This locking system is superb. It's the only system that truly stops a child (or animal) from getting into a cabinet unless they have access to the key. Of course, if you leave the key (or a magnet) in a place where they can get it, access is a snap! So, my wife and I installed brand new kitchen cabinets, and we had, at the time (this was about a year ago), an 18 month old. He was starting to get curious about the cabinets as he got more mobile. We wanted to secure the cabinets in a way that would: 1) Not be noticeable from the outside 2) Could not be easily defeated by a child 3) Could be turned on and off as needed Enter this system. I checked a lot of them out, and this got great reviews, though the install was a little more challenging. Ordered a set (and, later, a 2nd set) to outfit the kitchen. I waited until my 18 month old was not around (think my wife took him to the park) and started on a cabinet. Since I care about my brand new cabinets, I was careful. Measure. Measure again, and mark the holes. Solid wood cabinets, so I pre-drilled a hole, and then screwed in the top bracket. Measured and checked the latch system, and then marked, pre-drilled, and screwed in the latch. Make sure you test the system right away to ensure a clean lock/unlock. It's pretty solid. Yes, if you pull really hard it is possible to pull a cabinet open, but it does take some effort. I like the fact that, because the lock is flush (if you install well), when the cabinet is closed and locked, there is no give - that makes a child lose interest in trying to open, because is does not do anything (in contrast to the ones where you open a little, push down, and then fully open). The "key" is just a magnet that you put in the [close] vicinity of the lock on the outside of the cabinet. I believe any decently powerful magnet would work, but these are coated in plastic and won't scratch your nice cabinets. I ordered the 8 lock/1 key system, which only gives you one key, obviously. Recommend getting a 2nd key since, if you lose it, you are stuck for a while. We put a hook high up in one of the upper cabinet doors, and hang the key from there, so we alwyas know where it is (and the little dude can't get it!) I later ordered a 2nd system to complete my kitchen, and had 3 leftover. So I took those and intalled them in on the glass doors in my family room entertainment system, so now my son can't touch the receiver buttons (if he did that, he's make sure we never heard sound again), pop out a DVD, or turn the cable box off. Keeping him out of those doors was a great use for the leftover locks, and I keep the key that came with that set hidded behind a statue in the bookcase above the doors. I love the fact that you can easily lock/unlock the system. We regularly leave one cabinet (the garbage/recycling drawer) unlocked, as we use it a lot, and when not cooking. However, our son goes through periods of curiosity about that spot. So, when he shows interest in doing something he should not in trash can, we just lock it. He quickly loses interest and goes away, and we can unlock for later use. This is a well designed, high quality product. We have been using them for over a year and (knock on wood) not lost a key. We've had no problems with them during this time. If you want a discrete system that enables you to securely lock the cabinets, and you are not prone to losing thngs (like the required key), I highly recommend this. It may cost a little more, but you will be satisfied with what you get.
