Best Baby Gates For Stairs

As a parent, you want to know your child is safe at all times, not least in your home. Baby-proofing your house can be a confusing and anxiety-provoking business, and if you live in a house with stairs, you may well be worried about the potential hazard they present, especially as your child becomes more mobile. If you’re reading this, you probably already know you need to protect them from the stairs, but which baby safety gate is best?

Luckily for you, we’re going to show you all the options you have and how to decide, and we’re even going to cover the best baby gates for difficult stairs. So even if you’re looking at your home and think it’s not possible, we’re sure there’s a great option for you. Read on and we’re confident you can find your best option, so you can stop worrying and concentrate on enjoying your little one’s development with the peace of mind that the right baby gate will provide.

 

Our Best Rated Baby Gates For Stairs in 2019

When choosing the best baby gate for your stairs, the first thing you need to look at, unsurprisingly, are the stairs! Given the array of options available to you, it can be very difficult to know which baby gate will be the best fit for your particular setup.

For your baby gate to be effective, to keep your child safe and to give you peace of mind, it is important that the gate is attached securely.

How your stairs are laid out will affect what you can safely attach to them. For this reason, we have subdivided the type of stairs you have based on the surfaces you will be attaching the baby gate to, to help you decide what’s best.

 

Type #1 Stairs

These stairs have flat surfaces on both sides in the area where you plan to place your baby gate. This could be a wall on either side, a wall on one side and a bannister with a flat surface on the other side. We’ll tell you which baby gates are best suited for this.

 

Type #2 Stairs

These stairs have a flat surface on one side but a non-flat surface on the other. So, perhaps a wall on one side and a rounded bannister on the other. These can be harder to find gates for, but again we will show you the best baby gate for stairs with bannister and wall arrangements.

 

Do You Put Baby Gates at the Top and Bottom of Stairs?

This will depend on your home and how you live: but the simple answer is, for total safety, yes. If you live in a house where you only occupy the ground floor, for example, using the upstairs for laundry or storage maybe, you might not feel you require a gate at the top of the stairs. In the majority of households, we would recommend both, as you don’t want your child making it halfway up and then tumbling down, and you don’t want that one moment you have to take them upstairs with you to end in a fall either.

 

Best Baby Gates for Top of Stairs

It’s when we stand at the top of our stairs that we will see the greatest potential for danger. By now we all know how gravity works, but your child is still figuring this out (even if they are very smart). So a guard at the top of the stairs seems like a good place to start. Baby gates come in two main types, depending on how they are attached: hardware-mounted and pressure-mounted. Hardware-mounted baby safety gates are screwed in to securely attach them to the wall or bannister, whereas pressure-mounted baby gates use adjustable pressure-mount stoppers which hold the device in place.

 

Are Pressure-Mounted Baby Gates Safe for Top of Stairs?

It is not recommended you use pressure-mounted baby gates at the top of stairs, as even when properly installed, they can be loosened over time and in very rare instances become unattached by a good shove or a child leaning on it. So whether it’s you knocking it by accident and making it less secure, or just your child giving it a good whack to test the limits, the fact there is any potential for failure at all means that you can’t be 100% certain. It’s much better to be proud of your child’s growing strength than it is to be worried about it, after all.

 

Type #1 Stairs

If you have stairs with flat surfaces on either side, then you are in luck because there are more options available for you. Below, we share a baby gate suitable for staircases with two flat surfaces.

 

Superior Swing Baby Gate

Check out The Superior Swing Baby Gate, which is a wall-mounted design ideal for the top of the stairs. The single-handed operation handle is designed with parents in mind, meaning you will have no issues using the gate when you are carrying your child. The red/green lock indicator means you will always be able to tell at a glance whether the gate is locked securely. One or two-way swing control means you can set it to open or close in one direction or both, and the Safe Step bottom bar, 75% lower when compared to other brands, eliminates any trip hazards making this the ideal walk-thru stair gate.

It is designed to be easy to fit, with snap connectors and easy to install wall mounts. The gate can fit openings 24.4” – 40.2” wide and is 28.8” tall. For larger spaces, or if your child is already a ‘climber’ and you don’t think a short baby gate will be adequate, the Extra Tall Extra Wide Superior Swing Baby Gate has all of the above features, but fits openings 32.3” – 55.9 and is 36″ tall. Designed for children 6 – 24 months, both are robustly constructed out of steel with a white powder coat finish.

 

Pros	Cons
Wall mounted so extra secure and ideal for the tops of stairways	Requires drilling to fit and may leave marks when removed
Safe Step technology eliminates trip hazard	Not as versatile as other models
Red/Green lock indicator so you always know if it’s locked
One or two-way swing control for maximum flexibility
One-handed operation means you can operate whilst carrying your child
Easy to fit with snap connectors and simple, secure wall mounts
Robust steel construction
Extra Tall Extra Wide model for larger spaces

Verdict: The wall mounted design and ease of construction make this an ideal choice for the top of the stairs. As it is securely mounted to the wall there is no danger of it being pushed through, and the one-handed operation and multiple opening directions make it super convenient and easy to use when carrying your child.

 

Type #2 Stairs

As we discussed earlier, it is possible that in your household you do not have flat surfaces on both sides of your stairs to physically attach a gate. You might have round bannisters on one side, for example, and this will mean the, unfortunately, the baby gate described above will not be suitable for your home. Finding the best stair gate for bannisters can be tough, but don’t despair as there is still a great option that we designed with this situation in mind.

 

Extra Wide Barrier

The Extra Wide Barrier can be used to create a baby barrier using surfaces not directly on the side of your staircase, meaning you can wall-mount it either across your stairs using the walls behind or any other adjacent surface. If the standard size doesn’t quite fit your space, we also offer extensions which increase the likelihood of your finding appropriate surfaces.

It has features you would expect of a permanent child safety barrier: durable design, one hand operation, solid steel construction, and Safe Step Technology, but has the added advantage of being adaptable enough to use as a room divider or a fire safety guard as well. It is easily put together and as with all of our products, complies with all relevant safety standards.

 

Pros	Cons
Wall mounted so extra secure and ideal for the tops of stairways	Requires drilling to fit and may leave marks when removed
Safe step technology eliminates trip hazard
Opens in both directions for ease of use
The one-handed operation means you can operate whilst carrying your child
Can be used as a room divider or a fire safety guard also
Easily constructed and fitted with secure wall mounts
Robust steel construction

Verdict: If you have surfaces at the top of your stairs to which you are not able to attach our other gates, this is the best option for you. You will have all of the peace of mind that comes with the other gates with the added bonus that it can be repurposed if needed as a room divider or fire barrier.

 

Best Baby Gates for Bottom of Stairs

Just because the top of the stairs seems to be the most obvious potential fall hazard, that doesn’t mean we should neglect to barrier the bottom of the stairs. A crawling or toddling child may be able to manage to go upstairs, but coming down is going to be a completely different matter. As your child becomes more mobile and curious, it is important that they are protected from climbing the stairs unsupervised as the potential to fall back down is still very real.

 

Pressure-Mounted Baby Gates

For the bottom of the stairs, you can use a pressure-mounted gate if you wish. This means no damage or marking to your stairway surfaces remains once your child can safely climb the stairs on their own and you decide to remove the device.

 

Type #1 stairs

Again, you’ll need flat surfaces on both sides of your stairs in order to install these baby safety gates. Check them out below.

 

Ultimate Safety Gate

If you’re concerned about damaging your property, you’re probably trying to find baby gates for stairs without drilling required. The Ultimate Safety Gate could be the best option for you. It comes in black and white so you can find a shade that best suits your home’s decor.

This gate is designed to be operated with one hand so you can use it easily when carrying your child. The auto close feature means the door will automatically close and lock behind you, and the Safe Step system minimises trip hazards. The door can also be fixed open when needed and can be set to open in either or both directions for maximum usability. It also has a lock indicator so you can be sure at a glance the gate is secured, with green for locked and red for unlocked. The lock on the gate is easily released by sliding the switch on the top of the gate, located just by the indicator, sideways.

Robustly constructed out of steel, it is available in either a black or white powder coated finish. The choice of neutral colours and stylishly-curved crown on the door means this should fit elegantly into most homes.

The gate is pressure-mounted using four adjustable, tarnish-resistant and pressure-mounted stoppers, which are designed so that they will not mark the walls; great to know if you decide to move or remove the device. It is 31” tall and will fit across spaces of 28.8”-32.3” wide.

Although specially designed for infants 6 – 24 months, it can just as easily be used as a pet gate for medium sized dogs (up to 40 pounds).

 

Pros	Cons
Auto close feature safely closes and locks the door behind you	Not suitable for the tops of stairs
Red/Green lock indicator so you always know if it’s locked
Safe Step technology eliminates trip hazard
One handed operation
Can be set to open in either direction or both and can be fixed open
Tarnish resistant pressured mount stoppers will not mark walls
Robust steel construction
Very easy to construct and fit

Verdict: For the bottoms of stairs and for other areas of the house, the stylish design and the fact you do not need to mark any walls or fittings make this a great choice. The auto-close feature, lock indicator, lack of step hazard and two-way opening mean this is a safe and versatile gate, but its pressure-mounted design means it is not suitable for the top of stairs.

 

Stellar LED Gate

The Stellar LED Gate is another great option for the bottom of stairs or other passageways, with an LED light providing illumination for when you’re moving around at night, providing another level of safety and security. The lights are triggered automatically by dual sensors on either side of the gate.

The Stellar Led Gate also comes packed with all the features you would expect. With Safe Step technology, you are protected from trip hazards when crossing the barrier, and the auto-close function adds an extra layer of security. The door can be set to swing in one or both directions or set open for maximum flexibility, and it is designed to be operated using just one hand to make sure you have no issues in operation when you are carrying your child.

Mounted using adjustable, tarnish-resistant pressure-mounted stoppers, you can also be sure that this will leave no marks behind if and when you decide to move or remove the device. Measures 28.8”-32.3” wide and is 30” tall. This gate is designed for children aged 6 – 24 months.

 

Pros	Cons
LED’s and dual sensors make this perfect for use at night / in dark spaces	Not suitable for the tops of stairs
Red/Green lock indicator so you always know if it’s locked
Safe Step technology eliminates trip hazard
One handed operation
Can be set to open in either direction or both and can be fixed open
Tarnish resistant pressured mount stoppers will not mark walls
Very easy to construct and fit
Robust steel construction

Verdict: With all the safety features you would expect from a Perma Child Safety gate plus the LED auto lighting system, this is a great choice if the approach to your stairs is particularly dark at night, or for those with less than perfect eyesight.

 

Wall-Mounted Baby Gates

Wall-mounted baby gates, as we have discussed, offer an additional level of security, making them ideal for the tops of stairs. Although not necessary for the bottom of your stairs normally, you might want to consider if your child is a little older and particularly strong and/or curious. If you also have pets, dogs especially, these can also be a good option to ensure they don’t loosen pressure-mounted attachments over time.

 

Superior Swing Baby Gate

We have already discussed The Superior Swing Baby Gate, and this is a great option for the bottom of the stairs as well, with all of the safety features you would expect at an affordable price. Or, if the entrance to your stairs is particularly wide, the Extra Wide Extra Tall model would be ideal.

 

Retractable Baby Gate

Unlike the gates we’ve described so far, the Retractable Baby Gate uses a retractable mesh which can be pulled across space you wish to block, using a scroll system to store the mesh when retracted. In our opinion, this is the best retractable baby gate available! This system allows you to barrier extra wide spaces up to 71” across. Easy-to-fit wall mounts mean you will have no issues fitting this gate on your stairway. Also designed for easy one-handed operation, just push and twist with the button pressed to open, and simply pull to the other side and release to close, and the auto-lock mechanism will do the rest.

Suitable for use indoors and out, the durable mesh design means this gate will not be damaged easily and even if you have pets, will be able to withstand clawing and scratching. Designed with children 6 – 24 months old in mind.

 

Pros	Cons
Extra wide scroll mesh system ideal for covering larger stairways	Requires drilling and may leave marks when removed.
One handed operation	Not ideal for the tops of stairs.
No trip hazard
Can be used indoors or out
Durable design will withstand wear and tear and pet scratches
Easy to fit wall mounts

Verdict: For the bottoms of stairs this is a great choice. Provides peace of mind when your child is around but also can be completely retracted for ease of passage around the house when your child is asleep, and the durable design means it will withstand wear and tear but is not recommended for the tops of stairs.

 

Type #2 Stairs

What if you don’t have flat surfaces on both sides of your stairs? Let’s talk about your options.

 

Extra Wide Barrier

Finding a baby gate for the bottom of the stairs with only one wall can be tough, but luckily you still have the option of the Extra Wide Barrier, so there is always a way of restricting access to your stairs. Also available with extensions if you need extra reach, and versatile enough that in future, you can always repurpose it as a room divider or fireguard.

 

Outdoor Baby Gates For Stairs

If you have outdoor stairs you may well want to barricade these, especially if you have a deck with hard surfaces, where even a small fall is liable to cause injury. So for peace of mind when you’re enjoying the weather with your child, it’s a good idea to consider our outdoor baby safety gate.

 

Baby Gates For Outdoor Pool Safety

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1-4 years old. Ensure your pool is child-proof with an outdoor baby safety gate. Prevent accidents before they can happen, the statistics say it all. Never leave kids at the pool unsupervised, even if it’s just for a minute or so.
 

Outdoor Retractable Gate

The Outdoor Retractable Gate offers all of the great features of the Retractable Baby Gate, with its one-handed operation for when you’re carrying your child, auto-lock features, easy-to-fit wall mounts and extra wide 71” coverage, meaning you can be sure your child is safe even when you’re outdoors. It really comes into its own when exposed to sun, rain or any adverse weather conditions, with the extra durable design meaning it will stay completely safe and undamaged no matter what the conditions. Also available in black if this suits your garden furniture better, and Extra Tall if necessary.

Pros	Cons
Durable mesh system ideal for covering larger stairways	Requires drilling and may leave marks when removed.
No trip hazard	Not ideal for the tops of stairs.
One handed operation
Ultra-durable and can withstand any weather condition
Easy to fit wall mounts

Verdict: As with the other retractable baby gates, this gate offers not only security but the ease of passage for the times when it is not required, meaning it is both secure and convenient. Also, the ability to cover larger stairways is a huge plus. With an extra durable design, this is the ideal choice to keep your baby safe when outdoors.

Having your child fall down a flight of steps can be a terrifying experience. Outfit your staircase with a baby safety gate today. All of Perma Child Safety’s baby gates are built with high-quality materials and comply with all safety standards. See our range of baby safety gates here and pick a gate perfect for your needs.

Found this post helpful? We think you’ll like our post on Babyproofing Your Home.