Choosing A Baby Safety Gate

Choosing A Baby Safety GateBy Kenneth Taylor
Once your baby becomes mobile, rolling over or beginning tocrawl, it’s definitely time to start baby proofing your home andperhaps the most important baby safety product you’ll need is ababy gate. Buying a baby gate may sound like a simple task butthe variety of gate styles and home configurations can make itone of the more confusing purchases you’ll make.
Head over to your local baby store or visit some onlinemerchants athttp://www.binkylinks.com/baby-equipment/baby-safety/ and you’llsee an array of baby safety gates in different sizes and styles.You’ll find gates made of wood, metal, or plastic; gates thatopen with the touch of your hand, the step of your foot, or notat all; and gates that attach to the wall with screws or simplyuse pressure to hold them against opposite walls. Making senseof all these varieties can be a daunting task. Essentially, thecorrect baby gates for your home will depend on where they willbe placed and how they will be used.
1. Stair Gates – In terms of your baby’s safety, nothing ismore important than a stair gate. Stair gates should be placedat the top and bottom of all accessible staircases and onlyhardware-mounted gates that need to be screwed into the walland/or stair railing should be used. To be sure a baby gate ismeant for staircase use, always check the description orpackaging. Most manufacturers will state if a gate is safe touse on stairs and include instructions on how to correctlyinstall it. For your convenience, stair gates should be the kindthat swing open and closed and can be unlocked with one hand.Gates that open with the step of your foot should probably beavoided on staircases, as the awkward footing required to openthese types of gates can be unsafe.
2. Pet Gates – If you’re trying to keep your pet away from yourbaby, the type of gate you choose will depend on the type of petyou have. Most standard pressure-mounted or hardware-mountedgates will do just fine. However, if your pet is especiallylarge, strong, or agile, you may want to purchase an extra tallgate that can be hardware-mounted. A hardware-mounted gate willensure that your pet cannot push it over while leaning orjumping against it while the extra tall size will be moredifficult for your pet to jump over.
3. Gates for High Traffic Areas – For your convenience andsafety you should use a baby gate that can be easily opened andclosed in areas that are frequently used. Whether it opens byhand or with the step of your foot is your preference and whileit can be, it does not need to be hardware mounted. This type ofgate will be more expensive, but a semi-permanent (non-opening)gate that you need to step over or remove each time is quite ahassle and also quite unsafe if you’re stepping over it whileholding your baby.
4. Gates for Low Traffic Areas – Almost any type of baby gatecan be used in rarely used rooms or areas of your home. Simplepressure-mounted gates that do not swing open are likely to bethe least expensive option is these cases. Though the gates willneed to be removed when you need to enter the room, it’s notlikely to be much of an inconvenience if the area is rarelyused.
5. Specialty Gates – There are baby gates for nearly allapplications, from blocking fireplaces to closing off rooms withlarge openings. In these instances, just be sure to measureexactly the dimensions you need and look for a gate with theproper fit and purpose.
One thing to remember when choosing any safety gate is toalways measure the width and height of the opening you need toclose off. Since gates come in various sizes, it’s easy to getcaught up in choosing the gate style and end up with somethingtoo large or too small for your needs. One more thing toconsider is that not all walls or doorways will be perfectlystraight. Gates that can be adjusted at the mounting brackets orpressure pads will be necessary in those cases.
If you follow those basic suggestions, you’re sure to find asafety gate that fits your needs and, above all, keeps your babysafe.
About the Author: Kenneth Taylor is a new father and an editorfor the Binky Links Baby Store and Information Directory. Forbaby gates and other baby proofing products, please visithttp://www.binkylinks.com/baby-equipment/baby-safety/ the BinkyLinks list of Baby Proofing Stores.
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