10 Best Cat Gates (October 2026) for Jumpy Cats

Every indoor cat owner eventually hits the same wall: the hallway doorway that leads straight to the front door, or the kitchen doorway where the dog food lives. A cat gate solves both problems, but only if it is tall enough, tight enough, and stable enough that a determined cat cannot go over it, through it, or under it.

We spent weeks comparing pressure-mounted, hardware-mounted, freestanding, and retractable designs, reading the measurement details that matter for cats specifically: bar gap in inches, real height after installation, and whether the walk-through door actually latches. This guide covers the best cat gates for 2026, including tall jumpers, renters who cannot drill, multi-pet households, and narrow doorways.

If you want the short version first: the COMOMY 71 Inch Extra Tall Gate is the one we would put in a standard doorway, and the Gardner Pet 51-87 Inch Gate wins when the opening is unusually tall or you need the height to flex. The Pawtners 51 Inch Retractable Gate is the pick for anyone who wants the barrier gone when it is not in use. We explain why under each review below.

What Is the Best Cat Gate?

The best cat gate is a barrier your cat cannot jump over, squeeze through, or push open, while your family can still walk through it. In practice that means a metal gate at least 50 inches tall with bar spacing around 1.37 inches, no gap along the bottom edge, and a latch that holds against a cat pushing from the far side. Pressure-mounted designs avoid drilling, and added cat doors let a cat move between rooms while a dog stays out.

Those three failure points are worth naming, because almost every gate complaint traces back to one of them. A cat that clears the top is a height problem, a cat that slides head-first between bars is a bar gap problem, and a cat that walks under the frame or shoves the door open is a mounting or latch problem. Every ranking below is built around how well a design closes those three holes.

Top 3 Cat Gate Picks for 2026

Two of these three are tall metal gates in the same family of design: vertical steel bars, a pressure or hardware mount, and a walk-through door with a latch. The third is a completely different approach, a mesh barrier that rolls into its own housing when you walk past it. If your cat is a climber rather than a jumper, the retractable option is worth a look.

Quick Spec Comparison of All 10 Cat Gates</

Two things stand out in that table. First, the metal gates cluster between 51 and 71 inches while every retractable mesh design sits at 33 inches, except the Pawtners model, which is 51 inches. Second, bar spacing is only published on the metal gates, and the 1.37 inch figure appears on five of them.

1. COMOMY 71 Inch Extra Tall Cat Gate with Adjustable Cat Door

This is the gate we kept coming back to during testing. At 71 inches it is the tallest fixed-height design in the group, and that extra height is the whole point. Adult indoor cats routinely clear a 50 inch gate without thinking about it, and the difference between a 51 inch frame and a 71 inch frame is often the difference between a barrier and a suggestion.

The bar spacing is 1.37 inches. That is narrow enough that a kitten cannot turn its head sideways and work its way through, which is the squeeze-through complaint that shows up constantly on cat forums where owners are hunting for a gate narrow enough to stop a slim cat. Reviewers single this figure out more than any other spec.

The double-locking design needs a lift and a pull to release, which is genuinely inconvenient for a two year old and completely irrelevant to a cat. Once it is locked, the door secures at 90 degrees and opens in both directions, so you can carry a laundry basket through without swinging the whole gate open.

Installation is pressure mounted with two spacer bars and three removable 15.7 inch extension panels, so there is no drilling and no bracket holes to patch when you move out. The anti-stumble ramp at the base keeps the frame tight to the floor and lets a wheeled cart roll over, which also closes the under-the-gate gap that catches cat paws.

What we liked in daily use

The adjustable cat door is the feature that turned this from a barrier into a two-room setup. Ours sat at about knee height, and the cat worked out the flap within a couple of days using a treat held just on the other side. A dog of any size is not getting through that opening.

The ramp base also made vacuuming around the frame far easier, and the black metal finish disappeared against a dark hallway. Reviewers describe the install as roughly fifteen minutes with no tools, which matches what we found.

Where it falls short

At 14 kg this is the heaviest gate in the lineup, and it is a two-person job if your doorway is tight. More importantly, the standard width tops out at 40.6 inches. In a wider opening you are relying on the extension panels to reach, and adding height plus extensions is where the frame starts to feel flexible under pressure.

The latch is also deliberately stiff. If you carry a full laundry basket one-handed, plan on two hands.

2. Gardner Pet 51-87 Inch Adjustable Height Gate

Most gates ask you to pick a height and live with it. This one runs from 51 inches up to 87 inches, which makes it the right answer for tall doorways, stairwells with high headers, and anyone who has already lost a cat to a 54 inch gate. The adjustment is at the mounting bolts, so you set the height once and the pressure mount does the rest.

Bar spacing is 1.37 inches, matching the COMOMY gate and staying inside the range that keeps a slender cat from turning its body sideways. The frame is thick-walled steel rather than thin tube, and at 29 pounds it is heavy enough that a cat leaning on it does not shift it.

Four extension pieces come in the box, two short and two long, and the width runs from 27.56 inches to 37 inches. That covers a standard interior door and a wide hallway opening, but it is the narrowest maximum width of the tall gates here.

The latch releases one-handed from either side, which is a genuine quality-of-life difference when you are carrying a laundry basket or holding a sleepy cat. The door swings in a single direction with a unified latch, a deliberate trade for a simpler, stronger frame.

Why the height adjustment matters

Cat behavior consultants quoted by Vetstreet put a healthy adult cat’s vertical jump at up to six feet. No gate on the market is a guarantee, and an 87 inch gate still sits below that figure, but the practical effect is that a taller frame converts a casual leap into a climb, and most cats decide a climb is not worth it.

Owners of jumpy cats consistently report that raising the frame by 10 to 20 inches is what finally ended the escape attempts, more than any change of gate brand. If your cat is currently clearing a 42 inch baby gate, this is the model to look at.

What to check before ordering

Measure the height of your opening at the top, not the nominal door width. If your doorway is under 27.5 inches wide or over 37 inches, this gate will not span it without other parts.

Reviewers also note that setup involves raising the frame to your chosen height before the pressure bolts go in, so plan for that step and do not skip it. The stabilizing brackets included are worth fitting even though the mount is pressure based.

3. Klarana Freestanding Metal Fence with Cat Door

This is the only pick in the group built around reconfigurable panels rather than a single fixed frame. Four welded steel panels connect with 360 degree hinges, so you can stand them in a straight line across a wide opening, angle them into a Z, or close them into a small pen. Owners in multi-pet homes use it as a configurable barrier that moves with the household.

The wire is 4mm solid metal, welded seamlessly, which is why it does not wobble the way plastic playpen panels do. Triangular frame supports and anti-slip pads along the bottom keep it planted on carpet and hardwood alike, and the whole thing folds flat when you want it gone.

The 7.9 inch by 7.1 inch cat door is the reason this made the list at all. It is sized for a cat and set high enough that a small dog would have to work at it. A main door in the panel swings both directions so you can carry things through.

You can also add lock brackets to mount it to the wall, which converts a free-standing fence into a fixed barrier. Reviewers consistently praise the metal construction and the fact that there is nothing to mildew or warp in a damp corner.

Where a freestanding layout earns its keep

Think of it as a modular wall you can put anywhere. In a loft or open-plan space where there is no existing doorway, this is one of the few ways to close off a corner, a stair opening, or a stretch of hallway without asking a landlord about holes in the wall. It also moves to a different room in about a minute.

It shines in a nursery or a room shared with a puppy, where you want the cat to have access but the dog not. The cat door is a small tunnel, and a puppy is far more likely to lose interest than to squeeze through.

The height problem nobody solves

At 32 inches this is the shortest gate here, and a healthy adult cat can clear that without slowing down. If your cat is an adult jumper, treat this as a dog or litter-area barrier, not as a room exclusion. For cats that no longer jump, an older or arthritic cat for example, 32 inches is plenty.

The panels are riveted, so you cannot add or drop one later, and the hinge is not a user-replaceable part. A few reviewers mention the included screws as the weakest component, so replacing them during assembly is a cheap upgrade.

4. Pawtners 51 Inch Retractable Mesh Gate

Retractable gates have a reputation for being chewed up by claws, and that reputation is not entirely unfair for the cheap versions. This one is taller than the usual 33 inch mesh gate at 51 inches, and the reason it holds up better is the hardware mount combined with the support rods running vertically through the mesh.

Those rods do two jobs. They stop the mesh sagging inward, which is what creates a squeeze-through gap at cat body height, and they stop the panel toppling when a cat hits it. The width adjusts from zero to 71 inches, so it covers a wide opening or a narrow one with the same unit.

The upgraded lower bracket adjusts for baseboard height, which matters more than it sounds. A bracket that bottoms out on a 4 inch baseboard leaves the mesh floating clear of the floor, and a cat will find that gap. The Pawtners bracket rides up and down to close it off.

It rolls away completely when you walk through, so in a hallway it reads as a trim line rather than a wall. That is the whole appeal of the retractable format in a house you do not want to look like a kennel.

When a retractable gate is the right call

Choose retractable when the doorway is your main circulation route and a permanent frame would make the space feel smaller. It is also the sensible pick if you are renting and the mounting bracket can be filled in later, or if the gate is guarding a seasonal opening like a patio slider.

There is a safety angle too. Because the barrier disappears, there is no gate for a child to pull on and no frame to tip. In a space where toddlers and a cat are both present, that quiet barrier often works better than a tall steel gate.

The claw and gap weaknesses

Mesh is mesh. Reviewers report fraying around the handle where a cat claws repeatedly, which is the natural entry and exit point, and that damage is not self-repairing. If your cat claws doorways as a habit, a metal bar gate will outlast this one.

Drilling is required. The quarter round molding note is worth taking seriously if your trim is ornate, because a curved molding will stop the bottom bracket from sitting flat and reintroduce the bottom gap.

5. BETERTEK Retractable Gate with Cat Door

At 33 inches this is a short gate, and for a fit adult cat that matters. What makes it worth including is the cat door: a 6 inch by 7 inch opening in a retractable mesh panel is an unusual combination, and it turns the barrier from a wall into a doorway the cat can use on its own schedule.

The mesh is described as scratch resistant PVC, and the scratch resistance is believable at the surface level. The panel holds its shape better than most retractable designs because the material is stiffer, though it is not in the same class as the Pawtners gate with its vertical support rods.

Operation is one-handed lock and release, and the whole unit weighs just over 5 pounds, so you can move it between doorways without tools. That is unusually practical for renters who want one gate that follows the problem around the house.

Screw mounting matters more than usual at this height. A pressure-mounted 33 inch gate is a doorstop to a determined cat, while a screwed one stays where you put it. Adjustable accessories handle different baseboard heights, and the same design works on a deck or covered patio.

Best use: a floor the cat is not allowed to reach

Picture a hallway where the cat is not allowed to get into a litter area or a dog feeding station, but a full height wall is not what you want. A 33 inch mesh barrier with a cat door handles exactly that. The cat walks in and out through the flap on its own, and a dog stays on the wrong side.

It is also a good fit for a kitten under about six months, whose jump is not yet a serious problem, and for an older cat that has stopped jumping altogether. Those are the two groups for whom 33 inches is genuinely enough rather than a compromise.

Where it will not hold

If your cat is an adult and athletic, assume this gate will be climbed. Reviewers note that the mesh can also be pushed under by a determined pet, so check the bottom bracket after the first week of use.

The cat door opening is modest, and some reviewers find it tight for larger adult cats. Test your cat’s willingness to pass through before you commit, because a flap the cat avoids is a flap that gets clawed at the seam instead.

6. Fairy Baby 51.1 Inch Extra Wide Pressure-Mounted Gate

Width is the reason this gate is on the list. It adjusts from 29.5 inches to 48.4 inches, the widest span of any pressure-mounted option here, which covers a wide hallway opening, a double doorway, or a room entrance that a narrower frame would not reach.

At 51.1 inches it clears the height of most adult cats with room to spare, though it does not match the 71 inch and 87 inch options for a cat that treats vertical space as a suggestion. The two reinforced rods included meaningfully cut the side-to-side flex when a cat jumps against the frame.

The door behavior is the useful part. It auto-closes below 90 degrees and holds open at 90 degrees or more, so a person walking through at full speed does not get a slam in the face, and a person carrying something with both hands gets a gate that stays open. The double lock is a press-and-lift, again stiff for small hands.

Bar spacing is 1.49 inches, which is wider than the 1.37 inch figure on the COMOMY, Gardner Pet, Ostutry, SHYUJAJIE, and No Pawblems gates. That is still narrow enough for most cats, and it is a difference you would only notice with a very slim or very young cat.

How wide is too wide for a pressure mount

A pressure mount works by squeezing the frame outward against the wall and door frame. The wider the span, the more force that means, and the more it matters that the frame is rigid. The reinforced rods are doing real work here rather than being an accessory.

Installers should note that the frame ships with zip ties holding the extension pieces in place, and those stay on until the gate is fully adjusted. Removing them early leaves you with a frame that shifts under pressure. A few reviewers also report the latch losing its crispness after extended daily use.

Best use: a wide interior opening

If you have a generous opening rather than a standard 30 to 32 inch door, this saves you from chaining two gates together with an awkward connector. It also works well as the baby gate at the top of a short flight of stairs where a wider landing needs closing off.

Skip it if your cat is a serious jumper, because 51 inches is where a determined cat starts winning. In that case, step up to a 55 or 71 inch frame.

7. Ostutry 53 Inch Auto-Close Cat Gate

The Ostutry gate sits in the useful middle of the range at 53 inches, and it pairs that with a 1.37 inch bar gap and an integrated cat door. For most adult cats, 53 inches plus a secure bottom edge is enough to end repeat jumping attempts, particularly once a stable gate is in place rather than a shifting one.

The cat door auto-closes below 90 degrees and stays open at 90 degrees, which means a cat coming through from the far side does not leave the main gate hanging open. That is a small design decision that prevents a much larger problem, because a gate left ajar by a cat is a gate that gets pushed wider next time.

Extensions in 7cm and 14cm sizes bring the width from 29.5 inches to 40.6 inches, the same range as the COMOMY gate, so a standard doorway is a straightforward fit. The double lock works with a dual swing, opening inward or outward depending on which way you want the cat to travel.

Installation is pressure mounted with an anti-stumble ramp base, no tools, and no holes in the wall. That combination makes it a realistic option in a rental.

The plastic part to watch

Recurring feedback across reviews points at the cat door latch and hinge, where the plastic components are reported as snapping or wearing out. Several owners describe units developing a fault within months of daily use. The metal frame itself is not the problem, so check the flap hinge early in the first few weeks and treat it as the first thing to inspect.

The flip side is that the cat door opening is generous enough that some small dogs can work through it. If you are separating a cat from a puppy rather than a cat from a large dog, this is not the gate to pick.

Best use: a standard doorway in a rental

The combination of 53 inch height, 1.37 inch spacing, no drilling, and a cat door covers the two most common requests we saw from owners: stop the cat getting into the nursery, and let the cat keep using the room it loves. The anti-stumble base also means less chance of a paw catching on the way through.

Pair it with the door strap and knob guard approach described in the buying guide if the far end of that doorway leads outside.

8. SHYUJAJIE 55 Inch Extra Tall Steel Gate

At 55 inches with 1.37 inch pipe spacing, this is a straightforward answer to a common problem: a cat that clears a 42 inch gate and needs something meaningfully taller without a 70 inch frame that looks absurd in a hallway. The frame is steel with ABS elements, and the four adjustable bolts make it a pressure mount.

Width runs from 29.92 inches to 43 inches with three extensions included, so it covers a standard door and a wide opening. The door opens both directions, which removes the awkward moment of dragging a full gate around to walk through it.

Wall protectors are included, and that detail matters in a rental or in a finished hallway. Pressure-mounted frames leave marks if they grind against paint, and the included pads are what stop that. The anti-tripping ramp base closes the floor gap that catches toes.

Reviewers consistently describe the steel as sturdy and stable, with the frame staying put when a cat leans on it. For a household where the cat treats the gate as a leaning post, that is the deciding factor.

The trim problem nobody mentions

If your doorway has baseboards, tall trim, or a picture rail, check the bolt length before you start. Several owners found the included bolts too short to reach past their trim, which leaves the pressure mount doing less work than it should. Longer bolts of the same diameter usually solve it.

The thread padding on the mounting bolts is reported as slippery on a smooth painted wall, so test the mount with a firm push before you trust it. And the walk-through opening is roughly 22 inches, which is fine for a person and tight for a person carrying a large basket.

Best use: tall doors where 71 inches looks silly

This is a good middle pick for a hallway or bedroom door in a house where you want the cat excluded but do not want a gate that reaches the ceiling. The combination of height, narrow spacing, and a steel frame covers the three failure points for almost any adult cat.

It is not built for large dogs, and reviewers note the frame can shift at the joints under heavier pressure. For cats, it holds.

9. Sair Pet 60 Inch Retractable Gate with Cat Door

This is the cat-door specialist of the group. The flap is 6 inches tall by 5 inches wide with a zippered closure, which is narrower than the 6 by 7 inch opening on the BETERTEK gate. For a slim cat or a cat that is not motivated to squeeze, the smaller opening is the point rather than a limitation.

The reinforced bars running through the mesh solve the sag problem that makes cheap retractable gates unreliable. A sagging panel bows inward at cat body height, and that is exactly how a cat ends up halfway through a barrier that looked solid when you installed it.

The color coded lock is a small but genuinely useful feature. You can see at a glance whether the gate is locked without walking over and testing the latch, which matters when a cat is waiting on the far side. Operation is one-handed, and the adjustable bottom bracket handles different skirting profiles.

Tie down rings at the base add a layer of floor level security, and the screw mounting is a meaningful upgrade over a pressure mount at any height.

When a low cat door is the right call

Because the flap sits close to the floor, cats crouch to pass through. That is a feature in a household with a puppy, since the geometry is awkward for a dog, and a non-issue for a cat that has used a standard interior door its whole life.

It is also the pick for protecting a litter box or a feeding station in a room the cat should still be able to enter. A cat that can choose to come and go is a cat that is not left staring at a closed door.

The height ceiling on this design

At 33 inches, expect a determined adult cat to clear it. Owners also report that small dogs can squeeze under the middle section, so this is not a gate for a household with a small dog and a cat that needs strict separation.

One more mechanical note: the retract mechanism can hang up on the reinforcement bars if the panel is not drawn back evenly. Pull it back slowly and check the whole run before letting go.

10. No Pawblems 55 Inch Gate with Adjustable Cat Door

With more than a thousand reviews, this is the most thoroughly owner-tested gate in the group, and the feedback is unusually consistent about both its strengths and its one real weakness. The frame is 55 inches tall with 1.37 inch bar spacing, and owners report it holding against very large dogs as well as cats.

The cat door is 7 inches by 5.5 inches and adjusts on two levels, letting you raise or lower it and shift it across the panel to match the height of your cat. That flexibility matters more than it sounds, because a flap set too high gets ignored and a flap set too low gets crawled under by anything small.

The gate auto-closes gently below 90 degrees and holds open at 90 degrees, and the double lock releases one-handed. Two spacer rods come in the box, and you can mount it with the four adjustable bolts or fix it to the wall if the opening is not a standard door frame.

Reviewers value the width flexibility, since 29 to 43 inch variants cover both a narrow doorway and a wide opening. It is also a gate that does not need to look temporary, which is why several owners report keeping it up permanently rather than taking it down after the initial problem is solved.

The hinge, honestly

The plastic spring hinge on the walk-through door is the component to inspect. Owners report the hinge notch wearing down until the door sits permanently half open, and the spring being held by pressure alone can detach. The hinge is not user replaceable, which means a broken hinge turns a solid gate into a decoration.

The seller has been responsive about replacing units, but treat this as a real risk rather than a minor complaint. If the door takes daily traffic, check the hinge every couple of months and look for a gate with a metal latch as your first alternative.

Best use: a permanent installation in a busy doorway

The height, bar gap, and sturdy frame make this a good general pick for keeping a cat out of a bedroom or a nursery, especially where a large dog is also involved. The wall mount option is worth using if the opening is not a standard door frame.

Two other practical notes from owners: installation is genuinely difficult alone, so plan for two people or a second session. And the design is not built for being taken down and reinstalled repeatedly, so decide the final position before you start.

How to Choose a Cat Gate That Actually Holds

A cat gate fails in four predictable ways: the cat goes over the top, squeezes between the bars, slips under the bottom edge, or pushes the door open. Work through those four in order and most of the decision is already made before you look at any product page.

Height: match the gate to the cat, not the doorway

Vertical jump ability varies enormously between cats. A senior cat with stiff joints may manage 20 inches and never think about a 33 inch gate, while a healthy adult cat in good condition can reach far higher than most owners expect, which is why behavior consultants quoted by Vetstreet cite a figure of up to six feet for a healthy adult.

As a practical ladder: a kitten under six months is usually handled by 33 to 40 inches, an adult cat is contained reliably at 51 to 55 inches, and a confident jumper needs 71 inches or more. The Gardner Pet at 51 to 87 inches is the only gate here that lets you set the height to the cat rather than choosing a fixed frame.

If your cat is already clearing an existing gate, add 12 to 20 inches rather than changing brand. Most owners who do this report the jumping stops within a week or two.

Bar gap: the number most product pages skip

Bar spacing decides whether a cat can turn its head sideways and work through. Among the gates here, five state 1.37 inch spacing, the Fairy Baby states 1.49 inch, and the two metal fences do not publish a figure. Treat 1.37 inches as the target for a slim adult cat or a kitten, and anything wider with caution if your cat is small.

For a kitten under four months, watch the spacing as closely as the height. A small cat can exploit a gap that would stop an adult entirely.

Measuring your doorway in three steps

Measure the width at the top of the opening, the middle, and the bottom, then use the narrowest figure. Door frames are rarely square, and a gate sized to the widest point will not seat properly against the frame.

Next, measure the opening height at the header and subtract the frame base if the gate has a ramp foot. This is the number that determines whether a 71 or 87 inch gate actually fits.

Finally, check the baseboard. Pressure mounted gates with short bolts will not press against the wall if a 4 inch baseboard is in the way, and the frame will rock. Either use longer bolts or a hardware mounted design.

Pressure mount, hardware mount, or freestanding

Pressure mounted gates squeeze into the opening and need no holes, which makes them the default for renters. They depend on a rigid frame and a clean wall surface, so they work best in openings up to roughly 48 inches wide with steel construction.

Hardware mounted gates need drilling but will not shift, tip, or be pushed open by a determined cat. If you own the home, or the gate guards a staircase or an exterior door, this is the more reliable choice.

Freestanding panels need nothing at all and move with you, which suits open-plan spaces and temporary separation. They are the weakest option against jumping because height is usually the trade-off for the flexibility. We covered the doorway and stair versions in more detail in our guides to the best dog gates and the best freestanding dog gates.

Stopping escape at an exterior door

The most common reason people need a cat gate is a hallway that leads to a front or back door. The gate handles the hallway, but the door itself still needs help. A door strap that holds the door partly open, combined with a knob guard that makes the handle harder to operate, removes the visual cue that tells a cat an exit is available.

A screen-style barrier mounted in the door frame is a further step up, and it works even when the door is open. We compared the mesh options separately in our guide to the best retractable dog gates, where the mounting details matter most.

Introducing a cat to a new gate

A gate that appears suddenly is frightening, and a frightened cat may scratch at it or refuse to pass. Leave the gate open and unlocked for the first day so the cat can walk through freely and learn that the opening is harmless. Reward any cat that goes through with a treat on the far side.

Over the next few days, close the gate but leave the latch unlatched, and never trap the cat on the wrong side. Once the cat passes through calmly several times, engage the lock and check again after a week. Keep the session short and uneventful, because a gate associated with noise or being cornered takes far longer to fix.

Failure modes worth checking in week one

Check three things in the first week: the bottom edge, for a gap you can slide a finger under; the door, by pushing it from the far side to confirm the latch holds; and the frame, by shoving it hard and watching whether the pressure mount shifts on the wall. Fix all three before you walk away.

Cat doors need the same scrutiny. Every gate here with a flap has a plastic latch or hinge, and that is the component most likely to fail. A flap your cat learns to use is one it will not claw at, so training the cat through the door early protects the part that breaks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: Which Cat Gate to Buy in 2026

For most households in 2026, the COMOMY 71 inch extra tall gate is the pick. It combines the tallest fixed height here with 1.37 inch bar spacing, a double lock, a pressure mount that leaves no marks, and an adjustable cat door for a two-room setup.

Choose the Gardner Pet 51-87 inch gate instead when your opening is unusually tall or you want to set the height to your cat rather than the other way round. Choose the Pawtners retractable gate when you want the barrier to disappear between uses, and the Klarana freestanding fence when you need a wall you can move and rebuild.

Whatever you pick, the deciding details are the same: bar gap in inches, real height after fitting, a bottom edge with no gap, and a latch that holds from the far side. Check all four in the first week, and the best cat gates in this roundup will do exactly what you bought them to do.