Three brands of popular baby stair gates are ‘potentially unsafe’, warns consumer watchdog Which?.
Owners of three popular child stair gates are being urged to stop using them immediately. The warning comes after Which? tested the durability of ten stair gates and found that three failed to meet EU safety standards.
The fatigue testing assessed the durability of ten products – a method which forms part of the EU safety standard. During the test, gates are moved 10,000 times in a way that simulates how they are moved by a toddler over time.
The Dreambaby Retractable Gate, which costs around £50, is reported to have performed ‘shockingly’ in tests. Despite being the winner of three consumer awards, Which? has stated that; ‘Anyone who owns this gate should stop using it immediately.’
One of three models identified as ‘potentially unsafe’, the Dreambaby model only lasted for ten applications of force before failing.
Which? said: “Shockingly, the Dreambaby Retractable Gate failed after just ten applications of force, with the metal tube that is attached to the stair gate becoming bent and detaching from the casing that holds it in place, which led to the gate sagging in the middle.”
The other gates which failed to meet EU safety standards include the Lindham Easy Fit Plus Deluxe Safety Gate and the Safetots Self-Closing Gate.
The Lindham Easy Fit Plus Deluxe Safety Gate failed after 2,570 applications of force during testing and the Safetots Self-Closing Gate also failed when the adhesive pads became detached after 3,700 applications (although the latter passed the test when screw fixings were used).
Responding to the findings, Dreambaby told Which? that; “Complaints relating to the quality of our products are rare but when received they are investigated immediately. However, our ability to undertake a thorough investigation of the matters raised have been significantly frustrated by the failure of Which? to provide sufficient background detail despite our repeated requests for this information. We are therefore unable to provide a considered response at this time.”
Safetots has also disputed Which?’s findings, asserting that the gate has been exhaustively tested in China and the UK.
Munchkin, Lindham’s parent company, told Which? that it is not aware of any evidence supporting its allegations after reviewing and analysing customer complaints for the gate.
The Which? findings have been reported to Trading Standards and the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS).
