Hardware and Pressure Mounted Baby Gate Products Compared

Safety gates used to keep small children out of hazardous areas in the home fall into two main categories. Hardware mounted baby gates come with a set of brackets that screw into drywall or wooden framing members like stair posts or door frames. Pressure mounted baby gates, by contrast, are self-contained, featuring padded bolts that extend to brace against posts and frames. Both types are 2 to 3 feet tall on average, and 3 to 6 feet wide, with extra-tall and extra-wide baby gates available if necessary. Both types feature hinges for the gates to swing open when the adult user operates a release latch found on most models.

While hardware mounted baby gates can be used for doorways, their main use is as stair gates. Their brackets are screwed into the stairs’ newel post and the wall it faces. The biggest advantage of hardware mount brands for installation in staircases is the security of their attachment. Unlike pressure mount models, which are only held in place with traction, baby gates installed with screw-in brackets won’t slip out of place when bumped or pushed by children and pets.

Pressure mounted baby gates can be placed at the bottom of stairs, but should not be used at the top of stairs, even though some manufacturers claim that they’re adequate as top-of-stairs baby gates. These gates may eventually slip out of place. If the child falls through into a room, or onto a bottom stair landing, the potential for injury is far less severe than if the fall occurs from the top of stairs.

Despite this caveat, pressure mounted baby gates are recommended for most other placements, particularly in doorways of kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. They’re actually more popular than hardware mount gates. These gates tend to be cheaper, easier to install, and more portable. A pressure mounted baby gate can usually be installed in a few minutes, and uninstalled even more quickly. This makes them ideal for temporary placements, such as kitchen doorways while cooking. You can also test a pressure mounted baby gate in different locations in the house to determine which placement is best to keep your cute baby safe.

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