Your child is on the go! You must ensure that they are not crawling or toddling off into trouble. This is where baby security barriers come in handy.
Safety gates, also known as baby gates, are wall-mounted barricades. It keeps your child within a specific area or room. Smaller dogs, for example, can be temporarily contained by safety gates. Some gates can also be used outside.
Setting up baby safety gates can help keep curious crawlers away from potentially dangerous areas of your home. While a gate is not a substitute for supervision.
It can provide peace of mind by preventing your child from accessing potentially dangerous areas of the house, such as rooms with heavy or sharp objects or stairs. “It is best to have safety gates. Set up before your child becomes mobile or begins to crawl.
What Offers The Best Baby Safety Gate?
The Best baby gate can be securely installed (usually in a doorframe or in the space between two walls). And keep your child firmly on one side while allowing you to open and pass through it.
The latching system is the most important feature of safety gates. It usually needs two actions to open or close. You can open a door by moving a tab or pressing a button and lifting it.
Ideally, a latching system is very secure. But it is easy for an adult to open many, even with a two-step mechanism. And it can be opened one-handed. Baby gates can be installed on the wall in three different ways. They can be hardware, pressure-mounted, or a hybrid of the three.
Hardware Mounted: The hardware has been installed. As the name implies, safety gates need drilling into existing infrastructure or building supports to drill into. Hardware-mounted gates are more stable in general. And should always be used around stairways, "particularly those without a step over the bar," according to Sessler, to maximize security and reduce tripping hazards.
Pressure-mounted: Pressure rods hold safety gates in place, with no drilling or screwing into existing structures. And thus, there are no holes in walls or doorframes. These are more readily misaligned. But can be disassembled for transportation.
Combo hardware-mounted: Baby gates include screws as well as optional round brackets (or "cups") to keep the gate securely in place. Without cup support, this hybrid type works similarly to pressure-mounted gates.
What do you need to look for when buying a baby gate?
Dimensions. Your available space primarily determines which safety gate is best for you. Before making any buying decisions, make sure to measure the distance. And look for any potential mounting obstacles, such as uneven surfaces or base molding. Additional mounting kits may be required for proper installation.
Climb-over vs. walk-through: Sessler prefers gates with walk-through doorways to those that must be climbed over. Climb-over gates can be a source of injury if you don't clear the highest point of the gate. Walking-through gates. It has a door that an adult can open to move from room to room.
Looking Mechanism: Sessler recommends looking for gates with self-locking mechanisms instead of needing a two-step closing process. After latching the entrance, a self-locking gate will automatically lock when closed. "A person can forget to set the key if it is a two-step mechanism allowing the baby gate to be opened more easily," Sessler said.
Check that safety baby gates meet industry standards: Look for JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) certification to ensure your gate has passed third-party safety.
Checks include height and spacing requirements. "Look for gaps of more than three inches,” says Sessler. To avoid stuck limbs or escapees, mount gates as close to the floor as possible.
But never more than three inches from the base. Most importantly, regardless of the model you choose. Ensure that all gates are correctly assembled. If you're unsure, seek the advice of a certified baby expert.
Best Baby Gates of 2024
Evenflo Barn Door Walk-thru Baby Gate:
During testing, the Evenflo Barn Door Walk-thru Baby Safety Gate was a standout choice... It is so superior to the competition. It stands on its own and deserves more praise. And praise than the usual contender. This gate is that once-in-a-lifetime item.
Most of the gate is made of natural wood, which complements a variety of interior designs. This gate will fit most standard-sized doorways. And will stay in place once the tension mounts are tightened.
We put this gate through its paces on bedroom and bathroom openings and were very impressed, even after three years of use. It remains the superior product in this review that we would select repeatedly. Pros and cons are the following:
Pros:
- Color-coded self-closing
- Great style
- Solid feel
- Sleek black finish and beautiful wood
- With a silent hinge, the door opens in both directions with one hand
- A stair stopper prevents gates from swinging out of steps.
- Installs quickly in doorways and stairs
Cons:
- Doesn't fit all openings
- Trip bar
- Secure top of stairs with hardware
Cumbor Auto Close Safety Baby Gate:
This is a simple, standard baby gate with easy assembly and use. This gate is not an eyesore. But it is also not stylish and appears fairly basic. The Cumbor has an auto-close, lock-open, and two-way swinging feature.
This option includes a simple and secure latch system. And the opportunity to buy extensions for larger openings. The pass-thru gate is relatively wide at 23.6 inches. And can accommodate most average-sized adults. This is not true for all competitors.
This option can be installed using pressure mounts (suitable for non-critical locations). And hardware with wall cups (ideal for safety-critical areas such as stairwells).
Pros:
- Self-closing
- Simple operation
- Wide gate opening
- Metal
- Large and wide
- Durable design
Cons:
- Doesn't fit all openings
- Trip bar
- Easy installation
- World-class experience
Regalo Easy Step Walk thru Baby Gate:
Gets the job done and includes a JPMA and ASTM certification. This gate consists of a safety lock to increase toddler-proofing. It feels durable and robust, with additional extensions available to increase the size of your opening, which is more significant than average. It is lighter than some competitors and quickly moves using pressure cups instead of hardware.
Pros:
- Quick, easy installation
- Feels solid and sturdy
- Extra wide
- Easy to use and set up
- Additional extensions sold separately
- The all steel design is durable and convenient
- Multiple safety-lock features
Cons:
- A couple of lackluster features
- Narrow gate opening
- It doesn't fit all openings
- Trip bar
- 3 extensions
- Certified to both JPMA and ASTM standards
Toddleroo Deluxe Décor Baby Gate:
This gate opens with one hand and closes with a triple-locking system. The door swings in both directions. And has a hold-open function for multiple walk-throughs.
Remember to lock it when the last person passes through! A step-over is required when the bottom stability bar is lowered. The metal frame is JPMA-certified.
Works with more extensions for extra-wide doorframes. Because this gate is pressure mounted, it should not be used at the top of stairs.
Pros:
- Stay open feature
- Easy to use
- Good for fireplaces
- Safe and Secure
- Loaded with Convenient Features
- Adjustable for a Variety of Spaces
Cons:
- Must be hard-mounted
- Angles may not fit all openings
- Keeping Toddlers Safe Since 1953
- JPMA certified gates
Evenflo Top of Stairs Gate:
This wood-framed gate is explicitly designed to secure the top of staircases. It has a one-hand latch and no-bottom threshold, making walking easy without fear of tripping. The door swings in both directions and is wall-mounted hardware. Evenflo's design has JPMA certification.
Pros:
- JPMA safety certification
- One-hand latch and no-bottom threshold specifically designed for staircases
- Gate swing open
- Removable Swing Stop
- One hand release
Cons:
- Hardware mounting necessitates the drilling of holes in the wall.
- Great for pets, too
What Is the Best Brand of Baby Gate?
It all depends. There are many excellent baby gates on the market. And much of what makes a gate the "best" comes down to your personal needs regarding your child. And the specific area that you're trying to keep the baby out of.
My experience with several baby gates in various homes shows that the Safety 1st Ready to Install Baby Gate is the best. It's strong and simple to use. And it can be used at the top of the stairs and in other areas of your home. According to Lund of Safety Nook, it's also JPMA-certified, which is a highly recommended certification to look for.