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jeremy_segermeister17

soft close hinges for baby proofing?

Jeremy Seger
2 years ago

I’m building a new home and am starting to look at interior doors. They will be 8’ solid core. We also have our first baby on the way and figure we should do what we can to make the house baby proof from the beginning.

One thing we are concerned about is the potential to get a finger pinched in the door, or close to the hinges. I know they sell many different types of products for this, but are there any soft close hinges that might help? It would have the added benefit of no slammed doors when she becomes a teenager!

Comments (16)

  • millworkman
    2 years ago

    Nothing like that for interior doors that I have seen or heard of. Been in construction supply for 35 years.

  • emilyam819
    2 years ago

    IDK about your question, but consider knobs instead of levers. My kids were 3 before they could turn a knob, therefore they stayed in their rooms all night long!

  • anj_p
    2 years ago

    We barely baby proofed anything. I don't think I'd permanently alter my home for it either. The only thing we did was install a baby gate to the basement stairs and add magnetic locks to the kitchen cabinets... mainly so we didn't have to keep saying no all the time when she tried getting into them.
    FWIW we have door levers. DD could open them before 3 but we never had an issue keeping her in her room either. I prefer the look of levers so wouldn't choose a knob just to avoid a possible problem that may not happen. YMMV.

  • RTHawk
    2 years ago

    I baby-proofed as needed. I didn't need to do much - my daughters were cautious by nature. Didn't even need a gate for the stairs. Wait until it's time for baby-proofing - your needs will depend on how adventurous your baby will be.

  • kudzu9
    2 years ago

    You're overthinking this. I was concerned about safety for my children and baby-proofed cabinets so they couldn't get at dangerous stuff and installed a couple of baby gates where needed. My children all made it through childhood without losing any toes or fingers. It's good to be prudent, but you'll drive yourself nuts if you design your house around preventing every threat to a child's safety no matter how remote. Installing special door hinges is a bridge too far....

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    2 years ago

    ^^ this. Children are experiential learners, and learn from minor hurts and mistakes. They won't just take your word for it! So feel free to have normal doors and plant roses!

  • WestCoast Hopeful
    2 years ago

    Three kids in and I would say door stuff not needed. I’m sure a kid or two has slammed a finger but they are fine. Congrats on baby!

  • PRO
    MDLN
    2 years ago

    Please DO baby-proof cabinets with chemicals and medications; our ED's are busy enough already. Thank you.

  • One Devoted Dame
    2 years ago

    I've got a fair number of kiddos myself, lol, but I'll spare ya any lectures. ;-) Going overboard with Baby #1 and then relaxing with Baby #2 is practically a rite of passage (as is everyone telling you not to go overboard, lol!). :-D

    I will share this idea:

    You know the special hinges they have for interior house-to-garage doors? They're self-closing for code purposes. However, they can be totally adjusted to remain ajar (unless you swing it forcefully) with enough room to prevent fingers from getting caught in the jamb.

  • chispa
    2 years ago

    Don't start looking too hard because you will find danger in everything!

  • ILoveRed
    2 years ago

    Wait until they start driving and slam the hands in the car doors. brutal. both of my boys have done that.


    with twins, you do tend to baby proof more when they are young because you meet yourself coming and going. definitely knobs with knob covers. otherwise, do the best you can and say a prayer.

  • One Devoted Dame
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Wait until they start driving and slam the hands in the car doors. brutal. both of my boys have done that.

    Oh, man, no kidding!!! :-(

    Reminds me of a time we went to the beach for my birthday -- back when I only had 4 or 5 kids, I can't remember lol -- and one of my toddlers got his little fingers slammed into the *hotel* bathroom door by one of his brothers. Those doors are like safe/vault doors! :-O

    Speaking of hotels, Baby #5 was crawling up on a hide-a-bed couch once, and I looked over to see that a sibling had handed him a toothbrush. I started toward him, to stealthily remove the toothbrush, and before I could get there, he fell between the couch arm and the wall, nearly shoving the toothbrush through the side of his cheek. That bruise lasted like a week, making me cringe every time I saw the poor little guy. I wanted to take him to the ER, and my husband was like, "He's fine. Mouths bleed a lot, but he's fine." He was right. :-D

    Oh, and Mr. Jeremy - - Congratulations! Wishing everyone a safe and happy pregnancy and delivery. <3 (I forgot to include that in my first reply, lol.)

    [Edited for grammar.]

  • ILoveRed
    2 years ago

    Yes, congratulations. And good luck!

  • wiscokid
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    Here's the other thing - they're babies for such a very short time, even twins. Not worth permanent stuff or difficult to remove options. The days are long but the years are short, enjoy every sleep-deprived, sticky, stinky, wonderful moment. Congratulations to you and yours!

    ETA: Do consider no locks on their doors until they're older/need privacy (or select handles with locks that turn instead of buttons or those stupid knobs that lock by just pushing the whole knob). Our now teenager accidentally locked himself in his bedroom when he was a toddler because his room had a button style lock. Not the end of the world, but an annoyance that was very stressful for him (and us) at that time when we couldn't find anything to pop the lock and he was bawling/screaming his head off on the other side....

  • One Devoted Dame
    2 years ago

    Not the end of the world, but an annoyance that was very stressful for him (and us) at that time when we couldn't find anything to pop the lock and he was bawling/screaming his head off on the other side....

    I kept a screwdriver practically in my purse so I could remove doorknobs for this *exact* reason. Fun times. :-D