Welcome to Totsafe's Guide to Baby Gates!

Learn how to choose the right baby gate for stairways, doorways, hallways. This article also addresses installing baby gates in spaces with special circumstances like wrought iron railings, banisters, baseboards, and hollow walls.  

Three Steps to Selecting The Right Baby Gate:
There is no perfect gate for all situations;  There are several factors to take into account when purchasing a baby gate:

1) Where is it going? If it is going at the top of a stairway, you will want to look for a hardware mounted (screwed into the wall) gate, never use a pressure mounted gate at the top of the stairs*. If the gate will be used to block off a room, or prevent a child from climbing up the stairs, you may be able to choose from hardware mounted and pressure mounted gates.

2) What size is the opening where the gate will go? You will need to measure the opening where your gate will go, both width of the opening, and height of the opening. Child safety gates all have specific dimensions that they will fit. You need to find a gate that will securely fit in your space.  An extension kit may be necessary with some gates to fit larger areas.

3) Are there any special circumstances in the space that you need the baby gate to go?  If you have a banister, molding, hollow wall (drywall or plaster with no stud behind it), or wrought iron railing, you may need the use of a gate installation kit to create a proper mounting surface.  Kits are also available to mount a baby gate to banisters without creating holes.

Using these three factors can help you make an informed decision on proper baby gates for your space.  Please remember that most gates are appropriate for ages between 6 months and 3 years of age.  This may be more or less for certain gates and manufacturers.  As a rule of thumb, if the top of the baby gate is at or below a child's shoulder height, it is time to discontinue use of the gate.

Mounting a baby gate to spaces with hollow walls, wrought iron railings, banisters & moldings/baseboards:

Gate installation kits are needed in almost all gate installations where the gate is not being mounted in a wood framed door opening.  They are installed prior to the baby safety gate and help create a mountable surface in spaces that have moldings, banisters/newel posts, hollow walls, and wrought iron railings.  Most gate installation kits are appropriate for hardware mounted and pressure mounted safety gates.  Kits are also available to create a solid mounting surface on banisters, WITH NO HOLES!

*Many people ask us why pressure mounted baby gates should not be used at the top of the stairs, where many people wish not to create holes.  The answer is this: 

Although pressure mounted baby gates create a very strong force on the surfaces that they are mounted between,  the pressure can 'push out' on the two surfaces enough to eventually slip out of place with force.  Pressure mounted gates must be checked frequently to ensure that they are remaining tight in the space,  and manufacturers (and Totsafe babyproofers) do not suggest using this type of gate at the top of the stairs.  Hardware mounted gates are a much more secure option for this location, and can generally hold up to children banging and climbing on them.  Luckily, the holes that are created from hardware mounted gates tend to be small and are easily filled when use of the gate is discontinued.