05 Windows, Doors, Fireplace & Edges Best picks
Best window guards and locks: the guards that meet ASTM F2090, and the stops for windows that only need 4 inches
A screen holds a fly. The CPSC estimated 5,600 children treated for window falls in 2024. A guard meets a standard; a stop limits the opening; a screen does nothing. Ranked with the standard first.
- By
- Mike M.
- Updated
- Method
- How we choose
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Quick picks
The short answer
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 |  Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 23-35 in (Model 2335) ASTM F2090-21 stated, emergency escape release, under-4-inch bars, three post heights; screws into the frame. | Best window guard | 8.2 / 10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 02 | Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 35-58 in (Model 3558) The same guard for 35 to 58 inches; tall openings need two. | Best for wide windows | 8.1 / 10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 03 | Perma Child Safety Adhesive Sliding Door & Window Lock (2 pack) Adhesive dual-motion latch that blocks the track; cheap, two per pack. | Best for sliders and patio doors | 6.6 / 10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 04 | Cresci Products Window Wedge (2 pack) Velcro-mounted adjustable stop for hung and sliding windows; set it to 4 inches, made in the USA. | Best window stop | 6.4 / 10 | Check price on Amazon |
| 05 | Fairy Baby Window Guard, 32.7-36.2 in (1 Panel) Pressure-fit steel bars in one to four panels; no ASTM F2090 statement and no emergency release. | Best no-drill guard (not for egress windows) | 5.6 / 10 | Check price on Amazon |
#ad · Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Scores are ours, compiled from published standards statements, manuals and specs against this page's job, not lab tests. Photos are stock. Tap a row for the full write-up.
The numbers, and why screens don't count
In its 2026 Window Safety Week release the CPSC estimated 5,600 children aged 12 and under treated in emergency departments in 2024 after falling out of a window, about one in three requiring hospitalization, and at least 25 deaths from 2021 to 2023, 80 percent between May and October. Its tips are the whole product category in five lines: install window guards; never depend on screens; install stops so windows open no more than four inches; keep furniture away from windows; open windows from the top. A screen is held in by spring clips and gives way under a leaning toddler. A guard is screwed into the frame and tested to a standard. A stop keeps the sash from opening far enough for a child to fit through.
Guard or stop: which window needs which
A stop is enough when the window is only ever opened a crack and a 4-inch opening is acceptable. A guard is needed when the window will be opened wide, when the sash is at a height a child can reach and climb, or when you want the window to work as a window. Guards also cover casements and sliders that stops cannot, because a guard is a set of bars across the whole opening rather than a block in the track. The decision in full is window guards vs window stops; the room-by-room install is how to childproof windows.
The egress rule
Bedroom windows are fire exits. A guard that cannot be opened from inside in an emergency turns the exit into a wall, which is why ASTM F2090, the standard for window fall prevention devices, includes a requirement for an emergency escape release mechanism on guards for single-family homes and lower floors, and why the CPSC pushed for the standard in 2000. Guardian Angel states F2090-21 compliance and describes quick-release buttons on both models. Fairy Baby's pressure guard states neither, which is why it sits last: it may be perfectly strong, but it is not a bedroom-window product without a release. Check your local code too; some cities require guards in rental apartments where children live.
How we ranked these
Critical weighting, standards and installation truth at 30 percent each. Guardian Angel is the only maker here to state the standard, so its two guards lead by a distance; the Window Wedge and Perma's slider lock are honest, cheap products that do a narrower job; the Fairy Baby guard loses on the standards column and the missing release and wins on reversibility. Rubric on how we choose.
In detail
Every pick, in full
01
Stock photoBest window guard
Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 23-35 in (Model 2335)
Prevents
ASTM F2090-21 stated, emergency escape release, under-4-inch bars, three post heights; screws into the frame.
- Standards status
- Meets ASTM F2090-21 Standard for Window Fall Prevention Devices with Emergency Escape Release Mechanisms, as stated by the manufacturer
- Installation truth
- Screws into the window frame with a screwdriver or drill, and the guard covers only the opening height of its end posts (13, 17.375 or 21.75 in). Measure the maximum opening, not the window, and buy the post height to match.
Published specs (tap for source)
- Standards & certification (30%)
- 10
- Installation truth (30%)
- 7
- Toddler resistance (20%)
- 10
- Adult one-hand use (5%)
- 8
- Damage & reversibility (5%)
- 3
- Value (10%)
- 5
What it gets right
- ASTM F2090 stated
- Egress release for fire safety
- USA manufactured
- Three post heights
What it doesn't
- Screws in the frame
- Priced per window
- Buying the wrong post height wastes the guard
Skip it if…
…your window opening is wider than 35 in; step up to the 3558 model.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 23-35 in (Model 2335)
02
Stock photoBest for wide windows
Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 35-58 in (Model 3558)
Prevents
The same guard for 35 to 58 inches; tall openings need two.
- Standards status
- Meets ASTM F2090-21, as stated by the manufacturer
- Installation truth
- Same screw-in install; for openings over 26 in tall, Guardian Angel's own chart says you need more than one guard stacked.
Published specs (tap for source)
- Standards & certification (30%)
- 10
- Installation truth (30%)
- 7
- Toddler resistance (20%)
- 10
- Adult one-hand use (5%)
- 8
- Damage & reversibility (5%)
- 3
- Value (10%)
- 4
What it gets right
- ASTM F2090 stated
- Egress release
- Covers wide sliders
What it doesn't
- Most expensive window product here
- Screws
- Tall openings need two
Skip it if…
…the window is under 35 in wide; the 2335 is cheaper.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to Guardian Angel Adjustable Window Guard 35-58 in (Model 3558)
03
Stock photoBest for sliders and patio doors
Perma Child Safety Adhesive Sliding Door & Window Lock (2 pack)
Prevents
Adhesive dual-motion latch that blocks the track; cheap, two per pack.
- Standards status
- No standard stated on the Perma product page
- Installation truth
- Self-adhesive on the frame; the lock body sits in the sash's path. It stops the slide, which also stops a toddler's fingers going into the closing gap.
Published specs (tap for source)
- Standards & certification (30%)
- 3
- Installation truth (30%)
- 8
- Toddler resistance (20%)
- 7
- Adult one-hand use (5%)
- 8
- Damage & reversibility (5%)
- 9
- Value (10%)
- 10
What it gets right
- Works on patio doors too
- Retracts flush
- Cheap
What it doesn't
- Adhesive
- Two per pack
- Not a guard
Skip it if…
…your slider frame is textured aluminum; adhesive wants a smooth face.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to Perma Child Safety Adhesive Sliding Door & Window Lock (2 pack)
04
Stock photoBest window stop
Cresci Products Window Wedge (2 pack)
Prevents
Velcro-mounted adjustable stop for hung and sliding windows; set it to 4 inches, made in the USA.
- Standards status
- No standard stated on the Cresci site; window stops are not fall-prevention guards under ASTM F2090
- Installation truth
- It is hook-and-loop on the frame. Set the stop so the opening is 4 in or less, then check it after a week: the loop side can walk on a frame that gets sun. It is a stop, not a guard, and a screen is not either.
Published specs (tap for source)
- Standards & certification (30%)
- 3
- Installation truth (30%)
- 8
- Toddler resistance (20%)
- 6
- Adult one-hand use (5%)
- 9
- Damage & reversibility (5%)
- 10
- Value (10%)
- 9
What it gets right
- No tools
- Adjustable opening
- Removable for a rental
What it doesn't
- Hook-and-loop hold
- Only for sliding sashes
- Not a guard
Skip it if…
…the window is a casement; a crank window needs a different lock.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to Cresci Products Window Wedge (2 pack)
05
Stock photoBest no-drill guard (not for egress windows)
Fairy Baby Window Guard, 32.7-36.2 in (1 Panel)
Prevents
Pressure-fit steel bars in one to four panels; no ASTM F2090 statement and no emergency release.
- Standards status
- No ASTM F2090 statement in the retailer listing consulted
- Installation truth
- Pressure fit inside the frame. A pressure guard is only as strong as the frame it pushes against and the tension you set; it also has no egress release, so it is not for a bedroom that is a fire exit.
Published specs (tap for source)
- Standards & certification (30%)
- 3
- Installation truth (30%)
- 6
- Toddler resistance (20%)
- 7
- Adult one-hand use (5%)
- 7
- Damage & reversibility (5%)
- 9
- Value (10%)
- 7
What it gets right
- No holes
- Sizes to 112 in with four panels
- Steel bars
What it doesn't
- No ASTM F2090 statement
- No emergency release
- Pressure fit depends on the frame
Skip it if…
…the window is a required bedroom egress; a guard without a release mechanism can trap you in a fire.
#ad · Price set by Amazon · Affiliate disclosure for the link to Fairy Baby Window Guard, 32.7-36.2 in (1 Panel)
Who should skip all of these
How we chose
Units we claim to have tested: 0
Everyone in this category says they tested it. We didn't, and we say so. Every pick is scored from the brand's published specs, width and size charts, warranty terms and cited research, against the problem this page is about. The sources are listed at the bottom of the page.
Scores are editorial judgments from that published data, not lab results. Nobody pays for placement, and a missing spec is scored neutral, never guessed. The full rubric is on How We Choose.
- Standards & certification
- 30%
- Installation truth
- 30%
- Toddler resistance
- 20%
- Adult one-hand use
- 5%
- Damage & reversibility
- 5%
- Value
- 10%
The weights this page used for its scores.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Do window guards need to meet a standard?
Are pressure-mounted window guards safe?
How far can a window open safely with a child?
Do window screens keep children in?
Keep going
Related guides and picks
Update log
What changed
- First published.
Receipts
Sources
- 01CPSC news release, 2026: National Window Safety Week, window fall statistics and tips (accessed Sep 21, 2026)
- 02CPSC news release, 2000: New standards for window guards to help protect children from falls (ASTM F2090) (accessed Sep 21, 2026)
- 03CPSC publication: Childproofing Your Home, 12 Safety Devices to Protect Your Children (accessed Sep 21, 2026)
We don't lab-test gates, locks or anchors, and we don't pretend to. Specs, standards statements and install requirements come from the manufacturer's own pages and manuals (or a named retailer's listing where the brand doesn't publish them); injury data and standards come from the CPSC, ASTM, NEC via ESFI and the AAP, linked above. Prices are set by Amazon and change often, so we don't print them. Where a figure isn't published, we say so. Read the full method.