How to pick the best retail security gate

A repeatable method for choosing your gate

Buying a security gate without a method is how stores end up with hardware that does not match their door, their merchandise or their staff workflow. The framework below produces decisions that survive the first quarter.

Measure before you compare

• Door width and material — concrete, marble or ferrous metal
• Average daily footfall during peak hour
• Merchandise mix — apparel, packaged goods, foil, electronics
• Available power circuit and ceiling clearance

Questions vendors should answer

Ask for the published detection width at a defined tag size and orientation, not just a marketing range. Ask which DSP filter the gate uses and how often it auto-tunes. Ask whether the antenna ships matched in pairs or whether mismatched units can be swapped.

Reading a quote

A complete quote includes installation, tuning, training, a 48-hour observation window and at least 12 months of parts coverage. If any of these is missing, the price is not really the price.

Vista EAS publishes its full spec sheets and itemised quotes by default.