Keep scrolling to see the top five stair gates we recommend. If you're keen to learn more before investing in a stair gate, we also weigh up the pros and cons of different types, and answer common queries such as where and when to buy a stair gate, how tall it should be, and how to dispose of an old one. Safety and stability: Did the gate shift once installed? Were there any sharp corners or edges? Were there any small gaps that might trap a child’s fingers? Is the gate well made? House plants can be poisonous: Move them up and out of the way. You may wish to lend larger ones to a friend for safekeeping. The downside to a stair gate is that they can be bulky and look cluttered, however the safety benefits of them outweigh this massively. There are even stair gates that can divide a large or open plan room, or fit around a fireplace.

Once we’d selected the 14 best stair gates for our shortlist, our tester, Katja Lakha, installed them one at a time in her home. Katja is a busy mum with three children (girls aged one and four, and a seven-year-old boy), so each gate was put through its paces. The gates were tested for at least one to two weeks each in busy areas of Katja’s home. Space A retracting or concertina stair gate is ideal for areas with restricted space or if you want the gate out of sight when it’s not in use. You can buy wide gates or extensions if the opening you want to cover is particularly big.Meets safety standards - Complies or exceeeds the requirements of EN1930, the safety standard for safety barriers including stair gates as well all the relevant clauses of the toy standard EN71Series. Lots of people use safety gates as dog gates for stairs and to keep pets in or out of certain rooms. While her baby-proofing days are now behind her, Lucy used (and reviewed) several stair gates with her two children when they were young, including both metal and retractable designs.

Hayley Jones, mum of three and blogger at Devon Mama Opens a new window, explains "A stairgate is a safety device that acts as a barrier to stop babies and young children (and pets!) from getting through. A baby gate for stairs usually goes at the top or bottom of a set of stairs, and creates a gated barrier between the two sides of the stairwell, stopping anyone from going up or down. The gate mechanism is designed so that it's not easy to open for young children or babies, but it can be easily undone by an adult to allow them through. It prevents accidental access, reducing the chance of your little one injuring themselves by being unattended on the stairs and falling down them." What type of baby stair gate should you buy? We tested the 14 most popular stair gates on the market, scoring them on six key areas before whittling them down to a final list the nine best stair gates, all of which scored a minimum of 40 points out of a possible 48. Stair gates can be used at the top of the stairs (to prevent your baby from falling down) and at the bottom (to stop them from climbing up). They can also be used to close off unsafe rooms and to temporarily add additional barriers to your home, whether that’s across a doorway or another narrow opening. When deciding which stair gate is best for you, it helps to work out what’s important to you before you buy. For example: To bring you our list of the best stair gates you can buy today, we first tapped into the wealth of knowledge in the Mumsnet forums, seeking tried and tested recommendations on the stair gates they’ve used and would happily recommend to others. Where possible, our parent-test Katja and her three children then put each stair gate through its paces, learning more about the key features and benefits of each product via everyday use. Best stair gates: at a glance

Pressure gates ALWAYS need to be fitted with wall cups, but with our Fred SecureHold™ adhesive, these can simply be fitted with adhesive against wood - though you’ll still need to use screws for fitting the wall cups to other surfaces. Reassuringly child-proof However, the very best stair gates won't just be secure and safe. They'll have simple instructions for a straightforward installation, and will be easy to open and close. Although the Safety 1st SecureTech Flat Step Safety Gate is the only pressure-fit gate that claims to be able to be used at the top of a staircase, we still think it’s preferable to use a screw-fit, wall-mounted gate wherever possible. This leaves far less room for error and, once the gate is installed correctly, it won’t shift even if your child pulls on it. There’s also no ground bar to cause a trip hazard. There’s nothing quite as exciting as watching your baby strike forward independently for the first time. Whether they’re commando creeping, crawling on all fours, or cruising the furniture like a pro, it's a moment that has many parents reaching for their cameras, desperate to capture those precious first moments. And then, as your baby inches closer and closer to the stairs which, previously, had been safely unattainable, reality hits: it’s time to baby proof. Some stair gates boast specific safety features, which can help to ensure your gate is installed and used in the safest possible way.

They come in a number of heights and widths; can fit across stairs, in doorways, or even across entire rooms; and are easy for adults to open one handed (useful when you have a baby on your hip!) while also being secure enough to withstand small, curious hands. The aim of Which? stair gate testing is to highlight potential issues and encourage manufacturers to take another look at their product and ensure it's the best and safest it can be. Pressure-fit and retractable stair gates are not a good option for the top of stairs because their design incurs a trip hazard and they are not as sturdy. When testing and selecting the best stair gates we considered, safety, ease of installation, suitability, fit and value.Tall safety gates: If your tiny tots are blessed with long legs or an adventurous spirit, it is worth shopping for extra tall gates to keep little escape artists safe. Is your home safe for little explorers? Selina Russel, in-house safety expert at Fred Safety, offers the following home baby proofing safety tips:

Screw-fit stair gates are mounted onto your walls, screwing into your wall or bannister. The major advantage of this style is that the gate is secure and won’t move around once it’s installed, but the screws will cause minor damage to your walls that will need filling when the gate is removed. Screw-fit gates can be used in a variety of ways: at the top or bottom of a staircase, or in a doorway or other narrow opening. Pressure-fit stair gates

Best Baby Gate Overview

Fred has created a range of gates that are unparalleled in their elegance and effectiveness.Made from the highest possible quality materials throughout, the sculpted Poplar wood taken from sustainable forests provides warm, elegantly finished protection in your home including this Screw Fit wooden stairgate Material A wooden or metal side-opening stair gate will need plenty of room to swing open, so you need to think about potential obstructions and whether it will be awkward to navigate around.