If you are in the market for a baby safety gate, how do you know which baby gate is the best?
Obviously, it needs to be well made, solid, and high enough to prevent a child from climbing over it. Like swimming pool fencing, baby safety gates should never have horizontal rails that a child can use like a ladder, and the vertical elements need to be spaced so that nobody can squeeze through them.
Additionally, when choosing the best baby gates, you need to consider ease of installation, durability, and visual appeal. If you’re going to use a baby gate you want it to look attractive as well as be safe.
While you might think that all baby gates look the same, and therefore are the same, there are features that make some baby gates considerably safer than others.
Ultimately, make sure the gate has been designed for the safety of your child, and that it has been tested according to specifications.
Features That Indicate Which Baby Gate is the Safest
Materials Used to Make Baby Gates
The strongest, most durable baby gates are manufactured from metal, and they don’t incorporate any plastic parts. Those that are powder coated require minimal cleaning and maintenance. Additionally, some very attractive baby gates are made from solid wood.
While steel is commonly used for the best baby gates, aluminum is a superior material that is low in maintenance, light in weight, and won’t rust. Sometimes aluminum is combined with stainless steel, particularly if the gate is intended for use outside. Wrought iron is another option.
When considering which metal baby gate is best, look at gates manufactured from any of these metals.
Locking Mechanisms for Baby Gates
When choosing the best baby gates, ensure you buy a product that will lock automatically. You want to be able to pull and twist the latch to open it, and it should simply swing shut. If you have to rely on manual closing and locking you haven’t chosen the safest baby gate product.
Installation of Baby Gates
While installation methods vary for different types of baby gates, it is sensible to choose a gate that is easy to install without having to drill numerous holes for screws or bolts.
So, when deciding which baby gate is best, make sure it is easy to assemble and install. Some of the best may be mounted at any angle, others may be mounted at angles of up to 30 degrees, which is useful if you are installing a gate on some decks.
Pressure-mounted gates are particularly easy to install, but they should not be used at the top of stairs just in case they are pushed out of place. Gates that are hardware-mounted (using screws and bolts) are stronger and more secure, but if you require hardware to install the gate, make sure this is included with the product.
Ideal Height of Safe Baby Gates
Generally, baby gates are used in homes until children are about two years old. Bearing this rule of thumb in mind, the gate should be sufficiently high to prevent a child this age from pulling over the gate or climbing it.
A good, safe height will be 29 to 29½ inches. However, if you want a taller gate, rather opt for one that is 36 inches (3 feet) high.
Vertical Bar Spacing for Baby Gate Safety
If a child can squeeze through the bars of a baby gate then it isn’t safe! Ideal bar spacing of the vertical elements should be from 2¼ to 2½ inches.
Baby Gates from Cardinal Gates
Cardinal Gates manufactures a range of excellent baby gates that incorporate all the features mentioned above.
The company designs its own products and owns several patents on gates as well as their proven safety pad. Their automatic locking gates feature a patented auto-lock latch that enables adults to pass through in either direction.
All baby gates are tested rigorously for certification by the Juvenile Protection Manufacturers Association.
Additionally, all products are inspected carefully, by hand, prior to shipping to ensure they are in prime condition when they reach the customer.
So, if you are trying to work out which baby gate is best, have a look at the range Cardinal Gates has to offer.
