Baby Safety Gates are a necessity to keep your baby where you expect them to be once they start moving around on their own. Nothing is worse than needing a bathroom break with a toddler who is just starting to “get into everything.” Having a baby safety gate ensures that your little one is exactly where you left them. There are some excellent gates on the market and some terrible ones. I’ll outline some features of the best Baby Safety Gates and what to look for when buying. Then I’ll show a comparison of the best gates on the market.
Always Up to date Baby Safety Gate FAQ
Where do I need to use a Baby Safety Gate?
The typical places you’d need to use a baby gate are at the top or bottom of the stairs to prevent your baby from falling down while on the second floor and to prevent your baby from climbing halfway up the stairs and THEN falling down. I learned this lesson the hard way. You might also need a baby gate to keep your child in the living room or play room.
Do all baby safety gates open both ways
No, not all baby safety gates open both ways. Often you can set the gate to which way you want it to open.
What types of baby safety gates are there?
Most baby gates are able to be used in many different locations. There are baby safety gates designed for top of stairs / doorway / hallways and there are baby safety gates designed to create a small sectioned off “playroom” with just the gate. Most enclosure styles will need to mount to the wall to create the sectioned off area.
What is the most important information I need before buying
The most important information you need before buying your baby safety gate is: How big is the opening you’re trying to cover. Baby safety gates will have the width they expand to written in inches, so measure your opening to the largest inch.
Do I need to be a handyman to install these things?
Most baby safety gates come pressure mounted and include the tools you need to install the baby safety gate. Some of the larger “extra wide” baby gates require you to find a stud, drill pilot holes and screw anchor screws for the gate.
Best Baby Safety Gates – At a glance
| Picture | Product Name | Rating | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Picture | Product Name | Rating | Size |
 | Regalo Easy Walk Through Gate | 4.0 | 29-34 Inches |
 | Summer Infant Mult-use Extra Tall Gate | 4.5 | 28-48 Inches 36 Inches Tall |
 | Regalo Easy Open 50 inch | 3.6 | 29-50 Inches (with extensions) |
 | Carlson Extra wide Walk through w/ Pet Door | 4.3 | 28-44 inches (with extensions) |
 | North States Supergate Easy Close | 4.6 | 29-38.5 |
 | North States Superyard 3 in 1 Gate | 4.7 | 144 inches unlimited extendibility |
 | Regalo 192 inch Supergate | 4.4 | 192 inches |
 | Northstate superyard light gate | 4.4 | 240 inches |
 | North States superyard ultimate play yard | 4.3 | 240 inches Unlimited expandability |
Some things to consider while buying
How often will the stairs / doorway be in use?
If your stairs or door/hallway are a high traffic area you will want a baby safety gate that opens and closes very quickly.
Do you need to carry items through the gate?
If you’re carrying laundry or even a child, you’ll need a baby safety gate that can be opened with one hand.
Do you want to section off an area of a room?
There are extra-long or extra wide baby safety gates that are specially designed for creating a small sectioned off play area for your baby. This is helpful for when your little one outgrows their playpen, but aren’t old enough to play by themselves in the living room
Can my child climb out?
Some baby safety gates have a cross bar to support the gate. If you choose a brand that has a support cross bar, be aware that your little one may be able to climb out if left unsupervised for a short period of time.
Does the gate auto-close or stay open?
One of the best features I’ve found for a baby safety gate is having a gate that both closes behind you automatically and stays open if you need it to.
Can it sit on carpet or tile floor?
If you want your gate to stand securely on carpet you’ll need to mount the gate to the wall using the supplied hardware or you’ll need to connect the gate as an enclosure. Most gates do not have enough surface area to stand on carpet without other support.
Top 5 Baby Safety Gates
Not all baby safety gates are made equal. The ones listed in the “At a Glance” section are good ones – here I’ll reveal what makes them the top rated gates and what great features each one has.
North States Superyard 3 in 1
Size: 144 inches or 10 sqft
The North States Superyard comes in the box with 144 inches of gate, but is expandable to an unlimited length.
The gate itself is single hand use with a double locking mechanism that requires you to lift the gate while engaging the unlock mechanism – easily accomplished using one hand, but very difficult for a child to figure out.
The Superyard baby safety gate can be connected all together to form an enclosure that is 10sqft if set up with only what comes in the box, or it can be wall mounted to section off a room or protect your little one from a fireplace or falling down stairs. The gate has pivot points in every section, so you will be able to mount your gate on angled walls. The Superyard is easily installed, however if you’re going to use the wall mounting option you’ll need a drill and screwdriver to complete the installation. The lower wall mount is adjustable to take into consideration high baseboards.
The gate will stay open if it is set in a specific spot, or will auto close if you walk through and do not set it to stay open.
This gate has no crossbar support, so your child will not be able to climb out, and this gate is nearly impossible to knock over – I have tried and failed, even when it was not mounted to the wall.
This is one of the most popular gates on Amazon. If you’re looking for an enclosure style gate, this one has all the features you need to keep your child safe. For the price, it’s an excellent buy.
Summer Infant Multi-Use Extra Tall
Size: 28-48 inches wide – 36 inches tall
This baby safety gate has an auto-locking feature and the door swings both ways. The door is easily operated using one hand, but does not offer a “stay open” option. This baby safety gate is pressure mounted, but can also be mounted using hardware – recommended for top of the stairs. If your gate is mounted at the top of the stairs there is a door stop to prevent the gate from swinging out over the stairs – an excellent safety feature.
This gate does not have any crossbars so you can be assured that your child will not be able to climb over it.
If your main goal is to section off a room or doorway, then this gate will do the job exceedingly well. Quick to install and easy to use – this gate is a great buy.
North States Supergate Easy Close –
Size : 28-38.5 inches
North States holds the top two spots for highest rated gates on Amazon.
This baby safety gate is specifically designed for a doorway or hallway / between rooms. The gate is meant to be installed via pressure mount and includes all the tools you’ll need for installation. This gate also includes bumpers to ensure that the pressure mount won’t damage your walls.
The baby safety gate has a both the self-close and the hold-open features, and this gate is easily usable with one hand – perfect for carrying babies or item through the gate.
This gate does not have any cross bars, so you can be sure that your child will not be able to climb this gate.
If your main goal is to section off a room or doorway, then this gate will do the job exceedingly well. Quick to install and easy to use – this gate is a great buy.
Regalo 192inch Supergate
Size: 192 inch or 19 sqft
This baby safety gate is flexible and easy to use. If you want an easily portable baby enclosure that requires no tools to set up, this Regalo will fit that need. It folds up accordion style for easy portability, enabling you to lay it flat in your car. It is durable enough to be used inside or outside. It is also extendable; you could combine two gates to get double the room, or you could buy individual expansion panels to extend your gate as large as you need.
The Regalo also comes with a double secure locking feature that ensures that your child won’t be able to get out if you’re not around. The handle of the double lock feature is red, which some people claimed drew their toddler’s attention. The lock is easily maneuvered with one hand, so you will be able to carry items through the gate with no issues.
The Regalo is a good buy and if you need the extra space this one offeres an advantage over the North States Superyard.
Northstate Superyard Light
Size: 240inches or 18.5sqft
The Northstate superyard is meant to be a portable enclosure. Offering 18.5 square feet of play space in a package that folds down accordion style that weighs less than 20lbs and comes with a transportation strap, this is the ideal baby safety gate to travel with.
The Northstate superyard is not meant to be a permanent solution and so does not come with mounting brackets, but it does boast being able to work on any surface (when it is all connected).
This baby safety gate is weather resistant and can be used indoor or outdoor.
There is an extension kit available, but it does not have unlimited expandability. The max you can extend it is to eight panels or 34.4 sqft. This gate also has no entry way, so you’ll need to pick your child up over the gate, or disconnect a panel to get in and out. Still, for the price and the size of it, it’s a very good purchase to use as an outside baby safety gate.