BABY PROOFING IN STYLE WITH FRED SAFETY

Stylish baby proofing. Now there’s three words you rarely see together.

Do you remember those days when you couldn’t wait for your baby to crawl? I look back on those earlier, much easier days and wonder now what was the big rush. The ease of leaving a door open, stairs in sight, or a cooker on, knowing that the only person in danger was me.

Fast forward nine months, and we have a determined, energetic little boy who sees everything as a challenge. So where to start with baby proofing? Well you can start with cushions, padded edges and corner softeners, but these are all only quick fixes and aren’t going to stop the inevitable. Playpens are pretty handy too, but I’ve been told the novelty of being placed in a hexangle baby prison doesn’t last long before they realise they need to be free to roam wild.

So what’s out there? The classic bar stair gate aka the baby prison in two variations; screw in ones and pressure fit. The pressure fit ones have bars at the bottom which can be trip hazards and aren’t meant to be used at the top of the stairs. The only downside with most of these are the sizes don’t always fit narrow old fashioned doorways in victorian houses.

Then there’s retractable ones which definitely appeal due to their compact, clutter free nature.

After researching and reading about what felt like every safety gate out there I had almost given up on trying to find something that didn’t hinder our homes aesthetics, which I know sounds ridiculous as our child’s safety is what’s at stake here. But if you can find something that’s stylish and practical and does the same job, then why not choose this. This is when I discovered Cheeky Rascals and a brand called Fred Safety and their clear view safety gate.

For the record this safety gate is made of hardened plastic. Not glass as someone in my family asked. Its clear plastic is exactly what it says on the tin. Clear. So you can see your baby through it.

It’s also super easy to clean as its one smooth surface to wipe down. We opted for the screw fit for two reasons. First we didn’t think it would fit our narrow door frame, and this clear view gate is actually extendable from door ways of 75cm-100cm wide and you can fit them on the outside of your doorframe over the skirting boards. In the end we were able to fit it within our door frame as our doorway measures 75cm exactly. The screw fit design also appealed due to our hefty baby’s ridiculous strength at possibly being able to pull down a pressure fit safety gate. I know that sounds bonkers, but he’s super strong. But the third reason was its clear and looks great to the point that I forget it’s actually there.

I love how the clear view fred safety gate looks, and what I love most is how I can see Otis while I run the bath, nip to the toilet or cook the dinner. It was also super easy to fit too.

I’ve added a video to show you just how easy it was to fit, and also how great its been to keep our baby contained.

And don’t let anyone ever tell you that baby equipment will ruin your house, because they obviously haven’t seen these Fred safety gates.

This post was sponsored by Cheeky Rascals. All opinions and comments are 100% my own. I wouldn’t recommend something I didn’t love.