Everything You Need to Know About Baby Safety Gates

Baby safety gate

Here’s a complete guide I created to share my extensive research on baby gates. You will learn everything there’s to know about safety gates.

When my first kid was born, I was looking around the house and spotted all those possible dangers that I must protect my daughter from. The most significant risk was that 15 stairs made of hardwood with a ceramic landing at the bottom. That’s when I started searching for safety gates. I founded that depending on the area I wan tot fence off I needed a different kind of gates.

Read the following also to become the baby gates expert in your house.

Would you like to see the only baby gates I would trust in my home. Check out this complete list of the most secure, reliable and affordable safety gates.

Where you need to put a baby gate?

So your baby is not a baby anymore, and it just started to crawl around the house. That means you need to check your home for the dangerous zone and strategically installed baby gates. It will make your life easier, give you a little extra peace of mind and your kid will be safe. It is your responsibility as parents to protect them from potential risks, such as staircases, balcony, garage, cleaning closet, etc. Some parents even use baby gates to keep their child and pet separated.

You can use gates to block a doorway or a staircase. Depending on where you want to place the barrier, you will have to choose between two kinds of gates: hardware-mounted or pressure-mounted.

Keep in mind that the hardware-mounted gate is more difficult to displace than the pressure-mounted. This is why hardware-mounted is the only safe choice for places where there’s a falling danger. Such as the top of the stairs or balcony entrance. For less-risky zones, such as rooms on the same level, the pressure-mounted gate will work fine to block a doorway.

Put a gate into a door

Let’s start by measuring the door frame you want to block off with a gate. To be safe, you need to be 100% accurate here. Trust me; there’s nothing worse than installing a baby gate and find out it is to short.

For standard door frame

You have plenty of good option when you want to gate a standard door frame. Most basic gates will fit a door opening of 26 to 38 inches.

For extra wide, double or french door frame

Your options will narrow down when you want to gate a wide entrance, a double door frame or french doors. Some brand will offer extra-wide models, up to 62 inches.

For sliding door

Putting up a gate in a sliding door seem tricky. You don’t want something permanent that will block the entire door from closing. Also, you absolutely need a barrier that is strong enough not to be pushed down by your kid. The backyard is the last place you want to find your kid wandering around without supervision.

In my experience even with a screen door, you are not safe.

I would recommend a hardware-mounted gate, fix to the wall beside the door frame. That way you can open the door to let the breeze come in without allowing your kid to go out.

For narrow doorway

For those narrow doorway, it would seem difficult to find a baby gate that will fit. Before you take on a DIY baby gate project, you should look for narrower safety gates models. They can be pressure-mounted or hardware-mounted. My favorite is the mesh roller gates. They can quickly adjust to any size.

Safety gates for stairs

Ok listen, this is precisely the ultimate dangerous area in your house. You need a safety gate that is robust and permanently installed into place.

Do not install a pressure-mount gate. There’s too much chance they fail to be safe. Sometimes they only need a good push to fall.

I know you probably have a hard time figuring out the kind of gate you need. There are so many styles and shape for a stairway.

At first, I was confused because I was sure you needed a flat surface on each side to install a gate. But staircase is likely to have post, banister or no wall at all. Most manufacturers have thought of every scenario, so don’t worry I will try to guide you to the right kind of gate.

Stairway with flat surfaces on both sides

Congratulation you have the best configuration possible, and you will have plenty of option here.

For the top of the stairs, the gate you will look for must have that special features, because you need this gate to be 100% secure. You need a barrier that is hardware-mounted to the wall on each side. Also, the door shouldn’t open over the stairs. This could lead to a severe accident if the door is not close.

Stairway with round posts or banisters

Let me start by clarifying what a banister is. When I first started to do my research on safety gates for a stairway, I didn’t know what it was too. It refers to a vertical post of the central handrail. Banister often have an odd shape.

In most case, when you don’t have a flat surface to fix the gate, you will have one or two banisters.

Sure it looks more tricky to fix a gate to a rounded post at the top of the stairs, but there’s a safe way to do it.

The hardware will be a bit different to cover the particular angle and shape of the post.

Stairway with only one standard anchor point or no wall

I love contemporary staircase with a minimalistic design, but they are not easily baby proofed.

Maybe you have only one flat surface or post on one side and nothing to attach to on the other. Perhaps you have no anchor points on both sides. Maybe it’s the railings system that is not strong enough.

For this situation, you will have to look for a particular kind of baby gate. Could be a wide gate that you will attach around the railing. Or a free-standing gate could do the trick. Some parents will install a temporary post to fix it. I know it doesn’t fit the room decor, but it’s better to be safe.

Baby gate for the top of the stairs

If you have to baby proof one section of the house, start by installing a baby gate at the top of the stairway.

Don’t use a pressure-mounted gate, because you need a 100% secure gate. Don’t gamble with safety; your child is at risks of severe injury from tripping down the stairs. You kid could push or climb on it, so you need something stable and fix.

Find a hardware mounted baby gate and fix it tightly.

Safety gates at the top of your staircase must only open towards you. Your child or even you could fall forward while opening the gate.

For the bottom of the stairs

Because of the risk of falling hard is not that present at the bottom of the stairs, a pressure-mounted gate could be suitable. You need something to discourage your little explorer from climbing the stairs.

Me, I’m too anxious and a bit overprotecting, I would still recommend a hardware mounted baby gate at the bottom of the stairs.

Check out the only baby gate I would trust in the stairs of my home.

Do you have a problematic staircase design?

If you been dreading to find the right baby gate for your staircase. Maybe it because you know you have a tricky staircase. The type of configuration that would be even a problem for a baby proof expert.

Anything from: rail-less, spiral, low rails, glass rails, curvy, floating stairs.

Don’t panic; I already did so you don’t have to.

I did some research a found a model that suits any stairway imaginable. It attaches to the two rails, and you can shape it into an L or a U.

Using a baby gate while traveling

While traveling, every parent aims to pack light but end up having a truckload of baby stuff to bring. In my situation, I wouldn’t even imagine carrying a big and bulky baby gate along.

But once I was on vacation, I found out that the AirBnB I rented had a staircase unprotected. Maybe I forgot to check if the place was kid-friendly… anyway I needed one. So I went to the local mall.

I was lucky enough to find a portable gate. It was made out of mesh, and I could quickly roll it up into a small tube. I was glad that I could bring it back with me. I’m still using it when I visit friends or go to the Hotel.

The only downside with those light fabric baby gate is that they are not suitable for the top of the stairs. You kid could play with it and end up rolling over, then downstairs. Always go for a hardware-mounted gate for the top of the stairs.

Baby gate for outdoor usage

If your house has a deck or even a porch, then you must baby proof this space too. It’s impossible to relax outside or to have friends over and continuously be behind your kid in case he decided to go for the stairs.

Using an indoor baby gate outside isn’t a good idea because it will rust up or get damaged with times.

The good news is you can find safety gates made specially to be outdoors. And the colors available could fit the wood stain too. It doesn’t have to look like a kid safety add-on. It can fit perfectly with the still of your deck.

The different baby gate types

When it comes to kids safety it’s essential you get the proper types of gate. They will be different, depending on their location in your house. A baby gate for the top of stairs should be hardware-mounted. A pressure-mounted gate is easily removable and convenient to fence off between rooms. They also work for the bottom of the stairs, but I still recommend a hardware-mounted gate here.

1. Hardware-mounted baby gates

Let me start by saying that no gate is 100% child proof. You should always keep an eye on your little one. Even if they are welded to the door frame, a barrier could be left open by accident or your child could be strong enough to open it.

Now, an adequately fixed hardware-mounted gate is the most secure type of barrier. This type of gate can be attached to the walls of your house and are often made of steel, aluminum or wood.

The fix to the wall gates is relevant where your kid is at risk falling. Especially at the top of the stairs or the balcony.

Don’t just screw it into the drywall or plaster alone. Use the proper mounting hardware and read the installation guide. You might need a mounting kit if you don’t have a robust surface to attach to.

Screw-fit stair gates

This type of safety gates is fixed to your wall with metal screws. They are specially made to fit your stairs width. Be careful when measuring the space you need to cover because you might need to get an extension.

The pros and cons of screw-fit stair gates

They are solid with a sturdy fitting. Plus this kind of gate doesn’t have a rail at the bottom, that you need to step over. But they do require a DIY installation with tools and will leaves holes to patch on your wall once you remove them. Still, not impossible, and everyone can do it.

2. Pressure mounted gates

When you start looking for baby gates, you will notice that pressure-mounted gates are the most available one.

Similar to a tension shower curtain rod, this kind of gate will be held in place by pushing each side again, pressing on the opposing walls.

This is convenient because it eliminates the need to drill holes in your walls. But, because of the pressure, they could leave a mark on your walls.

Also made of steel, aluminum or wood. Because of their portability, they will often be made out of plastic, wire or mesh.

The pressure mounted gate should only be used between rooms or where falling isn’t a risk.

The pros and cons of pressure mounted gates

Here are the advantages of pressure mounted baby gates.

They are, by far, the easiest to set up and remove. You don’t need a power drill or any things into walls. They are among the most affordable baby gates. Finally, they come in a variety of style to fit your home decor.

The downsides are considerable. First, they can easily slip or fall, even when installed correctly. The weight of your dog can make it fall. It’s risky to use where there are a height difference and/or stairs. Even if they don’t need to be attached to the wall, they could leave marks or also create a hole in the drill wall when they are too tight.

Portable pressure-mounted for travel

Baby-proofing your AirBnB or hotel room can be quick with a portable pressure-mounted safety gate. When I travel with my babies, I found very useful to bring a temporary barrier. It gave me the extra peace of mind I needed, especially on vacation, when I’m supposed to relax.

Would you like to see the only baby gates I would trust in my home. Check out this complete list of the most secure, reliable and affordable safety gates.

14 useful features for baby gate

You will notice the following features on different safety gate models.

1. Baby gate with side-opening

Most of the baby gates open like a typical door. This is what they call side-opening. Before you blindly choose a side-opening safety gate, think on how much space is available to swing open. It could feel a bit awkward to move around. The larger the opening (door), the more area you need to open the gate entirely. A barrier must be easy to use to avoid the temptation for you just to go over and risk to damage the gate or falling injuries.

I would recommend a side-opening gate if your planning on using the gate every day. This is the most common safety gate I see in houses with younger kids.

2. Pressure release handle

Apart from a side-opening, the other way to “open” a safety gate can be with a pressure release handle. For this kind of gate, you will have to completely remove the gate and replace it every time you want to pass.

This kind of gate is not meant to be used in a busy area, because they are not easily operatable.

3. Extra wide safety gate

When you want to gate a larger door opening, and all the other baby gates are too short, you should look for an extra wide gate. This type of baby gate can be extended or stretched. Some model offers the possibility to add an extension piece. Pro tips: you can add unlimited extension till you cover the space you need.

Most of the extra wide gate is hardware-mounted. Because when it comes to pressure mounted baby gates, they could become unstable if too long.

4. Extra tall gate

Maybe we are in the same situation, and your kids can climb like little monkeys. Or perhaps you want to be extra careful. An extra tall safety gate is what you need. Many brands offer this feature. I would recommend you double check the heights of the gate before you buy it. Sometimes what the manufacturer calls extra tall doesn’t look like extra or tall 😉

5. Free standing baby gate

A free standing safety gate is doing precisely what you are thinking. They stand, upright on their own. No mounting, no drilling, and no walls needed. Just place it where you want.

A freestanding baby gate can be a convenient option when you want to protect your kid from going somewhere, but you have no mounting opportunity. Sure they can be pushed away, but they can provide that extra layer between your kid and potential danger.

6. Baby gate with a U shape

The U shape safety gate is perfect to protect your kids from a fireplace. I would probably use one to gate a piece of furniture that could be a danger of falling. Anything from a library, a bold antique lamp or the cat litter box.

7. With an L shape

The L shape gate is excellent when you need to fence off an oddly shaped area. They work fine into stairs or hallway.

8. Full circle and all-around baby gate

I discovered the full circle safety gate when I was looking for a solution to keep my toddler from playing with the Christmas tree. My daughter really liked the colors and shape of the ornaments in the tree. At first, I just took off all decoration from the bottom of the tree, but I look silly so I went to the store, and I found a safety gate that can be wraparound anything. It can be shaped into a circle, a square, a rectangle, an octagon, etc.

9. Walkthrough safety gate

A walkthrough gate means that you can walk through the gate without removing it. They will have an opening or a mechanism that let you go through. It sounds obvious that every safety gate should be like that, but it not the case. Some standard safety gates are not easily walk through.

10. Hand free baby gate

How many time I try to open the safety gate while both of my hand where holding something. Sometimes I needed both of my hand, and it was impossible to free one to open the gate. Imagine this, you have your baby in your arm, he’s asleep, your trying to reach his bedroom but the gate is closed. What are you going to do? Free one hand and take the risk of dropping your kid on the floor? Shout across the house for help?

I didn’t know about this feature until it was too late. I already bought and installed my baby gates. But If can get a baby gate that can be foot operated, go for it. You will thank me later.

Now you can open the gate by pressing a foot pedal. That simple.

11. Retractable safety gate

The retractable gates are great within small space. They can almost disappear when you are not using it. Another significant advantage of retracting barrier is their flexibility. They work fine in a narrow way because they close like a measuring tape. Once folded, they clear the way for you and your grocery bags.

12. Mesh safety roller gates

I would get a mesh roller gate if I needed a retractable gate. They can be smoothly operated like a roller blind. The fabric is heavy-duty, they don’t have a frame to trip over, and they are really discreet when not in use.

They are also an excellent solution for wide opening.

13. Portable mesh safety gates for travel

A mesh safety gates are light and fold up nicely for travel. They are not the best solution for everyday use, because you need to remove it entirely to walk-through. They are more a barrier than a gate.

14. Baby gate with pet door

There’s a good chance that your pet won’t like the gate. In fact, he will probably try to jump over or push it down. This can become a severe problem for your kid. And it could be an additional task for you too. If you have a small dog or an old cat, they will probably ask for your help everytime they want to pass through the gate.

Well, I founded a solution for you. There’s baby gate with a built-in pet door. The little door trap can let pass through your cat, but it’s too small for your toddler. This kind of barrier will not be suitable for young babies. Because your baby could be able to crawl through the trap door or get trapped in it.

Would you like to see the only baby gates I would trust in my home. Check out this complete list of the most secure, reliable and affordable safety gates.

How to install a baby gate?

Any kids safety product needs to be well installed to be really useful. In fact, most accidents are the result of a bad installation or usage of the product. Even if they look pretty straightforward to install, check the manual and follow the installation steps. It’s for your kid safety.

Without drilling into the wall

All pressure mounted baby gate can be install without drilling into your walls. This is a good solution if you are renting or temporarily staying in one place.

Because of the pressure applied on each side, the gate could leave a mark on the wall. I would recommend you put adhesives on the wall, where the gate will be in contact.

Fix into drywall

Installing a baby gate to the wall need particular attention. To be adequately secured, the gate must be fixed to a stud in the wall. If you install the gate on the edge of the wall or inside a door frame, this is not a problem.

If you need to fix the safety gate in drywall, you can use drywall anchors, and it will be robust enough.

Baby gate mounting kit

Depending on the model you opt for, there’s a good chance that you can mount your gate to any odd areas. But some model will need a mounting kit to be installed to banisters, rails, walls with molding and in an angle. A baby gate mounting kit is also useful when you have to fix the gate were there no wood to screw into.

Baby gate safety tips

All safety gates are to be used with kids between 6 to 24 months of age. As soon as your kid figure how to open the gate or to climb over, it’s no longer safe to use it.

Children are excellent imitators, and they can learn fast. A safety gate is no substitute for parents supervision. Never leave your kid unattended. You must be close enough to intervene swiftly in case something happens. A safety gate is an extra layer of security, that give you the extra seconds to catch your baby from going somewhere is not suppose to.

If your planning on doing chores around the house and let your kid play in a different room, I would recommend using a baby monitor. Most baby monitors are voice or movement activated. They will help you to keep an eye on your little one.

5 Safety recommendations for baby gates

With my experience and the research I did, I created a small list of safety recommendations for safety gates.

1. How tall should baby gates be?

A baby gate should be tall enough to discourage your little explorer from climbing over it. A good rule of thumb is that the gate height must be at least 3/4 of your kid height. In most case, a safety gate must be at least 22 inches high.

If your kid is taller than average for his age, I would suggest you check for a taller gate. You can find a model that is up to 39 inches tall. They are taller but also stronger than a regular baby gate.

2. Sturdy Construction

This seems obvious, but you must check for sturdy construction. Also, check the finish of the gate.

The wooden gate must have a smooth finish, with a rounded edge and splinter-free. Gates made of wood are not recommended if you have a large dog at home, because he could chew on it and damage the barrier.

Metal is a more durable material than wood.

To make sure the manufacturer complied with the latest safety standards, you must look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association label.

3. Slat Spacing

To be effective, a baby gate must have vertical slats. Horizontal slats could be used to climb over. You need a barrier, not a ladder.

The slats or bars should have less than 3 inches in between. Same as the slat spacing standard for cribs. It’s to avoid head entrapment and injuries.

4. Latches

To open the gate, most models have a latches system. Similar to a button that you need to push down. The type of laches must be easy for you to operate, with only on hand, but impossible to open for you kid.

That’s why I would recommend going full DIY and built your self a safety gate. This type of mechanism is hard to replicate with materials from the hardware store.

5. How easy is it to open and close the stair gate?

How easy it is to open the gate can be a different answer depending on who will use the gate.

First, you need a lock mechanism that is impossible for your child to open. Also, you need an automatic device that locks the gate once you close it. Making it impossible to forget to lock the gate.

On the other hand, you need a locking system that will be easy for you. Depending on how strong you are, how big are your hands and your heights, you might need to test different models before you find the right one.

Finally, you must consider the space available to open the gate. Also, make sure there are no obstruction and anything that can prevent the gate from automatically closing.

If the gate is too hard to operate, there’s a good chance you will try to step over. Believe me, it will work for some time, but one day you will trip over and brake it. This is why the baby gate at my grandmother house disappeared one day. To save time or by laziness, my father tried to go over, while carrying a spaghetti plate, and you can imagine what happen.

What not to buy?

Old baby gate: When I was young, my grandmother use to have an accordion-style gate without a top horizontal. These kind of barriers with diamond-shaped spaces between the slats are dangerous. Those small holes can be used as footholds, and your kids head can be trapped in it.

So stay away from V-shape or diamond-shaped accordion-style gate that you could see in a secondhand store or flea market. Even those that meet the current ASTM standards are not recommended.

Too short baby gate: A pressure-mounted gate need that extra space to be entirely stable. Don’t be tempted to had a small wooden block to cover the required gap between the wall and the gate. This will make it unstable and not useful anymore.

Hard to operate baby gate: Like mention previously, your safety gate must be simple for you to use. To avoid the temptation of stepping over instead over opening it.

Are baby gates safe?

Baby gates are safe if use and install correctly. The manufacturers have clear installation steps to follows, and you must use common sense while using it.

Baby gates are not a replacement for adult supervision. Never let your kid unattended.

Baby gates are not fail-proof. Now and then, check if the gate is still in good shape, if not part have become loose. Always make sure to close the gate behind you. A baby gate can fail because of mistake. If you have visitors at home, make sure they operate the gate correctly. I always take the time to explain the opening mechanism and ask to close the gate after carefully. I don’t assume that people will know or figure out how to use it.

More than half of all accidents linked to baby gates involve an adult who falls while stepping over the gate instead of opening it.

Are pressure mounted gates safe?

A pressure-mounted gate is not secure enough to be used at the top of your stairway. If someone applies enough pressure on it, it will fall off. They are safe enough to fence off a room but not a balcony or outside doors.

Safety gates are great to baby proof your home

In my experience baby gates are essential in any type of homes. It will give you that extra peace of mind, and you won’t have to be behind your kid 24/7.

Otherwise, you will need to hire guards to watch the stairs, and this can be very expensive.

P.S. Would you like to see the only baby gates I would trust in my home. Check out this complete list of the most secure, reliable and affordable safety gates.


Watchful Dad

HI, I'm the Watchful Dad, and I have two precious monkeys at home that I love with all my heart. I will share with you the tips to keep your kids safe while letting them be the little explorers they should be.

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