If You Already Know
If you already know the qualifications as to what is best baby gate for the stairs then skip to the section below to read the review of my trusted gate, or purchase it here if you are in a hurry.
If you don’t know the first thing about choosing baby gates like for example:
- size of baby gates to choose
- the difference between pressure and hardware mount
- JPMA certification
- Latches you can open with one hand yet still difficult enough to stop any kid under the age of two
- Gate that allows only one direction swing and the reasons behind it
- How to modify the gate parts to protect your banisters and balusters
then you should not skip the first section of my guide.
If you are like the embodiment of the owner of Home Depot and child care expert combined, confidently believing that you don’t need me to walk you through the process then just get my favorite baby gate here. For rest of common folks like me, read on.
First Thing You Should Do Is To Measure
Before continuing, I highly recommend you measure the area in which you will be installing the baby gate. Baby gates are usually very flexible and allows different range of installations, but it’s still best to know the exact measurements. The reason is because the width of the baby gate “door way” and the amount of “stretch” the baby gate will have to be used depends heavily on the width of your stairs. Once you figure out the width, the next step is to get a hardware mounted gate.
There Are Two Types of Baby Gates
- hardware mounted (gates that are secured into walls with screws)
- good points is that they are secure, and almost impossible to topple over when installed correctly
- for stairs, there’s no better choice because security comes first
- no bar at the bottom that pressure mounts have because they don’t need to be in “one piece” in order to anchor themselves
- bad points is that they create holes in the walls and are harder to remove the “whole” gate (more on that later)
- pressure mounted (the gates are secured by having two ends pressing onto the walls to stay up almost as if the walls are squeezing onto the gate itself)
- good points is that they are easy to install and move around
- usually cheaper
- bad points is that they aren’t as safe and possible to topple over by a strong toddler
Gates Should Be JPMA Certified
You should get a gate that is JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) certified. Their standards are pretty strict and are as follows:
- The bottom of the gate can’t be too far from the floor, and at least less than three inches away from the the floor – this prevents the child from climbing underneath and hurting himself
- The gate should be at least twenty two inches tall – this reduces the risk of the child from climbing over
- It should be strong enough to not crumble under proper use
A Gate You Can Open With One Hand
It’s very inconvenient to move around carrying this and that like groceries or other stuff. It’s best if you can quickly open a gate with one hand and walk through, and it swings close and locks automatically without swinging open again.
A Gate That Can Open In Both Direction
Plenty of baby gates can open in either direction. This is a nice feature because when you go through a gate, you simply want to “push through”. If not, then you will have to pull the gate, step back then walk through which could be a little annoying if your hands are full of stuff.
However, if you are specifically looking for a gate that secures the top of the stairs, then the ideal is something that opens in one direction only. That direction should be away from the bottom of the stairs.
A Gate That is Quiet
There are times where you are leaving a room with a sleeping baby. It’s best if you can do it quietly without waking her up. A gate that is quiet when it closes is ideal.
A Gate At The Top of the Stairs
Gate for the stairs has to be very secure because of obvious reasons. The following should be the features:
- It should open away from the steps – or else if somehow it was unlocked, at least you can’t push and fall right down the stairs.
- If you have railings or banisters that you don’t want to drill into, then get some banister clamps
- quick release feature so that you can remove the gate quickly so you can move furniture or large items over
A Gate With Strong Lock Features
It’s best have a gate that has a complicated lock so that by the time your child grows up, she won’t be opening it up on her own. To be ideal, it should be a lock that only an adult can open but not a child. Usually that would mean that the lock requires more strength to open
A good example would be something like the First Years Slimline Gate. This gate requires a complicated mechanism in order to unlock. As for complicated, that only means for the child, not the adult of course. Some gates also forces you to squeeze the button really hard in order to open. This is of course done to prevent a weaker child from opening the gate. However, some designs makes it difficult for an adult to open, so make sure you can easily do it yourself with one hand also.
A good gate that allows you to open with one hand with be something like a gate with a pressure release handle. Gates like First Years Hands-Free Gate has a foot switch that allows you to open the gate with an adult’s body weight.
Another thing to watch out for is to have a baby gate that clearly shows that it’s locked. Usually most baby gates will give a click when they are already closed. However, some gates go out of their way to alarm you if they are not locked. For example, the Safety First Alarm Security Gate actively warns you if the gate is not completely shut. You can always turn it off if it sounds a little annoying, but it’s always an option.
Gates Are Meant To Be Used For Specific Age and Heights
If your child is older than two years old then you shouldn’t bother relying on a baby gate, because your child is most likely already too smart and strong to stop with it. This is why that gates are usually made to be at least twenty two inches high, but very little are made higher than thirty six inches. That’s because once a kid goes past a certain age, her height, weight, strength and IQ can no longer be restrained by a baby gate. There are exceptions of course, and that is if your child is still roughly one year old, and taller than most kids her age. In that case, go out of your way and buy some extra tall gates.
Staircases with Round Banisters
If you don’t want to drill a hole into your banister or if your banister is round and impractical to drill a hole into, then you have to get yourself a mounting kit to install your baby gate onto
Gate For the Outdoors
For gates for the outdoors, it’s not only important to be extremely secure, it’s also important for the gate to be weatherproof (not rust or break from the weather)
No Baby Gate is Perfect
I would love to prove otherwise but so far almost every baby gate breaks down from wear and tear. In the end, it depends on how your child and your family treats it. So far there’s no baby gate I know of that is flawless. For example:
- The hardware is warped
- The screws and nuts are too weak
- The gates rusts on certain parts when used outdoors
- The gate wobbles
- The instructions are horrible for installation
- You need to compensate by purchasing your own hardware (usually simple but still annoying)
Get Your Gate That’s Made For The Stairs
What’s So Special About Cardinal Stairway Special Gate?
The cardinal gate is made of metal completely. A lot of baby gates you find in the market nowadays have plastic parts to them where it’s the joint, or the latches. I don’t know why, but it seems to be a pretty common problem. I guess plastic lowers the costs of building these gates so many manufacturers resort to it. This gate itself is made of lightweight aluminum so it’s sturdy, and not able to rust. That’s why this gate is good for stairs indoors and outdoors.
The Tricky Latch
The gate has a tricky latch that is easy for adults to open but difficult for kids. Some adults complain that the latch is tricky to open. I mean seriously, that’s the whole point. There’s a slight learning curve to it, but it’s not difficult. You can watch their video that teaches you how to install the gate, and at the end of the video, they show you how to open the gate latch.
It’s almost a guarantee that kids under two years old will not be able to open the latch if the gate was installed and latched correctly. The reason is because it requires tricky hand eye coordination that a child simply has not developed yet. Some people even mentioned that even a four year old can not open it.
Of course, after two years of age, a baby gate should no longer be relied on to restrain your child. It simply does not work.
One Way Function
Let’s say you forgot to latch your gate correctly, this gate still has one safety measure which is the one way function. While installing the the latch bracket, you can screw in the one way stopper that prevents the gate from swinging in a specific direction.
The direction you have to choose is obviously the direction facing the bottom of the stairs. If your child pushes on it, at least she won’t roll down the stairs, assuming you installed your gate properly. After installation, stand on top of the stairs and push the gate yourself without the latch on to test it out. If it feels sturdy then you are good to go.
Easy To Remove In Emergencies
The gate itself also has an easy remove function when you have to have a party or move furniture across. You simply follow these three easy steps:
- Unscrew the hinge ring
- Pull out the hinge
- Remove the whole gate
I mentioned earlier that hardware mounted gate has problem of being unable to be removed as a “whole”. This is what I was talking about. You can temporarily remove the bulk of the gate so that it does not get in your way in situations where you need convenience to walk through. Of course, make sure your baby is in a safe location first, because at this point your removed your gate.
Will it Work On Any Kid?
It will work on any child that’s under two years old and under 30 pounds. Anything beyond that, you should no longer rely on any baby gate in the world to protect your little one. Unlike most baby gates on the market that breaks under wear and tear, this gate can at least protect your child for at least 8 months under supervision and normal use. It will last much longer if your baby doesn’t keep banging, shaking, and riding on the gate.
Is There Anything Bad About This Gate?
Yes, unfortunately, I found no gate in this world that doesn’t have a flaw or two. This gate is no exception. However, it’s already the gate with the least amount of flaws compared to many other gates which are meant to only eat your money.
This gate is all metal and sturdy but it does come with certain cheap parts that I highly recommend you replace on your own. I am talking about the screw and washers. Let’s face it. They simply stink. They are weak, and too short to function. If you installed your gate at an angle, then you probably can’t even reach a wood beam (or metal stud) behind the wall with these short screws. Not to mention, they are weak wood screws.
Go to your local hardware store and buy some good metal screws that are longer. Buy your own washers too while you are at it. Just bring the little pieces (washers, screws) to the hardware store and ask them to get you a stronger version of these. Another problem with the screws and washers that comes with the package is that they rust in the outdoors, so get your own stainless steel version.
Does the Gate Itself Rust?
No, it’s made of aluminum which can’t rust. However, the latch area itself can rust, because latching and unlatching on a daily basis will rub some of the paint off. Purchase your own dry graphite to make it last longer, while repeling dust and debris. Dry graphite also lubricates the areas and repels water. One word of warning though; they stain so use it carefully. However, they should protect your gate very well from rust.
Does it Work on Areas Narrower than 27.5 inches ?
Yes, because this gate can be installed at an angle. Simply install it diagonally, and you are good to go.
Does it Work on Areas Wider Than 42.5 inches?
You will have to purchase extension pieces. However, a word of warning is that a gate is no longer as sturdy after you use an extension piece. That applies to any gate in the world. The reason is because the extra joint allows it to be moved around. It would still work depending on how active your child is. Just make sure you supervise your child at all times.
This gate by itself can not attach to banisters at one end or both ends. A lot of people recommend mounting kits to compensate for it. However, there are a few problems with that:
- If you have metal balusters or spindles then they most likely won’t fit because the mounting kit aims for thicker rails
- Even if they do fit, they are over priced.
- Even if you don’t care about the price, they probably don’t match the design of your stairs and gate so it looks ugly.
What To Do On Stair Rails?
I don’t know what your stairs look like. It might possibly be the following:
- It has metal railing or spindles
- It has glass railing
- It has wood, but it looks very nice so you don’t want to drill into it
In any of those cases, you will probably wonder where you can screw your gate into. Most of the “experts” on the net will recommend you purchase your own mounting kits to do the trick. Honestly, that will do the trick for some people with thick, and chunky wood banisters, but for other people with thin metal spindles, it will most likely not work.
Go to your local home depot and purchase yourself:
- heavy duty zip ties – make sure they are UV light resistant so that if you use them outdoors, they won’t break down from over exposure under the sun. If you are using them indoors then you can order some regular heavy duty zip ties.
- 2 x 4 lumber pieces
Secure your 2 x 4 lumber pieces to the banisters at the top of your stairs with these heavy duty zip ties. Test it to make sure it’s stable, then screw and install your baby gate onto them instead. This way you can spend much less money compared to buying a mounting kit, while customizing the installation to your own needs.
Installation Issues
You can watch their video on how to easily install the cardinal gates. It’s simple and very straightforward.
However, you will notice that the instructions tell you to measure six inches off the floor for the hinge bracket. However, I highly recommend you double check with the whole gate to see if that is too high. If it’s too high then part of your gate will hit the rails. That’s why before you start screwing in anything, you should pick up the whole gate, latch included and visualize where everything will end up on your stairs.
Here’s some things to clarify for the instructions for installation
When you install the brackets (hinge and latch brackets), which are the things that are screwed to the two sides to hold your whole gate up, remember to have their orientation right. The brackets have two ends. One end is round and smooth. The other end is flat and sharp. Make sure the round end is facing the floor while the sharp ends point towards the sky. Screw in the hinge bracket and gate on top of it first, then swing it over. The gate itself has certain weight so the latch side will be slightly “lower” than the hinge side. This is normal, so let the gate’s weight design where you will attach the latch bracket. If you don’t do that, the latch mechanism might not work later due to installation errors.
If There Are Any Questions
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave it in the comment section below. If you still haven’t already, purchase your own cardinal gates stairway special gate here. Enjoy.
Good article. I’ve gone through my fair share of baby gates, and I have to say that agree with pretty much everything you write.
Unfortunately, we’ve always rented, so hardware mounted gates have never been an option. UK landlords aren’t too happy when you start putting screws in their walls 😉 So we’ve always used the pressure mounted versions. I think they’re fine for little babies, but I’ve seen both our boys – once they were big sturdy toddlers – pop the gates right out from the walls.
Hey there! Thanks for all of the helpful information on things to know and what to to look for in a baby gate. My daughter will be crawling soon, so I’m going to need to buy one soon. You are right about needing a hardware mounted baby gate for the stairs. That’s a very dangerous area and who knows what will happen if it’s not protected correctly. I am not sure if I can install it if I actually bought one. Is it difficult to install?
It’s actually pretty easy to install. On Amazon they actually have a instruction video that shows you how to install in 10 minutes. I think anybody can do it even if you never touched a screw driver in your whole life. When you watch the instructions on the video just slow down and watch it step by step. Watch it here and see for yourself just how easy it is.
Well crafted article! I just stumbled upon it, though my gate purchasing is for my dogs. (My kids are between 11-14). That said, I really wish I had this kind of info when my kids were little, especially the part highlighting the ability to open a gate with one hand while maintaining safety. Great information. Thanks so much! (And much of it applies to dogs too. :))
These gates are great for stopping rampaging kids. I thought they can stop your kids if they are older than two. However, it would still work on your dogs because it’s quite sturdy.
There are so many baby gates on the market, it’s really hard to choose the right one. A proper baby gate needs to fit well in the space it will be used. It needs to fit securely, and not be too loose. A good locking mechanism is also a must. I definitely agree that no baby gate is perfect, a person will actually still have to keep an eye on the baby :). Babies have this magical power to get from one room to the next in the blink of an eye. You cover a lot of great points, here. You definitely want to make sure the gate is age appropriate, so it will serve its intended purpose. When our kids were that age, we had gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. I felt like I was always opening or closing the gate. Thanks for sharing this review on baby gates, it’s very valuable information.
You can bet that this gate has a great locking mechanism. You might have to learn a little to understand how it works. You might not need it anymore since your kids are grown up but your kids might have children. If they ever need it, tell them about it.
Hi Win Bill,
Great article!
I have a gate made of wood, and it is not really practical. In fact, one of my dogs has chewed the corner of the gate. It’s not esthetic, and I am not able to close the gate properly. Although I use this gate only when my sister comes over with her baby boy, it’s quite annoying. I always have to worry for my nephew not open the gate.
This gate would be of great help since it is made of aluminum. My dogs won’t be able to eat it anymore:)
Thank you for this excellent post!
This gate is chew proof lol. It’s made of aluminum after all so I doubt your dogs will have it their way this time. Give it a try. The sturdiness will discourage them from doing any more crazy stuff.
I wish that I had came across this site sooner. My son is almost 3 and too tall for any baby gate that I have came across and my daughter is almost 2 and already climbs over the baby gate that I have or they both work together to push the gate down and just walk right over it. My daughter is a little monkey when it comes to climbing. I can’t even keep her off the top of her brothers dresser. I do my best to try and keep them out of things that they shouldn’t be in but I can’t watch them 24/7, so it gets a little frustrating. Do you have any tips on how to keep toddlers from climbing over or on everything?
My baby is 1 month+ old. There is still some way to go before she starts to crawl but this is a helpful article and I am going to refer to it again when it’s time to invest in a baby gate. I am just wondering if there is any plug and play baby gate because I am in the renting mode and I don’t think my landlord will like it if I start drilling holes. Also, it will be tedious work when I need to restore back to normal when the lease expires.
There are certainly baby gates out there that are pressure mounted. Those don’t require any drilling but they are not as secure when it comes to blocking the stairs. If you are going to use those, then use them in areas that has a doorway looking space.
This Article has taught me so much! I have a daughter that recently had her first child and calling me all the time asking questions. The most recent question is knowing what kind of baby gate she should get for her staircase. I personally don’t have a staircase and have never had this problem. This literally answered all her questions and more. I’ve already sent her a link. Thank you so much for giving us all this information! – Brenda
I am glad it helps your daughter. I am assuming that she is already all grown up and have her own children who can walk and cause havoc in the house. This baby gate is perfect for a mother like her who is busy with other family stuff.
I have read through your well described review and found it to be very useful especially to new parents.
The most important thing is that the gate is JPMA certified which is pretty much the latest standards ensure the safety of children within the right age.
The part I love the most about it is the fact that is so secure and flexible at the same time. You can literally “bend” it a bit to fit the needs of your stairs. I am going to recommend it to all friends with toddlers to see if it works for any of them. My question is that most of them are renting so it is difficult to ask them to drill holes. IS there a way to get around that?
Thanks for the comment. This gate is definitely awesome. As for people rents, this gate would probably not work because it requires drilling holes. However, they can always ask their landlords to see if its alright to do so. If not, try pressure mounted gates that is not at the stair area to prevent children from reaching the stairs in the first place.
My wife and I just had our third child, and he is now starting to move around a bit. We had an old wood gate for our first two boys, but the wear and tear on that has caused one entire side of it to break apart. We definitely need an upgrade, thanks for the detailed info. on this gate.
Wooden gates are awesome and they do not rust, but they have a lot of problems. If they have problems, then it is easy to have splinters which can hurt your kids. If you have a pet at home, it gets even worse because they can chew on it. The gate I recommended here is made of metal which is resistant to most kinds of abuse. Give it a try and see if it suits you.
The quick release feature is definitely important because we often like to “reorganize” our furniture to suit our moods. This happens a lot especially with our sofas. We can just never make up our minds on where to put them. Our family is expecting a baby in December and I’ve bookmarked this article so we can refer to it when we begin shopping for the few baby gates we’ll need. I also like how secure it is when it comes to protecting vital areas from little children. Is shipping included?
Shipping is included because the order is above $25. Go check it out later, and see if you like it. If you like, you should check it out now to see if it suits your home.
Thanks for writing this great article for baby gate for stairs.
A friend is a mom to be, and I want to give her a baby gate as a baby shower as a present with a group of friends.
Your article gave me some strong point to look at before I go to the store to get one. I think also would be a good idea to talk with my friend (the mother to be) so she can read your article and she can let me know which baby gate she would prefer we buy for her.
Yes, it is never too early to buy a baby gate even though the baby is not even born yet. It is best to test it out ahead of time, and see if it works for you.. Your friend can test out whether the gate will work for you based on your needs.
I know this sounds crazy, but I have been looking for a good baby gate for my stairs. But not for a baby, for my dogs. I need to keep them out of the upstairs, and so I have been searching for a good baby gate that will fulfill these needs. I figure if it is secure for a baby, it will be secure enough to keep my two little pooches out of the upstairs, where they can get up to no good.
I like the Cardinal Gates Stairway Special Gate. It looks sturdy, and the price is certainly right. I like that it has an adjustable width, so it will surely fit my stairs. Actually glad I found this post! Thanks 🙂
These gates should work pretty well for your dogs, because they are also made of metal which prevents them from chewing recklessly on them, unlike wooden gates. The only issue here is to think about how high to install your gate. The reason I say that is because if you installed it too high, then smaller dogs might be able to “squeeze through” the opening at the bottom. Good luck.
Thank you so much for this informative post.
I have been looking for a baby gate and honestly did not know where to start. Your post helped me walk through the thought process of what we needed and wanted.
Such a good point that you want a gate that swings both ways. I have tried holding a baby, bottle and trying to pull open a baby gate – almost impossible!
We have been putting off buying a baby gate because it was just too overwhelming, might get onto it now.
This gate, and many other gates are designed to swing both ways. Some people find it a convenience, but when it comes to stairways it is a gigantic hazard. You probably have not thought of this yet, but having a gate swing both ways at the stairs is very dangerous. The gate I recommended includes a small stopper in which you can install and force the gate to open one way. Of course, you want to stop the gate from opening towards the lower level. If your children pushes on it, even if it unlocked, they will not fall down the stairs because of an unlocked gate.
We currently have a pressure mounted gate. We choose this type because we didn’t want to damage our house. But you’re right in that they can be toppled by a strong toddler. We’ve seen both our son and daughter do this.
Never heard about JPMA – Thanks for this tip. We actually do need to get a new mounted gate and will consider your recommendation.
Thanks for sharing.
Yea I feel bad for people who live in rented apartments. It is because you can not drill holes into your walls. You are forced to compromise with a pressure mounted gate. I have nothing against pressure mounted gates but they are not suitable for stairways. It is simply too dangerous. You can add a pressure mounted gate at your bedroom doorway to create this little “children’s place” so your children can not reach the stairs in the first place. If you can persuade your landlord to allow you to drill holes in the wall, then try the gate I recommended. You will not be disappointed.
I admire how informative your article is. I don’t have children yet, but am doing everything in my power to see if I can find the proper baby stuff before the blessing of a child is bestowed upon me. I have even looked up the right kind of bottles, and even what lotion is the best lotion for babies. I would like to make sure that the baby gate I purchase is a great one.
You are definitely planning ahead right. I know this sound strange, but a lot of people do not simply purchase this gate for their children. It is also used to stop their dogs from rampaging. I am talking those huge dogs that enjoy chewing on gates. If you do not have a child yet, it does not mean you can not use it. If you have a pet, it can be very useful. Not to mention it has an easy to remove function which you can use when you have to move furniture around so it will not get in the way.
Recently, my baby has begun to learn how to crawl around. Pretty soon, it will be hard to keep her safe from the stairs because with her anxiousness, she will probably be able to walk very soon.
The baby gate you recommended fits my needs perfect. My stairway is quite narrow, about 24 inches wide, and after seeing the product from your link to amazon, I looked into the specs and noticed the width of the gate is adjustable. And it’s adjustable within my desired width. To make it even better, I can even install it at a slight angle. Very nice. Thanks.
If your baby can start crawling then this is a perfect time to start. Yes, this gate can be installed at most a 30 degrees angle and still remain secure. Just make sure you screw the two ends into something secure to be safe.
My wife and I haven’t had children in our newest house until our son made us grandparents. Now we often have her with us and now she is getting around the house quite well. We do have a basement that has the old wooden unfinished stair that are hard and would be no fun to fall down. A baby gate is a must for us and will be looking into purchase of this item soon.
Do you think I would be wasting money by buying one that is cheaper? It is in an area that doesn’t get seen so a cheaper looking one would work for us. We also want one that will get the job done if she was to wander over to the stairs. Thanks for the education. I will check back soon when we purchase a baby gate.
A cheaper gate will probably work, but it really depends on how aggressive your grandchild is. To be honest, a lot of baby gates are quite flimsy out there. Like you said, that old basement stair case does not sound like a good place for a child to fall down into. The baby gate I discussed in this article is super secure so that is why it is worth the extra bucks. If you buy a cheaper gate and you have to constantly replace it, then the costs can end up being much higher for you.
Thank you so much for the great article. Is there a Brand or type that you can recommend ? My daugther seems to be able to climb right over the one we have. Plus we also can not fix it to the wall since we are in a rented appartment. Would appreciate any recommendation you have.
How old is your daughter? It sounds like your daughter is old enough in which a baby gate can not stop her. If she is at least two years old, then no baby gate can help you. You can only rely on adult supervision and lots of patient coaching for her.
I wish I had this information when my kids were young. It would have saved me lots of time and money.
I remember trying several pressure mounted ones until I finally decided to get one that was hardware mounted. I avoided the hardware mounted version because I believed that it would have been difficult to install compared to the pressure mounted ones. In the end, my children can easily topple them over which made me realize that I have to get over my comfort zone and pick up the drill.
To my surprise, it was not that hard. In fact, it was a lot of fun. The hardware mounted baby gate was a lot more secure too. What a difference to learn that that was a safer choice. ( By then I had my second child).
I can recommend this to my pals since I do not think I will be using anymore kids.
Yep, you got it spot on. If you own your own place, or got approval from the landlord, I always recommend you go for the hardware mounted gate for the security and the safety of your child. It would be a nice one time investment also instead of shuffling through different pressure mounted gates. Tell your buddies about it. They will most likely love it.
I am so happy to have found this site. Someone very close to me is getting ready to have her first child and having this kind of information is going to be very important to her and her husband. I am definitely going to share this site with her.
I see videos all the time where children are climbing over gates, beds, etc. and I am horrified by all the ways youngsters can harm themselves in these situations. Kids can not seem to keep their energies to themselves apparently.
Your gate will keep them behaving hopefully.
Yea, you are right. Kids can not seem to contain their energies in their tiny little vessels. It makes me jealous sometimes, but I feel more concerned than jealousy when I see my daughter walking towards the top of the staircase with nothing stopping her. I hope this gate can help your friends relieve some of their stress.