Glossary
Pressure-mounted gate
A baby gate held in place by tension rather than screws, suitable for doorways but not the top of stairs.
A pressure-mounted gate holds itself in place using spring-loaded tension against the walls or door frame on either side, rather than being screwed into the wall. Because there is no drilling involved, it is a common choice for rented apartments where installing hardware into walls is not allowed or not practical.
The tradeoff for that easy, damage-free setup is that a pressure-mounted gate can be pushed loose if enough force is applied, which is exactly why general safety guidance limits its use to level doorways and the bottom of stairs, not the top of a staircase. At the top of stairs, a gate that gives way is a real fall risk in a way it is not at a flat doorway.
When installing, check the gate's rated width range against your doorway and use any extension pieces the manufacturer sells rather than forcing a gate that is stretched to its limit. Test the tension regularly, since it can loosen over time with foot traffic or temperature changes in the wall material. A common mistake is using a pressure-mounted gate at the top of a stairway to save the cost or hassle of a hardware-mounted one, which goes against the guidance most gate manufacturers and safety organizations publish.