Baby Safety Gates : Ratings of Sources

BabyBargains.com, the website of "Baby Bargains" authors Denise and Alan Fields, reviews baby gear and common baby brands. The site reviews a handful of popular baby gates based on expert testing and parents' reviews, as well as information from manufacturers and retailers. It makes "best" picks for hardware- and pressure-mounted options.

Testers at YourBestDigs research 30 baby gates and ultimately test six of them daily over several weeks. All six models are compared on ease of installation and removal, locking mechanism, ease of walking through, and build quality. Testers pick a best gate overall and a best pressure-mounted option.

LuciesList.com is a site devoted to recommending the best baby gear for new parents. Founder Meg Collins is a former Child Passenger Safety Technician who recommends 18 baby gates in a variety of categories: step-over, pressure-mounted, hardware mounted, top of stairs, extra-wide, play-pen and outdoor gates.

BabyCenter.com names an overall winner and five finalists in the baby gate category of its annual Moms' Picks Awards, based on results of a survey of thousands of parents. Picks are accompanied by editors' reviews and ratings, and quotes from parents. The site also features a balanced review and roundup of editors' favorite gates.

BabyList.com is a universal baby-gear registry that expectant parents can use with any online retailer. Editors base their baby gate picks on what's popular with users and their own research. This roundup features recommendations for several lifestyles, including a pick for the stairs and a better-looking gate for those concerned with design.

ConsumerReports.org no longer reviews and ranks baby gates, but its free-to-the-public buying guide is a helpful starting point for parents who may not be familiar with these products. Editors cover types of baby gates, features, brands and shopping tips.

Amazon.com is one of a parent's best resources for real-world reviews of baby gates. Reviews are often quite detailed and even-handed. These reviews offer a great overview of how these gates work in real world safety-proofing conditions. That includes ease of installation, stability, durability and ease of use.

BabiesRUs.com is a solid source for customer reviews of baby gates, particularly popular models and those exclusively sold at Babies "R" Us. Owners rate products on a 1-to-5-star scale, and the site offers a helpful snapshot of reviewers' pros and cons. However, information generally isn't as detailed as it is at Amazon, and there tend to be not as many reviewers overall.

Target.com is a popular destination for purchasing nursery accessories and gear. It sells fewer baby gates than Amazon.com, and there are fewer reviews overall. But user feedback tends to be detailed and helpful.

Walmart.com offers parent feedback on a range of baby gates. It is a particularly good source for opinions on more basic, inexpensive models. Like other retail review sites, information on durability, security and ease of use are helpful to glean from this input.