Are Pressure Fit Stair Gates Safe?

If your family is about to grow then congratulations – that’s wonderful news! One of the many things you’ll need to consider is installing safety gates. You might be wondering how to fit a pressure stair gate and asking yourself, “Are pressure stair gates safe?” Don’t worry; today, we’ll answer these questions and help you choose the best option for your home. 

In recent years, there has been some confusion about which type of safety gate you should buy. The truth is, it really depends on where the gate is going to be installed in your home. 

Safety gate vs stair gate

Whilst all stair gates are safety gates, not all safety gates are stair gates. What we mean is that not every safety gate can be used on the stairs or at least not at the top of the stairs. To understand why, you need to understand how different gate systems work. 

Safety gates come in two main categories, wall mounted and pressure fit. Wall mounted as the name suggests are mounted onto the wall, typically with screws and brackets. Pressure fit gates by contrast use a system of screws and plates which as the screws are turned and pressure builds up they grip the wall more and more tightly until they are firmly in place. 

Learning how to fit a pressure stair gate is simple as they don’t require any equipment such as screwdrivers or drills, don’t require any measuring and can be taken down and moved to a new location in the home with relative ease. Check out our baby gate guide for more information on how to fit a pressure stair gate.

Choosing the right gate for your stairs

So can you use a pressure mounted gate on top stairs? While they’re a great choice for most areas in your home, they shouldn’t be used at the top of the stairs for two important reasons:

1. In order to stay in place pressure fit gates have a cross bar at the bottom. This creates a trip hazard which in most locations won’t be a problem but can be dangerous at the top of the stairs as a fall here could be particularly serious. 
2. Pressure fit gates are secure once in place but children can loosen them by repeatedly pushing or hitting them. Whilst not a hazard anywhere else in the home, at the top of the stairs if children knock the gates loose this creates a hazard for anyone on the stairs or at the bottom of them and for the child if they fall down the stairs with the gates.  

Whilst pressure fit gates are fine at the bottom of the stairs, it is recommended that at the top, you install a wall mounted gate, as this won’t leave a trip hazard and is very difficult for a child to knock off the wall.

Additional considerations when choosing a stair gate 

You should also consider whether you might benefit from additional safety gate features. These include things like easy one hand opening, such as can be seen on our Maxi-Secure Pressure Fit Safety Gate. This gate boasts an easy open and close system which can be operated by an adult with one hand. This is ideal if you’re going to be carrying heavy loads, such as a child, through the gates. 

Some gates have an auto close feature. This means that once someone has walked through the gate, it will close and secure itself. This is ideal where there may be older children in the house who might not be as attentive to the safety of other kids or where you’re using both hands to carry things around. Our Auto Close Safety Gate includes this feature. 

Remember to always consider carefully where a safety gate will be used and if it is an appropriate choice for the space that will keep things safe. If in doubt please get in touch and ask, we’re always happy to help and of course nothing is more important than your child’s safety. 

Want to learn more about other types of baby gates and stair gates and how to install them? Check out our guides on the blog, or listen to the StrollerCoaster podcast for more baby safety tips!