Safety Gates

Around the time your baby learns to craw and move himself around the house, you'll probably be considering buying safety gates. There may be certain areas of the house you don't want baby to investigate, or even whole rooms he'd be better off not going into. If you have a staircase you'll want to prevent him from exploring the tempting delights of the playground he perceives it to be. Never let baby crawl unsupervised near the staircase.

Baby safety gates are an essential element in making your home baby proof. Now that he's on the move, every nook and cranny is a potential area of exploration for him. Your baby is curious about his new environment, wanting to investigate each little corner and new room. The best way to make sure he can't do any harm to himself is to install safety gates. These will prevent him from reaching the stairs, kitchen, or an office room, where there might be many wires and electrical equipment just at his height.

You beautiful new baby needs to be protected from the possible dangers that lurk around the corner or in the cupboards, and even on the floor of your home. You may not at first recognise specific danger areas yourself. Experts recommend crouching down to your child's level and looking up around the room with this new perspective. Observe any flexes, wires, window blinds, sharp corners or cracks you may not have noticed or considered to be a hazard before. Don't wait until an accident has happened before buying a baby safety product, be preventative and take action as soon as he shows signs he's ready to crawl.

When you visit Anns Prams for advice and information about baby safety products, make sure you've taken note of the measurements and dimensions of the spaces where baby safety gates are required. Come armed with information about what type of wall, banister, or door frame you're thinking of attaching your safety gates to. Certain types of baby safety products are not suitable for fastening to particular frames or posts.

There are two main categories of baby safety gates: the pressure mounted safety gates and the hardware-mounted safety gates.

Pressure mounted safety gates enable you to put up an effective barrier without drilling holes into the wall. No specific tools are needed and they are quite easy to put up and take down. Simply place the gate in the door frame or between two walls and expand and tighten the safety gate to fit the gap. Less intrusive and easier to assemble, these safety gates work well between halls and doorways where there is a solid wood construction, but they shouldn't be used at the top of the stairs. Gradually, over time, the gate could become loose and you want to avoid that happening in a dangerous situation.

Hardware mounted safety gates are firmly attached to the wall with screws and a mounting kit to ensure the greatest level of security for your baby. Best suited for areas such as the top of the stairs, these kind of safety gates are solid and secure providing a maximum level of protection for the baby. A good quality hardware mounted safety gate should have directional devices so it only swings open in one direction, and this should never be out over the stairs. Check also that there isn't a horizontal bar along the bottom to step over, because this could cause a tripping hazard.

Whichever type of baby safety gate you choose for your home, make sure it's as sturdy as possible and cannot easily be dislodged, but at the same time can be opened by an adult with one hand. It's a handy feature if you're able to keep baby in your arms while opening and closing the safety gates. If you have any doubts or want more information about baby safety products, visit one of The Baby Shows where we can give you as much advice and information as you need.

Don't forget to close the gate behind you!

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