Some stair gates boast specific safety features, which can help to ensure your gate is installed and used in the safest possible way. Day-to-day use: Does the gate do the job it’s supposed to? Does it withstand a toddler’s weight? Is it easy to open and close with one hand? The most popular recommendations were pulled together to include in a longlist of approximately 30 stair gates, then whittled down to form our final shortlist. How we tested the stair gates However, they are generally not safe for use at the top of a staircase. This is for two main reasons.

Assembly: How easy was the gate to install? Were the instructions clear? Were any additional tools or fixings required? All stair gates fit one of two main categories: pressure-fit or screw-fit. Screw-fit (wall-mounted) stair gates Screw-fit stair gates are mounted onto your walls, screwing into your wall or bannister. The major advantage of this style is that the gate is secure and won’t move around once it’s installed, but the screws will cause minor damage to your walls that will need filling when the gate is removed. Screw-fit gates can be used in a variety of ways: at the top or bottom of a staircase, or in a doorway or other narrow opening. Pressure-fit stair gates Be aware of hazards associated with children using or climbing over the safety barrier. Never climb over the gate. Never allow children to swing on the gateWhile there's no statutory requirement to comply, most commercially sold stair gates will have been tested to meet safety standards BS EN1930:2011. We tested the 14 most popular stair gates on the market, scoring them on six key areas before whittling them down to a final list the nine best stair gates, all of which scored a minimum of 40 points out of a possible 48.

One-Hand Operation: The gate features a one-hand operation mechanism, which allows adults to easily open and close the gate with one hand while carrying a child or other items. Always keep the barrier in the closed position for the safety of your child and yourself as well as other usersWithin these two categories, there are a few other features that can form part of the identity of a stair gate. For example: Stair gates can be used at the top of the stairs (to prevent your baby from falling down) and at the bottom (to stop them from climbing up). They can also be used to close off unsafe rooms and to temporarily add additional barriers to your home, whether that’s across a doorway or another narrow opening. When deciding which stair gate is best for you, it helps to work out what’s important to you before you buy. For example: We think the BabyDan Guard Me Auto Retractable Satefy Guard gate is the best stair gate available to buy right now. It scored the highest in our product testing and has received many glowing recommendations in the Mumsnet Talk forums. The retractable feature offers a neat option for leaving the gate folded away when not in use and it has a simple opening mechanism. About the author

If the safety barrier is used at the top of the stairs, it should not be positioned below the top level When testing and selecting the best stair gates we considered, safety, ease of installation, suitability, fit and value. When your children start to crawl or take their first steps, it is naturel to be worried about the home and the hazards of which it can generate since there are going to be a lot of unsafe areas for them. BabyDan No Trip Safety Gate is specially designed to keep your children away from danger and unsafe places while they are experiencing crawling or their first steps. You can mount safety gates for stairs, door frames or walls. Once we’d selected the 14 best stair gates for our shortlist, our tester, Katja Lakha, installed them one at a time in her home. Katja is a busy mum with three children (girls aged one and four, and a seven-year-old boy), so each gate was put through its paces. The gates were tested for at least one to two weeks each in busy areas of Katja’s home.

Pressure-fit gates are very safe for use at the bottom of a staircase or in a doorway, as long as they’re installed correctly and regularly tightened as necessary. A safety gate can remove just a little bit of your worries when your child starts to crawl around and explore the home. This BabyDan No Trip wall mounted safety gate is mounted with screws in the wall or door frame. It can easily be removed and remounted with the childproof release fitting function.