Keep your child safe with these 7 top of the range baby gates
Whether you live in a house or a flat, you will find that controlling your baby’s movement will become your top priority and you will soon be looking into purchasing baby safety gates.
Although there are many parenting philosophies that are against it, I believe that your child’s safety is not to be risk. After all, the reality of daily life for most of us means that there will be times when you can’t keep your eyes on your child every single second, like when you have to go make some dinner. This is where child gates come in handy.
The best baby safety gates
Best classic child gates
Safety 1st Secure Tech Simply Close Metal Gate
It’s quite an affordable child gate that you can mount in the doorway. It’s a metal gate and therefore very solid and avoid any risk of splinter. Its small length makes it a great choice for small spaces and narrow doorways.
Pros
- Easy installation – no drilling required
- Affordable price
- One handed opening and locking
Cons
- Need additional parts to extend it for larger doorways
- Not the most aesthetic gate
Features
- Pressure mounted baby gate
- Small gate – fits openings from 73 cm to 80 cm
- Can be extended with additional extensions
BabyDan No Trip Beechwood Safety Gate
Want a wooden safety gates? This one is the gate for you! This child safety gate comes at the same price as the one above and is, in my opinion, less practical as it’s not pressure mounted. However, it is of higher quality as it’s made from 100% European beechwood.
Pros
- Fantastic look
- Real wood
- One handed opening and locking
Cons
- Need to drill holes
- Not extendable
Features
- Made from 100% European beechwood
- Opening measurements: 72 – 78,5 cm (28.4″ – 30.9″)
Extra wide child gate
Lascal KiddyGuard Avant Safety Gate
Looking for an extra wide stair gate that would be great as a toddler gate for stairs?
This is a black baby gate that looks quite fancy, and its price complements that. It fits opening to up to 120cm, and it can be opened with just one hand. It also locks itself automatically.
Pros
- Extra wide
- Auto lock
Cons
- Expensive
Features
- Opening to up to 120cm
- Height: 82cm
- Locks itself automatically
Baby safety gate for stairs
BabyDan Guard Me Auto Retractable Safety Guard
I love this baby security gate. It can be used both as top of the stairs gate and as a baby gate for bottom of the stairs. As it’s an automatic folding baby gate it makes it one of the most practical safety gates for kids I’ve come across.
Pros
- Adjustable and extendable
- One handed opening and locking
- Space saving when open
Cons
- Made of plastic (PVC)
Features
- Fits doorways from 55 cm to 89 cm
- An additional 24 cm extension can be purchased
- Height: 72cm
Portable safety barrier
North States Supergate Portable Travel Gate
The perfect flexible baby gate to travel.
It’s not the best gate to use full time, but it’s the best portable baby gate to take with you on holidays. It’s a pressure fit, making it easy to adjust wherever you are, and it’s made from mesh, making it lightweight and easy to fold into a bag that comes with it.
Pros
- Extendable bars
- No drilling required
- Lightweight
- Fold into a bag
- Adjustable length
Cons
- Not as solid or durable as traditional metal of wooden baby gates
- A bit short
Features
- Openings measurements: 64cm to 108cm (25.2″ to 42.6″) wide.
- Height: 71cm (28″)
- Pressure fit
- Extendable bars
Safety guard for toddlers
Lindam Easy Fit Plus Deluxe Extra Tall Safety Gate
Tall baby gates can be used both for pets and children, and this one was designed with that thought in mind. It’s one of the best toddler gates. The taller the gate, the safer it feels for older toddlers. This kind is a pressure gate, which is a huge plus for a baby safety gate.
Pros
- Extra tall
- Easy installation – no drilling required
- Double locking
- One handed opening and locking
Features
- Pressure mounted baby gate
- Height: 91.44cm
- Fits openings from 76 to 82cm.
- 2 way opening.
Free standing children’s safety gates
Dreambaby Royale Converta
It can be used as a freestanding baby gate, but since it’s an adjustable baby gate it can be used as a room divider or in order to protect certain parts of the room, like a fireplace. This child gate has a door opening, which makes it easy to get in and out of it (for an adult, of course).
Pros
- Freestanding
- Can be used a room divider and a play pen.
- Easy installation
Cons
- Less stable than the other gates in this list
Features
- Total length: 3.8m
- Height: 74cm
- 6 panels made from heavy duty metal
If you’re looking for more standing baby gates to create a playpen, have a look at our article on the best baby playpens.
Everything you need to know about baby safety guards
Do you need a baby security gate?
A baby gate is a barrier that you can place on your door or top of the bottom of the staircase. There are some kids safety gates that create a sort of a crate in which your child can play safely.
As a general rule, the safety barrier is recommended for children under 24 months of age.
It allows you to keep your child away from dangerous places such as the staircase, balcony or terrace, kitchen, fireplace, garden, etc… They literally are a life saver when you can’t give your baby your full attention or when you need to rush to the toilet or to go prepare a meal.
Plus, if you have pets, you can be sure you are keeping them separated from your child for both their and child’s safety.
How to choose a baby fence? How tall does it need to be?
Choose a child barrier model that complies with current standards in force which are the BS EN1930 . Here are the main requirements:
- The standard must be clearly visible on the barrier
- The minimum height of a child barrier is 72 cm;
- The bars should be spaced a maximum of 6.5 cm apart so that children do not pass their heads or feet.
Of course, all the gates we propose meet this standard of safety.
When to take down the safety gate?
Most safety barriers can only be used until your baby is 24 months.
If you use it for a child over 24 months, make sure to install a barrier that is suitable for an older child.
Remove the safety barrier once the child has reached the recommended age according to the manufacturer’s instructions or even before according to the growth and development of the child.
Additionally, you should remove any security barrier if the child try to climb on it.
How to install child gates on stairs
For this type of products, manufacturers usually provide good installation guides. I advise you to take your measurements and follow the instructions in the manual.
If you install the baby gate on a white wall or you fear that the fixings damage the walls over time, you can insert wall protection pads between the wall and the barrier, they are silicone discs that will absorb shocks and slips.
Quick checklist once you’ve installed your child gate:
- Make sure there are no stinging elements or splinters (if it is a wooden fence) when passing your hand over the bars or the structure of the fence, to make sure your baby won’t hurt itself when they touch the bars.
- Test the strength of the fixings, to be sure that your little one can not make the gate fall by leaning on it, trying to climb it or shaking it.
- If you want your child not to throw his toys through the bars, you can always install a safety net.
How many safety gates do you need?
There is no specific number. It depends on how many places you want to keep out of reach. The most recurrent places to protect are the stairs, balcony or terrace, kitchen, fireplace and garden.
Which child gate did you choose?
From cheap baby gates to large baby gates, from pressure mounted baby gates to wooden baby gates – there is a lot of child safety gates to choose from and I hope you will find one from my list that meets your needs. What is your opinion on baby gates? Do you find baby gates to be really childproof? Let me know in the comments! And if you are interested in activities your baby can enjoy with while in a kids gate, please read the article on best play mats I prepared for you!
