Sometimes you would want to keep certain areas of the home off limits to your little one, but doing this could be daunting if you plan on skipping the baby gates.
The best baby gates have been specially designed to make it easy for you to baby proof your house without placing any objects or obstacles that could potentially harm your child.
We have set out and tested a few of these baby gates to see how they would work and if they will be functional in most homes as not all of them are designed to be useful in every home.
Our selection of baby gates was chosen on the fact that they were flexible enough to work in most of the homes and they are also safe for your baby to be around.
| Baby Gates Name | Size (wide) | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate | 29"-39" | $ | 5/5 |
| Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate | 28"-48" | $$ | 4.6/5 |
| North States Supergate Deluxe Décor Metal Gate | 38.3"-72" | $$$ | 4.3/5 |
| Munchkin Easy-Close Metal Safety Gate | 29.5"-35" | $$ | 4/5 |
| Regalo Home Accents Extra Tall Walk Thru Gate | 29"-44" | $$ | 4.7/5 |
But before we dive into the top baby gates, there are a few features that you will need to consider when it comes to selecting the best baby gates to keep your child safe and away from those areas that they should not be accessing.
Please bear in mind that some of these features may not be applicable to you. Depending on your home layout and design, you might be only requiring a few of them.
Best Baby Gates: What You Need to Know
How to Choose the Best Baby Gate
When you think of a baby gate, you might be fooled into thinking that all of them are usually the same, but that’s not the case. Unlike animal gates, your baby gate should contain at least a few of these features to ensure you get the best value for your money:
1. Durability
Initially, the durability might not be as important as you would think. But as your baby gets older, this will start playing a bigger role in ensuring your little one cannot move or even break it down.
Buying a durable baby gate from the onset will save you from having to go out and buy another one when they get older.
2. Sturdiness
No, sturdiness is not the same as durability, and the sturdiness of the gate will depend on how strong the baby is or if they are reluctant to try and fight the presence of the gate. Also, a sturdier gate will last longer as your child grows up.
3. No Harmful Objects
Sometimes, people tend to build their own gates or look for the cheapest knock off they could find, but the materials on these gates could potentially come off. As a result, if your baby decides to put it in their mouth, they could have some medical problems.
Also, you should ensure that there are no sharp objects on the gate that will allow the baby to harm themselves.
4. Locking Mechanism
What’s the point of having a child proof gate if the lock is not child proof? We do recommend that you take good care when selecting a baby gate and the way the gate locks should definitely be taken into consideration.
The better the lock you choose, the longer it will last before you need to buy a new one.
5. Use of the Gate
Certain gates are designed for certain areas of your home, and a doorway gate will not be the best choice for the top of stairs.
You should decide on the area or even areas of the home that you would like to be protected by the gate. Sometimes, this might cause you to buy more than one, but safety cannot really have a price tag.
6. Opening Mechanism
Most of the time, you will probably be carrying your baby when entering the area.
We recommend having an opening mechanism that is strong enough to keep out your baby, but easy enough for you to open with one hand. This will make life much easier for you when moving around in the house.
With these six features, you should be able to find the best baby gate for your home and specific needs. The prices may vary depending on a number of gates and many specific features you will be incorporating in it.
But the best baby gates are usually packed with all of the top features already included. Before we check out the best baby gates, you may have the lingering question of when you should invest in a baby gate, so we decided to look into that a little bit.
When Should You Buy a Baby Gate?
Baby gates are extremely useful when a baby is present, and they are also considered to be a lifelong investment. This means that you will be able to use them for every child you get and even when other children come to visit your home.
Although baby gates are the items you buy when in need of them, they should be bought even before the baby arrives. As people sometimes think they might not be needed, but it’s better to be prepared for your dogs, for example, before any problems pop up.
With that being said, and in hoping that you now fully understand some of the fundamentals and key features of baby gates, let’s get into the top five baby gates of 2020 and how these gates could make life a little easier for you:
Best Baby Gates 2020: Our Top 5 Picks
| Baby Gates Name | Size (wide) | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate | 29"-39" | $ | 5/5 |
| Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate | 28"-48" | $$ | 4.6/5 |
| North States Supergate Deluxe Décor Metal Gate | 38.3"-72" | $$$ | 4.3/5 |
| Munchkin Easy-Close Metal Safety Gate | 29.5"-35" | $$ | 4/5 |
| Regalo Home Accents Extra Tall Walk Thru Gate | 29"-44" | $$ | 4.7/5 |
Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate
The Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate has been designed for smaller areas and doorways. The gate must be pressurized between to areas to work optimally, and it also fits the openings of most walkways in your home.
The recommended size of the area for the gate is between 29 and 39 inches, which will give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to choosing the ideal mounting spot.
Extensions can also be added, and the gate will then easily fit between areas of up to 60 inches. This gate features a lever style safety lock, and it is tough enough for your children to open.
However, as they get older and they see you opening the gate, children will get used to the mechanics and how the opening mechanism works. Eventually, this will allow them to open the gate on their own.
The gate does also provide multifunctional use, and it has been certified by various companies to be safe for use for children as well as your pets.
The gate does not come with protective wall cups, which must be purchased separately, but they are also really cheap. This will keep the wall surface protected from damage and also ensure that your child does not get damaged from the sharp side edges.
This baby gate is available in multiple colors for you to choose from and will definitely be a perfect investment. The gate is extremely affordable, and the clear mounting instructions will make the setup and mounting of the gate easy for you.
We recommend this gate to all parents and pet owners to keep everyone in separate or one specific area of the home.
Pros
- Extremely sturdy
- Easy to mount and setup
- Strong opening lever
- Available in many different colors
- Well-priced
Cons
- Does damage the wall without the added wall cups
Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk-Thru Gate
The Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Walk Through gate is one of the most durable baby gates you can find on the market.
The gate has been constructed from metal, which will make it heavier than some of the smaller gates as well, thus meaning that your little one will have a very hard time trying to move the gate before being noticed.
Also, the gate must be pressure mounted between two areas to get the best use out of it, and it will fit between areas of 28-48 inches in width.
To stop the child from trying to get over, the gate is 36 inches tall, and this will frustrate them when trying to fool you and climb over.
Furthermore, this baby gate also features a dual locking system, which means that you can lock it from any angle and the auto-lock will lock the gate automatically once you pass through to ensure you do not accidentally forget to keep the gate closed.
The door can also be opened to both sides. In case you plan on mounting it close to the staircase, the added door stopper will keep the gate from opening towards the stairs.
Since this gate is extra tall, it should not be any surprise that it’s also heavier and a little more expensive, but the gate will last you for multiple years as your child grows older.
Also, the gate has been tested to keep out medium sized dogs and some of the larger ones as well. We highly recommend this gate for pet owners and parents with bigger babies.
Pros
- Extremely sturdy and durable
- Really heavy
- Easy to mount
- Provides multifunctional use
Cons
- Lacks in wall surface protection
- Doesn’t stay open when needed
North States Supergate Deluxe Décor Metal Gate
If decor is your primary concern, the North States Supergate Deluxe Metal Gate will be the perfect choice for your home. It gate is also extremely sturdy and features a metal construction that will help to make the gate more solid.
This gate has also been made for wider areas, and it will fit in between areas of 38.3 to 72 inches. And that’s a lot of flexibility!
Furthermore, the gate uses a childproof latch to keep it closed. This latch has been placed on both sides so that you can open the gate with one hand from any sides. The bronze finish should also look great in nearly any stylish and modernized home.
We highly recommend this gate for the upper-class parents. Since it is a little expensive, you will be happy to know that it’s extremely durable and also very sturdy. The added matte bronze color will look great in your hallway or even on top of the stairs.
Pros
- Extremely sturdy
- Provides lots of flexibility
- Easy to mount and setup
- Offer one handed opening use
- Elegant decor
Cons
- Most expensive on our list
Munchkin Easy-Close Metal Safety Gate
The Munchkin Easy-Close Metal Safety Gate is probably one of the best baby gates for stairs on our list, and it already features a protective plastic cover that will keep the wall surface protected.
The gate is quite small and does not provide much in terms of flexibility as it will only fit between areas of 29.5 to 35 inches in width.
However, the gate is made from durable metal materials, and when it has been pressure mounted, the gate will stay in place and has proven to be extremely sturdy in design.
Also, it can stay open when need and features a double locking mechanism that will easily be triggered by simply pushing the gate into the frame and locking automatically.
Finally, we do think the gate is a little overpriced, but it is one of the easiest to set up and does not require any additional hardware. The design is quite basic and will ensure that your baby does not enter any areas that you don’t want them to.
We highly recommend this gate for its simplistic design and the fact that it can easily be opened from either side. Yes, the price is a little expensive for what you get, but you will be making a good lifelong investment.
Pros
- Easy to mount and setup
- Includes wall protectors
- Really sturdy
- Very simplistic
Cons
- Quite expensive considering it is very basic
Regalo Home Accents Extra Tall Walk Thru Gate
Designed from hardwood and steel, the Regalo Home Accents Extra Tall Walk Thru Gate is one of the most stylish gates on our list, and the combination of materials used in the construction does certainly make it extremely sturdy and durable for your babies.
In details, the gate can be easily pressure mounted in areas ranging from 29-44 inches, and this will give you a lot of flexibility when it comes to setting up the gate.
With 38 inches in height, the gate will be very useful for keeping your child to try and get over as they become older. This will provide you with more value for your money and more longevity.
The gate has also been tested and certified by various companies to be safe for children and pets alike, and we believe that the price is quite affordable for the value you will receive.
The gate is definitely recommended for all parents with bigger children or dogs as it is quite easy to mount and dismount, allowing you to move the gate up and downstairs when needed.
Pros
- Durable and sturdy design
- Extremely stylish
- Easy to install
- Provides great flexibility
- Certified for baby use
- Perfect for bigger babies and dogs
- Affordable
Cons
- Does damage the wall surface without wall protectors (not included)
What Is Your Favorite Baby Gate?
Doing this article and checking out the baby gates turned out to be quite fun, and we hope that you have managed to make a decision on purchasing one for yourself.
In terms of recommendations, they are actually all great, but the Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate that we discussed first does come off as the winner. The gate is really well-priced and provides great flexibility for you as well.
We would like to thank you for reading this article, and please let us know what you thought of our selection and if we missed any of your favorites.
