10 Baby Gates to Keep Your Child Safe
10 Baby Gates to Keep Your Child Safe
Sometime between six and nine months old, your baby is likely going to start mobilizing, a milestone that is usually both wildly exciting and mildly terrifying. Entering the crawling stage means your sweet baby's sense of exploration now has the freedom of mobility, so you'll want to prepare your home to keep everyone safe.
Putting up safety gates can help keep curious crawlers away from the more dangerous areas of your home, like staircases or the kitchen, while still encouraging them to experience their environment. "It is best to have gates installed before your child becomes mobile or begins to crawl. Once a child is mobile things can happen faster than you think," recommends Todd Sessler, a certified professional childproofer with Allsafe Childproofing Inc.
The parenting and product experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute test all of the must-haves for babies, toddlers and children, from baby swings and pack 'n' plays to potty training seats, and everything in between. To find the best baby safety gates, we considered overall design features, ease of assembly and use, and ensured all recommendations meet industry safety standards. These are the top safety gates to buy in 2021:
- Best Overall Safety Gate: KidCo Safeway Gate
- Best Value Safety Gate: Regalo Easy-Step Walk-Through Gate
- Best Self-Closing Safety Gate: Toddleroo by North States Easy-Close Baby Gate
- Best Safety Gate for Stairs: Evenflo Top of Stairs Gate
- Best No-Drill Safety Gate: Munchkin Easy Close Gate
- Best Retractable Safety Gate: Smart Retract Retract-A-Gate
- Best Extra Tall Safety Gate: Summer Infant Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate
- Best Extra Wide Safety Gate: Regalo Widespan Extra Wide Baby Gate
- Best Safety Gate with Door: Carlson Extra Wide Walk Through Pet Gate
- Best Freestanding Safety Gate: Toddleroo by North States Metal Superyard
Which type of baby safety gate is best?
There are two types of mounting techniques to consider: hardware mounted and pressure mounted.
- Hardware mounted safety gates, as the name implies, require you to drill pieces into your existing infrastructure or build supports to drill into. Hardware mounted gates are generally more stable and should always be used around stairways, "specifically ones without a step over bar," says Sessler, to maximize safety and reduce tripping hazard.
- Pressure mounted safety gates use tension rods to stay in place, requiring no drills or screwing into existing structures, and so no holes in walls or doorframes. These are more easily misaligned, but can be more readily disassembled for travel.
What to look for when shopping for a baby gate
- Dimensions. Deciding which safety gate is best is largely dependent upon your space. Take care to measure the space before making any purchases, checking for any potential mounting blocks, like uneven surfaces or base moulding. These may require additional mounting kits for proper installation.
- Walk-through vs. climb-over. Sessler recommends gates with walk-through doorways, as opposed to ones that need to be climbed over. Climb-over gates can pose a tripping hazard if you don't clear the top of the gate, whereas walk-through gates have a door that an adult can open when you need to move from room to room.
- Locking mechanism. Sessler says seeking gates with self-locking mechanisms is best. A self-locking gate will automatically lock when the gate is closed instead of requiring a two-step locking process of closing, then latching the gate. "A person may forget to set the lock if it is a two-step mechanism allowing the gate to be opened more easily," says Sessler.
- Check that safety gates meet the industry standards. Look for JPMA certification (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) to ensure your gate has been through third-party checks for safety considerations like height and spacing safety requirements. Crucially, "watch out for gaps exceeding three inches," says Sessler. To avoid any stuck limbs or escapees, prepare to mount gates as low to the floor as possible, but never over three inches from the base. Most importantly, regardless of the model you buy, make sure you assemble all gates correctly. If you're not sure, have a certified baby expert help.
1) Safeway Gate
Kidco
buybuybaby.com
$49.99
Our top pick was designed with staircases in mind, including those with banisters, but it works just as well in any doorframe. If necessary, you can also customize the fit with an additional installation kit. Our pros love that this JPMA-certified KidCo Safeway Gate features easy, one-handed release with directional stop to prevent the gate from swinging over the stairs and a no-bottom threshold to reduce the risk of tripping. Made from heavy duty steel, note that this gate is hardware mounted, so will require some holes in the wall.
Width range: 24.75" - 42.5"
Height: 30.5"
2) Easy-Step Walk-Through Gate
Regalo
amazon.com
$38.99
This JPMA-certified pick is an affordable option for those looking for a non-permanent solution. It has easy one-handed release and can be pressure mounted, meaning no need to put holes in your doorframes. If you do prefer the extra security, it comes with optional hardware to mount to the wall. The walk-through metal design does require a bit of a step-over, with a stability bar running below the swing door. In our road tests it was not found to be difficult to step over.
Width range: 29"-34", 35"-38.5"
Height: 30"
3) Easy-Close Baby Gate
Toddleroo by North States
amazon.com
$54.99
In our Lab review, we found that this gate can be opened with one hand and is self-closing with a triple locking system. The door swings both ways and offers a hold-open feature for multiple walk-throughs. Just remember when the last person comes through to lock it! A bottom stability bar down require a step-over. The metal frame works with additional extensions for extra-wide doorframes and is JPMA certified. Since this gate is pressure mounted, it is not recommended for use at the top of stairs.
Width range: 28"-38.5"
Height: 29"
4) Top of Stairs Gate
EvenFlo
amazon.com
$39.99
Specifically engineered to secure the top of staircases, this wood-framed gate features a one-hand latch and a no-bottom threshold, making it simple to walk through without fear of tripping. The door swings in both directions and is hardware mounted to the wall. Evenflo's design is JPMA-certified.
Width range: 30"-48"
Height: 32"
5) Retract-A-Gate
Smart Retract
amazon.com
$134.50
True to its name, this gate can completely (quietly!) roll up when not in use, making it easy to regain the entire width of your doorframe if kids won't be around (think an adult after-hours dinner party!). It has easy, one-hand release and locks closed, and it works on an angle. Pricier than some other safety gate options, this hardware-mounted gate is JPMA certified.
Width range: Up to 72"
Height: 34"
6) Easy Close Gate
Munchkin
amazon.com
$58.49
This JPMA-certified gate offers one-hand opening and locks back into place with a push, plus you can set the direction the door swings open. It comes in a variety of widths with additional extensions available, and it's pressure-mounted (with the option for hardware mounting), so no immediate need for drilling. There is a two-inch bottom stability bar, which may pose a trip hazard.
Width range: 29.5"-35"
Height: 29.5"
7) Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate
Summer Infant
amazon.com
$59.98
This metal safety gate features an easy one-hand open, auto-close, and hold-open for multiple passes. It also has a removable door stopper for the option of a directional stop, which is particularly useful if you're installing and want to avoid it slamming open the other way. Plus, it's about six inches taller than most standard-sized safety gates. It can be pressure or hardware mounted, depending on your preference, but note that this gate has a bottom stability bar, requiring a slight step as you pass through.
Width range: 28.5"-48"
Height: 36"
8) Widespan Extra Wide Baby Gate
Regalo
amazon.com
$58.99
This expandable gate comes with extensions that fit doorways up to 56 inches wide, with the option of either pressure or hardware mounting. Constructed with an all-metal frame, this JPMA-certified gate features a walk-through door with one-hand open, though you will have to take a slight step over the bottom bar with each pass.
Width range: 29"-56"
Height: 30"
9) Extra Wide Walk Through Pet Gate
Carlson
amazon.com
$43.99
With a small, eight-inch by eight-inch opening in the middle of its swing door, this safety gate was made for homes with pets. The JPMA-certified walk-through design offers one-handed door release with a locking feature, and it can be either pressure or hardware mounted. Note that there is a bottom stability bar, requiring a slight step.
Width range: 29"-36.5"
Height: 30.5"
10) Metal Superyard
Toddleroo by North States
amazon.com
$109.99
Attachable panels allow you to configure this freestanding safety gate either as an enclosed play yard or as an extended barrier to block your baby from accessing extra-wide doorways and oddly shaped areas, such as a fireplace. The metal JPMA-certified set comes with one walk-through panel with a self-closing, double-locking door for easy access, and is well balanced to help prevent toppling. (As always, supervision is recommended.)
As a play yard, the gate can enclose up to 10 square feet or, as a barrier, the gate can be hardware mounted to reach 12 feet wide. Additional panels are available for even more coverage, as is a plastic model at a lower price point. Note, however, that the plastic model does not come with a walk-through panel.
Width range: Up to 12'
Height: 30"
From the top of the staircase to the living room, these safety gates have it all.