Top 5 Best Door Knob Covers for Babyproofing | 2017 Reviews
How potentially dangerous can doors and door knobs be? The safety risk would probably never cross your mind, that is, until you have a baby in your own house. So, why is there a need to child proof a door knob? Let us count the ways.
There are two main reasons why you would want to install door knob covers around the house. One would be to prevent a little kid from playing and using doors on their own. Two would be to prevent them from getting injured because they got caught in the hinges or in the gap between the door and the frame.
If you fail to use baby proofing products, there is a huge likelihood that your child could bruise or cut themselves or even suffer from a dead nail but worse things can happen if we are not careful as parents. No matter how overprotective we are, there will always be moments when we won’t have our eyes on our kids and, when this happens, we would want to make sure that the entire house is made safe for them as much as possible.
Different types of doors use different types of rubber door knob covers. It depends on the type of knob you use or on what you want it to achieve (prevent using the door knob or prevent the door from closing fully in case your child is there). We have made your shopping a little easier for you and we have come up with a list of various covers that will surely help you in baby proofing your home.
Quick Comparison Table
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Door Monkey Door Lock and Pinch Guard |
KidCo S353 Door Lever Lock |
Safety 1st Grip N Twist Door Knob Cover |
Safety 1st Lever Handle Lock |
Munchkin Door Knob Cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
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0.5 ounces |
3.2 ounces |
0.3 ounces |
0.8 ounces |
2.4 ounces |
 |
|
|
|
|
Door Monkey Door Lock and Pinch Guard
If you are looking for something else to protect your kids from doors, say you want to make sure that they don’t get their little fingers caught between the gap of the door and the frame, then you might want to check this product out.
The Door Monkey is considered one of the best childproofing products in that it makes sure that your doors do not fully close and instead maintain a small gap to allow air to circulate inside the room and prevent your kids from pinching themselves. What we love about this product is that it is compatible with most standard doors (1-3/8” thick) and a standard rectangular door stop moulding. You do not need any special tools or skills to get this product installed on doors because you simply clamp it without any problem – you can choose the height on which to install it in as well. You can put it high up so no kid can reach it and yet still make it easily accessible to adults.
Worried about the item breaking? Well, just like most baby proofing kits, this one is made strong and durable and can endure around 40 to 50 pounds before it breaks. You do not even have to worry about ruining your door because this is made with soft rubber grips which help protect the door’s surface.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage to using this product is that the cost can add up especially if you need them in huge quantities. You might have to be selective in terms of where you should have this installed inside your house. However, it works great in that it prevents kids from opening or fully closing the door especially when you are not around to look after your kids. It may look very easy to operate but as long as you keep it out of their reach, it is designed to be truly fool proof.
No wonder, we place this one at the first spot in our list.
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Details of the Door Monkey Door Lock and Pinch Guard |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
0.5 ounces |
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Dimensions |
1 x 2.2 x 7.2 inches |
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Colors |
White |
KidCo S353 Door Lever Lock
Not all doors use knobs because others use lever handles instead. Obviously, you cannot use the regular door covers to baby proof these areas; instead, you need to look for door knob covers for lever handles.
Now, what makes the KidCo Door Lever Lock stand out from the rest? What we liked about this product is that it requires no tools just to have it installed. You just place it right on top of your existing door lever and it should work perfectly. You will have to make use of a very sticky adhesive so it properly adheres to the door but you also have the option to use screws in its place. However, you have to keep in mind that using screws means that you will have to deal with holes in your doors once you no longer need to use this lever lock.
Parents love that this child proof door knob lever lock easily fits most standard lever knobs. If you do have a thin lever, you can simply put in some additional padding to make sure that it returns to its locked position. We also love that even though it effectively locks a door, it does not mean that you can’t open the door from the other side, unless of course you also have this lock installed on the other side.
The design of this lever lock may look very basic and simple but it does its job quite well. It is difficult for kids to figure out how it works and how to open doors and yet makes it easy for the adults to use it. Be sure your little tots are not around when you open the door (or at least hide the lever from them); these kids can be very smart and they might just figure things out very soon.
We obviously love this lock although it does not work quite as well for some parents – but it did for us. For that, we are placing this at the second spot in our list.
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Details of the KidCo S353 Door Lever Lock |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
3.2 ounces |
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Dimensions |
2 x 4 x 10 inches |
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Colors |
Clear, White |
Safety 1st Grip N Twist Door Knob Cover
If you do not have the time, energy or skills to DIY child proof door knob at home, then try looking for premade door knob covers that are easily available in stores, such as this one from Safety 1st.
Unlike the other product we included in the list (from the same manufacturer), this cover is made for standard round knobs and should fit perfectly in your home. It is made of rubberized material so they are easy for adults to use and grip and yet hard for kids to operate. What we like about this one is that it can be easily installed into the door knob without any special tools or skills. Just get the two parts and lock them to each other around the door knob and everything should be set already.
However, you will have to remember that not all door knob cover locks are perfect. This one still has its flaw although it can still function as desired. Taking it on and off your door knobs can weaken the plastic material which will make it easier to pull apart (even in the hands of your little ones) so try not to take it off too often at the most important doors in your house or at least keep a few strong ones in handy just in case. Don’t worry, getting a few of these will not hurt your pocket.
We also love that the holes in this door knob cover is just the right size: big enough to fit your fingers in and still allow you to get a good grip of the knob and yet small enough so it does not look weird on your door. An additional plus is that this item glows in the dark so you can still find your way towards your door even in the dark. Cute, isn’t it?
Because of that, we are ranking this door knob cover at the third position.
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Details of the Safety 1st Grip N Twist Door Knob Cover |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
0.3 ounces |
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Dimensions |
9.6 x 7 x 5.6 inches |
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Colors |
White |
Safety 1st Lever Handle Lock
Finding the perfect child proofing door cover that is compatible with the hardware you have at home can be a pain. If you have French style levers at home, then you should consider getting this lever handle lock from Safety 1st.
What makes this product stand out from the rest? For starters, it can fit most standard lever handle locks whose round base has a diameter between 2-7/16 and 2-13/16 inches. It can also cover most internal doors that have a cross bore diameter of 2-1/8 inches. The only problem when it comes to using this product is that it requires you to take off your existing lever handle so that you can install the lock. It does not require special skills; you can easily install it as long as you follow the instructions carefully. And nope, you cannot use command strips alone just to install this as it might not be strong enough.
It does come with an advantage in that parents do not have to squeeze so hard on the rubber covers to be able to turn the door knob or place the tips of their fingers in the small holes. Some parents did complain that their kids were able to bypass the locking mechanism of the product which made them useless but after installing them upside down (this means kids will have to lift the handle instead of pull them down), they were perfectly baby proofing doors without worrying about their kids figuring it out. You will have to take note that this can work on both sides of the door if your lever handles move dependently with each other so make sure you know what to do in case your kid accidentally locks you on the other side of the door.
We love that this lock works perfectly, in an accidental manner, when turned upside down. However, we did not quite like the installation process which required removing the lever hardware. Because of that, we are putting this at the fourth position in the list.
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Details of the Safety 1st Lever Handle Lock |
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|---|---|
|
Weight |
0.8 ounces |
|
Dimensions |
2.6 x 5.6 x 7.6 inches |
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Colors |
White |
Munchkin Door Knob Cover
You never know what your mischievous little one is up to and having doors around is not an exception to the things that they consider as toys. Surely, you would not want them opening the door suddenly on a cold winter day or sneaking their way to your garage or basement – who knows the horrors this will unleash!
These child proof door knob covers from Munchkin are the perfect way to protect those doors and rounder knobs from your little ones, ensuring that they will never be able to open it, especially when you are not looking. We very much like that despite its simple design, this cover is made very durable and strong and is, in fact, tamper resistant. It is quite easy to wrap around standard rounded door knobs – you just have to clip the two parts in place around the knob and it should work perfectly after installation.
For adults, opening the door is quite easy as you just have to get your fingers through the holes in the cover, grab the door knob and turn it. It works in a very simple manner and yet your little ones’ tiny hands will still have a difficulty figuring out how to open the door. Even if they do figure out how it works, their hands will be too small and too weak to open the door by themselves. We also like that this door knob cover still shows the door lock although this might be a problem if you have kids who like to lock and unlock doors.
Some parents did complain that these padded door knob covers make it a little hard for them to turn the knobs considering that you only use the tip of your fingers to grasp the knob. It can take some practice – do make sure every adult knows how to operate it in case of emergencies – but it will be worth it. For that, we are placing this item at the fifth spot in the list.
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Details of the Munchkin Door Knob Cover |
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|---|---|
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Weight |
2.4 ounces |
|
Dimensions |
Not specified |
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Colors |
White |
It can be very easy to go overboard when you start child proofing your home and making sure that it stays safe for your kids and yet remain functional for the adults. Finding the right products should be a compromise between safety and ease of use so make sure to carefully weigh the pros and cons before you go and buy them in huge quantities.
Remember, there is no single best door knob cover because the products, as listed here, come with their own advantages and disadvantages. They are also meant for different purposes and door knob styles so look for one that you truly need at home.
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