10 Best Baby Gates to Keep Your Little One Safe

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Looking for the best baby gate for your little explorer?

We've got the best baby gates for stairs, fabric baby gates, retractable baby gates, and more, chosen by our community of moms on Peanut.

In this article: 📝

What are the best baby gates?

So what’s the best baby gate on the market?

Well, it depends on where you’re going to use the baby gate, what sort of baby gate you want, and how you want to open the baby gate.

So we asked our mama community on Peanut about their favorite baby gates, so you can make the right decision for you and your little adventurer.

What’s the best baby gate for stairs?

1. Regalo Easy Step 38.5-Inch Extra Wide Walk Thru Baby Gate

This Regalo baby gate is one of the most popular baby gates for stairs among our Peanut mamas.

It’s a great top of stairs baby gate, a flexible and adjustable baby gate for difficult stairs, and, according to some Peanut moms, even works as a baby gate for stairs with banisters.

Colors: White

Width: Between 29” ‒ 34” and 35” ‒ 38.5”

Height: 30”

Price: $44.99

What is the best retractable baby gate?

2. EasyBaby Indoor Outdoor Retractable Baby Gate

After a retractable baby gate that you can easily open to the width of your doorway, without the bulk of a normal baby gate?

This retractable baby gate is easy to open, meets safety standards, and can be completely retracted when not in use.

Colors: Black, gray, white

Width: Up to 55”

Height: 33”

Price: $45.72+

What’s the best extra-wide baby gate?

3. Regalo Easy Open 47-Inch Super Wide Walk Thru Baby Gate

Another Regalo baby gate on our list, this is a great option for wide doorways and narrower doorways.

You can use it as a hallway baby gate or even a stair baby gate, for extra-wide stairs.

Colors: White

Width: Between 29” ‒ 34.5”, 39” ‒ 42” and 44.5” ‒ 47”

Height: 30”

Price: $44.99

What’s the widest baby gate?

4. Regalo 192-Inch Super Wide Adjustable Baby Gate and Playard

Want an even wider baby gate?

This playpen and baby gate is a great solution ‒ you can either attach it to itself for an easy playard or use the wall mounts to secure it to a wall.

Ideal if you want a baby gate to keep baby in one area of a room.

Colors: White

Width: Up to 192” (8 x 24” panels)

Height: 30”

Price: $109.99

What’s the best extra-tall baby gate?

5. Summer Extra Tall Decor Safety Baby Gate

If your little one isn’t so little, but you still want to keep some areas baby-free, tall baby gates can be a great option.

And the Summer extra-tall baby gate is the top of the tops, according to our Peanut moms!

Colors: Black, dark gray

Width: 28” to 38.25”

Height: 36”

Price: $64.99

What’s the best outdoor baby gate?

6. Evenflo Play Space Outdoor Baby Gate

Yes, this is technically an outdoor playpen, but you can re-size it to work as an outdoor baby gate.

Light and easy to assemble, our Peanut mamas love the versatility of the Evenflo outdoor baby gate.

Colors: Cool gray, cream, multi-color

Width: Up to 18 square feet

Height: 28”

Price: $67.99

What’s the best mesh baby gate?

7. Evenflo Soft and Wide Baby Gate

Fabric baby gates can be ideal if your little one has a tendency to run about the house.

After all, a fabric baby gate, or mesh baby gate, is significantly softer than a metal baby gate!

And this Evenflo baby gate is the best of the mesh!

Colors: Emery

Width: 38” ‒ 60”

Height: 27”

Price: $53.99

What’s the best freestanding baby gate?

8. Toddleroo by North States Freestanding Baby Gate

Ideal as a baby gate for bottom of stairs with only one wall or as a fireplace baby gate, freestanding baby gates don’t need to be mounted to a wall.

This Toddlerroo by North States freestanding baby gate is even more flexible ‒ if you want extra support, you can affix it to the wall, too.

Colors: Gray

Width: Up to 34.4 square feet

Height: 26”

Price: $89.99

What’s the best wooden baby gate?

9. Evenflo Walk-Thru Wood Baby Gate

If you want to avoid a metal baby gate, how about opting for a wood baby gate instead?

There are a few on the market, but the best wooden baby gate, according to our Peanut moms, is the Evenflo wood baby gate from their Farmhouse collection.

Colors: Wood

Width: 30" ‒ 48"

Height: 32”

Price: $54.99

What’s the best pressure-mounted baby gate?

10. Easy Walk-Thru Pressure-Mounted Baby Gate

Most baby gates are pressure-mounted ‒ this means that they press against the two walls without the need to drill holes in your walls.

Ideal for renters, pressure-mounted baby gates are easy to install, and this Evenflo baby gate is one of the quickest and easiest when it comes to assembly.

Colors: Tan, white

Width: 29" ‒ 39"

Height: 32”

Price: $63.99

How many baby gates do I need?

It depends on the layout of your home ‒ most families only need two baby gates, at the top and bottom of the stairs.

If you only want to buy one baby gate and you have stairs in your house, install one at the top of the stairs rather than the bottom ‒ it’s easier to stop baby from climbing up stairs than falling down them.

But if your home doesn’t have any stairs, you may not need a baby gate.

However, some of our Peanut moms prefer to also install a baby gate in the doorway to their kitchen ‒ a retractable baby gate can be great here, so you can keep it open unless you’re cooking.

What is the safest baby gate?

Most baby gates have passed all the necessary safety checks, but as for the most safe baby gate, that all depends on where it’s installed and how it’s installed.

Always be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when assembling and installing your baby gate so it’s as safe as possible.

How tall is a baby gate?

Most baby gates are between 28” ‒ 32” tall, but you can get taller baby gates that you can use for older babies and children or even for pets that you want to keep out of certain areas.

At what age are baby gates no longer needed?

Once baby starts to crawl, a baby gate can be a worthwhile investment to help keep them safe ‒ a crawling baby is surprisingly fast!

But when baby turns about 2 years old, or when they start to climb over or unlock the baby gate (believe us, they’ll learn from watching you!), it could be time to retire the baby gate.

What age can a child go up and down stairs alone?

Generally, from between 2-3 years old, your child can usually walk up and down the stairs by themselves.

But at this age, they should still be supervised when walking on or around the stairs, as their walking may not be confident ‒ if they’re rushing, a trip could be easy at this age.

Does a 3-year-old need a baby gate?

Not necessarily ‒ some of our Peanut moms get rid of their baby gates when baby’s about 2 years old, but if you’d prefer to use a baby gate when your child is 3 years old, that’s totally up to you, mama.

What age groups use baby gates?

Typically, as soon as baby is crawling ‒ on the move ‒ it’s time to look into baby gates.

Then, by the time they’re around 2 or 3 years old, or when they can climb over or unlock the baby gate, it’s time to stop using it.

When to get rid of baby gates

From about 2-3 years old, you may notice that your child is starting to climb over their baby gate.

Or that they’re learning how to unlock it, from about 18 months of watching you do it!

At this point, a lot of parents choose to retire their baby gates.

Do you really need baby gates?

If you have stairs in your house, yes, baby gates are an essential piece of kit to help keep your baby safe.

But if you don’t have stairs in your house, it’s totally up to you.

A baby gate can be part of baby proofing your house or just to keep baby away from a certain area, like the kitchen, a space with delicate ornaments, or even a room just for pets.

Do you need baby gate at bottom of stairs?

It’s up to you ‒ it's recommended to put a baby gate at the top and bottom of your stairs, but if you only want to have one, you should prioritize the top of your stairs.

What can I use instead of a baby gate?

There are a few alternatives to baby gates, although some may not be all that effective ‒ some even encourage baby to crawl or climb over them.

Playpens and play yards can be safe alternatives to baby gates ‒ in fact, some of our baby gates on this list can also be used as playpens.

But things like cushions or other objects piled on top of each other, like books or other furniture, aren’t suitable as baby gate alternatives.

Softer items like cushions encourage baby to climb over them or dismantle them, while things piled on top of each other can topple and harm baby.

What is the difference between a pet gate and a baby gate?

While they’re very similar, there are a few key differences between baby gates and pet gates.

Pet gates tend to be taller ‒ your dog or cat can jump much higher than baby can!

Baby gates also tend to be lighter than pet gates, and less durable ‒ after all, baby won’t do as much chewing as your puppy will!

So that’s all there is to know about baby gates and how to make the best choice for you and your little explorer.

Got any questions for our community of mamas? Join us on Peanut!

Stay safe!

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