Selecting Collapsible Gates
When in the open, unsecure position collapsible gates utilise a minimal amount of space at the sides where they're folded away. This space can either be divided evenly as a pair of gates, or completely on one side as a single gate. Whichever the case the wider the opening, the larger amount of space is needed.
Deciding a pair or single should consider maintaining the opening itself for safety, convenience and sustainability. All windows, doors and passages could be potential escape routes in an emergency. For example a window that has opening panels might benefit from maximising the available space for at least one opening panel. Most typical patio doors are a good example of this because they often only open on one side and benefit from having a single collapsible gate stacking on the fixed side to cause least obstruction to the fully opened section.
It is sometimes possible to extend the total width of the gate when there's space on one or both sides so the opening. This makes it possible to slide the gate open so that it stacks beyond the opening itself, maximising the total view/width of the window or door. Nevertheless, people are commonly surprised at the minimal amount of space they consume. Window or door frames often take-up a lot of the stack space before the glass itself.