| A fireplace safety gate offers more reassuring | | | | corners of the surrounding brick. |
| protection from fireplaces than using foam | | | | A typical fireplace gate is approximately 6 feet |
| padding or other ad-hoc solutions like pool noodles. | | | | wide (as an arc with the a 3-foot radius) and 30 |
| While fireplace safety gates cost more, they | | | | inches tall, which should be high enough to keep |
| have a number of advantages. | | | | kids from trying to climb it. To accommodate |
| Made from iron or heat resistant steel, they're | | | | extra-wide fireplaces, additional panels can be |
| heavy enough to prevent pets and toddlers from | | | | purchased. It's a good idea to measure the width |
| knocking them down easily, whereas foam pads | | | | of your fireplace beforehand to ensure that the |
| can be pulled without too much effort. Pool | | | | gate's default set of segments will cover it, since |
| noodles come in bright colors that temp children | | | | extra segments are not cheap. |
| to play with them. Fireplace gates, on the other | | | | Another advantage over fireplace glass doors is |
| hand, are boringly monochrome, and look like | | | | that fireplace safety gates can fall, and are quite |
| more or less permanent fixtures that aren't | | | | noisy when hitting the floor. That may not seem |
| perceived as toys. | | | | like a feature, but for a parents that happen to |
| One nice feature of fireplace safety gates is | | | | have the eyes elsewhere when their kids decide |
| portability. Not only can they be used to shield | | | | to play with the fireplace, the loud crash provides |
| fireplaces, but they can be used on patios and | | | | and excellent alert, and startles kids into jumping |
| decks, placed around outdoor grills and stoves. | | | | away from rather than into the fireplace. |
| Many safety gates feature a segment with an | | | | For any parents who use their fireplace on a |
| adult release latch, so the entire gate doesn't | | | | regular basis, but can't monitor their living room |
| have to be moved just to access the grill. | | | | every second they have the fire going, a fireplace |
| Fireplace doors, on the other hand, are stuck in | | | | safety gate is the most versatile and practical |
| place, and offer less of a space buffer between | | | | form of protection. |
| the child and the flame, not to mention the sharp | | | | |