Baby Gates - tips and advice for choosing a child safety gate

Baby gates are great devices in the quest to keep babies, infants and toddlers safe in the home - but there’s no substitute for the conscientious supervision and care of parents.

A child safety gate is merely an aid to child care and plays an important role in protecting the lives of young children from some of the dangers that lurk in a home - hot cooker rings, drawers and doors that can trap little fingers, hot water, sharp knives and other kitchen utensils - to name just a few.

Before buying a baby gate you need to carefully consider your specific needs in order to make the right buying decisions - is one baby safety gate ample for your home? Do you need several gates to adequately protect your little one? Are you best buying a screw fitted baby gate or a pressure fitted safety gate - or even a combination of both? Would an auto-close gate give you more peace of mind? These, and many other questions, need to be considered if you are to provide maximum protection for your young son or daughter in their early years.

It’s probably wise to resist the temptation to inherit a ‘hand-me-down’ baby gate from friends of relatives - an old safety gate may have hidden weaknesses or flaws due to previous use, and may not conform to the latest safety standards and regulations. Manufacturers of modern baby gates have learned lessons from the past and developed their most recent products to very high safety standards indeed. The old saying, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ also holds good where baby safety gates are concerned - it’s better to spend a bit more from the outset for a top quality gate that will serve you well, rather than buy a really cheap stair gate or other safety gate which may have a limited life span.

Which baby gate to buy - pressure or screw fitted?

Pressure fitting baby gates are very popular and are found in many homes throughout the UK - but it is crucial that great care is taken to ensure a pressure-type gate is fitted correctly - inadequate tightening and securing of this type of gate could lead to it working itself free in the door, with potential hazardous consequences.

You should also remember that, for this very reason, a pressure fitted gate should never be used at the stop of your stairs - accident can, and do, happen.

Another thing with a pressure fitting baby gate is that it has a bar which runs horizontally along the base of the gate and children and parents have been known to trip over it. That said, there are many significant benefits to having a pressure baby gate, rather than the screw fitted option - for example pressure fitted baby gates can be easily and quickly dismantled and moved to other doorways in your home.

Buy a baby safety gate with a reputable name like Lindam or BabyDan

A good quality baby safety gate from a reputable brand name - such as a BabyDan safety gate, Lindam baby gate, Tippitoes safety gate or Clippasafe child safety gate - will come with comprehensive installation and safety instructions - so always take the time to read them carefully before attempting to construct and install a baby gate.

Make sure you choose a baby gate that takes into consideration the growth of your child - any gate you buy must be high enough to prevent your little one having any chance of leaning over it or climbing onto it - both now and in the coming months. A gate which is tall enough now, may not be of a suitable height in six months time.

Always ensure you buy a baby gate with a reliable and easy-to-use and childproof locking system, preferably a double lock gate. Also, if you have a hectic lifestyle and there’s any risk at all that you could accidentally leave a baby gate ajar, you should seriously consider buying an auto-close safety gate. These swing closed and lock automatically as soon as you pass through the gate. Before making your decision about which child safety gate to buy we suggest you read our guide to the various types of baby safety gates.