Baby Safety Gates: How to Choose the Right One (Stairs, Doors, Retractable, Screw-Fit or Pressure-Fit)?

Is your baby starting to crawl towards the stairs? In Morocco, many families live in a duplex, a villa or a house with stairs up to the roof terrace, often in marble or tiles. A fall happens quickly: between 0 and 6 years, falls are the most common accident in the home, the French Ministry of Health's prevention guide points out.

A safety gate keeps your baby away from danger, but each model has its place. Top or bottom of the stairs, kitchen door, wide living-room opening: here is how to choose the right type and the right width, install it properly, maintain it and avoid the most common mistakes.

At what age should you install a safety gate?

Before your baby gets around on their own. Nationwide Children's Hospital (United States) advises fitting gates at the top and bottom of every staircase, and between risky rooms, before the age of 6 months. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends installing them when your child is learning to crawl and walk.

• For what age? The European standard EN 1930 covers gates intended for children up to 24 months. Nemours KidsHealth talks of 6 months to 2 years.
• Until when? Remove the gate as soon as your child can open or climb it, ideally at around 2 years.
• And after that? Teach them to go up and down holding the handrail, and do not let them use the stairs alone until they are able to.

A gate never replaces your watchful eye: it gives you time to react while your baby explores. To follow their progress, read our article on first steps.

What are the different types of safety gate?

The right model depends first of all on where you put it. This table sums up the main families:

As for materials, metal is slim and sturdy, while wood blends in with the living room. Both are fine, provided the gate meets the standard and suits where it is fitted. A bed guard is a completely different product: we cover it further down.

Screw-fit or pressure-fit gate: which should you choose?

• At the top of the stairs: screw-fit only. The AAP recommends gates securely fixed to the wall structure, and Nationwide Children's Hospital advises using only screw-fit models. A pressure-fit gate can tip over if a child pushes hard, and the floor bar on some models can trip an adult.
• At the bottom of the stairs and between two rooms: a pressure-fit gate is suitable, according to Nemours KidsHealth.
• Moroccan walls: concrete, brick, plaster and marble are not drilled in the same way. Use the right wall plugs and, on marble or zellige tiles, call in a tradesperson.
• If you rent: pressure-fit is enough at the bottom of the stairs; for the top, ask your landlord for permission to drill.

How do you choose the right gate width?

Measure before you buy, Nemours KidsHealth advises, so that the gate covers the whole opening. Measure from wall to wall, or from the wall to the banister post, at floor level and at hand height: walls are not always straight.

• Width range: each model states a minimum and maximum width.
• Extensions: they add a few centimetres (7, 14 or 18 cm depending on the brand). Never exceed the number of extensions allowed by the instructions.
• Wide openings: a retractable gate such as the Badabulle Safe & Roll covers a passage up to 140 cm.
• Height: at least three-quarters of your child's height (KidsHealth).
• Gaps: no more than 5 cm between the floor and the bottom of the gate, and no more than 6 cm between two bars (KidsHealth).

Bring your measurements to the showroom in Maârif, Casablanca, to compare fixing systems, or browse all our safety gates, delivered anywhere in Morocco.

From the shop

Gates and extensions for stairs and doorways

Self-closing and retractable models, in metal or wood, and extensions to adjust the width.

• Safety 1stAuto-close safety gate white Safety 1stView product
• BadabulleSafe & Roll retractable safety gate BadabulleView product
• BadabulleSafe & Lock safety gate metal BadabulleView product
• BadabulleDeco Pop wooden safety gate grey BadabulleView product
• Safety 1st7 cm safety gate extension White Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1st14 cm safety gate extension White Safety 1stView product
• BadabulleSafe and Lock 7 cm safety gate extension BadabulleView product
• BadabulleSafe and Lock 18 cm safety gate extension BadabulleView product
• The whole aisle · All safety gatesDelivered anywhere in Morocco, free from 300 DH.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Please check price and availability on the product page.

What should you check before buying a safety gate?

• The EN 1930 standard (NF EN 1930 in France) on the packaging or instructions: this is the European standard for child safety gates.
• Where it may be used: the instructions state whether the model can go at the top of stairs.
• The locking system: a two-step opening, easy for an adult, hard for a toddler.
• The opening direction: at the top of stairs, the gate must never open out over the steps.
• Self-closing if you go through often with your hands full.
• Nothing to climb on: avoid horizontal bars that act as a ladder and old accordion-style gates, whose V-shaped openings can trap an arm or the neck (AAP, KidsHealth).
• A complete gate: be wary of second-hand models without instructions or original parts.

How do you install a stair gate properly?

1. Read the instructions in full and stick to the location intended by the manufacturer.
2. At the top: screw the gate in at landing level, never on a step, with the gate opening towards the landing.
3. At the bottom: fit it at the foot of the first step, so your baby cannot start climbing.
4. Shake the gate firmly: it should neither move nor tip.
5. Check that no gap lets a head, arm or foot through.
6. Move large toys and other objects, such as a toy box or small piece of furniture, away: a child can use them to climb over (KidsHealth).

Maintenance: good habits

• Every week, check the screws, and the tension on pressure-fit models, which can loosen.
• Test the closing: the gate should lock every time.
• Clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, with no abrasive product on wood.
• Keep the instructions and spare parts.

What mistakes should you avoid with a safety gate?

If your child falls despite everything, watch for the warning signs described in our article my baby has fallen on their head.

Bed guards: what are they for and from what age?

A bed guard has nothing to do with a stair gate. It slides under the mattress of a big bed to stop your child rolling onto the floor at night, when they move to a big-kid bed.

• From age 2: the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) intends bed rails for children aged 2 to 5 who can get in and out of an adult bed on their own, and asks that they never be used before age 2. Some packaging says "from 18 months": to be on the safe side, follow the 2-year guideline.
• No gaps: gaps around bed rails have already trapped young children and caused the deaths of infants. The guard must sit flush against the mattress.
• Never for a baby: before age 2, your baby sleeps on their back, in their own empty cot. Go over the rules for safe sleep.

For a child over 2, choose the length to suit the bed: for example the Safety 1st 150 cm bed guard for a wide bed, or a 90 cm model for a child's bed.

How do you make the rest of the home safe?

A gate deals with stairs and doorways. For the rest, a few simple accessories complete the protection:

• socket covers on all sockets at child height;
• cupboard and drawer locks for cupboards with household products;
• corner protectors for coffee tables and marble furniture;
• a door stopper against pinched fingers;
• locked windows and balconies, with no furniture underneath to climb on (DGCCRF).

Find them in our home safety aisle. To put your baby in a safe space for a few minutes, a playpen can also help: see our guide to choosing a playpen.

From the shop

To make the rest of the home safe

Socket covers, drawer locks, corner protectors and a door stopper for the rooms your baby moves around in.

• Safety 1stSocket covers 12 pieces with 4 keys Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1stDrawer locks set of 7 Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1stMulti-purpose lock Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1stMulti-purpose lock white Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1stGel corner protectors x4 Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1stSoft corner protectors x4 Safety 1stView product
• Safety 1st2-in-1 door stopper Safety 1stView product
• SaroCabinet handle lock SaroView product
• The whole aisle · All home safetyDelivered anywhere in Morocco, free from 300 DH.Open the aisle

Products sold by La Maison du Bébé, publisher of this magazine. Please check price and availability on the product page.