Baby gate products fasten to door frames and stairs in one of two ways. Hardware mounted baby gates use screw-in brackets. Pressure mounted baby gates use screw-out pads that press against a door frame, wall or newel post. Pressure mounted gates are dead simple to install without tools, but hardware mounted gates offer far greater safety, which is the ultimate point of any baby gate.
Hardware mounted models are usually made of wood, aluminum, PVC or steel, and feature release latches for convenient adult access. While they can be placed in any opening in the house, they're usually placed at the top of stairs, which is why they're frequently referred to as stair gates.
Choosing the Right Fit
Unlike retractable baby gates, which extend to openings of different widths, the width of hardware gates depends on the width of the opening where they're being installed. Be sure to measure the width of your doorway or stairway to avoid purchasing a gate that's too wide or narrow. Most brands are between 28 and 42 inches wide, but wider gates and extensions are available. Standard heights range between 30 and 34 inches tall, with extra-tall models available; though children who are taller than this are probably too old for safety gates to be effective.
The Best Stair Gate
Baby gates are designed to be versatile enough to be reinstalled in different rooms, but a hardware mounted version is more or less permanent. Holes have to be drilled in the door frame, or through the frame's drywall, so the brackets cannot be nudged out of place. This makes them more secure than pressure mounted gates, and especially suited for stair gate usage. A top-of-stairs baby gate that slips out of position is worse than useless; it's positively dangerous, considering the potential length of the fall.
Unlike most pressure mounted gates, which feature a smaller gate in the middle of their frame, hardware mounted gates usually have their hinges on one side, so that the entire gate swings open when the adult release latch is pressed or squeezed. Latch mechanisms vary from brand to brand - ranging from electromechanical buttons to manual foot pedals.
Some units have spring-loaded hinges for them to close automatically. This is a great feature, since the additional step of closing the gate after walking through it can seem like a hassle at times, which leads to leaving it open. The whole point of a safety gate is to remain closed to children and pets when adults aren't present.
