Baby Gate Suggestions Needed!!

i ordered my gates from the One Step Ahead catalog they have a really good selection. I think they are online also.

We have had many baby gates with our 5 children and our 4 dogs. Most work like they should. I have found that the wooden-less expensive ones, are pretty easy to knock down, if the child/dog is determined. I like the plastic ones that lock in place, with a wedge things, and they don't leave marks on your railings as much. REMEMBER Before buying new ones, please check out Craigslist, Recycle Kids, Angel Babies, Children's Orchard, and maybe even Freecycle, since it isn't garage sale time. There are ALWAYS baby gates at all of these places, and in perfect working order, for a fraction of the price. Most of the time, if you need one, you usually could use two... (Up and Down stairs) You could even try Goodwill or Salvation Army if you are up to it, That is where I take everything when I am finished using it.
Good Luck.

I haven't used either, and honestly can't tell you the brand of ours, since it's been so long. But, we have a wider staircase and ran in to the same problems. We actually ended up getting ours at PetSmart for a fraction of the price of a "baby" gate, so I would tell youto consider looking at pet gates too. They serve the same function, but are lower priced since the name "baby" isn't in it. Good luck!

I got my baby gate at Babies R Us about 5 years ago. It is made by Summer Infant. It is metal and it goes from 28 inches to 47.5 inches. I loved it. It is a walk through gate. It is extra tall at 36 inches. So when holding a baby I did not have to bend so far down to open it. It goes to the 47.5 inches with an added part. I want to say that you used to be able to buy more of the pices if you needed them but not sure. Just a thought for you. I would check out craigslist or your local newspaper for gates for sale. I do not trust resale shops to know if all the pieces are there as well as to know why it is being sold.

I have the retractable gate and love it! It's at the top of our stairs. At the bottom, I didn't want to add anymore holes so I used a thin card table and stuck it between the spindles. Not very attractive, but it kept the kids downstairs when I wanted them there. The card table is only half as wide as a regular card table, something you would use as a "buffet" at parties.
Good luck!

I found gates for a lot less in Pet stores. Yes not all pet gates work for children. Worth a look.

Hi A.,

My response will not be a popular one (and trust me I've heard it all), but I ran into the same problem with our stairs....all the gates were too small, didn't want to spend a fortune or damage walls, etc. So, in the end I decided not to use a gate and see what happened. Honestly, it was the best and easiest decision I could make! We had about 2 weeks where I was constantly monitoring the baby, walking behind her, turning her around, etc., etc., but after that life was way easier! I of course still watch her but am not as paranoid and she is very proficient on her own. She uses the stairs much better than many of her peers and I know she's safe no matter where we go, even if the place has stairs and no gate.

This may not be the choice for you and I totally understand but I just wanted to let you know that it may be an option to consider! Good luck finding what you need!

I don't have experience with either gate, but we looked for a long time for a gate that would close off a large area and after we had no more need for it, I opened up the Fosters and Smith catalog (for pets) and there was a large variety of larger gates which looked like they would work just as well for kids as dogs... not that you need more choices, but just in case :)

A.,

Go to Lowes they have a great baby gate for stairs my son has it in his house for his daughter

My nephew and his wife have five kids and they used this thing that resemebled a gate like play yard for their kids and it gave them enough room to play in and keep them out of danger. They love it as now the youngest one is a year old.

a very late response! We made our own gate using plastic lattice & flat solid wood molding. We designed the gate to open in the middle, with both sides securely attached to the walls. (this would also attach securely to wooden railings/balusters. A little bit of wood putty when you remove the gate & no one would be able to tell you'd had a gate there!)

Anyway, the reason we chose this design was so that the gate could open all the way & rest "open" against the walls without impeding traffic when not needed. We geared the design to blend with our decor....so there are many options! We also used brass hardware to spiff it up, including the center latch which is very secure & fairly baby-proof (by age 3, most children can work the latch!)

We are well past the baby stage, but still use the gate for my childcare & for our pets. I find great irony that my Grandmother always used a gate for her dogs & now I have one!