While her baby-proofing days are now behind her, Lucy used (and reviewed) several stair gates with her two children when they were young, including both metal and retractable designs. This is a no-trip stair gate - ideal for use at the top of staircases: the advantage of fitting to your wall with screws! Reassuringly child-proof A baby stair gate does what it says on the tin. Typically made from wood, metal, or plastic, they provide protective barriers to prevent babies, toddlers, older children and family pets from accessing certain parts of the home. Some stair gates boast specific safety features, which can help to ensure your gate is installed and used in the safest possible way.

No compromising! As there is no trip bar, the gate can be fitted anywhere in the house – ideal for use at the top of your staircase. Is your home safe for little explorers? Selina Russel, in-house safety expert at Fred Safety, offers the following home baby proofing safety tips: Pressure fit gates: These stay in place by pushing up against the walls, need to be fitted with adhesives but are less damaging to the surfaces and are, arguably, easier to install. They are less secure than screw-fit gates, however, and aren’t recommended for, say, the top of the stairs where you may want a slightly sturdier barrier. Which type of stair gate you choose will depend on your home and your needs. Generally, screw-fit gates are more reliable, so if you’re planning to have a stair gate in place for a relatively long time, and you’re able to drill into your walls or bannister, then a screw-fit gate will be the best choice. You’ll be left with a few small holes to fill when you eventually remove the gate, but nothing that a bit of filler can’t fix.

Pressure-fit stair gates are ideal for use in rented accommodation as installation requires absolutely no drilling. This type of stair gate comprises a U-shaped metal frame, which squeezes against your wall or bannister, holding the gate in place through pressure alone. It often requires a small cup to be applied to your wall with an adhesive, which the bolts of the gate then sit in. Fred`s TipGet in the habit of closing the gate every time you pass through, even when your child is asleep. Ensure that visitors know to do the same.

That's why we're so pleased to see manufacturers take the time to investigate how or why the samples we test might be failing the EU safety standard.When your baby starts to move around independently, it’s important that they are safe. Areas of your home that were not a problem when you had a newborn, such as stairs, a fireplace or the kitchen, suddenly look very exciting to a crawling or toddling baby. Location Stair gates at the top of the stairs should open towards the landing, not towards the flight of stairs, to avoid falling forwards while opening the gate. You should only use screw-fit gates at the top of the stairs. Once we’d selected the 14 best stair gates for our shortlist, our tester, Katja Lakha, installed them one at a time in her home. Katja is a busy mum with three children (girls aged one and four, and a seven-year-old boy), so each gate was put through its paces. The gates were tested for at least one to two weeks each in busy areas of Katja’s home.