What to Consider When Choosing Baby Gates for Stairs

Baby gates are designed to be strong structures that can withstand the pressure of a pet or small child pressing against them repeatedly. However, they have to have specific features when they are used at the top and bottom of the stairs. Otherwise, a little one might have an accident. So parents who are trying to find the best baby gates for this purpose should look for the following features:

Permanent Hardware

A baby barrier gate placed at the top of the stairs has to have hardware to attach it firmly in place. Although pressure-mounted types of baby gates are convenient to use, they could slip over time. Safety experts  and pediatricians recommend that they only be used at the bottom of the stairs or between rooms in other parts of the house.

Narrow Spaces Between Slats

The space between the long, narrow slats across the front of a baby gate should be no wider than two or three inches. That is because a small baby or pet could put their head in the area, which could lead to suffocation or other injuries. The space that is directly underneath the baby gate must also be kept to a minimum.

Retractable Options

A retractable baby gate or one that has a door that swings out is much safer than a type that a person has to step over because they could end up tripping and falling over it. But besides this, babies watch everything that parents do. If they learn that they can climb over the obstacle to get to the other side, they could fall and injure themselves as well. That is why most well-designed baby gates have no foot holes or wide ledges built into them. Retractable options are also safer because they are less likely to be dismounted and moved out of the way. Safety gates have to be kept in place at all times to be the most effective.

Firm Latch

All it takes is one time of a child opening a baby gate at the top of the stairs for a serious accident to happen. So the latch or locking mechanism that is built into it has to be strong. It shouldn't be attached to a push-button release because a small child or pet could push it on accident. Child gates for stairs that have a firm latch attached to a mechanism that has to be pulled up is better because it takes more strength to do this than a child or pet has.

Great Customer Reviews

The final thing that a parent or pet owner should look for in a barrier gate is a high product rating and great reputation among its users. These users share similar standards for what they expect out of their barrier gate; therefore, their insight will cover the areas that potential buyers want to hear about. When it comes to children and pets, people do not want to take a trial and error approach. Err on the side of caution by taking time to confirm the quality through reading various ratings and reviews. Feel free to check out some reviews from our valued customers on our site.