Welcoming a baby into your home is a joyful occasion filled with sweet coos and cute onesies. It’s also, in a word, terrifying. Adding a tiny person to your home comes with a huge learning curve, from where they sleep, to how to feed them, bathe them, and transport them. Even when you’re safely inside the home, the dangers are lurking around every corner. Speaker of corners, those need to be protected as well. Thankfully, baby-proofing products are readily available and easy to install on minimal sleep.
Keeping a baby safe is a parent or caregivers’ number one job, which is really difficult when literally everything is scary. With baby-proofing, prevention is key. We’ve included a list of the must-have items in your home from birth to toddlerhood. Thankfully, most baby-proofing products are affordable, quick to install, and can help you and your little one stay safe in your home. Getting down on the ground with the baby during tummy time and looking around is a great way to get an idea of what your little one can access inside the home. There are also several professional baby-proofing companies that can outfit your home to be extra safe, which is especially helpful in homes with pools and multiple doors and windows.
Even if you don’t have a baby at home, many of the products on our list are great for aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends who want to enjoy visits with their favorite bundle of joy without constantly worrying about exposed outlets. There are so many outlets. From bath to bedrooms, securing furniture to securing toilet seats, these baby-proofing products will keep your family safe.
1. Safety 1st Home Safeguarding Set
Not quite sure what you need to baby-proof your home? The Safety 1st Home Safeguarding Set helps remove the guesswork. The set includes commonly used baby-proofing products that have a universal fit. This includes 40 plug protectors, six doorknob covers, 30 cabinet and drawer latches, and four cabinet slide locks. You may not think you need that many baby-proofing accessories, but trust us, you will.
Buy: Safety 1st Home Safeguarding Set $19.99
2. Toilet Lock by Wappa Baby
Every movie with a baby in it seems to have some montage of the little one dropping something very expensive down the toilet. The reason? Because it can and does happen quickly and easily. Protect your belongings, your child, and your plumbing with an easy-to-install Toilet Lock by Wappa Baby. The lock has a swinging hinge that makes it impossible to open the seat when closed, but it’s still easy for adults to open in a hurry, which is good news. Parents don’t actually get to go to the bathroom alone, but at least they’ll ‘make it’ in time.
Buy: Toilet Lock by Wappa Baby $8.90
3. Kidco Stove Knob Covers
Play kitchens are a great place for kids to get hands-on learning experiences and play pretend. Real kitchens are not. Once little ones begin pulling themselves up and walking, being able to reach stove knobs poses a huge safety risk for them and everyone in the home. We like the Kidco Stove Knob Covers, which feature a universal sizing that covers most stove knobs. The hinge design makes it easy for adults to still access the knobs and the non-adhesive installation is quick and easy.
Buy: Kidco Stove Knob Covers $9.76
4. Iba Innovations Blind Cord Winder
Window coverings with cords are a huge safety issue for little ones. If possible, it’s best to completely replace these coverings with cordless options before your child is born, especially if the window covering is in their room. If not, there are still baby-proofing products to help keep little ones safe. A cord winder can keep cords high and out of reach for babies who otherwise may grab a cord and wrap it around their necks.
Buy: Iba Innovations Blind Cord Winder $11.99
5. Munchkin Xtraguard Dual Action Multi Use Latches
Latches are one of the most useful baby-proofing products around thanks to their strength, usefulness, and versatility. The Munchkin Xtraguard Dual Action Multi Use Latches comes with a strong adhesive that provides a tight grasp on everything from oven doors to microwaves, garbage cans, toilet seats, fridges, freezers, cabinets, and more. The latches are easy to install and create a secure locking mechanism that babies and toddlers won’t be able to open unassisted.
Buy: Munchkin Xtraguard Dual Action Multi Use Latches $8.99
6. Elepho eFloat Digital Baby Thermometer for Bathtub
Baths are a great way to get baby relaxed and clean before bed, but they can also come with a lot of stress for parents. Having a bathtub that is age and size appropriate for your tiny bather is a great start (check out our top picks for baby tubs). Many of the tubs on our list come with built-in temperature indicators that change color if the water in the tub is too hot. But if you’re still not sure about temperature or want to make sure you haven’t swung too far the other way and given baby an ice bath, the Elepho eFloat Digital Baby Thermometer for Bathtub makes it easy to ensure the bath water is at an ideal temperature. The Elepho has a built-in alarm that will sound if water is too hot or cold. As your baby gets older and graduates to the full-sized tub, the Elepho can help ensure correct water temperature and doubles as a fun, water-friendly toy. We also like that the thermometer can be used to take the room temperature, making it a multi-use safety item.
Buy: Elepho eFloat Digital Baby Thermometer for Bathtub $18.99
7. Door Pinch Guards by Jool
Doors are endlessly fascinating for babies and endlessly terrifying for parents and caregivers. They are one giant finger/foot/hand/body pinch waiting to happen. Thankfully, there are the Door Pinch Guards by Jool. The easiest of all baby-proofing products to install (hooray!), the U-shaped, soft EVA foam guards slide over the top or side of the door, thus stopping it from fully closing. Not only are these door guards great for babies, but they’re also handy to have when the toddler stage approaches and tantrums lead to slamming doors. Parenting is fun.
Buy: Door Pinch Guards by Jool $8.99
8. Safety 1st TV & Furniture Safety Straps
It may seem like your baby pulling up on furniture or reaching for TVs is far away, but early preparation means no major accidents in the future. Securing furniture and television sets to the wall is a major baby-proofing must-do and Safety 1st TV & Furniture Safety Straps make it easy. The straps can secure a TV to a wall, a TV to a piece of furniture, and it can secure furniture, like bookcases and dressers, to a wall. The universal straps can be adjusted, making it easy to move through your home and ensure everything is as secure as possible.
Buy: Safety 1st TV & Furniture Safety Straps $8.99
9. Bebe Earth – Baby Proofing Edge and Corner Guard Protector Set
A friend of mine has a glass coffee table that my toddler goes straight for every time we visit. I not so lovingly refer to it as the ‘table of death’ as in, the stress caused by this table will be the death of me. If you have a table, nightstand, or any other area with an edge of death to it, protect your little one with an edge and corner guard set. The adhesive edge is easy to cut and customize to any surface, providing a safe place for baby to pull themselves up and play. The corner guards are especially good for homes with kitchen islands. Your newborn may be tiny now, but eventually, they will be eye-level with the corners on your island and the inevitable head slam will happen. Protect their noggin with a cushioned corner guard.
Buy: Bebe Earth - Baby Proofing Edge and Corner Guard Protector Set $18.99
10. Delta Children Jeep Adjustable Baby and Pet Safety Gate
Once your little one begins crawling, installing a baby gate is a must. Unlike most baby-proofing products, baby gates are not a one size fits all product. There are baby gates for the top of the stairs, the bottom of the stairs, gates to close off large rooms, gates to create playpens, gates to protect little ones from fireplaces, and gates that can travel with your family. There’s a good chance you may even need multiple styles of gates in your home depending on stair openings and doorways.
Baby gates are probably the most overwhelming of all the safety products to buy because not all openings are the same, but also one of the most important. There are several gates we like, including the Delta Children Jeep Adjustable Baby and Pet Safety Gate. Pressure gates are ideal for straight openings, like doorways, and can easily be moved from room to room or even home to home when necessary. SPY received a sample of the Delta Children Jeep gate and liked that it included a pattern on the front that make it easy to see for little ones and elderly relatives who were visiting.
Buy: Delta Children Jeep Adjustable Baby and Pet Safety Gate $59.99
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