Tips on How to Select the Right Baby Safety Gate for Your Needs Based on How It Is Mounted, Opens and Closes and Other Features
Baby’s Need a Lot of Stuff!
Feeling a bit overwhelmed as a new or expecting parent? If you aren’t yet, there’s a cure! Well, just stop in a baby store - or easier still, begin doing some online shopping - all those necessities: safety gates, cribs, furniture, pack-and-plays, bouncy seats, and the list goes on. How do you know what you really need? Well, you can definitely put a baby safety gate (or two or three) on the list of must-haves. Do I hear you ask what for? Well - read on:
When Do I Need A Baby Gate?
Don’t wait for your baby to show you that he is dangerously mobile before purchasing your safety gates. It is best to have shopping for your gates in anticipation of your baby’s discovery of creeping. Yet even selecting this one item can cause new parents heads to spin. There are so many choices! So here is a list of some of the baby gate types as well as the terminology to help you determine exactly what you need.
What Types of Baby Safety Gates Are There?
Gates are classified in a number of ways. Here are some of the most important distinctions to be aware of when selecting a safety gate:
- How the Gate Is Mounted: You can get either Screw Fitting or Pressure Fitting Safety Gates. Screw Fitting Gates are securely mounted into the wall or doorway with hardware. This type of mounting is best for use on stairways. Pressure Fitting Safety Gates expand until they are tightly wedged into the opening they block. This type of gate is very convenient for use in doorways or for separating rooms that are on the same floor.
- How the Gate Opens and Closes: Some gates open with the movement of a handle, others with a foot pedal. Foot-released Gates are the most convenient to open, especially for parents who are often transporting a wriggling armload. A newer, additional feature is the Auto-close Baby Gate, which does just what it says. It closes on its own, which is a big convenience and important safety feature. Never get a gate that you have to step over. You child will see you do this and try to climb the gate as well.
- Additional Types of Safety Gates: If you child is not over 24 month, Retractable Stair Gates can be very convenient. These screw-mounted strong fabric barriers look like a sideways roller blind, and are especially handy, since you can easily retract them when not in use. There are also collapsible Travel Safety Gates. These compact gates are pressure mounted and usually made of strong, light-weight fabric that can easily be packed and transported.
- Unique Spaces and Extensions: Even if you have an odd width or strange-shaped opening that you need to span, there are many specialty gates and also baby gate extension kits and pieces that can help you create a safe barrier for just about any space.
Are you a parent who is a baby-gate-veteran? Please post a comment and provide readers with additional helpful tips on selecting, installing and using safety gates.
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