when i was searching for baby gates the first time around, i had suuuch a hard time finding anything remotely decent looking. i finally ended up having one custom-made by our handyman because it was such a focal point in our house i really wanted to like it.

nowadays there are way more modern options out there! you can even buy my baby gate! yeah that’s right, it’s my design, but copied by someone else! i rounded up a few good looking baby gates with different price points for you!

.01 this pressure mount acrylic gate is very sleek ($180)

.02 definitely more expensive but this is a beautiful midcentury style gate that you can get in custom sizes ($462+)

03. a modern wood and steel gate that works for hallways or stairs ($60)

.04 another nice wood gate that is extra tall and can go in front of stairs ($45)

.05 this is a nice mesh gate for hallways and stairs and i love that it’s retractable ($31)

.06 this one looks almost identical to the one i had custom made but you can also customize it in other modern designs ($458+)

.07 another really pretty acrylic gate! ($230)

.08 and one more nice wood option that’s also really inexpensive ($37)

what to look for in a baby gate

when choosing a baby gate, just keep in mind where you’re going to put it. certain kinds are designed for hallways, some for stairs, and some can work for both so just make sure you’re getting the right style. also, some are hardware mounted and others can just be pressure mounted.

it’s hard to know how much wear your baby gate is gonna get because you probably won’t know how wild your baby is when you’re choosing one haha. arlo was a very mild mannered lug, while izzy is a rambunctious little wild girl. like if you think your baby will end up hanging on it quite a bit, it’s probably worth mounting it with hardware.

babyproofing your home

besides just getting a baby gate, there are obviously lots of other ways you’ll probably want to make your home safer for a baby. here’s how we babyproofed ours the first time. i included lots of baby proofing products that still look pretty good around the house.

we didn’t really baby proof as much this time because we kept a lot of the things we had intact (like keeping the cabinets under the sink locked, that should just stay locked!) but she is much more wild so we are trying to figure out which cabinets we have to lock that we didn’t before.

more beautiful baby gear

and if you’re looking for more than just baby gates, i put together the ultimate baby registry — i rounded up soooo many baby products that are both pretty AND useful! pretty much everything you would ever possibly need if you’re expecting! i hope it helps!