Best Child Safety Products : Baby & Infant Safety Gear Review

Most parents worry about the safety of their children and of visiting children to their home.  Recently while having a play date I was astounded at the number and variety of safety products that were being used.  I remember with my first child I had to have every safety product available, but with four children, I have found that there are 6 absolutely essential home safety products for every mom of a mobile child.

Safety 1st Door Knob Covers or Lever Door Lock Covers: My daughters learned early to open the doors of the house. Front doors, bedroom doors, bathroom, closet or panty, it didn't matter.  With opening the doors a whole new set of safety concerns occurs.  One of the cuter aspects was when my 2 yr old helped herself to "snack" a friend of mine actually had a child wonder out to the garage. 

These covers are excellent.  They are only priced at $2.56 for a two pack package.  The package is easy to open. The door knob covers pull apart so that you can easily install them on your door knob and then clip together by four (two on each side) snap tabs, not easily pulled apart by a small child.  Finger pressure points make it easy for a grown up hand to turn the knob, but for children it is difficult if not impossible as the cover slides around and they can not get a grip on the handle to open it.

The color of the knob holder is supposed to go with "any décor."  However it is in actuality a clear to white piece of plastic, not exactly attractive to look at.  Also, the center hole is not quite large enough to access the lock on the door, which sometimes I like to use.

Safety First Cabinet Flex Lock: Cupboards and cabinets are usually the first place parents find their children getting into once they become mobile.  Many people store their cleaning supplies under the sink, and some baking dishes are breakable, some pot lids are glass.  To protect your child try the Safety First Cabinet Flex Lock. 

I have tried several different types of locking systems, the kind you have to install and while you can't see them you did have to make a ‘hole" in your cabinet door.  The cabinet locks that wrap around your cabinet knobs are almost as good as these, but I have found that some very enterprising children can finger out the button that lets you release it.

With the Safety 1st Cabinet Locks, they aren't pretty, but they are flexible and can accommodate the distance between any cupboard doors, making them incredibly adaptive to many different cabinets and cupboards.  Just about anything with two sides to open can benefit from these locks, such as entertainment centers or book cases.  They do take two hands to open as there are locks in the center as well as pressure points to release the locking system, but at least I am sure that they will never open for the children.  At a cost of approximately $2.99 for a set of two, you can inexpensively protect your children. 

Parenting tip - empty one floor cabinet for the children and put their pots and pans in there as well as food. They will love having their own cabinet to play in as well as the extra time with mom or dad in the kitchen.

Nursery Monitor:  This is a must have item.  You can choose from so many options, including a video monitor or hidden camera video or one that just allows you to hear sounds from the room.  For an inexpensive choice I prefer the Fisher Price Sound and Lights Monitor priced at $32.99.  It comes with two receivers so that you can have a receiver located in two different areas of the house.  The light acts as a nightlight there is a build in sound activated light so you can easily check on the children without disturbing them.  It has an AC adapter as well as battery operated.

Table Edge Guard and Four Corners: Once the little ones become toddlers, those edges of the coffee table and TV become a danger.  As a preschool teacher and parent, I have seen so many bumps, bruises and even cuts due to these sharp edges. To keep your little one's head safe, try the Safety 1st Table Bumper.  Just like the bumper in your crib this is a soft cloth bumper pad that stretches around the entire edge of the table.  It is easily removable and to clean it you simply toss it into the washing machine.  Priced at $32.95 it can be somewhat expensive depending on how many sharp surfaces you have and unfortunately it only comes in one size, with an elastic band, so may not fit all surfaces, however it fits most standard coffee tables as well as uniquely shaped, such as triangle or octagon.

Floor Play Mats:  Available in different shapes and sizes as well as designs.  I like the Disney Princess play foam mat puzzle.  Available at Wal-Mart or Sam's Club for approximately $12.99 it is a nine piece foam puzzle mat that we can put together and take apart to put away.  With hardwood and tile floors especially your young toddler will love having something soft to sit and play on.  We also use it for cushion at the bottom of the slide. If you purchase the small play puzzle you will need to purchase two to cover any larger size floor area and these pieces when wet do slide causing children and adults to fall. Make sure your floor is perfectly dry before using them.

Gate:  Every home needs a gate, to either keep the children from climbing the stairs or from entering or exiting certain rooms.  My favorite is the Evenflo Soft and Wide Pressure Mount Gate ($31.88).  It is adjustable for up to 60 feet wide, covering even the wide doorways of open floor plan houses; it has a soft mess panel so you can view your children and adjust to uneven openings such as on a staircase.  I just wish you could open and close it instead of having to step over it to get in and out of the room.  For high traffic areas you may wish to install a swing gate with one handed opening mechanism like Evenflo Secure Solutions ($34.30).  The standard wood gate is perfect for those on a budget at $12.99 each, but you still have to step over it and it does not adjust well to uneven openings or doorways.

My Viewpoint:  Every home is different, as is every child. But with these six products you can't go wrong on keeping your child and their playmates safe when they are visiting your home.