5 Best Baby Gates of 2023
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- So your little one is mobile, or soon-to-be? How exciting! There is much exploring ahead for that little one!
- Soon your baby will be cruising down the hall, making rounds through the kitchen, and heading for the—oh no, not the stairs!
A baby on the move will always gravitate towards the stairs, the cat litter box, or other places they shouldn’t roam. It’s almost as guaranteed as the law of gravity. Don’t wait until you find your baby splashing in that “porcelain fountain” in the bathroom to install a baby gate.
Baby gates aren’t just for blocking off stairs. They are also useful for limiting access to fireplaces, creating barriers to rooms, creating playpens, and more. They are a handy tool every parent of a baby should have!
When you begin to shop for a baby gate, you’ll notice a variety of options. There are pressure-mounted gates, hardware-mounted gates, gates for the top of the stairs, and more. The features of each one are unique and serve a purpose.
So how do you know which one to choose? Our list of the 5 best baby gates of 2023 will clear up the options. We’ve done the hard work so you can spend your time chasing your little one down the hall, instead!
Top Choice: BalanceFrom Easy Walk-Thru Safety Gate
- Size – Fits opening between 29.1 – 33.8 inches wide. Gate stands 30 inches tall, white color
- Easy Installation – No screw needed. Pressure mount design for fast and safety installation while protecting your walls
- Convenience – Gate door features an auto-close that gently closes the gate door behind you and a hold-open feature that keeps the door open
- Durability – All steel gate is durable and convenient with a walk-through door. The gate is fully compliant with all USA Safety standards
Our pick for the best baby gate is the BalanceFrom Easy Walk-Thru Safety Gate. This is what we love about it:
Warranty: This baby gate comes with a 2-year warranty and is built with a sturdy steel frame. This means you can purchase BalanceFrom’s baby gates with confidence.
Ease of Use. Let’s be honest. Parents usually have their hands full. A one-handed latch is a beautiful thing in baby gates. Plus the door swings open both ways.
Automatic Close. No parent wants to try and remember to pull the gate shut behind them each time they walk through it. Just like the one-handed open, this auto-lock feature makes life easier.
Pressure Mounted. Not everyone wants to have a baby gate permanently mounted to their walls. We get it. Pressure baby gates allow you to move them as needed.
Price. For the quality of the product and the convenient features, we think it’s a great price.
All of these fantastic features make this pressure-mounted baby gate our top choice for safety gates.
Best Standard Fit – BalanceFrom Easy Walk-Thru Safety Gate
- Size – Fits opening between 29.1 – 33.8 inches wide. Gate stands 30 inches tall, white color
- Easy Installation – No screw needed. Pressure mount design for fast and safety installation while protecting your walls
- Convenience – Gate door features an auto-close that gently closes the gate door behind you and a hold-open feature that keeps the door open
- Durability – All steel gate is durable and convenient with a walk-through door. The gate is fully compliant with all USA Safety standards
Maybe you just need a basic gate for normal doorways or the top of the stairs. In this case, the BalanceFrom Easy Walk-Thru Safety Gate might just be the right baby gate for your needs.
This baby gate is easily installed with pressure. This means you won’t need screws or extra tools. Many parents found that the setup took five minutes or less.
You’ll be pleased to know that opening this gate won’t be a hassle. You simply pull the handle over to the side and then pull up. When you walk away, the gate will shut automatically behind you.
Sometimes you’d like the gate to stay open. If that’s the case, extend the gate until it’s all the way opened. This will keep it from shutting behind you.
With a two-year warranty and a sturdy, steel frame, this BalanceFrom Walk-Thru baby gate is built to last. And it comes at a fair price too.
Many parents found this safety gate to have a small gap between the latch and the frame. This can be easily resolved by tightening the screws on the sides.
Dimensions: 30 x 30 x 2 inches | Mounts to Wall: No | Swinging Door: Yes
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Best Wide Fit – Cumbor 29.5″-51.6″ Baby Gate Extra Wide
- 【No More Baby Escapes】The Cumbor extra-wide baby gate is 30.5 inches tall and 29.7 inches to 51.5 inches wide; Once closed, it is hard for your kids to climb over it; Made of heavy-duty steel, it can withstand impacts and bites from large pets; Additionally, this gate prevents kids and pets from squeezing through because the measurement between the bars is only 2.3 inches
- 【Safeguard Your Little Ones】Are you still worried that your children may get hurt while climbing up and down the stairs or entering the kitchen? The Cumbor safety gate will be your children’s safety guardian, liberating your hands by keeping your children in a safe place
- 【Auto-Close & One-Handed Operation】You can easily hold your baby in one hand and open the gate with the other hand, thanks to the unique auto-close design; The gate opening is 23.6 inches wide, allowing you to pass through with a laundry bag or groceries in your hand
- 【Easy to Install & Wall Friendly】The pressure mount enables easy assembly and disassembly; It is convenient, strong, and protects your wall from damage, leaving it clean and intact, even after the baby gate is removed; You can remove it anytime when it is not in use; Reuse is certainly possible when you move to a new place (be sure to measure the installation distance of the upper and lower walls, which should be within 29.7 to 51.5 inches if your wall isn’t flush or has baseboards)
When you have a large opening to block, the standard baby gate usually won’t work. This is when an extra-wide baby gate comes in handy. The Cumbor 29.5″-51.6″ Baby Gate Extra Wide is one of the best baby gates for wide openings.
This pressure-mounted baby gate won’t ruin your walls with screws and hardware. Setup is fast and easy since no tools are needed. The three included extension pieces will help you get the perfect fit.
Another great feature is that the gate swings open in both directions. It also has a wide gate opening. This is convenient for busy parents toting children or loads of laundry through the gate.
To open the gate, you pull back the safety lock with your thumb and pull the gate up. The one-hand latch is easy enough for you to do with a baby on your hip. Yet it’s just difficult enough to keep your little one from figuring it out.
This safety gate also has an auto-close feature. If the gate door is opened 90 degrees or less, it will shut and lock behind you. If you extend the safety gate out all the way, it will remain open.
Some parents found this baby gate not sturdy enough for their older children. Keep this in mind if you’re planning to use this with older children.
Dimensions: 2 x 28.76 x 32 inches | Mounts to Wall: No | Swinging Door: Yes
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Best Tall Fit – Regalo Easy Step 36″ Extra Tall Walk-Thru Baby Gate
- PROVEN, SAFE, CERTIFIED: A real brand you can trust, sold for over 20 years. Regalo Baby is award winning, tested to the highest safety and quality. Double certified by the American Society Testing Materials and Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association
- US BASED CUSTOMER CARE: Not outsourced. Direct live customer care specialist available through Regalo Baby website, direct email or phone. Ready to help.
- EXTRA TALL: Stands 36 Inches Tall. Expands to fit openings between 29-36.5 inches wide. Please be sure measure your opening prior to purchase to ensure proper fit
- SET UP: Install according to manufacturer’s instructions. You must use wall cups to keep gate in place. To prevent falls, never use at top of stairs.
Worried about older children climbing over the baby gate? Or do you have a large dog you are trying to keep away from your baby? An extra tall gate can help with this!
The Regalo Easy Step 36″ Extra Tall Walk-Thru Baby Gate might be the best option for parents wanting a tall baby gate. Its tension-mounted design won’t ruin your walls. The steel frame will withstand heavy use.
If you’re wondering if this baby gate will fit the opening you’re looking for, you’ll be pleased to know it comes with a 4-inch extension piece. Also, additional extension pieces can be purchased if needed.
You can make the gate more secure at the top of stairs or other dangerous places. Using the included wall cups, you can secure this to the wall.
One potential drawback to this gate is the locking mechanism. The latch requires two hands to open. This might be difficult if your hands are full.
However, the wall mount option and extra tall gate still make this a great baby gate for those needing height.
Dimensions: 36.5 x 1 x 36 inches | Mounts to Wall: Yes | Swinging Door: Yes
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Best retractable – Momcozy Retractable Baby Gate
- Safety: Retractable baby gate featured with double locking mechanism creates a safety home for your curious crawlers and keep them away from danger, providing a safe, closed off environment to play.
- Retractable Design- Saving Space: This dog gate Fits openings up to 55″ wide and is 33″ tall which can be adjusted to fit your openings according to your needs. Mesh can be completely retracted away when not in use.
- Easy to Use:Just gently push and twist the button to lock and unlock the retractable baby gates with one hand. The one handed operation make it super convenient to use when you’re holding baby or carrying toys, diapers, around.
- Fits Your Purpose: Perfect solution for doorways and stairs locking the way for babies and pets needed to provide safety and security in the whole house. The pet gate is used for children and pets blocking off their way out or in.
If you’d like a baby gate that can roll away when not in use, a retractable gate might be the best baby gate for your needs. The Momcozy Retractable Baby Gate is one you’ll love.
To start, this retractable gate is extra tall and fits openings up to 59 inches. This means it will likely work in any space and fit all needs.
Perhaps the most attractive feature of retractable baby gates is their ability to roll away when not in use. The PVC mesh gate rolls up into the frame after you pull it back. When you pull it out, it extends to reach the clip where it locks into place.
This gate comes with wall mounts and can be placed inside or outside a door frame. You can also attach it to hard wall surfaces.
The lock on this hardware-mounted baby gate was designed with moms in mind, as it can be opened with one hand. Just switch the lock to the unlocked position and pull the mesh out and over back into the frame. You can easily do this with a load of laundry in one arm.
If you need a hardware-mounted gate for the top of stairs, you should know this is not designed for that. The manufacturer clearly warns not to use this gate there. However, if you’re searching for a gate for other areas, this is worth a look.
Dimensions: 34.75 x 3.75 x 3.14 inches | Mounts to Wall: Yes | Swinging Door: No
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Best for Stairs: Summer Infant Banister and Stair Gate With Dual Installation Kit
- The Summer Banister and Stair Dog and Baby Gate fits openings 32” to 48” wide and is 33″ tall; please measure opening prior to purchase to ensure proper fit
- With the dual installation kit, the wood gate can be attached to a wall or to most single and double square and round banisters; no drilling required on square banisters
- This baby gate accommodates banister-to-banister and banister to wall installation at the top or bottom of stairs, as well as installation in doorways and hallways
- Adults can easily open the toddler gate one-handed; the door opens the entire width of the gate so it’s easy to walk through and the no-threshold design minimizes tripping
If you have stairs and a little one on the move, your immediate concern might be their safety around these steps. If this is the case, you’ll need to make sure your gate is designed for the stairs. The Summer Banister and Stair Gate With Dual Installation Kit is one of the best baby gates for stairs.
There are multiple ways to install this hardware-mounted wood gate. You can attach it from the banister to the wall, from banister to banister, or even just in a doorway. This means even if you move and no longer have stairs, the summer infant baby gate can still be put to good use.
The beautiful wood frame is another attractive selling point for many parents. The expandable gate also allows for a good fit up to 48 inches wide.
One drawback is the lock on this Summer Infant safety gate. Trying to open this one-handed is a hassle for many parents. However, you might not mind the extra effort if you have children who are good at figuring out how to open gates.
This secure wood gate also swings open in both directions. However, you should never swing it out over stairs. Instead, pull it back towards you before walking down.
Dimensions: 29.7 x 2.8 x 32 inches | Mounts to Wall: Yes | Swinging Door: Yes
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Recommended Accessories
Many accessories complement baby gates in the baby-proofing of your home.
Here’s what accessories we love:
- Wall protector mounts (To keep a pressure mount gate from damaging walls.)
- Outlet covers (To ensure your baby is safe from electrical harm in the room.)
- Child cabinet locks (A must in the kitchen.)
- Furniture corner protectors (To keep your baby safe from falls into coffee table corners.)
- Toilet seat lock (Trust us. It’s worth the investment.)
FAQS
What should you look for in a baby gate?
When looking for the best baby gate for your home, keep the following factors in mind:
- The size of your opening
- Your budget
- The style of your home (Will you want wood, mesh, or metal?)
- The needs of your family (Do you have older children or pets that will try and climb the gate? Will you need a gate for the top of the stairs?)
- Whether you need hardware or pressure-mounted gates (Do you want the gate mounted into the wall or just pushed up against it?)
What is the difference between hardware and pressure-mounted gates?
A hardware-mounted gate is permanently attached to the wall with screws. You will need tools to drill holes and attach this gate to the wall. Once it’s installed it can not easily be moved.
A pressure-mounted gate uses tension to stay in place and can be moved as needed. This is great for parents who want to use the gate in multiple locations.
Can baby gates be used at the top of stairs?
Yes, but you must use a hardware-mounted gate specifically designed for this purpose. Never use a pressure-mounted gate at the top of the stairs. A pressure-mounted gate can wriggle loose from its position with repeated use or when pushed.
Always be sure to install the gate properly to avoid danger.
What is the best way to childproof your home?
The best way to childproof your home is to create a safe environment for your little one. The specific needs for childproofing will depend on your home and your child. You might be childproofing for a blind child, childproofing for multiple children, or for another reason.
Basic baby-proofing should consider hazards such as electrical outlets, sharp corners, and dangerous chemicals. You can also create a safe space for your baby by using baby gates to block off all off-limits rooms.
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