Best Retractable Baby Gates for Bottom of Stairs and Halls

A baby gate is used to provide a barrier to keep the child from going to areas that may be dangerous or where you can't keep an eye on them. They are useful for blocking of areas of the house and usually fit between doorways or entry ways. If you use a baby gate to confine an infant or toddler to a room, you may want to setup a baby monitor to watch the baby if you leave the room.

This guide has been updated for 2012

After the birth of a baby, it's admirable that parents will take the steps post pregnancy to protect a infant from falling down stairs and fracturing a bone or some other type of injury where they might break something. A gate is an excellent solution that restricts access and is much more preferable than the alternative of a trip to the emergency room.

I'm not sure why, but babies seem to love stairs, so just as important it is to protect a baby from falling down stairs, putting a gate at the bottom of stairs will prevent them from climbing up them in the first place.

Picking out a baby safety gate can be more complicated then it sounds. The most important piece is making sure that the baby gates fits the space that is designed to block. Second, if it's a common walkway, then you may want a gate that is easy to step over or that is a retractable baby gate. Retractable baby gates are ones that will fold-up or collapse so that it makes it easier to open and close. The third thing to consider is the aesthetics of the baby gate. There are wood baby gates, and plastic gates that come in a large variety of styles and colors.

Another decision to make for your baby gate is whether you want to mount it to the wall or if you want a pressure mounted baby gate. Pressure mounted safety gates can use compressed air or a lever system to keep pressure on both sides to secure the gate. I'm concerned about using this type of gate at the top of stairs, and prefer a mounted version.

Baby gates are an effective safety device to protect children from hurting themselves.

Common uses of baby gates:

• Placing baby gate to the entrance of stairs. Stairs can be very dangerous to an unsupervised child. It's important to protect babies from climbing up stairs as well as going down them.

• Preventing a baby from entering the kitchen. The kitchen can be a dangerous place for babies. Hot stoves, cleaning supplies, heavy pots, and knives are just a few dangerous things that a baby can hurt themselves with.

• Hallways often do not have doors. Safety baby gates can be used to act like a door and prevent the baby from escaping down the hall to rooms with opened doors.
• Blocking closets without doors. Sometimes dangerous chemicals are stored in closets or there are items that can be pulled down on the baby. A gate can provide needed safety in this case.
• When it's hot. During hot days, you may want to open the door to let cool air or breeze come in, at the same time, you don't want your baby to crawl out the door. Placing a baby gate in the doorway, will allow you to let cool air in and prevent the baby from going out the door.
• Closing off a bridge. Gates are a good method of blocking off bridges. Especially if they are high off the ground or over water. For people that have small streams in their yards, they may require additional fencing.

• Evenflow Baby Gates
  • The simple effort baby gate is a full featured gate
  • Electronic buttons for Hands-Free opening and closing

     

  • Easy Wall Console button to unlock the gate, then gently push to swing open the baby gate
  • For use at bottom of stairs and doorways
  • Manual Override: Manual operation always available
  • Red/Green Light indicator shows whether gate is locked or open

     

  • Low battery light shows when to replace batteries
  • Simple to install metal pressure gate does not require tools
  • Door swings either way for easy walk-thru
  • Gently push door to lock gate
  • Premium styling and neutral color compliments home decor
  • Gate is 29” tall, expands from 28” – 37.5” with 2 included extension panels
  • Batteries:
  • Wall Console: “9V” (not included)
  • Gate Module: 4 “C” (not included)
  • Model # 4631010
  • For use with children 6 to 24 months

• Kidco Baby Gate
  • Kidco Safety gates meet government standards for safety. This is the only one I saw advertised this way.
  • Full line of pressure mount gates
  • Three types of hardware mount gates
  • Three specialty gates for extra wide areas and irregular shapes
  • Fireplace and wood burning stove baby safety gates that block the entire area around to prevent a child from burning themselves
  • Play area gates enclose the child in an area and act a like a pen

• First Years Baby Gate
  • Learning Curve makes the First Years Baby Gate
  • My favorite gate is the Everywhere baby gate that is tall enough to prevent a toddler from climbing over the top. This gate can be hardware or pressure mounted

• Dream Baby Gate

   

  • This may be the gate with the best reviews
  • Several people claim it's easy to use and effective

1. Will a baby gate keep Germs out?

Answer: No. Baby gates are not for germs. They are to restrict access to gateways to prevent injuries, not illnesses caused by bacteria or germs. Some heppa air filters may do the job.

2. Can I use a baby gate in a Windowsill?

Answer: Yes. If you have low windows, get a gate fit for the windowsill or window frame casing. You may also want to invest in child proof window locks as an additional precaution.

3. How to protect a baby from falling through railing?

Answer: The gaps in railngs must be blocked. Some solutions include stapling a thick plastic guard across the railing.