Eight child stair gates deemed unsafe by Which? safety test

'It's deeply concerning that so many stair gates have failed our testing'

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Parents have been urged to stop using eight child stair gate models deemed unsafe by a Which? safety test.

The consumer product testing company reviewed 12 stair gates to check that they adhered to the EU safety standards.

The review involved two tests: an impact resistance test and a fatigue test.

The impact resistance test mimicked a child kicking or shoving a gate with force by using a 10kg weight, while the fatigue test replicated a child shaking a gate over a period of time by using a mechanical arm to rattle the gate 10,000 times.

One stair gate model – the Mothercare Wooden Wall Fix – failed both dislodging tests. The gate model has since been removed from sale.

When conducting the impact resistance test, both the Mothercare Wooden Wall Fix and the Cuggl Wooden Extending gate failed after a single impact from the 10kg weight.

Meanwhile, when conducting the fatigue test, it took 417 shakes from the mechanical arm for the Lindam Sure Shut Orto gate to fail.

This figure rose to 1,456 shakes for the Dreambaby Chelsea gate, and 2,134 for the BabyDan Perfect Close gate.

Which? explains that some stair gates which failed its test have the option of being secured to the walls using both screws and adhesive pads.

A selection of the gates reviewed by the company – the BabyDan Perfect Close gate, the Dreambaby Chelsea gate and the Dreambaby Liberty gate – passed the safety test when secured to the wall using screws and adhesive pads, rather than just adhesive pads.

In these cases, Which? advises guardians of children to use these gates only when secured to walls in this way.

Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said it's "deeply concerning" that two thirds of the child stair gates reviewed failed the safety tests.

"The safety of children should be the number one priority, but too many are being put at an unacceptable level of risk," Ms Hitchins stated.

"Manufacturers must take these results seriously and recall the products if they cannot guarantee safety."

A spokesperson from BabyDan said that while it takes feedback about its safety products seriously, the gate models tested by Which? "have been tested recently by accredited labs numerous times without any remarks".

A spokesperson for Dreambaby stated that Tee-Zed Products, the manufacturer of Dreambaby gates, "does not accept Which?'s test results and considers them invalid".

Cuggle said it is investigating the test's results with its supplier, while Mothercare stated that it has removed the gate model which failed the Which? test from sale while the company conducts "further investigations and independent testing".

Despite failing the fatigue test, Lindam states that its Lindam Sure Shut Orto gate "complies with all applicable standards".

To take a look at the most highly reviewed children's products on the market, from baby monitors to swing sets, visit our IndyBest kids section here.