Stair gates - At what age do you not need them?

[TwoScrambled]

Title says it all really, when can you take them down? At what age? Logic tells me its when he can go up and down on his own safely but paranoia make me ask the question!

www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10001&catalogId=1500001501&langId=-1&search Terms=dog+gate

both DSs (3.4 and 22 months) are fine with stairs but we use them to keep them out of certain places and to create safe havens to put DD (10 wks) when we aren't holding her. They can be a little overly affectionate

We've never had one downstairs, and I only use the upstairs one now if ds (22 months) is particularly frisky and/or I want to make sure he doesn't vanish downstairs while I'm doing things upstairs. But we'll keep it for the time being - we're going to move him to a bed at some point, and I guarantee he'll be an escaper. He's been able to go up and down stairs for ages so it's not really a safety thing anymore as much as a keeping him where I can see him thing.

wotulookinat

We never bothered with stairgates at all. But my son wasn't a climber and our stairs go up so far, then there is a small landing and then a few more. So if he did fall down them he didn't have far to fall.

He was in a cot until he was nearly 3 (and didn't try to climb out and wasn't potty trained at that stage at night so that wasn't an issue) so it was never something that was a concern. And with only child, I only had him to watch. When we put him in a bed I put something across the stairs for a few months in case he wandered but he didn't tend to.

It completely depends on your family circumstances, layout of house and whether your child likes climbing and wandering about at night!

Took ours down when he could walk safely up and down and understood playing around at top of stairs is dangerous.

We put them in his room so he would just call us rather than creep into our bed when it got too much for dh so early in the morning!

never had them.

I never used them, so I'd say now!

With ds1, only had on on the kitchen, took it down before he was 3.

ds2 is 15mths, but the gates have a notice on when to stop using them age related (which I can't check because my light at top of stairs is out) so I assume that's there for a reason why they suggest an age?