Baby Gate Purchasing Advice

Hi,
Sorry, I can't remember the name of the brand that we purchased for our stairway. We have two, one at the top and another at the bottom. My husband had to install them- they're wooden swinging gates. The latch is totally child-proof. In fact, at the beginning we had trouble getting used to opening and closing them. You can get them at any Babies R Us. I'd recommend this type of gate as opposed to the removable ones. There's another plastice one that has to be installed too, but there's a lip at the bottom. If you're not paying attention it's easy to trip over. The wooden ones are the best option...good luck!

I like summer gates to we had one in our downstairs hallway bc we frequently were in and out of living room. we used a plain cheap gate at the bottom of the stairs. We used a gate at the bedroom door instead of at the top of the stairs because we didn't want the oldest getting hurt forgetting a gate was up while going downstairs half asleep.

Edited: pressure mounted gates are not safe to use at the top of stairs. If you are going to place a gate at the top of the stairs it must have equipment to mount it to the wall that means drilling it in but that beats having a child knock it over. All the gates that can be used at the top of stairs tell you inorder to do so you must use the hardware.

We have the wooden installed gates with metal latches by Evenflo. They're at the top and bottom of our stairs. They were reasonably priced, and have held up very well. They are also easy to remove if you need to - the brackets stay in place and are very unintrusive, the gate just slides up and out.

For the fireplace and other rooms in your house I would recommend the Superyard XT. It can be pricey, but has really come in handy. The 6 panels can be used together to span a wide area, or you can break it into smaller sections. We used it around our Christmas tree last year and even cordoned off a section of hallway for the impatient toddler siblings at my daughter's ballet class!
I think it retails for about $75, but I see them on sale on Craigslist all the time.

Good luck!

We used an Evenflo wooden screw-in gate at the top of the stairs and a couple of pressure mount metal gates I picked up off craigslist for rooms. I like the Evenflo a lot. it was reasonably simple to install and the latch is easy for me but takes much more pressure to open than he could ever muster (I hope!). I was nervous about using a pressure gate at the top of the flight of stairs. In the rooms I figured if he knocked it out he wouldn't have far to fall and there'd be such a noise I'd know to go and fix things before he got into rooms I didn't want him in.

We took advice from Baby Bargains--great book for figuring out what to get/not bother with in terms of baby gear-- and got KidCo gates. Our KidCo gates are pressured mounted, so you don't have to put holes in your walls. They are incredibly sturdy, and have held up despite many houseguests not understanding how to use them and abusing them.

They weren't cheap but they're great. I know folks who've bought cheap ones and then had to invest in better ones when the cheap ones failed so it ultimately cost them more.

Best of luck.

I love the First Years Hands Free baby gate. We have it at the bottom of our stairs. I love that it doesn't have to be drilled into the wall. I never knew spending $65 on a baby gate could make me so happy!

I loved the gates I bought because you didn't need hands to open them - just step on a petal and push with your knee/whatever. It's pressure mounted so there is no drilling. They have extensions as well. I had 7 gates that lasted through two kids and they were terrific - everyone who visited marveled at how user friendly they were. Someone bought them all at a yard sale we had .... Here's a link:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Hands-Free-Gate/dp/B000...

We're really happy with the Summer brand of gates. We had a piece break on ours (plumber just sort of barreled through rather than asking how it worked!) and the company sent us a new piece immediately free of charge. You can also try windsorpeak.com for a ton of parent reviews on all kinds of products. Good luck!

I've used all sorts of gates with both my children and for my pets. The only one that has lasted with both and done the job it was supposed to is a metal one from Target. I can't remember the name but it attaches to the wall on one side and swings only one way. I paid about $75 but out of the 7 plus I purchased over the past few years, it's the only one that works the same as the day I bought it. It's about 2 1/2 years old now.

I use the first years hands free gate and have used several over the years. The reason I say several is I have done daycare for 23 years and this is the best gate out there. I have tried lots of them, this one does not work at the stairs though, but is great in door ways. You just push the foot pedal down and it opens either in or out. Great for when your hands are full you can use your knee or hip to open it. Mine is in the door way between my kitchen and my living room and I have two dogs and they aren't allowed in the kitchen works great for them too.

B. in Worcester

We love this one: http://www.amazon.com/Kolcraft-Anywhere-Portable-Safety-T...

It has a bag and we can just move it around and take it to our trailer in maine or on vacation to the cape. Doesn't have to be installed, but will definitely keep you 7 month old out of traouble or harm's way. Good luck.