Gates to keep babies off stairs often very unsafe, warns consumer group

The gates households use to prevent babies from trying to climb up and down staircases are often extremely unsafe, and should not be used, warned Dutch consumer affairs association Consumentenbond. The organization has frequently relayed concerns about the issue since it began testing the gates in 2015.

This time, in a check of ten different gates on the market, seven received “very unsatisfactory” scores. They are tested for impacts involving 10 kilograms and 25 kilograms, pushing, pulling, and the effectiveness of the locking mechanism. Additionally, the organization looks at how wide the openings are, and whether children can fit through the gaps.

Many of the poor-scoring gates could not remain secure during the impact tests, or they opened up when pushed and pulled. “There were also examples where children could use parts of the gate to climb over, or where the opening under the gate was too large,” the organization said.

“Every year we test a new batch and every time we encounter unsafe ones. There are now 121 tested items on our website, 45 of which are not recommended. And 22 of those not recommended are still for sale. That is unacceptable,” said Sandra Molenaar, the head of the Consumentenbond.

Pricing of the items ranged from 30 euros to 100 euros. They come in a wide variety, with 20 different brand names on the list.

The organization constantly updates their website with reviews about the stair gates, Molenaar said. She advised those with a gate already installed to check whether their’s performs adequately.

Although the organization typically provides in-depth analysis to its paying members, the data about stair gates is available to the public.