It’s not long before new-born babies learn to crawl. Soon enough, they are capable of standing on their legs and attempting to walk. Indeed, it’s a precious moment for the parents. However, as they move around more, the risk of getting hurt also increases.
You may attend a call or go to the kitchen to grab food, and in that short while, the baby can harm themselves unknowingly. For these reasons, you can make use of the baby safety gates.
These gates are designed to keep your child away from harm and, at the same time, letting them play and enjoy in a safe area.
One of the most prominent baby care websites, ModernBabyAdvice, has a great pressure mounted baby gate guide that you ought to read.
You need to take into consideration several factors before finalizing a safety gate for your child. Here’s a guide for choosing the best baby safety gate before.
1. Check for Size
Baby gates are available in various shapes and sizes. However, you need to install the gate with extensions so it fits perfectly for your use.
Before shopping for a baby gate, note down the precise measurements and the types of extensions available. Do not forget to check how far the extension expands.
There are two main kinds of baby safety gates
Pressure Mounted Safety Gates
These are easy to set-up and to open. Such a baby gate is tightened between two wall surfaces. Pressure mounted safety gates are preferred in doorways that have strong wooden construction.
They are an excellent choice for families staying in rented accommodation wherein you can’t make marks on the wall. The crossbar of the pressure mounted gate runs along the surface of the floor.
It can become a cause of tripping, so make sure you install the gate at a minimum distance of one meter from the first step of the staircase.
Hardware Mounted Safety Gates
Hardware mounted gates are installed with the help of screws fixed in walls or wooden planks. This type of gate is preferred to stop the baby from accessing areas such as stairs, kitchen, or fireplace.
Unlike the pressure-mounted gate, hardware-mounted gates do not have a crossbar at the floor level. It makes this type of gate free from the risk of tripping. The hardware mounted gate can be released or removed as per convenience at the time of an event.
2. A Height that Suits Your Needs
A safety gate should be a minimum of three-quarters of your baby’s height. To that end, you should choose a baby safety gate, which is at least 60 cm in height. This would be helpful in the prevention of any accident or untoward incident.
3. Standard Slat Spacing
This is an important safety feature for the protection of your baby. An ample slat space will let the baby force his or her head through the areas.
Therefore, choose a gate with slat spacing between 50 mm to 95 mm. Check that the child does not get his head or torso trapped in the spaces.
Since growing babies are adept at maneuvering and climbing, buy a gate that has its slats in the vertical position.
4. Ensure Latch Safety
While there can be several latches used for gates, an ideal latch for baby safety gates is one that can not be operated by your child. At the same time, ensure you can use the lock effectively and swiftly.
You may consider dual-action latches for your baby’s safety gate. These types of latches need to be pushed down before the door can be opened.
6. A Gate which Suits Your Stairs
Some baby safety gates come with a horizontal bar that crosses the floor. This could be a cause for tripping and may cause injuries.
It is advised you do not purchase such a gate as it can cause more harm than good for your child. Place the safety gate at a minimum of 1-2m distance from the first step of the stairs.
7. Choose A Baby Gate As Per Your Need
Baby safety gates are designed to serve the specific needs of the parents. Take a look at the different gates based on utility:
- Rental Accommodation Specific: These gates can be fixed without any drilling installations. Being a temporary safety gate, the door of these gates can open on both sides.
- Safety On Stairs Specific: These gates are easy to open, and with the absence of a bottom bar, it is safe against tripping.
- Open-Plan Living Specific: These safety gates can be folded and put aside when not in use. Open-plan gates are particularly useful if you have space constraints.
- Extra-Wide Spacing Specific: These gates allow a higher degree of airflow. Similarly, light can move abundantly inside the baby safety gate.
A baby safety gate is one of the most secure features that ensure accidents do not take place. It keeps the baby safe, and the parents relieved.
Our children are the most precious parts of our lives. In one of its issues, the Forbes magazine stated the safety gate for babies as one of the most important components of their safety and well-being.
A safety gate is undoubtedly the best thing to keep our baby safe while we work. We hope this guide for choosing the best baby safety gate helped you in understanding the different types of baby safety gates.
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