What to Look for in Baby Safety Gates

Once your baby heads off on all fours you know it’s time to invest in some baby safety gates. Baby safety gates are a must-have in any home with a baby who is on the move. Baby safety gates protect your baby from tumbling down the stairs or getting into a room that is not baby safe. With the use of baby safety gates you can section off a safe area of your home that your baby can explore and safely develop their gross motor skills.

There are two basic types of baby safety gates. Pressure baby safety gates rely on pressure to keep them in place and hardware mounted baby safety gates mount into a wall with screws. Although the hardware mounted gate is more expensive (up to $75 compared to the $30-$40 for a pressure baby gate) and takes time and effort to install, it’s much sturdier and more reliable than the pressure baby gate.

Consider your wants and needs when shopping for baby safety gates. Do you want a gate that can swing open? Many pressure baby safety gates need to be completely removed if you want to get past, unless you can hurdle over it.

You also want to consider the age of the baby safety gates. Older models (anything made before 1985) were made ‘accordion style’- which has been proven to be dangerous since babies were getting their heads trapped in them! So watch out for those yard sale bargains on baby safety gates.

Make sure, before you purchase any baby safety gates, that you measure where you plan on putting the gates. Baby safety gates come in different sizes, and you’ll need a proper fit if you want the gate to work properly.

Interested in learning more about baby safety gates? Get your copy of The Baby Report today!