The traditional baby gates are barred, but many of the modern ones now use a mesh screen instead, which is too small for babies to get their fingers stuck in. Which one do you use? We've just replaced our barred one with a mesh screen since he learned to climb and we were worried he'd get himself stuck, or worse, get over it. It is annoying as the entire gate has to be released and reset to walk through, but it seems much safer.
Fortunately I don't have to use any gates but I know a friend who did. She immidiately removed her bar gate after he toddler was able to go over it, unfortunately the time he got over it he got hurt so I guess bar gates are unsafe in my opinion. Besides, can't their heads get stuck between the bars I have also heard of such cases. I think mesh is a better option for safety.
This is the advantage of raising a baby in the Philippines. Young couples afford to go to work because their baby has a “built-in” nanny in the person of the grandmother. When my daughter was a toddler, she was monitored 24/7 and every minute there are eyes on her. When she walked, there was someone who would be walking behind her to prevent her from harming herself in case of a fall. But with the gates and similar ways to bar the toddler, a nylon screen is the safest. No offense to anyone here but I installed that nylon screen to control our first puppy inside the house. And I think it is the safest.
I would prefer a mesh on the bars which will make it twice as protective. Mesh also keeps insects and flies away which may cause severe infections in babies. There is another advantage of mesh that it will save things from throwing out of gates too which is babies' favorite habit. I have seen people using transparent plastic sheets in lower parts of the gate to make it even more protective.
These days technology has come along way. I used the traditional wooden gates when my son was young, because that really was all that was sold at that time. But I would say, if they sell mesh gates now that would be a safer alternative. I don't know how many times I had to stop him from trying to climb over it, or watch he didn't fall into it and get hurt.
Anything that's safer is a win in my book. Just gotta make sure it's sturdy enough not to tear or break if they put all of their weight on it. You also gotta pay attention to how it stands or how its mounted. The gate at the top of stairs for example you'll want to really make sure it's secured well so this is another safety concern.
I think mesh safety gates are better as it gives more safety when compared plain barred ones. In barred gates there is high chance of his hands/legs get trapped between bars and sometimes it can even lead to fractures. Whenever you choose a gate always ensure that it is made of good quality materials as some babies have a tenancy to bite on anything. It should be clean and not prone to rusting. I have seen some fine gates made out of wood which is quite safe and natural for a baby within the age range from 6 months to 2 years. Nowadays the most popular ones are steel gates which are non-rusty and easy to clean. But it is a fact that no gate is completely child proof so we have to keep our eyes open to avoid any untoward incidents. Kids always try to come out of the gate which sometimes may cause accidents.