Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate review
4.0
In a nutshell
A good, well-priced safety gate, but better for younger children who can't work out how to open it.
What we tested
- Ease of fitting
4.5
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5. - Ease of use
4.0
A star rating of 4.0 out of 5. - Design
4.0
A star rating of 4.0 out of 5. - Durability
3.5
A star rating of 3.5 out of 5. - Worth the money
4.0
A star rating of 4.0 out of 5.
4.0
Pros
- Easy to fit, fits anything from 74cm-82cm, extension packs available, swings shut when not being used
Cons
- Doesn't close very securely, not as easy to open with one hand as some gates
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A safety gate that you can never leave open? It’s a genius idea, though there are a few little niggles to watch out for with the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate, too.
The best feature of the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate is its USP, which is that it swings shut behind you, so you'll never forget to close it. And while this is a great feature, it seems to somehow mean that it comes open a little too easily, too.
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What we love
As stairgates go, the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate looks pretty nice, and the unique swing-shut action is invaluable when you're trying to juggle a baby and a gate at the same time. The catch takes easily so there's no way you could leave it open accidentally. It's also fairly easy to open again using one hand, as you just press the button in and lift it up.
The Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate is very easy to fit, and you don't have to screw anything into the wall, yet it feels safe and securely attached.
The gate fits gaps 75cm-79cm, but it also has extensions you can buy for around £5.99 each, so it will fit into any size door or stairway, which makes it flexible for any house. Tippitoes website says one extension will extend it to fit 85cm-88cm, and a second will make it fit an opening 95cm-99cm. Also, the gate comes as 'Narrow Gate' for 68.5cm-75cm and 'Extra Narrow Gate' for 61cm-67cm gaps.
What to watch out for
While the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate is easy to fit, it's not necessarily easy to fit well. What I mean by this is, when it comes out of the box, the catch doesn't reach the other side of the gate so it doesn't close at all. As you tighten it against the wall, it gets nearer and nearer to the catch – but the trouble is this means if you don't screw it in tight enough – and it does have to go very tight – then the gate doesn't feel very securely shut. The way we got it to close, we wouldn't have felt happy about putting it at the top of our stairs, because I think with a good few shakes by my 2 year old, it would spring open fairly easily.
Having said that, if you can get it to attach tightly enough, I'm sure it would be secure enough. I'd just make sure you're attaching it to a flat surface rather than a round newell post at the bottom or top of the stairs, as I don’t think it will attach very well to these.
Who is the Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate best for?
Younger children who can't figure out how to open it, and people with wider-than-normal gaps to fill.
MadeForMums verdict
The Tippitoes Swing Shut Safety Gate is a nice looking gate and easy to fit, but you do need to be careful you attach it to the wall tightly enough otherwise it won’t feel as safe as it can be.