The most important baby proofing device to install in your home is a top of stairs baby gate. If your house has stairs, securing them should be one of the first things to take care of before your baby starts exploring on its own. Neglecting it could have catastrophic results.
In the article you are reading I will provide you with a list of the best top of stairs baby gates. All of them are gates that have very good reviews and feedback from customers around the world. These are products that you can trust!
The Best Baby Gates For Top of Stairs
1. Cardinal Gates Stairway Special Gate
What puts this gate at the top is the flexibility of use. If you have a flat-to-flat surface, like a baluster and wall, you can mount this gate. If you have wall-to-banister at the top of your stairs, you can also use this gate. Or if the two surfaces aren’t directly across from one another, you can still get a secure mount. This gate can be angled up to 30 degrees to make it fit just about anywhere.
Out of the box the height is 29.5 inches and width is 42.5 inches, and can be downsized to 27 inches. If the opening towards your stairway is wider you can buy extensions. There are two different extensions available:
- 10.5 inches, if your opening is between 42.5 and 53 inches
- 22 inches, if your opening is between 49 and 64 inches
By taking advantage of these extensions, this product can be considered an extra wide top of stairs baby gate.
If white is not your color of choice, you can also get the Stairway Special in brown and black.
I often get questions about finding a baby gate for top of stairs with banister. Not all gates is made for installing when the stair banister are more challenging. Some of you might even have nice banisters cut from wood that you don’t want to drill holes in. With the stairway special you can get a mounting kit for attaching to round newel posts or banisters. Check it out here.
In my mind this is without a doubt the best baby gate for top of stairs.
Key features:
- One-way opening
- One handed latch system that is easy for adults to open, but impossible for babies
- Auto lock hardware mounting
- Extremely flexible. Fits just about anywhere
- A bit expensive, but you get a great product for your money
2. Regalo 2-in-1 Extra Wide Stairway
Here is a gate that is super easy to install. All you need is 15 minutes and some tools. The hardware is bracket-based and is customizable to fit your needs.
The best feature is probably the sturdy construction and durability of the product. It is one of those gates that will last years and years. This is a gate that is made with the top of stairs in mind, and Regalo has done a great job with it.
Although the idea behind this gate is to use it in stairways, it can just as well be mounted in doorways and hallways. It works great for children between 6 and 24 months. If you want, you can use it as a pet gate as well.
As almost all baby gates that are meant for top of stairs, this one needs to be hardware mounted. The only drawback of this gate is that it can only be mounted with the hinge on the right side when facing the closed gate.
Key features:
- Made from steel. Very durable and strong
- Great price!
- It is 28.75 inches tall and fits openings between 24 inches and 40.5 inches.
- One handed operation that is hard for kids to open but easy for grown ups
- Only one way opening
3. Summer Banister and Stair Gate
This is another option for all of you who are searching for a baby gate for top of stairs with banisters. Compared to the Stairway Special Gate, this one is something else.
It is the only wooden baby gate made for stairs on this list. For those of you that have nice wooden banisters, this might be the ideal stylish option for you. Made from wood with a honey oak finish.
Summer Infant has made the installation of the Banister and Stair Gate very easy. You can mount it banister to banister, banister to wall or wall to wall. If you mount it on square shaped banisters, you don’t need any drilling. Both of the installation kits are included.
Key features:
- One handed operation
- Great if you need a stylish baby gate to use where you have one or two banisters
- The gate is 33 inches tall and fits openings between 32 inches and 48 inches
- Made from sturdy wood
- A bit expensive compared to some of the other gates
4. Munchkin Extending Tall and Wide Baby Gate
I wanted to include an option to those of you who have a wide opening but is hesitant to buy the Stairway Special with extensions. A lot of research led me to this grate gate from Munchkin.
This gate can be mounted in opening from 33 to 56 inches and is 36 inches tall. That is about 6 inches taller than a standard height baby gate.
Can be used as a one way gate in stairways or as two way gate in hallways or doorways. As with almost every gate, the handle is hard to use for babies, but easy for grown ups.
The gate is all steel with a plain white modern design.
Key features:
- One handed latch
- Fits wider openings than a standard baby gate
- Also taller than a standard gate
Top of Stairs Baby Gate – General Advice
When Should I get one?
The sooner, the better. I recommend to begin looking for the best safety gate to fit your situation even before having your baby. That way you have an idea in mind. However, if you are already beyond that point, be sure to get a baby gate before your bundle of joy starts crawling.
Safety gates are intended for children that are 6 months old to about 2 years old. Some may even last up to 3 years of age. After that, your toddler may understand how to open the gate on their own, so it should no longer be used for their safety. If you want to know more about when you should remove a gate, check out this article.
What Kind of Baby Gate is Suitable for the top of stairs?
Since this list is devoted to those used at the top of stairs, you are going to need a hardware-mounted gate.
A hardware-mounted safety gate for the top of stairs is the most secure for this location. Such gates are made of various materials with wood, steel, or aluminum the most used. Steel brackets get screwed into a door frame or into walls—but never into drywall or plaster, as these crumble easily and dislodge the gate. If you do have drywall or plaster, you should localize the framing behind the wall surface.
You will need a one-direction opening gate. Installation should make certain that the door opens towards the landing, never the stairs. Most of the good baby gates for top of stairs do have some kind of mechanism that prevents the gate from opening over the stairs.
Always measure the opening to make sure the gate will fit correctly. Not only is it annoying if you can’t get it installed, many of the home made modifications can be unsafe and dangerous.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Pressure Mounted Gates
You should never use pressure mounted baby gates for the top of stairs. There are two main reason to avoid them:
- The first reason is that the friction between the pressure pads and the wall may not be big enough to withstand the force of a child leaning or falling against the gate. Should your gate fail in this way, it will often result in serious injury.
- A pressure mounted gate needs to have a horizontal bar under the gate door to transfer the pressure between the two walls. As you can imagine, the bar represents a tripping hazard. At other locations (for example between the kitchen and living room) such a hazard can be accepted, but at the top of stairs it is very dangerous.
ALSO NOTE: Never Buy Out-dated Gates
I’m talking about those hand-me-downs from people who had kids before you were born. These models are no longer considered safe by standards set forth by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) or the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM). How do you know you’ve gotten an obsolete model? First, there might be diamond-shaped spacing or V-shaped ones between the slats. Other models look like fold-able accordions. In any case, be careful if you choose to use an old baby gate at the top of stairs. Use your best judgement and test if the gate is safe enough. If you have the slightest doubt, chuck it out!
How do I Know I Bought a Quality Gate?
First, I already mentioned the Juvenile Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the certifying body of all baby safety products and materials used in child toys and other articles. The standards set forth by the JPMA address certain issues like the gate’s strength, finger and toe entrapment, latch integrity, and gate dimensions. When you find a top of stairs baby gate that suits your needs, do your homework and check to make sure the model has a JPMA sticker on the packaging or something mentioned on the product’s online listing.
These brands offer hardware-mounted safety gates for top of stairs with JPMA certifications:
- Cardinal Gates
- Evenflo
- Retract-A-Gate
- KidCo
- Tee-Zed Products Dream Baby
- Regalo
- Munchkin
- Summer Infant
What Should I Keep in Mind?
Probably the most dire point to keep in mind when buying a safety gate for top of stairs is to shop comparatively. Some gates are better than others depending on what kind of stairs you have in your home and how much traffic that staircase sees.
Other things to remember include:
- Cats and Dogs
- Other children
- Type of walls (when mounting)
- Shape of the staircase
- Size of the opening/hallway
- Height of the railing
- Flooring – Carpet? Wood? Linoleum?
- Indoor or outdoor
- Structural integrity
- Convenience
Baby Gate for Top of Stairs With Banister
If I should list the questions I get from parents about baby gates for top of stairs, the question about banisters would be first on my list. A lot of people have questions about it, and feel that there are so few gates on the market that fit when there is one or two banisters involved.
In my opinion, this is not true though. Some of the very best gates can be mounted under these circumstances just as well as between two walls. The best option in my opinion (and in most others opinion) is Cardinal Gates Stairway Special. You just cant go wrong with this gate if you make sure that you know where you will mount it before you buy it.
I also included a wooden baby gate in my list above if you want a more stylish product. And there are some other options on the market as well. Just to hammer this home, if you want the best baby gate for top of stairs with banister, or just for for top of stairs, go with the Stairway Special!
Some Last Comments to Baby Gates for Top of Stairs
I left out exact prices for one reason. Your baby’s safety is worth more than the cost of the gate. Way more. Don’t go and purchase a wooden gate for $9 and get upset when your dog knocks it down onto your toddler.
A top of stairs baby gate is the most essential tool for baby proofing your home. You want to make sure you are buying JPMA and ATSM certified, quality goods that are up-to-date and convenient for your home. Never purchase pressure-mounted gates, as they are not designed to be a top of stairs safety gate.
If you have any questions or recommendations for baby gates for top of stairs or would like to comment on one of our selections, feel free to connect with me either in the comment field or through the contact form that you can find on this site.