When travelling with your children, you still want to make sure they are safe and that is why finding the best travel stair gate is so important. You don’t want your child falling down stairs or getting into rooms that might be dangerous such as the kitchen or bathroom when you are away on holiday or visiting family. The best travel stair is definitely out there for 2023. We also collated expert opinions and scoured the Mumsnet forums - the biggest online network of parents in the UK - to find the best stair gates UK according to the families who use them every day. You can read more about how we selected and tested the best stair gates below. How we chose which stair gates to test 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?

Best stair gates 2023 for babyproofing your home | Mumsnet Best stair gates 2023 for babyproofing your home | Mumsnet

Once fitted, to stop our baby grandson entering, the kitchen it felt very secure. It has been in place about 4 months and works well. “ These safety gates make use of pressure and wall pads to fit snugly in doorways or narrow hallways, with no need to screw into the wall or doorframe, they can be taken with you when stopping at relatives or going on holiday. Each gate comes with full instructions to help you reposition the gate when needed and you can find a how to video (linked below) to make the task even more straightforward.Most commercially-sold stair gates will have been tested to meet safety standard BS EN1930:2011. There’s no statutory requirement to comply with this safety standard, but most gates claim to conform. Cleanliness: Does the gate show grubby fingerprints? Is it easy to clean? Is there a bar that gets in the way when vacuuming? 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. Type: Pressure-fit | Width: 76 – 82cm, with additional extensions available to fit up to 117cm What we love 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. There’s also no ground bar to cause a trip hazard.

Best Travel Stair Gate 2023 - Kid Transit Best Travel Stair Gate 2023 - Kid Transit

The Fred Clear-View is made from an acrylic panel, which creates the see-through window. This means that you could use the gate to segment off your child’s play area in your home and still be able to see them playing through the gate. We have the Baby Dan no trip gates on the stairs. My concern with stairs isn't that they may come close but that it's easy to trip over the bottom bar when carrying my baby and other stuff down. No trip ones don’t have the bar and are screwed in. They also come in wood rather than metal so look better!” (Brand recommended by Mumsnet user PeachesandPie) Our verdict The flat step makes this pressure-fit stair gate a good alternative to screw-fit stair gates if you're not able to drill into walls. Which type of stair gate you choose will depend on your home and your needs. Generally, screw-fit gates are more reliable, so if you’re planning to have a stair gate in place for a relatively long time, and you’re able to drill into your walls or bannister, then a screw-fit gate will be the best choice. You’ll be left with a few small holes to fill when you eventually remove the gate, but nothing that a bit of filler can’t fix. Pressure-fit stair gates are great for use in rented accommodation as installation requires absolutely no drilling. This type of stair gate comprises a U-shaped metal frame, which squeezes against your wall or bannister, holding the gate in place through pressure alone. It often requires a small cup to be applied to your wall with an adhesive, which the bolts of the gate then sit in.This product is easy to fit and covers the landing banister struts easily. It is a bit long but double it up and it still works. “ 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. Type: Screw-fit | Width: 55 – 89cm, with additional extensions available to fit up to 113.5cm What we love Below are some of the best ones available in 2023 that are also easy to take with you as a travel stair gate. Lindam by Munchkin Sure Shut Pressure Fit Safety Gate

Lindam Stair Gate, Easy Close Extending Munchkin Metal Lindam Stair Gate, Easy Close Extending

The Lindam Sure Shut Axis Pressure Fit Safety Gate is a really affordable option for a travel stair gate. The pressure fit mechanism on the stair gate makes it an ideal choice for travelling and can be used at home as well. We think the BabyDan Guard Me Auto Retractable Satefy Guard gate is the best stair gate available to buy right now. It scored the highest in our product testing and has received many a glowing recommendation from the Mumsnet Talk forums. The retractable feature offers a neat option for leaving the gate folded away when not in use and it has a simple opening mechanism. About the author In some houses (particularly older ones built before more stringent building control), the gaps between stair rods will be wide enough for a baby or toddler to fall through. This could lead to an awful accident if your child happens to slip through when not closely attended. A good solution is to buy this mesh net which can be fixed using ties to the banisters. The mesh is strong enough to stop your child from falling through the gaps. If you’re only planning to have a stair gate in position for a short time, or if you're unable to drill into your walls or bannister, a pressure-fit gate will be the better option. Is it better to put a stair gate at the top or the bottom of the stairs?

Manual

Type: Pressure-fit | Width: 76 – 96cm, with additional extensions available to fit up to 124cm What we love The Cuggl Wall Fix Safety Gate is a fuss-free, wall-mounted gate, so it’s suitable for use at the top and bottom of a staircase as well as in doorways. While it may not have the handy features of a retractable or pressure-fit stair gate, it’s a good, sturdy option with a price tag to match its simplicity.

Lindam Baby Gates - Manuals - Manuall Manuals for Lindam Baby Gates - Manuals - Manuall

Opening mechanism can take a bit of getting used to – our tester often needed to use two hands despite the claim of a one-handed opening Gates at the top of a staircase should always open towards the landing, not out across the staircase Some stair gates boast specific safety features, which can help to ensure your gate is installed and used in the safest possible way. Here are a few features you might like to look out for:

How we tested the stair gates

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. We have a Cuggl extending one as we have a larger than usual gap between the wall and last banister of the stairs (the only place to attach it). It's also an unequal shape (think like a vase) and it's worked perfectly." (Vetted by Mumsnetter SnowdropFox) Our verdict If you want to look at all types of stair gates then head over to our child safety gate guide. Safety Barrier Stair Gates/ Room Dividers The Safety 1st Wall Fix Extending Metal Gate is easy to adjust to fit securely at the top of any staircase, and because you don’t need to use any additional extenders, the full width of the gate will open, leaving no obstruction that could cause you to trip. Which is the best safety gate to buy?