stair gate

spaghetti_monster

Hi there,
just a quick question - what kind of stair gate would people recommend?

We've currently got one that is fixed to the wall on one side and you open/close it on the other side by lifting/lowering a handle - this extends a sticky-out bit that presses against the wall. (Sorry, can't find a pic!)

There's something about the mechanism that works itself loose and then it doesn't work. But even when I've tinkered with it and it's really pressing against the wall a good shove will open it.
I have also just discovered that a hysterical tantruming 2 year old shaking the gate in a strop can also open it :eek:

Can anyone recommend any models they think particularly sturdy??

shortdog

Did you not get any wall cups with it? They screw onto the wall and the sticky out bit slips into them, which stops it opening without the handle being lifted.
We had a variety of makes of stair gate, but, TBH, they're all pretty much the same, some have slightly different opening mechanism, but other than that, there's no real difference between them. With the wall cups on, my tantruming 5 year old couldn't move them though, so that would probably be worth a try.
Available here http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lindam-PRESSURE-FIT-STAIRGATE-WALL-CUP-FIXING-Brand-New-/271129216773?pt=UK_Baby_Baby_Safety_ET&hash=item3f208f8705 and many other places - this was the first on a google image search

emsywoo123

I'm fairly sure that all stair gates say suitable for upto 24 months :eek:

I had to bite the bullet just before Xmas with mine (DS was 25 months) as I decided they had the potential to cause more harm than good!

Addiscomber

I don't know if you can still get them (youngest is 23 now) but we had one that you stood in the gap and then turned knobs to expand it to fit tightly. Can't see a child getting that sort open in a hurry.

emsywoo123

Addiscomber wrote: »

I don't know if you can still get them (youngest is 23 now) but we had one that you stood in the gap and then turned knobs to expand it to fit tightly. Can't see a child getting that sort open in a hurry.

That's what we had pressure gates.

shortdog

emsywoo123 wrote: »

I'm fairly sure that all stair gates say suitable for upto 24 months :eek:

I had to bite the bullet just before Xmas with mine (DS was 25 months) as I decided they had the potential to cause more harm than good!

Mine came down when my daughter was 18 months old, as she was a monkey, and could climb them all. However, my son, bless him, still can't work out how to open one, or get over one, and he's 6 1/2:rotfl:.
We were at a friends house just before Christmas, and the kids were in the front room with the gate closed, while we were in the kitchen. My son needed the toilet, and my friends 2 1/2 year old let him out as he couldn't work it out himself :rotfl: Give him a pile of lego, and he'll build you something amazing, but give him a gate, and he doesn't have a clue.

quinechinoise

shortdog wrote: »

Mine came down when my daughter was 18 months old, as she was a monkey, and could climb them all. However, my son, bless him, still can't work out how to open one, or get over one, and he's 6 1/2

Similar story here! Had to take down our stairgates because 3 year old could open them but 5 year old could not! Still have one gate, elsewhere in the house, which is a different model and requires more hand reach and strength - because you have to squeeze the release catch from both sides of the gate, at the same time. Neither of them can open that one... so far.

So, back to the OP, I recommend this style of gate: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tippitoes-Swing-Shut-Safety-Gate/dp/B001U3XVP2/
The pressure hold is very strong, so I haven't bothered screwing anything into the walls - although they do supply fixings to do so. Also available in narrow sizes.

aliama

If its going to be used at the top of the stairs (don't think OP mentioned where it's located), I'd be cautious about getting one with a bar along the bottom, as that could be a trip hazard.

I think all the pressure mounted ones have bars at the bottom, don't they, as otherwise there's nothing to keep them in place?

It may not be as much of an issue if the gate is going to go at the bottom of the stairs or elsewhere, but I have a clumsy husband and I know it would drive me mad having him trip on it every time he goes up or down the stairs, swear at the b****y thing, etc etc.

tyllwyd

We had fabric ones which extended across the opening but didn't need a bottom bar - they were good for preventing an accidental fall down the stairs but I wouldn't recommend them for containing a toddler in a strop! To be honest, I wouldn't rely on any stairgate at the top of the stairs against a determined toddler (and especially not a pressure fitted one) - if you can fit them further away at least if they do climb over they don't immediately fall down the stairs.

The safest ones we had were more like this
http://www.johnlewis.com/231095393/Product.aspx?s_kwcid=ppc_pla&tmad=c&tmcampid=73&pup_ptid={adwords_producttargetid}&pup_kw={keyword}&pup_c={adtype}
so they had a fixing to drop into as one of the other posters has suggested.

onlyroz

We had one like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BabyDan-Gate-To-Travel-Grey/dp/B000KGERNA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357556764&sr=8-2

It was great because we could take it with us when on holiday or visting relatives. Neither of my kids ever figured out how to open it, but there came a time when they were able to climb over it - but when they get to that stage they should be able to navigate stairs safely anyway...

Frugalista

Don't have kids - but have got lots of dogs - so have gates in most doorways/stairs that have to be able to take a good hammering.

We got some really nice wooden ones from Ikea that have to be lifted into the cups.