BabyDan MultiDan, Covers Openings Between 62.5-106.8 cm/24.6-42 inches, Extendable Stair Gate/Baby Gate/Safety Gate, Metal, White, Made in Denmark - (Pet Gate/Dog gate)

Product Information

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: Screw-fit gates are the best type to use at the top of the stairs because they are the most secure and don’t cause a trip hazard. Material A wooden or metal side-opening stair gate will need plenty of room to swing open, so you need to think about potential obstructions and whether it will be awkward to navigate around. Pressure-fit stair gates are ideal for use in rented accommodation as installation requires absolutely no drilling. This type of stair gate comprises a U-shaped metal frame, which squeezes against your wall or bannister, holding the gate in place through pressure alone. It often requires a small cup to be applied to your wall with an adhesive, which the bolts of the gate then sit in. 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.

However, the very best stair gates won't just be secure and safe. They'll have simple instructions for a straightforward installation, and will be easy to open and close.Baby barrier, stair gate, fence, safety gate, baby fence - popular items have many names. No matter what you call it, a safety gate can help immensely once your child begins crawling and walking. After all, little ones are full of energy and we know that your little rascal only needs a split-second of being left unsupervised to get into trouble. A safety gate provides you with peace of mind, and you will not have to worry about leaving your child unattended for a moment and wondering what trouble they might be getting into. Lots of people use safety gates as dog gates for stairs and to keep pets in or out of certain rooms.

Which type of stair gate you choose will depend on your home and your needs. Generally, screw-fit gates are more reliable, so if you’re planning to have a stair gate in place for a relatively long time, and you’re able to drill into your walls or bannister, then a screw-fit gate will be the best choice. You’ll be left with a few small holes to fill when you eventually remove the gate, but nothing that a bit of filler can’t fix. 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.

How we choose our recommendations

Both, if possible. Stair gates should be used to close off dangerous spaces. It’s best to use screw-fit stair gates at the top of the stairs where possible. Are pressure-fit stair gates safe? While there's no statutory requirement to comply, most commercially sold stair gates will have been tested to meet safety standards BS EN1930:2011.

The Safety 1st Wall Fix Extending Metal Gate is easy to adjust to fit securely at the top of any staircase, and because you don’t need to use any additional extenders, the full width of the gate will open, leaving no obstruction that could cause you to trip. Which is the best safety gate to buy? 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 Within these two categories, there are a few other features that can form part of the identity of a stair gate. For example: When testing and selecting the best stair gates we considered, safety, ease of installation, suitability, fit and value.Gates at the top of a staircase should always open towards the landing, not out across the staircase

We also collated expert opinions and scoured the Mumsnet forums - the biggest online network of parents in the UK - to find the best stair gates UK according to the families who use them every day. You can read more about how we selected and tested the best stair gates below. How we chose which stair gates to test We've split our recommendations into the different types of stair gate you can buy, so you can find one that's best suited for your house and needs. To bring you our list of the best stair gates you can buy today, we first tapped into the wealth of knowledge in the Mumsnet forums, seeking tried and tested recommendations on the stair gates they’ve used and would happily recommend to others. Where possible, our parent-test Katja and her three children then put each stair gate through its paces, learning more about the key features and benefits of each product via everyday use. Best stair gates: at a glance However, they are generally not safe for use at the top of a staircase. This is for two main reasons. When choosing a safety gate for the top of the stairs, you will need to start by measuring how wide the gate must be to cover the width of the staircase landing. So you will need to measure the distance between the two walls on either side of the stairs. Do you perhaps need to mount the gate on the stairs’ rail posts? If the rail posts are round, it is still possible to mount the gate by purchasing a BabyDan stair adapter. You can choose gates that are mounted on the inside or outside of the rail post or the wall. One type of mounting is not safer than the other - the choice is simply a matter of which would best suit your stairs. BabyDan recommends that you use a wall mounted safety gate at the top of the stairs, to make it as safe as possible for your child.

All stair gates fit one of two main categories: pressure-fit or screw-fit. Screw-fit (wall-mounted) stair gates Some stair gates also come with a small door inset into the gate, to let a smaller pet through while keeping large people and dogs out. 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 Safety and stability: Did the gate shift once installed? Were there any sharp corners or edges? Were there any small gaps that might trap a child’s fingers? Is the gate well made? 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