Keep scrolling to see the top five stair gates we recommend. If you're keen to learn more before investing in a stair gate, we also weigh up the pros and cons of different types, and answer common queries such as where and when to buy a stair gate, how tall it should be, and how to dispose of an old one.

Location Stair gates at the top of the stairs should open towards the landing, not towards the flight of stairs, to avoid falling forwards while opening the gate. You should only use screw-fit gates at the top of the stairs. We tested the 14 most popular stair gates on the market, scoring them on six key areas before whittling them down to a final list the nine best stair gates, all of which scored a minimum of 40 points out of a possible 48. The BabyDan Guard Me is the best stair gate to buy overall, but the retractable screen does have a bit of give to it, and it needs to be installed at least 9cm from the top of the staircase. Ways to keep your family living costs down, and kids of all ages happy Get our Family newsletter – it's free monthly. Screw-fit stair gates are mounted onto your walls, screwing into your wall or bannister. The major advantage of this style is that the gate is secure and won’t move around once it’s installed, but the screws will cause minor damage to your walls that will need filling when the gate is removed. Screw-fit gates can be used in a variety of ways: at the top or bottom of a staircase, or in a doorway or other narrow opening. Pressure-fit stair gatesWhile there's no statutory requirement to comply, most commercially sold stair gates will have been tested to meet safety standards BS EN1930:2011. You don't need to break the bank to get a reliable product either - one of our top models was among the cheapest we tested. Once we’d selected the 14 best stair gates for our shortlist, our tester, Katja Lakha, installed them one at a time in her home. Katja is a busy mum with three children (girls aged one and four, and a seven-year-old boy), so each gate was put through its paces. The gates were tested for at least one to two weeks each in busy areas of Katja’s home. Stair gates can be used at the top of the stairs (to prevent your baby from falling down) and at the bottom (to stop them from climbing up). They can also be used to close off unsafe rooms and to temporarily add additional barriers to your home, whether that’s across a doorway or another narrow opening. When deciding which stair gate is best for you, it helps to work out what’s important to you before you buy. For example: We've split our recommendations into the different types of stair gate you can buy, so you can find one that's best suited for your house and needs.

When choosing a safety gate for the top of the stairs, you will need to start by measuring how wide the gate must be to cover the width of the staircase landing. So you will need to measure the distance between the two walls on either side of the stairs. Do you perhaps need to mount the gate on the stairs’ rail posts? If the rail posts are round, it is still possible to mount the gate by purchasing a BabyDan stair adapter. You can choose gates that are mounted on the inside or outside of the rail post or the wall. One type of mounting is not safer than the other - the choice is simply a matter of which would best suit your stairs. BabyDan recommends that you use a wall mounted safety gate at the top of the stairs, to make it as safe as possible for your child. It’s worth bearing in mind that some dog gates are not appropriate for babies, as they have horizontal slats that your baby might use to climb up and over the gate, or small parts that can fall off and be a choking hazard.Assembly: How easy was the gate to install? Were the instructions clear? Were any additional tools or fixings required?

If you're planning on getting a dog (but a baby could also be on the horizon), you're best off choosing a baby stair gate that holds up in our tests so you can be assured that it will be suitable for protecting both children and animals. Ideally, you want your stair gate to be at least 75cm (30 inches) in height. Extra-tall models are available, and range in sizes from 1m (39 inches) and beyond. Where to buy a stair gate You can stop using a stair gate when you’re confident that your child can go up and down the stairs safely on their own (which includes the middle of the night). This will depend on the individual child, but this usually happens at around two or three years of age. If your child doesn’t pull or push on the gate, which could cause it to shift or break, and doesn’t attempt to climb over it, you can keep it in place until you feel comfortable removing it. What are the different types of stair gate? Retractable stair gates: formed from a flexible material like mesh that rolls or folds up when not in use.Although the BabyDan Guard Me is safe for use anywhere in your home, the best stair gate for use at the top of the stairs is the Safety 1st Wall Fix Extending Metal Gate, which is also the best screw-fit stair gate we tested. Although the Safety 1st SecureTech Flat Step Safety Gate is the only pressure-fit gate that claims to be able to be used at the top of a staircase, we still think it’s preferable to use a screw-fit, wall-mounted gate wherever possible. This leaves far less room for error and, once the gate is installed correctly, it won’t shift even if your child pulls on it. There’s also no ground bar to cause a trip hazard.

Day-to-day use: Does the gate do the job it’s supposed to? Does it withstand a toddler’s weight? Is it easy to open and close with one hand? Ensure that the gate opens towards the landing, not outwards towards the stairs, or you could fall forward while opening it. Within these two categories, there are a few other features that can form part of the identity of a stair gate. For example: Screw-fit gates are the best type to use at the top of the stairs because they are the most secure and don’t cause a trip hazard.Material A wooden or metal side-opening stair gate will need plenty of room to swing open, so you need to think about potential obstructions and whether it will be awkward to navigate around. Pressure-fit gates are very safe for use at the bottom of a staircase or in a doorway, as long as they’re installed correctly and regularly tightened as necessary. However, they are generally not safe for use at the top of a staircase. This is for two main reasons. To bring you our list of the best stair gates you can buy today, we first tapped into the wealth of knowledge in the Mumsnet forums, seeking tried and tested recommendations on the stair gates they’ve used and would happily recommend to others. Where possible, our parent-test Katja and her three children then put each stair gate through its paces, learning more about the key features and benefits of each product via everyday use. Best stair gates: at a glance Cleanliness: Does the gate show grubby fingerprints? Is it easy to clean? Is there a bar that gets in the way when vacuuming?