This retractable safety gate works wonders for us for many years. Austin could not get passed it until recently. He is now 6 years old, so he has the finger strength to fiddle with the lock and open the gate now. However, prior to that he could not open it for quite a few years. So this gate worked pretty great! It took grandpa and dad to install this gate upstairs on the steps and downstairs at the kitchen doorway, but it worked great when it was installed. Unfortunately at the time of this posting the gate is no longer available but there are alternatives by the same company (EasyBaby) listed there.
The retractable part is fast when retracting but after years of use would get hung up occasionally. And grandma had a hard to getting the gate to lock and unlock and hook up to close and unhook to open. However I, mom, and dad, along with grandpa and zero issues with it. And eventually Austin figured it out so once he gained enough strength to fiddle with it himself, he was able to open the top hook and climb over it after unlocking the gate. So yeah if your kiddo is over 6 and has good hand strength then probably not the gate for you and I would avoid the alternatives to it.
However, if your child is under 6 or has poor strength in their hands/fingers, then this gate will last you quite a while. It is 34'' tall and extends up to 55" wide. The newer versions are 33" tall and 71" wide fyi. But keep in mind the gate is retractable so it should fit quite a few different variety of spaces. WE really liked this gate, minus grandma, so I give it a 8/10, minus a point for grandma's issues and one for Austin figuring it out.
Link to product: Click here