
Baby Gates – Where to Measure
WHERE TO MEASURE
Here are are some guidelines on how to work out the size of the pressure-mounted baby gate and possible extensions you may need.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE:
Baby Gate extensions and banister adaptors are brand specific and you cannot for example use a Dreambaby Extension with a Safety 1 Gate.
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BEFORE PURCHASING
What to consider BEFORE purchasing your Baby Safety Gates and Extensions
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- Take accurate measurements and remember to factor in the skirting.
- If there is a skirting. Take two measurements:
- On the floor: Skirting to skirting/banister pole
- Above the skirting: Wall to wall/banister pole. Refer to articles further down below.
- The maximum adjustable size of pressure mounted baby gates include the tension knobs on the sides, used to secure the gate.
THE REASONS I ONLY STOCK THE DREAMBABY BRAND, BESIDES IT BEING AN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BRAND IS TWO-FOLD:
1. The SA distributor is on the ball and always has sufficient stock of the gates, banister adapters and gate extensions.
2. The versatility of the gates and extension sizes, allowing parents to safeguard just about any opening as wide as 5,04m.
Pressure Mounted Safety Gate Sizes
Dreambaby has two standard gate sizes available (Images further down):
The Dreambaby Xtra Wide Hallway Gate is a pressure-mounted gate (no drilling required)
The Dreambaby Ava Standard Doorway Gate is a pressure-mounted gate (no drilling required)
Dreambaby Standard Gate Size with tension knobs
– Adjusts to fit openings between 75-84cm
Dreambaby Hallway Gate Size with tension knobs
– Adjusts to fit openings between 99-105,5cm

SUPER WIDE BARRIER GATES UP TO 5M
The Dreambaby Royale Converta Playpen is the only one of its kind in South Africa. A playpen that comes with a wall mounting kit to convert it into an extra-long barrier gate that’s 3.8m long. 2 Panel extensions are available to purchase to further extend the gate to 5m.
→ DRILLING REQUIRED – MUST BE HARDWARE MOUNTED TO THE WALLS .
DREAMBABY STANDARD GATE COMPARISON
Color: WHITE
PRESSURE MOUNTED
(No Drilling Required)
Fits Openings Between 75cm to 84cm
Gate Height: 76cm
Can extend up to 2.84m using optional gate extensions.
Can be mounted to Banister Poles OR any Cylindrical Upright using
Y-spindle Adaptors.
Color: CHARCOAL
PRESSURE MOUNTED
(No Drilling Required)
Fits Openings Between 75cm to 81cm
Gate Height: 76cm
Can extend up to 1.35m using optional gate extensions.
Can be mounted to Banister Poles OR any Cylindrical Upright using
Y-spindle Adaptors.
Color: ONLY available in WHITE
PRESSURE MOUNTED
(No Drilling Required)
Fits Openings Between 99cm to 105,5cm
Gate Height: 76cm
Can extend up to 3.05m using optional gate extensions.
Can be mounted to Banister Poles OR any Cylindrical Upright using
Y-spindle Adaptors.
HERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT SCENARIOS (Gate Configurations):
SCENARIO 1
Your measurement/s falls within the adjustable size of the standard sized gates available (No extensions required.)
Dreambaby Standard Gate Size with tension knobs
– Adjusts to fit openings between 75-84cm
Dreambaby Hallway Gate Size with tension knobs
– Adjusts to fit openings between 99-105,5cm
Choose one of the Dreambaby standard sized gates that is closest to your measurement:
- For standard areas or doorways with a minimum width of 75cm and max width of 84cm use:
Dreambaby Standard Doorway Baby Safety Gate – adjusts to fit areas between 75 – 84cm - For wider areas with a minimum width of 99cm and max width of 105,5cm use:
Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate – adjusts to fit areas between 99-105.5cm
If your measurement/s falls within the adjustable sizes, for example:. 75-84cm OR 99-105.5cm you won’t need to order additional extensions and it is straight forward.
SCENARIO 2
QUESTION: What if your area does not fall within the Adjustable size, for example If your area is between 85-98cm?
ANSWER: Gate extensions are available specifically for this scenario.
FOR EXAMPLE: Area to cover 86cm - Just to big for a standard sized gate.

Take the measurement of 86cm and SUBTRACT the smallest, most logical sized extension (9cm in this case).
- Calculation: 86cm – 9cm = 77cm
- 77cm falls within the adjustable size of the Dreambaby Standard sized gate (adjusts to fit openings between 75-85cm).
In Summary you will need:
SCENARIO 3
Let’s try a more challenging example where there is a skirting involved. In otherwords you would need to have 2 measurements, one at the bottom and another above the skirting.
HERE IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE WITH A SKIRTING THIS TIME: AREA TO COVER 97cm (bottom) - 98cm (top)

Actual Measurements:
- Width wall to wall: 98cm
- Skirting to Bottom of Island: 97cm
The max size of 98cm is just under 99cm, so the Xtra wide Dreambaby Hallway gate won’t work.
PLAN B: Let’s rather then consider the Dreambaby Standard Size Doorway Gate adjustable between 75-84cm plus and add an extension.
Take the TOP measurement of 98cm and SUBTRACT the most logical sized extension (in this case it would be 18cm)
- Calculation: 98cm – 18cm = 80cm
- 80cm falls within the adjustable size of the Dreambaby Standard sized gate (adjusts to fit openings between 75-85cm).
Take the BOTTOM measurement of 97cm and SUBTRACT the 18cm extension:
- Calculation: 97cm – 18cm = 79cm
- 79cm falls within the adjustable size of the Dreambaby Standard sized gate (adjusts to fit openings between 75-85cm).
In Summary you will need:
SCENARIO 4
Let’s try a more challenging example where there is a skirting and banister involved as well as a corner wall.
AREA TO COVER: 121cm (Pole to Skirting) and 123cm (Pole to Wall)

Actual Measurements:
- Width Pole to Wall: 123cm
- Width Pole to Skirting: 121cm
Already you can see the opening is wider than 99cm, so we would go for the more obvious wider standard gate, namely the Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate 99-105.5cm
(However, please note this is not always the case; Sometimes even for a wider area you need to use the Dreambaby Ava Doorway Gate 75cm to 84cm but with wider extensions, it all depends on the width of the opening…)
Take the TOP measurement of 123cm and SUBTRACT the most logical sized extension (in this case it would be 18cm)
- Calculation: 123cm – 18cm = 105cm
- 105cm falls within the adjustable size of the Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate – adjusts to fit openings between 99-105.5cm
Take the BOTTOM measurement of 121cm and SUBTRACT the 18cm extension
- Calculation: 121cm – 18cm = 103cm
- 103cm falls within the adjustable size of the Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate – adjusts to fit openings between 99-105.5cm.
We are not done yet…
- Now you have a banister pole and a corner wall too.
- Don’t worry, Dreambaby has you covered!
- You will need 2 sets of Dreambaby Banister Gate Adaptors – refer to photo above, these adaptors are circled in yellow.
In Summary you will need:
- 1 x Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate 99-105.5cm
- 1 x Dreambaby 18cm Baby Gate Extension
- 2 sets of Dreambaby Banister Gate Adaptors (One set for the banister pole and another set for the corner wall.
SCENARIO 5
Question: What if there isn’t a suitable extension size for your area?
Answer: You can always use TWO extensions, one on either side.
AREA TO COVER: 220cm (Skirting to Skirting) and 223cm (Wall to Wall)

Actual Measurements:
- Width Skirting to Skirting: 220cm
- Width Wall to Wall: 223cm
Already you can see the opening is wider than 99cm, so we would go for the more obvious wider standard gate, namely the Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate 99-105.5cm
(However, please note this is not always the case; Sometimes even for a wider area you need to use the Dreambaby Ava Doorway Gate 75cm to 84cm but with wider extensions, it all depends on the width of the opening…)
Take the TOP measurement of 223cm and SUBTRACT the most logical sized extension (in this case it would be the widest extension available i.e. the 1meter (100cm) extension)
- Calculation: 223cm – 100cm = 123cm
- However, the measurement of 123cm is wider than the max width of 105,5cm for the Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate.
- This simply means you will need to add on another extension to extend the gate further to 123cm.
- The most logical size extension to use would be the 18cm.
- To double check take 123cm -18cm = 105cm.
- 105cm is perfect, as it falls within the adjustable size of the gate.
WE ARE NOT DONE CHECKING YET, YOU NEED TO CHECK IF THE GATE WITH EXTENSIONS WILL FIT AT THE BOTTOM, SKIRTING TO SKIRTING.
Take the BOTTOM measurement of 220cm and SUBTRACT the 1m (100cm) Extension
- Calculation: 220cm – 100cm = 120cm
- Then subtract the 18cm extension from 120cm = 102cm.
- PERFECT! 102cm also falls within the adjustable size of the gate.
In Summary you will need:
- 1 x Dreambaby Liberty Xtra-Wide Hallway Gate 99-105.5cm
- 1 x Dreambaby 18cm Baby Gate Extension
- 1 x Dreambaby 1m Baby Gate Extension
There are many more scenarios i could take you through, however the possibilities are endless.
I truly hope – by patiently reading through this article – you have gotten the hang of it and that you will feel confident in taking your measurements and purchasing your gates/extensions and/or banister adaptors.
FOR MORE COMPLICATED SET-UPS, FOR EXAMPLE:
1. Skew/irregular walls, that pressure-mounted gates don’t seem to be suited for (I use Pratley Quickset Putty…)
2. No wall at all on the one side (Creating a fake wall…)
3. OR where there is a much narrower gap at the bottom than at the top. (I cut the gates to size, but you need to know what you are doing…)
VISIT THIS PAGE, and take a look what I have done there:
Thank – you for visiting my Baby Safety Tips BLOG! Hope you found this information useful