When shopping for a Boston style spark guard, only choose a style with a kick plate at the bottom, as this the natural tendency is to set it on the hearth and kick the bottom of the screen back against the wall of the fireplace.

A one-piece flat screen or bowed screen is an excellent choice if you have toddlers and small children in the house; if they fall against the screen it remains rigid and keeps the falling child out of the fire. They also help keep toys from being dropped over the screen and into the fireplace. One piece screens also help keep pets away from and out of the fireplace since many kitties like to use the ashes as a litter box. Our higher quality 1 piece screens feature SOLID steel frames and hand welded construction.
 
Folding screens will fit a great variety of fireplace openings due to expansive three panel construction which can be adjusted to a variety of situations and homes.
 
Many three panel screens on the market today have light weight hollow tube construction. While the screens you see at 10 yards away at discount stores and "big box" stores look nice, they will blow over in a light breeze and they will rust out from the hollow tubes which are not cleaned and powder coated properly at the factory. Many of these screens weight about 7 pounds; they are eye candy in pictures but impractical and will need to be replaced over and over and over again. Weight, steel content and construction are very important.


Always look for a woven mesh; a punched mesh gives the mass market screens their weird look from different angles.   
 
Cast iron scroll screens that don't use mesh are really only suitable for gas fires or to accent an electric fire as they don't offer spark protection.