The Wandering Hands of an Inquisitive Child
Childproof Cabinet Locks are a must-have item for any home in which young children reside.
Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love the fact that my children are desperate to explore their surroundings at every possible opportunity. Their wild enthusiasm and genuine delight at discovering new things that we adults take for granted is a truly wonderful thing to watch.
But whilst it is obviously very important to encourage your children to be adventurous and inquisitive, it is equally important to ensure that they do not have access to those dangerous objects that are hidden away in your drawers and cabinets. Knives, scissors, cleaning chemicals, alcohol – these are just a few of the items that can cause death or serous injury to your child if they get their hands on them.
The 1977 Sherry Incident
I’m not entirely sure why I have developed a keen interest in child safety, but it certainly isn’t a genetic inheritance or something I was taught as a child. I have plenty of childhood scars to evidence the fact that I was allowed far greater freedom to explore than my own children.
Now, I don’t know if Childproof Cabinet Locks even existed in 1977 but, had my parents used them on their kitchen cabinets, a 3 year old me wouldn’t have been able to feed a large quantity of the Christmas sherry to my 2 year old sister!
Don’t worry – my sister survived the incident with nothing more than a few hiccups and a toddler hangover, but things could have been a lot more serious and obviously a few sips of cheap sherry is a lot less harmful than a stomach full of bleach.
My mother would probably protest her innocence upon the basis that no-one even considered these issues in 1977 – and she may have a perfectly valid point. However, modern parents have absolutely no such excuses to fall back on since there are many cheap and effective products on the market to prevent your children from getting their hands on dangerous objects.
The Best Childproof Cabinet Locks
Cabinets come in a variety of shapes and sizes and there is no one-style fits all solution.
Very often the most suitable product will depend upon the style of handles on the cabinet(s) and whether or not it is a single-door or double-door configuration.
(1) Munchkin XTRAGUARD 2 Count Dual Action Multi Use Latches
These are an Amazon Best Seller and can be used to secure cabinets, drawers, appliances, toilet seats, and much more.
They have a flexible strap that can be used to latch around corners and they are also very quick and easy to use.
They get excellent User Reviews.
One of the most common positive comments about this product is that children find it far more difficult to work out how to break into them than with other products.
(2) Kisco Child Baby Safety Cabinet Lock – 2 Pack
These locks work on cabinets with side-by-side round knobs provided that they are no more than 6.5 inches apart (measured from center points).
They are easy to use and will not damage your cabinets since they are simply secured around the handles.
The get excellent User reviews.
The manufacturer proudly proclaims that they are assembled in the USA by people with disabilities.
If you have straight handles instead of round handles, you can check out Kisco’s solution to that problem here.
(3) Safety 1st Magnetic Locking System
If you are prepared to drill small holes into your cabinet doors, I strongly believe that these are the best locks on the market. They are one of the few products that actually prevents the cabinet doors from opening at at all, which means that you won’t have to worry about your children pinching their fingers in the gaps between the doors.
You simply use the magnetic key to open the lock when needed and they are completely childproof since you can just keep the key out of their reach.
You get 8 locks and 1 magnetic key.
You can read the excellent User Reviews here.
One of the most popular features is the fact that you can disengage the locks when you require frequent access to the cabinets.
Further Information
If you have any comments or questions about the subject of Childproof Cabinet Locks, please feel free to leave a comment below or send an email to kristian@kidsafetyfirst.com
Good job she didn’t drink ALL the sherry!
I think we had a similar type to the magnetic ones – #3
Thank you for your comment Tony.
I think my sister was fortunate that she didn’t like the taste of the sherry much.
Sadly, she wasn’t so fortunate when my mother accidentally trapped the end of her ring finger in a door – she still has a small portion missing!
I tell this story here http://kidsafetyfirst.com/doors-windows
As for the magnetic cabinet locks, they are by far the best solution provided you don’t mind drilling holes in the doors. The other 2 options are excellent too, but you need to make sure you get a good fit to avoid the risks of trapped fingers. The Amazon free returns policy comes into its own here since you can try them out before you commit to the purchase.