Baby Safety Gates discussion (merged)

smmz1972

Hi . I am fairly new to this board but love the posts so thought I would seek some advice. I want to buy 2 stair gates for the house now that my little one is getting bigger and will probably start to crawl soon. Any helpful tips out there? Is pressure fitted as good as the ones you fit to the wall? Any tips on bargains out there? Thanks in advance.

Savvy_Sue

Hi . I am fairly new to this board but love the posts so thought I would seek some advice. I want to buy 2 stair gates for the house now that my little one is getting bigger and will probably start to crawl soon. Any helpful tips out there? Is pressure fitted as good as the ones you fit to the wall? Any tips on bargains out there? Thanks in advance.

I think you'll find most of the pressure fitted ones come with fittings you can screw to the walls to make them more secure and less easy to pull down and I'd recommend using them. They have the big advantage over the ones which can only be wall fitted that you can take them down quickly and easily if you have to get something bulky up or down the stairs and the stair gate is a liability.

Haven't had to buy one recently, but we have a pressure fitted one at work and that's what I always had at home. They are a lot more secure with the wall fittings (small 'cups') in place!

rushnowt

i always used the pressure fitted ones, however it was some time ago now, i have to agree the reason for this was of the advantages of moving them when needed, i always found them to be study and strong even when the kids decided to swing on them, i guess it depends on cost and personal choice, however if you have a health visitor. nursery or creche nearby you could always pop in and ask for advice from there see what other mums use, plus you get chatting to other mums too, a little adult conversation if ya dont get much is always a good thing lol,  best of luck  ;) ;D

p.s welcome to the boards :-*

beanytot

If you live in a Sure Start area, there may be money available to help you buy your gates.

hilstep2000

Personally I never used stair gates. When my children got to the climbing stage, I followed them up, and taught them to come down backwards, by gently pulling one leg after the other, it only took them a day to get it. My son was only 6 months when he managed it, people visiting our house were amazed that one so young could manage the stairs!
Mind you, we lived in a townhouse, and the only way he could get anywhere was by climbing stairs, so he had to learn!

Yoga_Girl

Have got both sorts of baby gates and find them equally as good. At the bottom of the staires we've got one thats fixed to the wall, and the one upstaires is pressure mounted, the advantage of that one is that we've been able to move it when needed. The advantage of the wall mounted one is that there's no bar at the bottom, its just like a gate.

We've also got another sort of baby gate for our kitchen (which is doorless) which is a retractable one, basically looks like a roller-blind standing side-ways, this is great as it takes up no space whatsoever when not in use. Managed to pick this one up cheap at an NCT sale.

Must add that I need all these baby gates not only for 2 toddlers but to prevent the dogs from entering areas where the cat food is!

jockettuk

why dont you go into shops that specialise in baby stuff most have the gates or some of the gates up on show .. they have them attached to the walls or wood pillars etc these will show you what kind you will get along with.. i had the pressure ones and had one to and bottom of the stairs and also one on daughters bedroom door when she got older and stared to walk to stop her wandering abt up stairs when she was supposed to be napping..

Glad

instead of fitting one to top of stairs I fitted it to their bedroom doorway, they couldn't get out and wander around at night and I always had somewher safe I could put them if needed

Father_Christmas

We got 2 wooden posts at top of stairs. No wall.

Anyone know best type of stairgate or idea for that situation?

SaraSeahorse

wood is great
I have had to put up stair gates in two modern homes with plasterboard walls one side

the side where we have put baton and cups into the stairgate wooden post was never a problem

other side with plasterboard is a pain

we have always put up a baton (sp?) and then attached the cups onto that



favourite type of stair gate is the type with no bottom bar to trip over

similar to
http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=2501&productId=110122&clickfrom=name

smmz1972

Thanks everyone. I think what I will do is wait and see how the little one gets on. It could just be another unnecessary expence if she manages ok with the stairs. The argos ones look good though. . .