I can't stress how important it is to have gates when you have young children, especially if you have a large home or one with stairs.  I have a gate on my child's bedroom door, at the top and bottom of the stairs, and another one to keep her out of where the dog's food is.

Any gate is better than no gate at all, but there are certain things that I have found are important.  The Evenflo Top of Stair Gate is my personal favorite.  It comes in natural wood, so you have the option of staining it to match your furniture or woodwork.  It looks really great if you can match it to your banister, which is what I did, and it swings both ways but has a one direction setting if you prefer.

I like that with this gate, the wooden bars run vertically only, so it isn't something your toddler would be tempted to climb on. I have found that some gates seem to be perfect for little toes to get in and unfortunately the climbing stage is unavoidable, so it's best to be prepared.

The evenflo gate is easy to open with one hand, but also has a child-proof latch, which is incredibly helpful when carrying your baby, a laundry basket, groceries...etc.   Also, no more stubbing your toes, or tripping while passing through because this gate doesn't have the bar that runs across the bottom.  

Installation is quick and easy, and it attaches right to the wall so you won't be fighting with it constantly to get it in the right position like other types.  It expands from 30” to 48” to fit your doorway or stairwell, and stands 32” tall, but can be mounted up to 3” off the ground so that gives you some added height protection.

If you are looking for a gate that is not only safe, but also attractive and easy on your wallet, go with the Evenflo Top of Stair Gate, especially if you are planning to have a few around the house like I did.  There are other gates out there, but for the price of this one you really can't go wrong.