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11 of the best child safety/stair gates 2024
Safety gates, also called baby gates and stair gates, are mostly used with stairs. But they are also useful for keeping children out of potentially hazardous areas like the kitchen or to separate them from pets.
Do you need a stair gate?
The main argument in favour of having stair gates is that they will greatly reduce the chance your child will hurt themselves falling down the stairs as there will be no unsupervised trips up them. This may be especially important if the stairs and the bottom of their have a hard, uncarpeted surface.
But it’s also important to teach your child how to safely go up and down the stairs as not only is it a very useful skill to have but you will at some point be visiting a home without stair gates.
Do you need a stair gate at the top and bottom of the stairs?
The safest and most common option is to have a stair gate at the bottom and top of the stairs. But some parents just have them at the top to prevent falls from the landing or at the bottom to stop a child from going upstairs and being there on their own.
When do you start using a safety gate?
When your baby is on the move. This will usually be when they start crawling (or bum shuffling), which is usually between 7 and 10 months. You may want to use them from birth if you’ve got pets you want to keep your child away from.
What are the main types of safety gates?
The FIXING:
Screw fit. A screw fit gate is attached to the walls with screws so some drilling is involved.
Pressure fit. A pressure fit gate has pads on the four corners that are pressed into the opposing walls and kept in place with pressure alone. They are straightforward to install and are a great option if you are renting or in any kind of temporary home and don’t want to drill holes. However, they are not suitable at the top of the stairs. This is in case a fall causes the pressure to release. And also many pressure fit gates have a base bar to step over, which could easily be a trip hazard.
The GATE itself:
Gates made with vertical metal bars.
Gates made with vertical wooden bars.
Retractable gates, which have either folding plastic or a mesh that rolls up.
Transparent gates with a clear panel, which is usually made from acrylic.
What features should I look out for when choosing a baby gate?
One-handed opening is handy when you are carrying a baby.
Not closed alert. Some have a colour indicator or warning sound to let you know if the gate has not been properly closed.
Width. It’s obviously very important that the gate correctly fits the width of the opening.
Extension kits. Some stair gates have extension panels and kits available to buy separately to make the gates wider.
Height. It should not be possible to climb over a safety gate. Most gates are around 75cm tall but you can buy extra tall ones. There should be no horizontal bars or anything else that could act as a foothold. The space beneath the gate should not be high enough to be crawled under or for a body part to get stuck.
Removable. Some screw-fit gates have quick-release settings so that the panel can be easily removed and placed in another area of the home with the wall fittings installed.
Pressure indicator. Some pressure fit gates have an indicator so you can be sure the correct amount of pressure is being applied.
Double lock for extra security.
Opening in one or both directions. A two-direction safety gate is handy for an adult as they don’t ever have to step back to open the gate. But it’s safer to have a gate at the top of the stairs, which only opens away from you when you’re going up. This is so you don’t have to lean backwards when using the gate.
Auto close and lock. These will automatically close and lock behind you.
Which are the best safety gates to buy?
This list has been narrowed down to the very best with thorough research and the following considered:
Consumer reviews
Best-seller lists
Recommendations from industry experts
Award-winning products
Personal experience and the products loved by other parents.
The list is updated annually. It was last updated on 9 February 2024.
If you buy through a link, I may earn a small affiliate commission. 5% of profits are donated to UK Baby Banks to help parents in need of essentials.
1. Lindam Sure Shut Axis Safety Gate
Very popular pressure fit gate with a four-point pressure fit and a pressure indicator to let you know it’s installed correctly.
Available in a variety of widths from 76 to 117cm.
Double lock for extra safety.
Easy one-handed adult opening.
Easy and quick to install.
Do not use at the top of the stairs as there is a base bar.
2. BabyDan Guard Me Auto Retractable Safety Guard
A screw-fit safety gate that is retractable.
Automatically folds back when opened.
Fits openings that are 55 - 89cm. An extension kit is available to buy separately taking it up to 113.5cm.
Can be opened with one hand.
No trip bar so suitable for the top of the stairs.
Made from PVC-free plastic in Denmark.
3. BabyDan no trip metal safety gate
Screw-fix metal safety gate.
Fits openings from 72 - 78.5 cm
The gate can be opened in both directions.
One-hand operation.
No base bar to trip over so it can be safely placed at the top of the stairs.
The gate can be quickly released for complete removal.
Can be double-locked.
Also available in wood.
4. BabyDan Extending Wooden Safety and Stair Gate
A wooden screw-fit gate made from FSC-grade beechwood.
Fits openings from 60.5cm to 102cm.
Can be opened with one hand.
It can be installed so that it be opened in one or both directions.
Quick-release fittings mean it can be easily removed and relocated.
No trip bar.
Height of 74.5cm
5. Lindam Easy Fit Deluxe Safety Gate
This pressure-fit gate can fit openings from 76cm to 82cm. It can also be extended up to 117 cm with a kit bought separately.
It’s very quick and easy to install. It should take no more than five minutes.
Can have a one-way or two-way opening.
One-handed opening and locking.
Height of 75cm.
Base bar means it shouldn’t be used at the top of the stairs.
6. Safety 1st Secure Tech Simply Close Metal Gate
Metal pressure fit gate.
Fits openings from 73 to 80cm. Can be extended up to 136cm with extensions available separately.
Colour pressure indications ensure correct installation.
Red and green colour indicators alert you to whether the gate has been closed properly.
Can have a one or two-way opening.
There is a base bar so it’s not suitable for the top of stairs.
7. Safety 1st SecureTech Flat Step Practical Safety Metal Gate
This is very similar to the Safety 1st gate above but has a thin step-over bar to help prevent it from being a trip hazard.
Fits openings of 73 to 80cm. It can be extended up to 101cm with extensions bought separately.
Pressure fitted.
Easy one-hand opening.
Visual indicator for a secure lock.
8. Dreambaby Auto-Close Chelsea Xtra-Tall Safety Gate
A pressure-fit gate with a height of 100cm, making it much taller than a standard safety gate.
Fits openings of 71 to 80cm. It’s also possible to buy an extension that takes it up to 107cm and one that will fit openings of 97 to 133cm. If you buy several extensions, you could gate off an opening of 480cm.
An auto-close gate with a visual indicator so you can see at a glance that it’s properly shut.
Can be double-locked.
One-handed operation.
Base bar, which may be a trip hazard.
9. Fred Safety Pressure Fit Acrylic Clear-View Baby Safety Gate
Pressure fit gate with an acrylic see-through panel. It’s also available in screw fit.
Fits opening from 76 to 96cm. With an extension kit, this can go up to 124cm.
One-handed opening.
Can be opened one way or two.
Height of 77cm.
For the bottom of the stairs only as there is a base bar.
Slams shut and automatically locks but there is also a colour indicator to alert you to an open gate.
Made by a UK company that specialises in home safety.
10. Dreambaby retractable gate
A screw-fit mesh net retractable safety gate.
The benefits of a net are that when rolled up it saves a lot of space, it can’t be climbed on and there are no hard edges or base bar.
Fits openings of up to 140cm.
Height of 93cm.
Can be easily clipped off and placed in another area with the wall mountings.
One-handed operation.
Makes a warning sound when opened. Can be silent with a two-handed opening.
Available in black, grey and white.
11. BabyDan Flex XXL room divider
A screw-fit gate designed for a very wide opening. It can also be used as a room divider or a fire guard.
Fits openings of 90 to 350cm. Extenders can also be bought separately.
Quick-release wall fittings.
Can be opened with one hand.
Opens both ways.
Made in Denmark.
Available in black or white.
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