a tall gate the cat can jump but the dog cannot. Both approaches work; the cat door is easier on an older cat who no longer jumps well.
How do I stop my dog from pushing through a gate?
Switch to a hardware-mounted or freestanding panel gate, choose a wider footprint, and make the gated area a place your dog wants to be – a comfortable bed, water, and something to chew. Dogs push through gates mostly when the other side is boring.
Do pet gates damage door frames?
Pressure gates can dent paint and trim over time, especially when they are over-tightened. Wall cups distribute the load and are worth using. Hardware-mounted gates leave screw holes, which are far easier to patch than a crushed trim edge.
The gap a gate cannot cover
Gates work brilliantly right up until the front door opens. Deliveries, guests and moving day are when contained dogs become loose dogs, and the difference between a two-hour scare and a genuine loss usually comes down to what is on the collar. We make NFC smart pet ID tags a finder can tap with any phone to reach you instantly, with contact info engraved on the back as backup – we are openly biased about ours. Whatever tag you use, check it still reads clearly; our guide to why tags fall off covers the attachment mistakes that cost people theirs.
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