Babyproof stairs before your baby can crawl, and always use a screw-in gate at the top.
Stairs are one of the most common places young children get hurt at home. Babyproofing stairs is not complicated, but a few details, like which gate goes where, make a big difference.
This guide covers when to babyproof stairs, the difference between hardware-mounted and pressure-mounted gates, how to choose a safe baby gate, how to deal with wide banister gaps and open risers, how to make stairs safer for parents carrying babies, and how to teach your toddler to climb safely.
Key Takeaways
Install stair gates before your baby is mobile, typically by about 6 months.
Use a hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs; never a pressure-mounted gate there.
A pressure-mounted gate can work at the bottom, installed on the first or second step.
Choose certified gates and avoid old accordion gates with V-shaped openings.
Cover wide banister gaps, keep stairs clear, and hold the rail when carrying your baby.
Table of Contents
When to Babyproof Stairs
Install stair gates before your baby starts moving, not after. Many babies start rolling around 4 to 6 months, and crawling often begins between 6 and 10 months, with some babies pulling up and climbing soon after. It is much easier to install gates while your baby is still stationary than to rush when you discover them halfway up the stairs.
Stairs are a serious hazard. A study in Pediatrics estimated that more than 93,000 children under age 5 were treated in U.S. emergency departments for stair-related injuries each year, most with head and neck injuries. Notably, about a quarter of injuries in babies under 1 happened while an adult was carrying them on the stairs.
Top of the Stairs: Always Use a Hardware-Mounted Gate
This is the most important rule for babyproofing stairs. At the top of the stairs, use a hardware-mounted gate that screws into the wall studs, banister or door frame.
No pressure-mounted gates at the top: Pressure gates are held in place by tension and can be pushed out by a leaning or climbing child, sending them and the gate down the stairs.
No step-over threshold bar: Many pressure gates have a bar across the floor. At the top of stairs, that bar is a tripping hazard for adults and kids.
Swing away from the stairs: The gate should open over the landing, never out over the steps. Many gates have a stop to prevent this.
Mount at the top step, not lower: Install the gate at the very top of the stairs so there is no step on the baby’s side of the gate.
Bottom of the Stairs: Pressure or Hardware Gates
At the bottom of the stairs, a pressure-mounted gate can be fine, since a fall there is on a flat floor. Install it on the first or second step, not the floor in front of the stairs, so your baby cannot climb the first few steps and fall from above the gate. A hardware-mounted gate is still the sturdiest option if your child is a determined climber.
How to Choose a Safe Baby Gate
Look for gates certified to the current safety standard (in the U.S., ASTM F1004), often shown by a JPMA certification seal.
Avoid old accordion-style gates with large V-shaped or diamond openings. Children’s heads and necks can get trapped in them.
Choose gaps small enough that a child’s head or body cannot pass through, and a top edge without footholds for climbing.
Make sure the latch is easy for adults to open with one hand but hard for a toddler to work out.
Check the gate’s height and age limits. Most gates are designed for children about 6 to 24 months old; once your child can climb over or open the gate, it is no longer safe.
If you have a wide or angled opening, use gate extensions or a wall-mounting kit made by the gate manufacturer.
Gates only close the top and bottom. The sides of the stairs need attention too:
Wide railing gaps: Modern building codes generally limit baluster spacing to about 4 inches, but older homes often have wider gaps a small child can slip through. Use a clear banister guard or shield.
Open risers: Stairs without backs between steps can let a child’s legs or body slip through. Cover them or keep the child fully gated off.
Horizontal rails: Horizontal bars act like a ladder. Cover them with a banister shield.
Landings and lofts: Check any balcony or loft railing for gaps and climbable furniture nearby.
Make the Stairs Safer for Everyone
Carry with care: Hold the handrail with one hand when carrying your baby, keep your view of the steps clear, and never carry a baby plus a laundry basket.
Clear the clutter: Toys, shoes and bags on the stairs cause adult falls, often while carrying a child.
Light the way: Install bright lighting with switches at the top and bottom, and use night lights for middle-of-the-night trips to the nursery.
Improve grip: Carpet runners or anti-slip treads help on slippery wood stairs, as long as they are fastened securely.
Skip baby walkers: The AAP has long warned against baby walkers, in part because they let babies roll down stairs. Stationary activity centers are safer.
Keep gates closed: A gate only works when it is latched. Make it a household rule.
Teaching Your Toddler to Use Stairs
Gates are a backstop, not a lifelong plan. Once your baby is crawling well, start supervised practice on the bottom few steps. Teach them to climb up on hands and knees and come down backward, feet first, on their tummy. Most children walk up stairs with a hand held somewhere around their second year and can go up and down more independently in the following year or so. Practice with you right behind them, every time, until they are consistently steady.
Call 9-1-1 or go to the emergency room if a child who fell down the stairs loses consciousness, has a seizure, vomits more than once, is unusually sleepy or hard to wake, cries inconsolably, will not move an arm or leg, has trouble breathing, or has bleeding or fluid from the nose or ears. For babies, a fall from any height that causes a bump on the head deserves a call to your pediatrician, even if they seem fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you babyproof stairs?
Install a hardware-mounted gate at the top of the stairs and a gate at the bottom, cover wide banister gaps or open risers, keep stairs clear and well lit, and supervise stair practice once your child is crawling.
Can you use a pressure-mounted gate at the top of the stairs?
No. Pressure-mounted gates can be pushed out by a child and often have a bar that is a tripping hazard. Use a hardware-mounted gate that screws into the wall or banister at the top of the stairs.
When should I put up baby gates on stairs?
Before your baby starts moving, ideally by around 6 months, since rolling and crawling can begin quickly and some babies climb stairs soon after they crawl.
How do you babyproof stairs with a banister?
Use a gate with a banister mounting kit made by the gate manufacturer so you do not need to drill into the banister, and cover wide railing gaps with a clear banister guard.
When can you take down stair gates?
When your child can climb over or open the gate, or reaches the gate’s age or height limit, the gate is no longer safe. By then, focus on teaching safe stair use with close supervision.
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Zielinski AE, Rochette LM, Smith GA. Stair-related injuries to young children treated in US emergency departments, 1999-2008. Pediatrics. 2012. PubMed 22412031. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22412031/
