Best Dog Gates for Stairs and Doorways: Top-of-Stairs, Walk-Through, Tall and Wide Picks

Quick Picks

All five link to exact Amazon listings sold by Amazon.com or the brand’s own store when checked.

How We Chose

Each pick needed a maker page listing the opening widths it fits, its height and its mounting type. We then chose one gate for each common job: blocking the top of a staircase, a doorway or bottom stair you walk through often, a large dog that needs a tall barrier, an opening too wide for a standard gate, and a small dog that only needs a low, movable barrier.

1. Cardinal Gates Stairway Special: Best for the Top of the Stairs

Why it stands out

The Stairway Special is the hardware-mounted gate in this list. Cardinal Gates’ product page calls the SS-30 its “maximum indoor safety gate for children and pets.” The aluminum version is wall-mounted and fits openings from 27 to 42.5 inches. It’s 29.5 inches tall with 2.5-inch bar spacing.

It can be mounted at angles up to 30 degrees for stud alignment on drywall. The gate opens in both directions and comes with an optional one-way stop bracket to limit opening over the stairs. Cardinal says the latch is toddler-proof but works with one adult hand, and that the gate is JPMA certified. For wider openings, Cardinal sells a 10.5-inch BX1 extension (Search Amazon for Cardinal Gates BX1 ) and a 21.75-inch BX2 extension .

The catch

You have to drill: it’s wall-mounted, and Cardinal sells banister clamps and a drywall anchor kit separately. At 29.5 inches it’s not a tall gate. For outdoor use, Cardinal points to a separate stainless-hardware model, the SS-30OD .

Best for

The top of a staircase, including openings where the wall and banister don’t line up square.

2. Regalo Easy Step: Best for Doorways and the Bottom of Stairs

Why it stands out

The Easy Step is a pressure-mounted gate with a walk-through door. Regalo’s product page lists a 30-inch height, a 16-inch-wide door and 2-inch gaps between bars. The lever handle has a one-touch release safety lock. The gate has an all-metal frame and comes with four pressure-mounted spindle rods, four wall cups and wall-mounting hardware.

Regalo says it’s certified by the Baby Safety Alliance and meets ASTM safety standards. It’s backed by a limited 6-month warranty.

The catch

Watch the width. It fits 29 to 32 inches without an extension and 35.5 to 38.5 inches with the included 6-inch extension. Regalo says it won’t fit openings between 32 and 35 inches without an extra 4-inch extension. Regalo’s warning also says to “never use at top of stairs,” and that the wall cups must be installed to keep the gate in place.

Best for

A kitchen doorway, hallway or the bottom of the stairs that people walk through all day.

3. MYPET Extra Tall & Wide Walk Thru EasyPass: Best Tall Gate for Large Dogs and Mixed-Size Pets

Why it stands out

The EasyPass is the tall gate here. North States’ product page lists it at 41 inches tall for larger breeds, with sturdy vertical bars that make a “hard-to-climb barrier.” It’s a pressure-mounted steel gate that fits openings from 29.75 to 52 inches, with three extensions included. The walk-through door is 22 inches wide and can swing one way or both ways.

Its small pet door retracts up into the gate’s tubing and stays open at 5, 6.5 or 8 inches. North States pitches the gate at homes with both large and small pets.

The catch

North States says this model (5459) shouldn’t be used at the top of a stairway, and no extra extensions are sold beyond the three included. The bars are 2 1/4 inches apart. North States also notes the gate comes out of the box slightly out of square on purpose, to hold tension once it’s installed.

Best for

Large dogs that need a tall barrier, and homes with both large and small pets.

4. Regalo 2 in 1 Super Wide: Best for Very Wide Openings

Why it stands out

The Super Wide is a set of eight 24-inch panels that can span openings up to 192 inches. Regalo’s product page says it works as a gate across large, angled or uneven openings, or as a standalone play yard. It has an all-metal frame, a 16-inch walk-through door and 2-inch gaps between bars. It’s wall-mounted with the included hardware.

Regalo says it’s certified by the Baby Safety Alliance and meets ASTM safety standards. It carries a limited 6-month warranty.

The catch

At 28 inches tall, it’s one of the lower gates here. Regalo’s page suggests it for the landing of stairs but doesn’t say it’s approved for the top of a staircase, so don’t use it there unless Regalo’s instructions say it is.

Best for

Open-plan rooms, wide living-room openings, or a freestanding pen for a puppy.

5. MYPET Paws Portable Petgate: Best Portable Gate for Small Dogs

Why it stands out

The Paws Portable is a low, quick gate. North States’ product page lists it at 23 inches tall, fitting openings from 26 to 40 inches. It’s a plastic pressure-mount gate that needs no assembly or tools: you expand it in the opening and lock the handle. Its rubber bumpers sit higher than on standard gates to clear molding up to 4 inches high, and North States says it’s made in the USA.

The catch

There’s no door, so you step over it or move it. At 23 inches, it’s the lowest gate here. North States says this model (8871) shouldn’t be used at the top of a stairway. It also warns that the gate stops holding tension if the panels are slid open too far before you lock the handle.

Best for

Small dogs and puppies, and owners who want one gate to move between rooms.

How to Choose

Top of the stairs means hardware-mounted. Regalo’s Easy Step warning says to “never use at top of stairs.” For its pressure-mounted gates, North States says “only a hardware-mounted gate is approved for top of stair use.” The Cardinal Stairway Special is the wall-mounted pick here.

Measure the opening, then check for gaps in the range. Each maker lists a width range, but the Easy Step has a gap between 32 and 35 inches that needs an extra extension. Gates with extensions (Cardinal, Regalo, MYPET EasyPass) list what’s included and what’s sold separately.

Match the height to your dog. The heights here run 23, 28, 29.5, 30 and 41 inches. North States lists the 41-inch EasyPass “for larger breeds” and as hard to climb. Regalo warns against stacking gates to make a taller barrier.

Decide whether you need a door. A walk-through door (Regalo Easy Step, Regalo Super Wide, MYPET EasyPass) suits openings you pass through often. A small pet door, like the EasyPass’s, is for homes with both large and small pets.

Think about drilling. Hardware-mounted gates need screws into the wall. North States says its hardware-mounted pet gates should go into a solid surface such as a wooden stud, not drywall anchors. Cardinal sells its own drywall anchor kit for the Stairway Special, so follow the instructions for the gate you buy.

Pair the gate with a crate if you need both. A gate sets boundaries in the house; for a dog that also needs a crate, see our best dog crates . For a puppy still house training, see our dog beds for house training . If a gate stands between a cat and its litter box, check the route with our litter box location checker .

FAQ

Can I use a pressure-mounted dog gate at the top of the stairs?

No, according to the makers here. Regalo’s warning on the Easy Step says to never use it at the top of stairs, and North States says only a hardware-mounted gate is approved for top-of-stairs use. Use a wall-mounted gate like the Cardinal Gates Stairway Special there.

Is there a dog gate with a small pet door?

Yes. The MYPET Extra Tall & Wide Walk Thru EasyPass has a small pet door that retracts into the gate at 5, 6.5 or 8 inches, so you choose the opening height. North States pitches it for homes with both large and small pets.

Sources

• Cardinal Gates: Stairway Special Safety Gate (Model SS-30)
• Regalo: Easy Step Safety Gate
• Regalo: 2 in 1 Super Wide Safety Gate & Play Yard
• North States: MyPet Extra Tall & Wide Walk Thru EasyPass Pet Gate
• North States: MyPet Paws Portable Petgate
• North States: hardware-mounted pet gate installation FAQ