Customer Reviews

American Red Cross Ultra Strong Metal Cabinet and Drawer Safety Latches, 4-Pack

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

They do their job - make it a huge pain to get into the cabinet or drawer..... But we're most-likely uninstalling them to use the cheap plastic ones. The problem we have is this:

You have to open the door part way, push down on the latch, start to close the door to get it unlatched, and then open the door again before releasing the latch. And then you have to actually push down on the latch again to shut the door.

I've used the cheap plastic ones at friends' houses in the past, and you only push once...there isn't all these steps for the stupid things. You just open the door part way, push down on the latch, and then open the door. And to shut it - you just shut it.

So I gave three stars because they do actually do their job.....but they're a huge PITA when there is a better option out there that's easier to use AND cheaper.

Plastic latches are clumsy, and they definitely break over time. We have used these durable metal latches on our cabinets (top cabinets especially) for over 15 years. Our kids are long grown, but we live in "earthquake country" where it is prudent to keep dishes, glassware, etc. from flying out of the cabinets during a temblor.

I went through several types of cabinet and drawer latches, getting more and more frustrated as the self-adhesive varieties just fell off, and some others with weak plastic parts just broke, and others that were just a pain in the neck for adults to use. Then I found these--what a relief!! The baby can't open them, but they're easy for me, and strong enough to last. Definitely choose these over any other!

I purchased these metal saftey latches 28 years ago when my daughter was born. I currently do child care fore a living and I am still using the same exact latches that I purchased 28 years ago. And we have also moved them to three different houses. I know the plastic ones don't last even near that long. I would highly recommend this product to any person that has small children around.

I installed a set of Tot Loks on several cabinet doors but discovered that they are impossible to install on our cabinet doors that have glass inserts and on our drawers. I bought this item based on the product photos alone, thinking that they appeared narrow enough to fit the door frames. I also chose this product due to the metal construction, and had planned to use them on several wall cabinets for earthquake safety.

I was able to install them on my cabinet doors that have glass panels. The frame portion of these doors are narrower than that of the standard wood-paneled doors, so I was able to mount the latch with some slight bending to fit. These cabinets hold infrequently-accessed display items. Although they are out of reach of children, I wanted something sturdy that would hold the door shut (and the heavy bowls and dishes inside) in case of an earthquake.

Next, I tried to install a latch on the utensil and cutlery drawer. It is the uppermost drawer in the base cabinet, and a standard-width countertop is installed above the cabinet. Unfortunately due to the overhang of the countertop, when opening the drawer there's only about a 3/4" gap for me to reach inside and unhook the latch. Both my wife and I have slender fingers and it's a really close and uncomfortable squeeze, not to mention inconvenient to use. Because I'm pressing near the bend in the latch, it is actually deforming the latch with every use. I found that after a few trials, the latch would no longer catch onto the screw and I had to rebend the latch to get it to work. If I bend it too much, the tip of the latch hits the face frame and prevents the drawer from closing, requiring you to press down on the latch. This is very unreliable and inconvenient. I removed the latch and will try to come up with another way to install the Tot Lok.

The other concern was that the catch is simply a screw that is driven into the side of the face frame. Although the frame on my cabinets are cherry hardwood, I am concerned that someone might not expect the latch in place or forget and pull hard enough to split the face frame or pull the latch out of the door. So the "ultra strong" latch might survive but the door or frame might be damaged beyond repair. I think a better design would be to make the latches longer and bend them so that they catch onto the back of the face frame. This would eliminate the need for a screw into the face frame, and also makes installation much easier.

I was hoping that the latch was stainless steel or a more-resilient spring steel, but it and the screws are simply chromed steel. On one door installation, the head of the catch screw twisted off even though I had predrilled holes. On closer examination, the screws seem to be of much poorer quality and finish than the latches.

I had planned to install several more latches on more-frequently-used wall cabinet doors for earthquake safety, but decided not to because they are too inconvenient to use, especially one-handed. Aside from bending or removing the latch or screw, there's no easy way to temporarily disable and re-enable the lock.

Here are my issues with this product:

- Installation is difficult. They provide no template, and only vague instructions. "Holes should be about an inch below the top" kind of vague.
- The mounting screws are underneath the lever, which makes them nearly impossible to get at when putting in a drawer. They should be on the sides.
- Then the catch is--get this--a screw. That you install at an angle. Not a specific angle, just "an angle". That should be "about 3/8" from the front. Here is the problem: most cabinet drawers have a lip that is only 3/4" wide for that catch screw. If you install a 1" long screw at an angle starting 3/8" back, the screw is going to break out the back of that lip and not provide much strength.
- The shape of the sheetmetal simply does not work out of the box. It comes at the catch screw straight on and the drawer won't close. You have to bend it to give the catch screw a ramp. Why didn't they design it correctly to begin with? I had to do some major bending of each one to make them work. I can't understand how this shape got off the drawing board in the first place.
- The opening allowed when the latch is engaged is plenty big enough for little hands to get inside the drawer and grab some small things, like knives. I was prepared for possible finger pinches with this kind of latch, but not such a wide gap.

I bought two packs, but I'm not even installing the second one and am considering replacing the ones that I did install. Good thing they were cheap, at least.

We bought these under the First Years brand when we had my son, 16 years ago. We had originally purchased plastic latches and discovered several things about them. 1) they were difficult to align, and did not work if they weren't aligned just right. 2) my husband would pull the door open on the ones we got aligned, and defeat the latches because they weren't strong enough. 3) They broke.

These latches are easy to install. They don't have to be exact in their application, and they are an absolute stop on the door. My 200lb+ husband did not defeat them, and neither did my son who liked to play with the cabinet doors... When we were through with them, we simply bent the latch out of the way so that it did not make contact with the screw that serves as the catch. They still reside on my cabinets, waiting for the next generation of children to come through the house. They are easy to use, and with a little practice it becomes second nature to push the latch out of the way so that you can open the door. It is harder for a 2 year old to figure out how it is done. We gave them to everyone we knew as baby gifts, and were broken-hearted to see them go off the market. WELL DONE First Years and Red Cross!!! We are SO glad to see them back...

I bought these as I wanted an alternative to the cheap plastic ones I had bought before. They would not work on my cabinets. The design only will work with certain cabinets. Other than that, they looked strong.

We went through several kinds of latches 18 months ago. I asked my brother-in-law what they used, and he recommended these. We still like them, and they still keep my almost 3-yr old out of the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. The latch can get in the way when closing the cabinet, as one reviewer noted, but since they are flexible, I just adjust it (bend it) so that it isn't in the way when closing but catches when opening. They are the best.

I bought these after my sister, who has a toddler, told me to and to not waste my money on the plastic ones. My sister had told me that her daughter could not open the cabinets or drawers with these and the plastic ones worked great at first then her daughter got big enough and strong enough that she broke the plastic ones. I love these and highly recommend them. The money is well worth it!!!