Although I'm a firm believer that babies learn best from experience and being shown where they are and are not allowed to go, I still want to make sure my little man safe. So while he's never once been allowed into the kitchen, I still wanted to put a safety gate up at the door, just in case he managed to sneak in while I wasn't looking. Now unlike many first time Mums, I've tried many different types of stair and safety gate in the past, from fixed barriers I would have to climb over, through fixed gates and onto fully adjustable gates that can moved around the house as necessary. Out of this multitude of gates my favourite by far were the Lindam Easy Fit Pressure Mounted Safety Gates. So shortly after Freddy was born I invested in two of the updated "plus" version of these gates (one for the kitchen and one for the stairs), as although the design has changed slightly, I know from experience that these will easily last until they are no longer needed.

Currently selling for £19.95 each on Amazon, these gates are suitable for use either in doorways or on stairs and will fit openings between 74cm and 81cm without the need for screwing anything into the wall. There are also extensions available that will enable the gate to be placed into a gap up to 137cm in width. As I was placing the gates in standard doorways I didn't need extensions or to actually fix the gate into place. (But I have fixed my previous gates in an older property). The gates themselves, come part assembled in a cardboard box, and while they do have a reassuring weight to them, they are not overly heavy and I had no trouble carrying them.

On opening each box, I was faced with the gate itself with two of the fixings attached, two more fixings, two wall cups (with screws and sticky pads) and the instructions. Fixing the gates into the doorways wasn't difficult so much as awkward. As the gate is held in place by pressure, on first appearance it looks as if it will be far too big for the doorway and it does take quite a lot of strength to squeeze it in. Personally I've always found it easiest to screw the bottom into place first, which is done by turning the plastic wheels until you have a firm fit. I then got my partner to squeeze the top of the gate together and gradually started tightening the top screws. I will say here that it's fairly important to try and get the gaps on either side even, so don't just concentrate on one side. Once all the fittings are tightened, the gates are well secured and I am able to lean on them without any sign of them slipping out of place, but I do find that the bottom fastenings come loose over time and all the fastenings need checking and tightening on a regular basis.

Once in place the gates look quite stylish (well much more stylish than the first gates I had almost 20 years ago), being mainly white enamelled metal with blue fixings. The actual gate section is a good size meaning I can get my rather large frame through without difficulty and it opens in either direction. I will say that it does take a while to get used to the smaller opening in the doorway though, which is why I would always advise fitting these gates well before they are actually needed. Opening the gates is simply a case of pushing on the lock and then lifting it, it's something that quickly becomes second nature (so much so that I had to think about how I actually open it). Closing and locking the gate takes a little more thought and care, (but not too much) as you do need to line everything up. Opening and closing the gate is something I find easy, as does Daddy but there are a few visitors that have been trapped as they can't quite work it out.

As for the gates' primary purpose, which is of course keeping a certain little man away from the kitchen or the stairs, well they do an excellent job. While he has worked out that the blue handles somehow open the gates, Freddy cannot actually manage to open them (and he has better than average fine motor skills). What I particularly like about these gates (as opposed to the older ones) is that there is the addition of a small lever at the bottom that can be used to either lock the gate to only open in one direction (a brilliant idea for the top of the stairs that could reduce the risk of falling down), or to completely lock the gate. Although he can't open the gate yet, I can't see it being much longer before Freddy works it out, so this extra little lock could possibly extend the gates' usefulness by a few weeks. The gates have, so far, withstood Freddy's very determined attempts at shaking them loose from the door frames, but I do regularly check all fixings to ensure they are tight.

We've now had these gates in place for well over a year and they still look as good as new, needing only an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth. They have proved to be just as effective and durable as previous models and I do like the plus aspect of the extra little lock at the bottom. The gates are also easy to remove from doorways (as I discovered when I had a new washing machine delivered) and unlike fixed gates they do not cause permanent damage to the walls, which is quite an important aspect if you happen to be privately renting. (Although from experience if you leave them in place for an extended period of years, they may lift gloss paint). That's not to say the gates are perfect, from experience I would say they are at their best when used in door frames, when used on ordinary walls they don't grip as well and they simply make holes in plasterboard (although this can be prevented by screwing pieces of wood to the walls before fitting the gate, which does negate the idea that these do not damage the wall). Another possible negative is that the gates do not shut automatically, but do need the lever to be lowered, however closing the gate soon becomes second nature.

Personally I have no hesitation in recommending these gates to the parents or carers of any baby, toddler or young child as long as they will fit the opening.. Although it can be a slight struggle to fit them in the first instance, it's something that soon becomes second nature (I didn't even need the instructions). The gates have proved effective over the year+ we've had them in place and they have definitely fulfilled their primary purpose of keeping a certain little someone away from the stairs and kitchen. Of course they won't keep him out forever, but even once they have been conquered they will still provide a barrier of sorts to the places I don't want explored. Having used the previous version of these gates for over eight years before passing them on, I am also confident that the gates will easily last for the time period that they are needed and beyond.

And so I'm giving the Lindam Easy Fit Pressure Mounted Safety Gates a hearty five stars out of five, for as far as I'm concerned they are an absolute essential. All I would say is buy them before you think you'll need them (i.e. When baby is still very small and not mobile) as this will give you time to get into the habit of opening and closing them.