The Six Best Baby Gates Review

What's Covered

What Are Baby Gates?

A baby gate, which can also be referred to as a “child safety gate”, is a sort of protective barrier which is there to prevent babies or toddlers from having access to such areas which might be dangerous or unsafe for them, such as the stairway, the kitchen, or the fireplace. Baby gates are typically made from plastic, metal, or wood and can usually be extended to fit into the width of a doorway. They can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Why You Need The Best Baby Gates

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is highly recommended and essential to child-proof the house and to use baby gates as part of home safety measures.

Stairways

If you have a toddler in the house, then you should install a gate at the top as well as the bottom of the stairs. Most of the time we are worrying about babies or toddlers falling from the top of the stairs, but we never realize that a crawling baby can also go up the stairs from the bottom and might end up falling back down.

Protection from pets

If you have a pet in the house and you are bringing a new baby, there should be a pet-free area for the baby to cruise around as it wills.

Safety at night

Toddlers sometimes get up in the middle of the night and may wander around the house while they are fast asleep. If you have stairs in the house, cover them up with one of the best baby gates so that you can be at ease that there is no chance of the baby falling down the stairs. No more nightmares!

No-go areas

You might have some areas in the house where you just do not want your baby to enter, as it might not be childproof yet, or it might be an office or craft room, where the baby can be in danger. The gate will limit the access of your baby to such areas.

Safe areas

Using gates, you can create a safe playing area for small children. You can place safe toys and bedding inside so that your child can have space where they are at no risk of hurting themselves. Ideally, this place would be where you can see them constantly.

1.Regalo 192-Inch Super Wide Gate and Play Yard

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Regalo Super Wide Adjustable Gate and Play Yard
Once your little one starts walking, childproofing your home is a must. Providing a versatile way to keep your child safe, the Regalo Super Wide Baby Gate and Play Yard offers numerous convenient configurations for around the house.

This is an extremely useful and sturdy baby gate by Regalo, which is a trusted name for baby products. They are JPMA certified and meet the ASTM standards and they only use non-toxic powder coats on their baby products. This baby gate is made up of all steel components and is a hardware mount system, perfect for large openings. There is a variety of shaping possibilities with this, as it can be expanded as well. It can even be mounted on a wall and also features a walk-through gate. It is very easy and simple to set up. Not just for babies, it can also be used as “pet protection” to keep the pets away from a kitchen or bedroom.

PROS

  • It can easily be folded down and stored when the baby grows up and it is no longer needed.
  • It has a safety locking feature to keep the babies and toddlers safe on the other side.
  • It can be used in a play area as well and can be easily carried around for traveling.

CONS 

  • This is perfect as a gate for babies as they can easily be contained on the other side for safety. However, as for toddlers, it is not very advisable as some kids 18 months and above could figure out a way to open the locks and the metal slats would rattle if older children start playing with the gate. So it is great for babies, but not so much for toddlers.

2.Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Walk-Thru Gate

It is a great safety door for babies and toddlers by Summer Infant, which is a known brand for durable and safe baby products. It is available in beige and bronze colors, to blend in with your furniture easily. It has a good-looking design and will add to the look of your house. With its dual locking system, it is safe and secure to use not just for babies, but also for toddlers; you can also use it as a safety door for your pets!

PROS

  • Flexibility: It is adjustable and can work on stairways as well as another opening. It is extra tall in height of 36 inches and 28-48 inches wide.
  • Auto-close: It has an auto-close function where the walk-through door will automatically, yet gently, close behind you. Perfect if you are a multi-tasker and have your hands full, with the baby as well as your laptop!
  • Two-in-One: It has the option to be pressure mounted between rooms as well as hardware mounted for the stairways. When it is used between rooms, its door can be opened in both directions. When used on stairways, there is a door stopper which gives security that the door wouldn’t just swing open. It can be used on the top as well as the bottom of the stairs.

CONS 

  • Although this is perhaps the best baby gate in terms of safety, the only limitation that we felt was that the opening of the walk-through gate is quite narrow. Overall, the rest of the features were ideal.

3.SuperGate Deluxe Décor Gate, by North States

This is a well-reputed baby products brand, certified by JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association). The SuperGate is a hard-mounted gate, which has a double locking system for child protection. Additionally, it can be easily mounted on angled walls as well as solid straight walls, on the staircase, and can also be used in a play area. With added style and elegance, it will definitely compliment the overall look of your house.

PROS

  • Walkthrough door: There is an extra-wide walk-through door in the middle with 25.5 inches in width, which has a stay-open feature for more convenience. It easily opens and closes with one hand, perfect for you if you have your hands full!
  • Compact: It is easily set up and can easily be taken down and stored away. You do not have to buy a new one every time there is a new baby in the house; when one grows up you can store it and use it later for baby number two – or give it ahead.
  • Breathable material and the carrier lightweight

CONS 

  • The overall design is not very adjustable to tweak according to archways or passages in the house. Moreover, the walk-through gate only opens on one side.

4.Summer Infant Decorative Wood & Metal Pressure Mounted Gate

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Summer Decorative Walk Thru Baby Gate
Childproof your home in style with the Summer Anywhere Decorative Walk-Thru Baby Gate. Made of walnut wood and metal with a charcoal finish, this baby gate will complement any home décor. Have added peace of mind knowing that this sleek gate accommodates both doorway and stairway installation. Easily install this baby gate on stairways with the included kit, or by using the no drill doorway mount for in-between doorways.

Summer infant is known to make great baby products with style and design. It will actually add value to your house without looking out of place. Safe and secure, the gate can easily be opened and closed with one hand only. Since it is pressure mounted, it can easily be set up without the use of extra tools and taken down without damaging, denting, or scratching your walls. This baby gate is designed to meet the ASTM Standards as administered by the JPMA.

PROS

  • Flexibility: This pressure-mounted gate is perfect to be used between rooms, hallways, as well as a door at the bottom (or top) of a staircase. It has a wide opening and includes 4, 7, and 10-inch extensions.
  • Walkthrough Door: It has walk-through gates that easily opens in both directions.
  • Tall: This gate is tall enough to contain not just small babies but energetic toddlers as well! Standing at 32 inches tall, it is a sturdy design to keep the kids in!

CONS 

  • This is perhaps the best baby gate in terms of style; it will blend in perfectly with your furniture. However, its extension is not very sturdy and it is not easy to open and close the gates with one hand only.

5.Summer Infant Retractable Gate

Summer Infant Retractable Gate
Childproof your home in style with the Summer Retractable Baby Gate. Made of durable, decorative mesh with a silver satin finish and charcoal accents, this baby gate will complement any home décor.

If you do not like the traditional wall-mounted, steel baby gates, then this is the best alternative to that. Safe, secure, and easily set up, this is made by a popular brand and meets the required standards of safety of ASTM administered by the JPMA. It boasts extremely simple locking systems and looks great in your house!

PROS

  • Usages: It can be used not only on the top of the staircase but also on the bottom. The retractable gate can easily be used in between rooms or hallways as well, to keep the child or your pet away from unsafe areas.
  • Ease: It eliminates having a closed barrier all the time, as is the case with the traditionally mounted gates. With this, you can have a full walkthrough space and entrance.
  • Secure: It stands at 30 inches high and can accommodate openings up to 50 inches wide. It has a dual locking system that provides security and the door can be opened and closed with one hand only.

CONS 

  • This is perhaps the best baby gate in terms of ease of use. It is great for babies, but for toddlers, there is a chance of them sliding from underneath.

6.Regalo Super Wide Metal Configurable Gate

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Regalo Super Wide Meral Configurable Gate
Your baby has started to walk, it’s time to childproof your house. The Extra Wide Flexi Baby Gate hits all the criteria with all-steel construction, installs quickly by either pressure mount or wall mount and is adjustable to accommodate door openings between 28-76 inches wide, and stands 30-inches tall. The space between the bars is 2.5 inches. The gate door is 16 inches wide..

Regalo is trusted for its baby gates, and its products are always durable and reliable.. The gate looks good and harmonizes with the common furniture of the house. It is safe to use and PVC-free. It meets the standards set by ASTM and the requirements of JPMA. The gate can be easily used for pets as well.

PROS

  • One-hand operation: The gate is easy to open and close and can be operated with one hand only; if you are carrying the baby this is a must-have feature.
  • Configurable: It can easily be adjusted according to your requirements: for stairways, the top, and the bottom, as well as for openings in hallways, or between rooms.
  • Secure: The gate is very safe and secure; the handle has a latch that is equipped with a safety locking feature which makes it sturdy and durable as it is hardware mounted.

CONS 

  • Although it is a great design and concept with all the relevant features, we felt that it is rather complex to set up. The installation has to be done with great care, or it can easily fall apart.

Buying Guide for Baby Gates

Not all the users like all features in the same way. And there are some extra features to any products you may avoid. There are some things that may differ in every product that is accepted by diverse types of users. We are evaluating several things to help you choose the baby gates as per your choice and necessity.

Types of Baby Gates

What type of gate do you want?

There are mostly two types of baby safety gates available. Which is the best baby gate?

Both of these are secure and practical:

Hardware, wall-mounted safety gates

These are attached with screws directly on the wall or wood post and are good for blocking risky places like the stairs, fireplace, or the kitchen. These gates are quite sturdy and are a safe option.

Pressure mounted safety gates

These gates are easy to set and up easy to take down as well. The gate is tied between two walls, which works well in doorways where there may be solid wood construction. These safety gates are a great option for those living in a rented place, or those who are not willing to make permanent marks on the walls. People who want to remove the gates when they are no longer in use often choose these as a temporary fix.

Best baby gate

DID YOU KNOW?

Baby gates are typically made from plastic, metal, or wood and can usually be extended to fit into the width of a doorway. They can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Things to Consider When Buying a Baby Gate

Choosing the best baby gate for your little one is not easy. They come in so many shapes, sizes, and features that you would not know where to start from. Below we have outlined the most important factors to see before buying a baby gate and how to ascertain what is your requirement.

Budget

How much you are willing to spend on the child safety gate is also a major factor to determine which gate you should buy. Your budget will automatically narrow down your research to only those that will be in your budget. Most of the time, the price range of the hard-mounted gates is anything between $30-140 and for pressure-mounted gates, it is from $15-$190. So buy whichever you can afford.

Measure the size

Before buying the gates, you need to check the measurements of the place that you are planning to cover along with the measurements of the available gates. Baby safety gates should be 60cm in height or at least they should be three-quarters of the height of your child, so as to prevent any accidents from happening.

Slats

The gap between each slat must be at least 50 mm and 95 mm to ensure that the babies are not able to put their heads through space. Ideally, there should not be enough gap in between the slats that a toddler can get their head or torso stuck between them (we measured our baby’s head too!). The slats should always be in the vertical position as kids are pretty good at pretending mountain climbing!

Latch

The latch should be such that you can easily use it while your child has no idea how to operate it. It should be easy enough for you to open, even while holding the baby in one arm and the washing basket in another. To know the gate is locked, some safety gates have a clicking noise or some have color indicators to signal that the gate is securely locked. If the latch is too easy to use, your toddler might learn to open it!

Design

Manufacturers have recognized the need for some sort of design on the baby gates just so they do not look out of place and blend in with the rest of the furniture or the house in general. Now you can choose to buy one that will go with the overall ambiance of your house. We have reviewed gates of different designs, so there is one for everyone.

Best baby gate

TESTING BABY GATES

After researching many parts of baby gates over 48 hours, we chose the best six options, reviewed them in detail, and compare all the metrics in our lab.

Conclusion

Thus, buying the best baby gates you can afford is extremely necessary when you have a baby. A baby gate keeps your child safe. The best are those baby gates which can also work in play areas, so that when not in use as a gate they can be used to create safe playing spaces for the kids. With so many options of baby gates in the market, we searched through many and reviewed the best of the lot. Our own favorite from the top six mentioned above was the Regalo 192-Inch Super Wide Gate because it has all the features rolled into one and can easily be used in a play area as well. Finally, it is best to choose the best baby gate that suits your own specific needs and keeps your child and your family safe!

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Author

Diana Lucas

Diana Lucas

Hi, Diana here. Welcome to my blog and hope you like my sharing. I am a mother of 2 boys, 3 years old and a 1 year old. I dedicate my career in child development research and I focus on parenting tips, positive parenting, educational toys for my babies. Your time here means a lot to me! Diana A. Lucas

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