6 Questions To Answer When Shopping For Baby Gates

Will I be drilling holes in my house? The answer to that would be yes, if you were going to buy a hardware-mounted baby gate; and no, for a pressure-mounted type. There are two basic kinds of baby gates based on how they are installed. The hardware-mounted type requires you to drill holes into a door frame, walls, etc., where the baby gate is to be mounted. On the other hand, the pressure-mounted type will leave marred surfaces caused by the pressure exerted against the surface where it is mounted.

Do I plan on moving the baby gate around? If the answer to that is yes, it is not advisable to get a hardware-mounted baby gate as this would mean multiple holes all over your house. IF you do plan on moving the baby gate around, then a pressure-mounted baby gate is the more sensible choice.

Baby gates are commonly installed at the top of the stairs. For this location, the hardware-mounted type is recommended because the attachment is more secure. That’s not to say that pressure-mounted gates can’t withstand much weight. There are pressure-mounted gates that can withstand up to 220 lbs, which is much more than what your baby weighs. But just to have peace of mind, put a hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs. If the stair gate is a swing kind, the gate should swing away from the stairs.

This question should also invoke the thought of how you will be able to pass through the baby gate. It really would depend on where you mount the baby gate. For instance, a sliding gate or a swing gate that locks on the top bar would mean that you would have to use your hands to unlock the gate. But imagine you are doing your laundry and you have to pass by the baby gate. There are also those that open through a foot pedal. What material do I want? Baby gates come in different materials. Some may be made of wood, others metal, and still others, plastic. The material you choose also has a correlation with the safety level you wish to achieve. Like for the top of the stairs, a baby gate made of wood might be more durable than one made of plastic.

Baby gates are of different designs. There most common are vertical bars, mesh, and accordion. The accordion is the least safe. The older models of accordion gates have led to strangulation’s and other injuries. And to ensure your child’s safety, the design you choose must not have a foothold from which he or she could climb. Safety, though, doesn’t stop with design. Make sure that there are no nearby objects that the child can push towards the gate which he or she can use to step on in an attempt to climb over.

If it’s your first time to buy baby gates, it is recommended that you go to the store and see the gates for yourself. You’ll want to see if the gate you’re buying meets all your expectations and requirements. But if you’ve seen the design from a friend’s house, for example, and you don’t have time to go to the store, you can buy online. However you go about it, just keep mind that safety comes before convenience.

To find more information on baby safety gates, Visit our website about baby gate.