P.R.
The best way to figure out what works for you is just to buy one and try it. If you save the packaging you should be able to return it. You should be able to try out whether it's easy for you to open, etc. As far as whether to actually put one at the top of the stairs: we did, because the upstairs of our last place was narrow and we figured there was too much of a chance of my daughter losing her balance. While we had it up, we were still teaching her to walk up and down the stairs on her own. We don't have stairs now, but if we did, we would no longer have the need for the gate since she knows how to do it now and she's bigger. Trust your instincts. Just remember you have to teach your child to not play with the gates, ESPECIALLY the one at the top of the stairs. You don't want it coming loose, and you definitely do not want her to climb over. If she tries to climb, discipline her immediately so she knows it's serious. We always tell my daughter when something is dangerous, and she seems to (mostly) understand. (We still have to watch her, of course.)