Which? Don't Buy stair gates

Don't waste your money on a terrible stair gate that's difficult to install and could even put your child at risk.

Our safety tests replicate those in the current stair gates safety standard (BS EN 1930:2011) and we weight safety – the key purpose of a stair gate – highest. 

This means that any gates or barriers that have safety failures are penalised and, depending on the failure, could be made a 0% Don't Buy.

See our round-up of the best stair gates to find out which are sturdy, easy to install and can withstand repeated attempts to force it open

What makes a Don't Buy stair gate?

Our tests uncover what we consider to be the best and the worst. If a product performs so poorly that we think you should avoid it, we call it a Don't Buy. We've tested seven stair gates that we've named Don't Buys based on the results of our safety tests.

Our independent testing of stair gates revealed as follows:

The three serious safety problems we commonly see are:

Durability issues

We put every stair gate through a fatigue test, which forms part of the safety standard (EN1930:2011). This is where we clamp the stair gate to a motorised arm that pulls it back and forth 10,000 times while applying a 140N horizontal force. 

The test is designed to replicate the actions of a toddler or child shaking the gate repeatedly. A failure in this test means the gate could come loose, allowing the child to get through and potentially put themselves in danger.

The Baby Dan Perfect Close Safety Gate and Baby Dan Premier True Pressure Fit Stair Gate both failed the fatigue test. The former failed after 2,134 cycles, when the fixing points moved and came loose from the frame, causing it to dislodge, white the latter failed after 6,600 cycles.

Baby Dan said: 'At Baby Dan, we take feedback about our safety products seriously, as safety of children is paramount to us. We manufacture to the highest possible standards. All our safety gates comply to the relevant safety standards (in this case EN1930:2011). The safety gates mentioned in your publication have been tested recently by accredited labs numerous times without any remarks.'

The Momcozy Retractable Stair Gate failed the impact test. After one hit with a 10kg weight on the bottom corner (which mimics a toddler kicking or shoving it), the gate broke, which would allow a child to push through the gate and be put in potential danger from falling down stairs. The breakage also generated a small part that could be a choking hazard for your child if they put it in their mouth. 

We approached Momcozy for comment. It didn't provide one, but the brand contests our results.

The barrier of the Safetots Self-Closing Gate became dislodged from the door frame after 3,700 cycles because the adhesive pads that hold the pressure-fit cups in place came unstuck, which then reduced the pressure of the gate so it could come loose. The Munchkin Easy Fit Plus Deluxe Safety Gate became dislodged after 2,570 cycles.

Safetots has disputed our findings. It told us that the gate has been exhaustively tested in China and the UK, and has successfully satisfied the selected requirements of BS EN 1930:2011. This is the same standard that Which? tests to.

Munchkin told us it's not aware of any evidence supporting our allegations. Munchkin said it has reviewed and analysed customer complaints for the gate, and not encountered any of the purported safety or reliability issues that we have alleged. It has said it has performed an internal inventory audit and found its gates to be compliant with all product safety standards as per EN1930.

Entrapment risks

Stair gates fail if there's a gap between the bottom of the gate and the floor which our lab experts can fit a hip probe through. The hip probe is designed to replicate what might happen if a child tried to squeeze under the gate. 

If there’s a gap that’s big enough for their leg and hip to get through, there’s a chance a child could get stuck with their head trapped, which in the worst-case scenario could pose a potential strangulation risk.

The Fred Safety Screw Fit Wooden Stair Gate failed after our experts found a gap at the bottom of the gate which poses a possible safety risk.

Fred Safety told us: 'Which? testing has identified a way in which the Fred Wooden Screw Fit Gate could be installed incorrectly. We're confident that this is a very rare eventuality. Fred Safety is committed to providing the very highest levels of safety and all our products meet or exceed safety standards. To make this gate safer than ever, we've already made the minor modification that makes it impossible to install the gate as it was tested by Which?. If any customers have concerns, they should contact fred@cheekyrascals.co.uk.'

The Momcozy Retractable Stair Gate has a gap between the gate and the wall on the catch-mount side of the gate that leaves too much space, which could cause a child to become stuck or slip through. It is also wide enough to create a foothold for the child to climb over the gate. 

We approached Momcozy for comment, but one wasn't provided.

Choking hazards

We occasionally see that the slider on the top of the gate, which is used to open the gate, could be pulled off too easily and this creates a small part that a child could choke on if they put it in their mouth.

The Safety 1st Essential Wooden Stair Gate has a risk of the slider on the top of the gate becoming detached. We approached Safety 1st for comment. It hasn’t provided one, but we understand it contests our results.

How we uncover the best and worst stair gates

Which? has reviewed the latest stair gates from all the big brands, including Baby Dan, Cuggl, Fred Safety and Safety 1st.

Our in-depth testing means we can recommend those stair gates that are sturdy, secure and won't cause injuries. 

• Durability Every stair gate review is based on safety and durability tests, including pushing and pulling the gate back and forth with 140N force for 10,000 cycles. This test is part of the safety standard. The very best gates will pass with flying colours, but the worst gates will come loose before reaching 10,000 cycles.
• Safety Our lab experts look out for anywhere that little fingers can get stuck or sharp corners that might cause injuries. We also check the safety messages in the instruction manual are correct and legally compliant.
• Installation How long it takes to set up the stair gate, what (if any) tools you'll need and whether it will be tricky to remove.
• Ease of use Can you open the gate one-handed (while you carry your baby in the other) or are you likely to trip over the bottom U-bar of the gate? We'll let you know.