See what MNers thought of Lindam safety gates (£250 John Lewis prize draw for feedback!) and add your tips for making your home safer and more child friendly – Full Home Lindam Safety Pack (worth up to £378)NOW CLOSED

[MichelleMumsnet]

This thread is for the 50 Mumsnetters who tested out Lindam's Extending White Metal Safety Gate and/or the Easy Fit Deluxe Gate.

Here's what Matthew Wilson, Lindam Marketing Director EMEA and dad of two says, "Safety is absolutely paramount for any parent and in fact, latest research by Which? has found safety to be a top priority for new mothers and fathers. Research findings showed that safety gates are the most popular and useful products for new families and in the run up to Child Safety Week (23rd-29th June) we're really keen to raise awareness of just how important safety gates are, and which ones are best for each individual families' needs.

Finding the right gate can be overwhelming but there really is something for everyone. Pressure Fit or Wall fix are available to fit a range of openings. Gates also have a range of handles and closing mechanisms depending on your requirements. From a Pressure Fit option such as Easy Fit Plus Deluxe to the top of the range Wall Fix NUMI Aluminium Extending Safety Gate, safety, quality and value are key for all gates and each now comes with a lifetime guarantee.

For further information, and to see the wider Lindam range, please visit //www.lindam.com"

Non-testers: What are your top tips for ensuring that your home is baby and child friendly when it comes to safety? From covering sharp corners, to making sure any medicines are out of reach, whatever it is, we?d love to hear it.

Everyone who adds their comments will be entered into a prize draw to win a Full Home Lindam Safety Pack (worth up to £378) which includes: 4 x Safety Gates of your choice, Xtra Guard socket covers, corner cushions, 2 x door stoppers, 4x latches, toddler bed rail, and a nursery night light set.

Testers: Please answer the questions below. Feel free to add any other comments you may have too!

Q1. Did you try the Extending White Metal Safety Gate or the Easy Fit Deluxe Gate (or both)? What was your overall impression?
Q2. How easy were the gates to assemble and install?
Q3. Did you find the Safety Gates effective in keeping your children safer? If so, why? If not, why not?
Q4. Do you think you?ll continue to use the Lindam Safety Gates? If so, why? If not, why not?
Q5. Would you recommend the Lindam Safety Gates you tried to friends or family? If so, why? If not, why not?

Everyone who leaves their feedback on this thread will be entered into a prize draw to win a £250 John Lewis voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

[SweetPeaPods]

Marking place. Will add feedback when we finally receive them!

[rootypig]

Just got mine! thank you. Will wrestle with the universe screwdriver later

[glorious]

Mine arrived today too, , thanks MNHQ and Lindam. Hopefully fitting them after lunch.

[PandaFeet]

Mine have arrived this morning, just marking place.

[claracluck1978]

Mine just arrived this morning - in the nick of time as our twins have just started exploring!

[SweetPeaPods]

Just arrived here too

[WowOoo]

non tester

My tips -
Anything dangerous and breakable out of reach.
Clear corridors and floors of trip hazards and clutter.
It's hard work once they start exploring. High, high shelving came in very handy.

[mjmooseface]

Non - Tester:

We live in an upstairs flat. It's not the most ideal place to have a little one but at the time we were moving in, we weren't really in a position to be really picky after my beloved MIL made us homeless when I was 8 months pregnant with my first child!! (But that's a story for another time!!) I hope to be able to move soon but definitely if/when we have another child!

Having a stair gate at the top of the stairs was our main priority. As was a stair gate on son's room so we could keep him in there with his toys when other things were going on in the rest of the house. We don't let him wander freely in the living room because of bookcases, musical equipment, keyboard, fireplace, big expensive TV and xbox, so he is always supervised if he's in that room. Otherwise, when he is roaming around the house, I keep the bathroom door closed and move anything dangerous, breakable or chewable out of reach! I've lost a few good bookmarks this week to my teething toddler!

We have two different types of stair gate to keep our son from working out how to open them! (A friend's son worked out how to open theirs when he wasn't even 18 months old!!!)

Closing the door when we're out in the garden so LO doesn't climb back in the house and go up the stairs by himself!

We have a dog, too, and whilst he is a really good dog and really protective of our son, I don't keep them together in a room by themselves alone, just in case! The stair gates are really handy for keeping the dog in when we get our food shopping delivery, too!

Covering plug sockets and keeping cables out of the way.

I keep a close eye on my son when he's in the kitchen as we don't have any of those cupboard locks and he likes to explore!

I think it's mainly just viewing your home from the eyes of a baby/toddler and moving things out of reach as you see fit.

[MummyBtothree]

Non-Tester, my tips: Keep clutter to a minimum, never leave young ones unattended. Use stair gates, cupboard locks and protector pads for corners of tables etc to stop bangs to eyes & heads etc. Keep breakables out of reach. Keep electrical wires hidden and secured under carpets.

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

Received ours this afternoon, will probably fit over the weekend and add feedback then

I might even give it a go as it doesn't require drilling!

[JazzAnnNonMouse]

Received ours this afternoon, will probably fit over the weekend and add feedback then

I might even give it a go as it doesn't require drilling!

[flutterbynight]

Tester

I tried the Easy Fit Deluxe Gate. Overall I was impressed with how sturdy it was and found it relatively easy to install - though I did have one hiccup and one bugbear (for which more below). However, I think that this is a good quality gate and am really impressed by the lifetime guarantee (though I hope we won't be needing to use them for that long!)

The gates were fairly easy to assemble and install. I would have preferred to have written instructions to supplement the pictures - I ended up sticking the wall-fix stickers to the wrong side of the bracket first off! Also, I would prefer not to have to draw on the doorframe to mark where to put the door cup (for want of a better name). That being the case, I actually did without the cups, though I am sure this is not recommended - please do not try at home and all that jazz! (Worked fine for us though).

I definitely found the gates effective in keeping our son safer - primarily we wanted them to stop him being able to roam the upstairs when he wakes in the night but we also have one on the kitchen door as he is becoming more inquisitive about the cooker when it's on. Prevention is better than cure!

Having received the gates to review we will continue to use them on the kitchen but may take it off his room as, on second thoughts, it might be better that he is able to go into the hall and get to our room when he wakes at night rather than be stuck in his room and potentially cause mischief (or danger to himself).

I would definitely recommend the Lindam Easy Fit Deluxe Gate to friends and family - I was able to install it by myself within ten minutes, even with the slightly confusing (to me) pictoral instructions and it felt very secure once fitted. I also like the fact that you can tell when it's tight enough in the door frame because only then will the gap between the handle and the gate frame close. Added to that the lifetime guarantee, I think it would be money well spent.

[BonjourMinou]

Tester

I tried the Easy Fit Deluxe Gates. Overall they seem to be good quality gates, they are nice and sturdy and I have no concerns that they will come out of place, they seem sturdy enough to last for years if you so choose (for example, if you were a childminder.)

Installation-wise, with the huge caveat that I am not a very confident DIY-er and tend to pass over the responsibility for these jobs onto my husband, they were not too difficult to install; I installed the first gate at the bottom of my staircase and the second gate at the entrance to my kitchen. With the first gate I struggled to keep all the screws balanced on the gate while I drew around them with a pencil to mark where the stickers needed to go - they kept falling out and in the end I had to lose one of the screws at the bottom in order to install the gate. It would have been significantly easier if there were English instructions to accompany the pictures.
The second gate I found significantly easier to install, partly because the gap was wider so balancing the screws in the gate was less of a problem and partly because I had a better idea of what I needed to do.

Yes I think the safety gates are essential for keeping children safer, I have a young baby and she is only just starting to move around but it will be important to keep her out of the kitchen and off of the stairs.

I think I will continue to use the safety gates, they are very firmly installed now and I am confident that they will work well.

I would recommend the gates to my friends and family, especially since there is no need to screw in holes and they are fitted via pressure, but unless they were more confident DIY-ers than myself I think I would come round and help explain how they need to be installed.

[judypoops]

Marking place- received the gates and will update over the weekend- thank you very much Lindam and MNHQ :-)

[StillNoFuckingEyeDeer]

Non-tester
Don't leave your child unattended. They sniff out danger and head for it instantly.
Once you've fitted your stair gate, give it a good shove to make sure it's secure.

[LuLu2809]

Non-tester
As a childminder I feel its important that safety equipment is strong, durable and uninteresting to children. Keeping it 'boring' to look at ensures children don't see it as a new toy!

I make sure everything is well out of reach (and climbing reach!!) in a cupboard with safety locks. Keep clutter to a minimum and toys placed where they are easily accessible so that they don't go hunting!!

[TopsysMum]

Non Tester
Let your children explore from a distance. This helps them sort out some levels of danger themselves. Obviously don't let them doing anything crazy ;-)!

Let your children climb the stairs with you following behind. It means that if you are somewhere without a stair gate they at least know how to climb and are less likely to fall if they escape to the stairs.

Don't lock every kitchen cupboard. It just makes them more interesting! Having a cupboard of plastic or pans they can explore makes the novelty wear off much more quickly.

Just wondering whether I should have been a parent in the 1970s ;-)

[Ratbagcatbag]

Phew topsysmum I thought I was the only one. ;)

We let dd explore everything within reason, so dangerous items in locked drawers, but a couple of drawers accessible with wooden spoons, spatulas in etc.

Stairgate for when you're not around, but if you are encourage them to climb the stairs with you following and how to get down on their tummies.

We haven't moved everything high, but we don't leave dd unattended in any room, so if she pulls out Xbox controller etc we just distract her with other things and put them back, by doing this we find she's not as interested in them now as they're not forbidden.

[crimsonwitch]

Jusp putting the gates up now that DS is in bed. I will add feedback in a couple of days.

[SherbertDip]

Received my gates - 2x easy fit deluxe this afternoon will have a look at fitting them tomorrow - thanks to Lindam and mumsnet

[lottietiger]

Just received my gates today, thank you :) I will be fitting over the weekend so will feedback in a few days.

Im with Topsysmum & Ratbagcatbag too.. there are a few of us out here :)

[sharond101]

Non-tester. Never underestimate a child. No matter how young. If it's within their reach or climbing reach it's a hazard. Keep all doors closed where possible. Store things high up with potential to cause harm. Never leave chid alone in area which hasn't been child proofed (although I question if that even exists as DS has now managed to open all child locks and throw away the soft corners for the furniture which has sharp edges.)

[LadyOfLlangollen]

My DCs have made it safely to adulthood without too many injuries.

The main thing I did was differentiate between things that might hurt them and things that might kill them! So, for example, knocking into a corner of a wooden coffee table might hurt them but falling from an upstairs window would kill them. I would then take action to eradicate any chance of them getting killed but accepted that some, minor injuries, might be inevitable.

Some egs of what I did was,
Unsafe chemicals/drugs locked away
Smoke and co2 detectors
Tall/heavy furniture secured to the wall

[OrdinaryGirl]

Marking place ahead of full review... The gates arrived yesterday - thank you MNHQ and Lindam!

[neenienana]

Non tester.
We are about to enter the moving phase with my daughter who is my third after a 6 yr gap. I am going to fit one in her room as I think it will be easier to manage her upstairs. We always has safty catches on the cupboard. Which luckily we haven't removed. Everything out of reach, and constant supervision are key in my experience.