Stair gate with no bottom bar that doesn't have to be screwed to bannister?

[HolidaysQueen]

I've no idea if such a product even exists. The top of our stairs has a fancy bannister on one side which I'd rather not screw a stair gate into. But pressure-fix gates all have a bar along the bottom which is not ideal for the top of our very steep stairs.

Anybody know of a gate which is not screw-fixed which doesn't have the bar across the bottom?

Or alternatively, is the bar across the bottom really a trip hazard? I know in theory it is but really has anyone ever fallen down the stairs because of it - I have a relatively relaxed attitude to risk so may go with this type of gate if it's the only way to not involve screws

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Hi there,

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MNHQ

Is there anywhere else you could fix the catch? We've got 2 of these and they're very flexible - wider than normal gates and can be put at strange angles.

I do know people that have used gates with a bar at the bottom at the top of the stairs - but I've always worried coming down by myself, let alone while carrying a child. Each to their own, though (I'm not the most co-ordinated, so maybe that's the problem!)

TBH I wouldn't trust myself not to cause some sort of lethal accident if I had a gate with a bottom bar at the top of the stairs.

I couldn't fit a stair gate to our stairs either (bottom or top), so I've put them on the room doors. It works just fine for us.

lindam do the flexi gate, pressure fit, but you have to remove it to get past.

we had one for a while but it pissed me off so went with the bar at the bottom.

We have the Lindam pressure fit gates on the stairs. The bar is a tripping hazard but you do get used to it. More of a problem for visitors TBH.

Also it has left marks both on the wall and the banister so its not damage free.

What kind of banister do you have? Would Y shaped spindles work? Babydan sent me some free but they didnt work on my round banister as it was too fat...

Thanks all. TBH it's not so much ruining the bannisters themselves (a bit too twiddly and Victorian for my taste) so much as we are thinking of selling the house sometime soon and in this market I'd really rather not have a buyer put off by something silly like potential damage to the stairs. But I did think I was asking for something unattainable! So I guess the best option for us is probably a screw-in one after all as would rather not have a bar, or maybe do what Norktastic Ninja has done - could probably get away with just one across the baby's room.

You'd get used to the bottom bar really quickly, in fact when we finally took our stair gate off, i took a while to realise that i didnt have to take a huge leap over the first step