Who we are
About Gate & Guard
Last updated September 21, 2026
What Gate & Guard is
Nobody goes shopping for a baby gate because they want a gate. They go because the kid crawled toward the stairs, opened the cabinet under the sink, or pulled up on the dresser and it rocked. Gate & Guard is organized around those moments: five hazard sections and one section that re-slices everything by the room you are standing in and the stage your child is at.
The sections are baby gates and stair safety, cabinet locks and kitchen safety, furniture anchors and tip-over, outlet covers, cords and blinds, windows, doors, the fireplace and sharp edges, and babyproofing by room and by stage, which is where the printable checklist lives.
Who runs it: Mike M.
The author
Mike M.
Owner, Iron Mako Media
Mike M. is the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media, the publisher of Gate & Guard. He runs the site the way he'd want it run for his own house: read the standard, read the manual, say what the box leaves out, and only recommend products that are still sold and whose safety claims can be checked. No lab, no sponsored placements, just the homework.
Gate & Guard is published by Iron Mako Media. Every guide, roundup and comparison carries Mike M.'s byline, and the sources behind it are listed at the bottom of the page.
How we work
We build every recommendation from documents anyone can check: the CPSC and ASTM standards that define what a gate, an anchor or a window guard has to do; the manufacturer's product page and manual for what it fits, how it mounts and what it claims; and the AAP, Safe Kids and CDC for the injury data behind each hazard. Each spec on a product card links to the page it came from. Scores follow a public rubric, weighted differently for each job, and the full method is on how we choose.
We also tell you when not to buy anything. A house built after 2008 probably has tamper-resistant outlets already; a pressure gate is never the answer at the top of the stairs no matter how good it is. So the guides on whether outlet covers are necessary and whether you really need to anchor furniture come before any product.
Claims we refuse to make
- We don't claim to have lab-tested the products we rank. No pull-force numbers of our own, no invented install photos.
- We don't invent credentials. Nobody here is presented as a certified childproofer, a pediatrician or an engineer.
- We don't borrow star ratings or review counts and present them as our findings.
- We don't print prices we can't verify live, and we don't invent discounts.
- We don't accept payment, free products or loaned gear in exchange for placement.
- We don't publish testimonials. We're a publisher, not a store.
- We don't promise safety. Every barrier reduces risk; none removes the need for an adult in the room.
How the site is funded
As an Amazon Associate, Gate & Guard earns from qualifying purchases made through links on this site. The commission doesn't change what you pay and doesn't decide what we recommend. The details are on our affiliate disclosure, and our standards for sourcing, independence and corrections are in the editorial policy.
Get in touch
Questions, openings we haven't covered, products that have gone out of stock, and corrections are all welcome: email mike@blackironathletics.com or use the contact form. If you're not sure where to start, the FAQ covers the most common questions.