Yay! Your baby is starting to move around, pull-up on furniture and explore everything. It’s so exciting to see them begin to branch out from the 2×2 square on the floor you set them in, but then you realize, there is SO much in the house that can hurt them while they’re exploring. Yikes. Time to learn how to babyproof a house.
Over the last two years, we have childproofed pretty much everything in our house. Our 2.5 year old son is non-stop and way too crafty for his own good, so we’ve tried – and still use – a ton of products to keep him (and a few of our things) safe.
Now that our youngest is almost a year old and starting to become just as curious as her older brother, we’ve found out what’s holding up the best, and what are the must-haves. Here’s a compilation of our favorite baby-proofing items to use throughout the house.
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Cabinets and Doors
Option 1: Munchkin Xtraguard Dual Action Multi Use Latches
I’ve ordered a lot of different latches and mechanisms to keep drawers closed around the house and keep scissors out of my little ones’ hands and baby proof cabinets without drilling. These Munchkin latches are the best, and we own about 20 of them at this point!
They are really sturdy, easy to install (if whatever you’re trying to lock doesn’t have handles, that’s ok – these still work!), not terrible to look at, and can be used for a multitude of items. We mainly use them on cabinets and drawers, but they can easily be used on your refrigerator, or oven door to keep nosy fingers out.
Option 2: Jambini Magnetic Cabinet Locks
If you’re looking for some childproofing cabinet locks that are a little less obvious and more aesthetically pleasing, these Jambini magnetic locks are a decent option. You stick two pieces onto the inside door of your cabinet that lock together and require a magnetic key to open.
The downside is obviously that if you lose the key, it’s a problem! (Easiest solution: stick it on your fridge.) We also found that if an adult pulled too hard on the doors while the lock was engaged, the lock would eventually fall off from the force, and the stickiness would also wear off if it was ripped from the surface too many times.
If you can keep that from happening, these do work well, and it’s nice not to have a bunch of very obvious childproof cabinet locks all over your house. These are also great if you are worried about damaging the front of your cabinets with adhesive.
Option 3: Adoric Sliding Cabinet Locks
These cabinet locks are yet another option for securing your doors. I particularly like these, because they’re very hard for a child to remove, and you can easily attach them to two handles, as the picture shows.
Option 4: Tuut Door Lever Lock
If you have a toddler in the 90th percentile for height like we do, you know it adds a bunch of fun new complications! When our son started opening the front door and walking outside even though it was pouring rain out, we knew we were in trouble and needed a solution for that door, stat.
This is my most recent babyproofing purchase, and so far so good! It took only about two minutes to install, and the mechanism is easy for adults to manipulate. Once he noticed it, my son looked at it, tried to open the door, realized it wouldn’t open, and promptly turned around and went back to what he was doing. Could it be that easy?!
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Outlets and Electrical Safety
Must-Have: Mommy’s Helper Outlet Plugs, 36 Count
I think these were basically the only products my parents used to babyproof the house back in the day!
These outlet plugs are simple, but definitely necessary to keep little fingers out. They’re tough enough that my kids can’t pry them off, but easy for us adults to remove. This set comes in a pack of 36, which is plenty to cover a most of the accessible outlets in a home.
Extra Protection: Safety 1st Power Strip Cover
If you have a lot of power strips around the house that are accessible to a little one, consider getting a few of these power strip covers.
These are really handy for keeping little fingers away from cords. They require some coordination to open, which is great for keeping toddlers out. Also, as a bonus, it makes the cords look much neater!
Furniture
For Those Sharp Corners: Roving Cove Baby Proofing Edge & Corner Guards
These Roving Cove furniture bumpers are super cushiony and make me feel infinitely better when I see my son teetering off of the edge of the couch, dangerously close to our coffee table. There are several color options to match your furniture, and they’re easy to install since they come with the adhesive already attached. So far, we have only used these on the corners our coffee table, but you can line an entire table if you want.
Must-Have: Anti-Tip Anchors
Furniture anchors are one of the most important things you can have to babyproof your home. Kids love climbing things, or can sometimes just pull too hard on furniture or even toys and easily tip them over.
We’ve found that most of our really heavy furniture automatically comes with an anchor, but if yours doesn’t, these anchors get great reviews. For the heavier pieces, you may want to try something even more heavy duty, like these, which hold up to 400 lbs.
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Baby Gates
Option 1: Summer Infant Multi-Use Deco Extra Tall Baby Gate
If you have stairs, you know that baby gates are a must. We love these Summer Infant gates, because they’re attractive, sturdy, and the install is pretty simple.
You can easily put these in any doorway using the tension function, and avoid drilling. However, if you are planning to use them at the top of a stairwell, it is necessary to drill into the wall for safety purposes.
Option 2: Evenflo Play Space Gates
These Evenflo gates are incredibly useful, becuase they can easily be moved around the house.
There are tons of ways to use these, which I love. Before our kids got too big, we would use pieces of ours to section off the kitchen or the bathroom when needed. You could also use the full set outside in the yard with a blanket or set it up in your kids’ play area for everyday use.
Bathtub Gear
Extra Bumper: Skip Hop Spout Cover
The Skip Hop combo spout cover/thermometer we own is sadly no longer sold, but these covers are so handy.
It’s not something I initially thought I needed, but it makes me feel so much better to have one when I see my kids thrashing around in the bathtub, dangerously close to that hard metal spout.
I’ve linked the Skip Hop spout cover here, because it gets great reviews, and I love every product we’ve purchased from that brand.
For the Walkers: Gorilla Grip Bathtub Mat
I love this Gorilla Grip non-slip mat so much that we bought an extra one for Grandma’s house.
My kids love this mat, because they feel much more sure-footed in what is actually a really slipper bathtub. We love it, because the price is great and it doesn’t get grimy (and even if it does, it’s machine washable!). There are also ton of cute color options to choose from.
What are your must-have items to babyproof a house?
Oh wow, those anti-tip anchor sounds really good! Definitely a must-have!
Definitely! I feel so much better having those on our furniture.
Oh, I remember those days! 🙂
I can’t wait to say that! haha.
Those door locks are such a life saver!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who needs those!
The corner guards are definitely something I never considered until my little ones became walkers. Great registry item for new parents! Love this comprehensive list!
-Jennifer
Thanks Jennifer! The corner guards are a must-have for me. So much less nervewracking to have those on when they’re learning to walk!
I second the need for power cord covers and cabinet locks!! You might think you can keep your baby and toddler out of those things, but they always find a way to get into them.
Yes! They are so crafty.