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Evenflo Safety Gates

There have been safety recalls of some Evenflo gates. Check now to see if yours is included.

Julia of Orillia, Ontario (01/30/06)
The wooden swing gate (not the one already recalled, another style) sold as a top-of-the-stairs gate ($60) was packaged without the proper top latch hardware. We discovered this at the final stage of installation ~ sigh ~ I phoned Evenflo customer service and was told that the piece was back-ordered by 3 months. They would not replace the gate and without a receipt, we could not return it to the place of purchase. We were told to make do and wait.

We managed to create our own lip to secure the latch on that has worked without flaw. However, 5 months have passed and I have had no response from Evenflo. Their Canadian office has only an answering service and does not return my calls. Then, my 17 month old son, whom the gate was purchased to protect, climbed onto the bottom rail of the gate (he just stepped on to it). Without any prior warning the spindles separated from the bottom rails, the bottom of the gate swung away and he tumbled through the gate. Thankfully we have 3 steps to a landing before the steepest set of stairs, so he didn't fall far and was only minimally injured.

I am horrified to thik what would have happened had it been mounted at the top of a full set of stairs. Again, I called Evenflo Canada, left a message and have had no return call in more than a week.

Tammie of Centralia WA (09/08/05)
I bought an evenflo baby gate was putting it in the doorway when my arm got pinched by the metal piece that keep's the two piece's together. I bought the gate to keep my little dog from getting out when i have the door to my house open. It pinched me real hard. I feel if this was to happen to a baby's finger it would do great harm. I have a bruise and a bump on my arm and it is very sore.

Carl of Indian Head Park IL (01/21/05)
Evenflo 4 in 1 pressure + swing gate. Misleading advertising on package. On package is stated the following: Hardware and pressure mount; All Traffic; Pressure Mount - installs in seconds for use in light traffic areas; Metal rail pressure mounts - Snap-on adapter pressure mounts to metal railing on one or both sides; Swing Mount - Swings both ways for easy access to high traffic areas. Swing Gate Installation - Phillips screwdriver and electric drill with 1/8 bit required. Mounting templates included; Pressure gate Installation - No tools required. Simply position and lock in place; Metal rail installation - Just snap adapter on. No tools required. Nowhere in or on the packaging does it tell you a very important little Secret: You do not lear the Secret until you open the package and get to the instructions. To Install the gate: 1. Install handle (See page 2). 2, Place the gate (A) in a doorway that is 27-42 inches (69 cm - 106 cm) wide. ****HERE'S THE SECRET: NOTE: DO NOT pressurize gtate against drywall.

This was a royal pain in the you know where. Now the gate has to be repackaged and taken back to the store, where hopefully, they will accept it back, without any hassles or restocking fees. This is something that should be stated right on the outside of the box, along with all of their remarkable claims of ease of installation and use. From a company as large and as well known as evenflo, this is a disgusting waste of consumers time and money. Here is a good very basic example of where truth in advertising is needed.

Deborah of Glenview IL writes (6/26/02):
I purchased an Evenflo gate to keep my baby and dog separated about 2 weeks ago. Today while I was taking the gate down my finger got stuck in between the plastic mesh. My finger has been peeled of skin and flesh. I thank God it was me instead of my baby or one of my other children as they take down the gate at times also.

As my husband is deployed I am the only one to care for my children and housework. I am to keep my finger dry and clean, in order to do that I cannot do housework. As you can see I have a dilemma here. So I do dishes and give bathes. As a result it will take longer to heal and there is the posibility of an infection setting in due to having to do things that I shouldn't. All this after the fact that my daughter was scared when mommy got hurt and was bleeding all over.

Not a very good day for her. Not to mention the fact that every time that I have to immerse my hand into water it hurts like the very devil. This is a big deal to me and my family as I bleed easily and do not clot easily, and I have to call neighbors to help me. We eventualy got the bleeding to stop, but now I have to deal with making sure my daughter knows mommy is going to be okay. And making sure that my children do not touch this gate.

Benita of Lexington KY writes (2/1/02):
On 1/30/02, I received a call from my 15 month old daughter's daycare saying that she had been playing near an Evenflo safety gate and had broken a tooth out. I was told that she had her mouth on the gate and another child pulled her hair which pulled her head back and without the teacher knowing it, my daughter had her mouth over and apparently a tooth under the metal bracket at the top of the gate.

When her hair was suddenly pulled, her tooth was trapped in the space under the metal bracket and it was pulled root and all out of her gums. There was blood and the tooth was found lying on her lower lip where it had landed after being pulled out. In examining the gate I found that there is enough "play" or movement between the bracket and the wooden part of the gate for not only a tooth but probably even a small finger that could potentially be pinched or even broken if trapped and pulled away with the right force.

The consequence is that now my daughter will be without her tooth until she is at least 6 or 7 and will be have to endure teasing which will hurt her self- esteem and confidence. As a result, I had to leave work, take my child to her pediatrician who was concerned that she could have loosened other teeth or even dislocated or damaged her jaw alighnment. He also checked her ears to which he was concerned could have been damaged.

He consulted a ped. dentist to see if an implant was possible only to be told that due to her age and the complicated nature of performing such a task on one that young was not feasible. So, should we choose at a later date to have an implant done, we would be out a great deal of money out of pocket.

In researching the baby gates, I found that others have complained about the metal brackets being a hazard and that they are still being used. I feel like I need to do something so that another baby does not have to suffer or hurt and another parent does not have to suffer the fear and worry that we endured.

Irene of Auburn MA writes (1/1/02):
I purchased two Evenflo "safety" gates. I hit my knee on the metal bracket at the top of the gate, which cut my knee open and required 6 stitches to close a half-inch deep wound. I missed 3 1/2 days of work. I am self-employed so I had no income for those days.

Evenflo admitted the metal is a problem, but no other product hold up so well. (Imagine how well a childs face would hold up compared to my knee!) They offered to exchange the gate and give me $300. I told them I thought it was worth a little more than that, and they basically said goodbye.

I can't imagine how much a recall would cost them on the product, and why they are being so difficult to cover me for my lost wages and some medical costs. Just because they are a big company it doesn't mean they should be able to make the little people go away. This could have been a child, and a lot worse of a situation.

I also now have a scar and a bump on my knee to be seen for the rest of my life.

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