DREAMBABY® ARE PROUD SUPPORTERS OF THE RECENT CHANGES TO THE NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CODE, AS RULED BY THE AUSTRALIAN BUILDING CODES BOARD, STATING; “ALL NEW HOMES THAT ARE OVER TWO METERS OFF GROUND LEVEL MUST BE FITTED WITH WINDOW LOCKS OR SAFETY SCREENS, TO PREVENT CHILDREN FALLING OUT OF OPEN WINDOWS.”
These changes in building code practices which come into effect as of May 2012, are welcome news to parenting groups, medical practitioners and specialists as well as young families.
The increase in falling accidents and deaths has rapidly increased over the past decade, due to an increase in apartment living, particularly for young Australian families. A five-year audit of trauma cases at the Sydney Children’s Hospital released in December 2010 found that, while serious injuries for children had declined overall, falls from windows had risen.
The Director of Trauma and a Professor of Pediatric Surgery at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Danny Cass, is a strong supporter of the new changes to building codes was one of the prime instigators of this motion, urging window locks and barriers to be compulsory in new homes.
“The recognition that children could access windows and easily climb or fall out of them was a win for commonsense. Before, they thought a kid couldn’t climb that high but they often pull things up to it, or beds are placed next to it,” Cass says, as quoted in a recent article in the Sydney Morning Herald, 3rd February 2012.
Dreambaby®, the child safety expert brand are very supportive of these new changes in the National Construction Code and will continue to design and manufacture window locks which are easy to use, practical and affordable for all Australian families.
“With too many children at risk of falling from their own homes, this new ruling means a brighter and safer future for children who live in apartments and multi level dwellings” comments Carolyn Ziegler, Director of Product Development for Dreambaby®
The Dreambaby® Brass Sliding Window Lock (L166) RRP $9.95 is the latest addition to the extensive Dreambaby® lock range. This lock can be easily fitted (no drilling required) to most horizontal and vertical aluminum sliding windows (with Allen key provided). This stylish window lock ensures safety by limiting the opening space. Position the lock when installing so that it opens no wider than 10cm.
Existing Dreambaby® products on the market include the Sliding Doors & Window Lock (L806) RRP $5.95 for use on most sliding doors, including glass and other surfaces and windows. This lock helps limit openings while still allowing fresh air flow. It’s easily disengaged when little ones are not around and at risk.
A further product, the Dreambaby® Window Latch (L168) RRP $5.95 helps secure and limit windows opening too. Easily fitted to most outward opening windows, this lock can be retrofitted to ensure your window openings are free from danger.
“We have worked extensively with Westmead and have been a large part of the working group by helping to organise a window safety symposium, ‘Kids Can’t Fly’. We are so pleased the National Construction Code has included these important and lifesaving changes,” said Ziegler.
For more information visit http://kidshealth.chw.edu.au/projects/falls-windows-and-balconies
Visit the Dreambaby® web site at www.dreambaby.com.au or call (02) 9386 4000 or in New Zealand, call (09) 274 8788.
Become a Dreambaby® fan: http://www.facebook.com/Dreambabysafety
25 of our members have been trialling the Dreambaby Locks, find out what they thought below! You can sign up to our review panel here: Beauty Chick Chat
Beauty and Lace is an online magazine for women. We hope you enjoyed this article!
I was really pleased to receive these to trial as our house has some nasty drops out of windows (even though it’s only one storey).
My favorite, hands down, was the brass slidiing window locks. These were soooo easy to install, unobtrusive, and very effective. They do warn that they could scratch the window frame, but even if they do then removal will still leave much fewer marks than most products. I highly recommend these; they give adults flexibility but make sure kids can’t open the windows too wide.
The sliding door and window locks were a bit trickier to install, but not really very hard if you read the instructions carefully. They’re very clear and have diagrams to help. I’m not quite as sure about the effectiveness of these; it does seem to me that my boys could climb up and open them if they really wanted to. However, it would definitely slow them down a lot, and that should give me time to notice what they’re up to. These things aren’t supposed to be a panacea so I’m quite happy that the “slow down” effect is good.
So both of these products are relatively simple to install and effective, though of course you’re dopey if you don’t still keep a sharp eye on your kids.
We don’t have an appropriate window for the Window Latch; I’m going to install it at a friend’s house and will come back to comment then. It looks like it would also be easy to install and pretty effective.
I am glad to be a reviewer; as a mum of three, we’ve purchased Dreambaby safety products before. I got hubby to install the sliding door and window locks; no tools were needed and it didn’t take him long. I was impressed with these; they are simple to use and work well. The sliding window lock is going to be put on over the weekend as hubby declared it “a bit more fiddly.” the window latch I’m going to give to my sister to trial as she has outward facing windows.
I feel privileged to have been selected to receive the dreambabys locks review.They are all wonderful well made and thought about products.
The brass locks came in a 2 pack, i found to be the locks that i prefer out of the three different sorts because it gave me a choice of being able to put them on and if the need arises I can move them. It is very easy to put on, although i understand that the allen key would add extra safety by being able to be put away but i am an absolute shocker for losing things. Great product, i will be getting some more . I would recommend this product to everyone.
The sliding door & Window Locks also came in a 2 pack, once again very easy to set up and its does what it says, although it would be my second choice. A permanent product until removed, and not as secure as the brass locks but still effective to a degree. Older kids are able to get around this product more easily leaving the smaller children at risk. So i would recommend this to people with SMALL children only.
The Window Latch is a really good product for those windows that DO NOT slide. its is really effective and does everything you would expect. Easy to apply if you have a handy man available. Although if i had to put it on myself it would have been a learning experience but i am confident i would have got it done because the instructions on the back are clear and understandable. I love how it is adjustable. I don’t like screwing holes into my house but when it saves my children there is nothing i wouldn’t do… I also recommend this one to people of all ages.
Thank you for these products i has been a pleasure trialling them.
Thanks so much for letting me review these products. As the name suggests, they really are a Dream. They are simple and easy to fit and I can be rest assured that the littlies are out of harms way.
These were great to trial!
I found them all really easy to install, great instructions with step by step details, no major tools required, which makes the easy to move if needed. I love this idea because if you are renting you can take them with you when you go.
they work really well to only allow your window to open a small amount, great for peace of mind at night during the warmer months.
I also love the one for those windows that don’t slide open, having this installed has allowed us to get some fresh air through the house!
thankyou for the opportunity to trial these products.
These products are great! I found the sliding door one great & easy to apply & i put it on right on the top of the door & so far he has’nt discovered why he can’t open the door! The 2 window locks that come with allen keys are just brilliant & i also found that i can use it on the other end of the window that wont stay open so i can get some fresh air in that room aswell while im waiting for it to be fixed! I will be getting these for all windows in my house as i can also use them for added security when the window is locked. I dont have any windows to try the other lock on as yet but im going to try at my girlfriends house & will see how it goes & will give you a update on these locks then! Thanks again for letting me trial dream baby locks the are a brilliant product & im thankful to you for discovering them for me
Very impressed 🙂
So easy to install all products! No need for any big tools, even me a mere Mum could do it!!! Not having to wait for hubby to come home and ‘get around to it’!! These products really are a dream, easy install and safely protecting our little man. Thanks Dream baby, can not sing your praises any higher:)
All three Dream Baby products were really easy to install, and have given me great peace of mind that my little one is now safely out of harms way. In the past I have tried other similar products, that I gave up on immediately as they were to fiddly to put on. These items work and are affordable. Every new parent should be issued with these by law – they are that good 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me trial these products!! Awesome ideas! No or minimum tools required to install which makes them so easy to use and best of all they actually work!! My favourite was the sliding door lock as we have many sliding doors in our house which my son can now open and it was driving me crazy. The door we put the lock on he can no long get out of. We will definately be purchasing more of these for the peace of mind the locks bring you. Wonderful products!!
These are excellent! They are easy to install and definately do the job they are meant to do! Very impressed and will definately recommend!
I was really excited to be chosent to review these locks as we have alot of sliding windows, but at the moment have to keep them clsoed becasue there was no safe way to lock them. The window latch is really easy to attch, and lets in a little bit of fresh air, but lets me know the kids cant climb out (and no one can get in)
I also love the window/ sliding door lock, which means it can let air in but not be moved.
Awsome products, not too expensive and helps keep my kids safe
Thanks again
i also had the privelge to trial the dream baby locks….
the two Sliding window BRASS LOCKS for me were the easiest to apply and use. i have old vertical sliding windows and these brass locks did the trick well. Easy to install with simple allen key device, and i liked how they were easy to remove too. Would highly recommend these locks.
the dreambaby sliding DOOR locks x2 were also great in my opinion. it was as simple as locating the best position for the lock and sticking it on. (obviously ensuring that these locks are positioned up high, so little ones cannot reach them). We tested these ones, with our son, who is two, and he could only open the door 10 or so cm. i would also highly recommend these locks.
the window latch was not hugely beneficial to us, as our outward opening window is up high anyway. But it does function well. I was not a fan of installing this one (with screws) as im not very adept with handy work…. had to let hubby take charge of this one.
thanks for the great opportunity to trial these locks. 🙂
Thankyou for letting me trial the Dreambaby products. I agree with most of the other comments that the 2 brass sliding window locks were the easiest of them all to use. Being renters we need to be able to use products that don’t affect the propety and these did just that. We could move them around and replace them without any problems. Great for keeeping the little ones in and anyone unwanted out.
I also like the 2 sliding door and window locks. These were easy to use and very effective on our boys. These are also good for renters as I am sure the sticky residue would be easy to clean off.
The only product I was not that keen on was the window latch as these needed to be screwed in which is of no use to renters. I will pass this product on to a friend that is able to use the product.
loved these locks, how great are they. simple and easy to install and work great. my only problem i have is with the sliding door/ window lock i used it on our back sliding door to stop miss 3.5 escaping but still allowing fresh air into the house how ever my husband found it a pain as he normally comes in the back door after work so i have to remember to have the lock unclipped so he can get in. the other thing is when i have just pulled the door shut and locked it before heading out and come home late at night to not be able to get in the back door because it is still in the lock position. how ever i love the brass lock and don’t care that they may mark my windows as its cheaper to repaint than to repair a broken child. theses were so simple to install and work great and the kids cant take them off or get out eh window so no more growling at them to stop hanging out eh window. i like the idea of the push out window lock and think these would be great for windows kids can easily access in my house they aren’t as accessible as the other windows but they are useful to me in the sense the kids can not climb in the window and over the bench and sink to be funny the boys weren’t so happy when these locks went on took away the fun of being naughty. over all i think all the products are great and would work with various ages of children but my favourite would be the brass window locks.
Thank you for letting me trial these products. I have always bought Dreambaby products, so I was excited to be a part of this trial.
I spent the weekend installing them, and all were straight forward and the instructions were clear to understand.
I have given my kids ( 3 and 6 years) a week to try and outwit the locks, but so far the locks are winning! By no means have i used them as a replacement for adequate supervision, but I am really happy that I can use them safely for the few minutes I am away from them at a time. The brass window lock is a dream to use, easy to place and sturdy. The door locks are great to let some fresh air in, without allowing the kids access to outside. The push out window lock was trialled by my sister and she loved it, and is thinking of buying some more.
All in all these products are great additions to the Dream Baby range, and I will continue to buy this brand with confidence.
I thought these are brilliant! Easy to get them installed. The sliding door lock would be fantastic in summer when I can leave a gap open for fresh air but not risk my almost 2 falling off the steps in the small decking outside.
I do not have push out windows but this sounds like a good idea for someone with a ground floor push out window.
I received these locks to review and I am very impressed. My husband kept delaying fitting them for some reason and I was pressing him to do it as we have just moved our curious, risk taking 2 year old to a bed and live in a double storey house with a sloping yard.
My husband finally fitted them on the weekend and it took less than a MINUTE to do so! I cannot believe how easy they are to fit and would urge anyone in a home with high windows to buy the Dream Baby locks and install them.
We have allowed the window to be opened about 10 cm for airflow and the lock will not allow any further opening. I can now relax a bit knowing Mr 2 is safer!!!!!!
I have two toddlers and a newborn and since the new baby arrived it has become harder to supervise the children while feeding the baby at the same time. But with these window and sliding locks it provides that extra bit of peace of mind and security when it comes to the kid’s safety.
Was going to wait for my hubby to get home from work so he could install them but after reading the instructions it sounded pretty straight-forward so I figured I’d try and do it myself and was really surprised at how easy and convenient they were to install!
Overall they are excellent and innovative child-safety products that I’d definitely recommend to all parents without a moment’s hesitation.
Thank-you Beauty and Lace & Dreambaby for the opportunity to participate in this great trial and review. 🙂
I have always been a fan of DreamBaby products, these are no exception. Extremely quick and simple to install while doing the job perfectly! Strongly built products and I would definately recommend them to anyone looking for similar products!
Being a first time mummy to a 10 month old who’s insistant on being on her feet whilst holding onto things as she learns to walk. I am always fretting that she will fall and hurt herself or worse fall out a window! So to be selected to trial these window and door locks was just wonderful, thank you! 🙂
These have put my mind at much ease as I can relax a little more knowing that at least there are some safely locks in place!
I installed these together with hubby after we decided the best spots to put them and as we are renting we were very happy at how easy these were to install and remove without damage.
I will definetly be on the look out to purchase some more for the rest of the house now, I think they’re great and you can never be too safe!
We live on the 8th floor apartment with 2 balconies that has a wide gap at the bottom of the glass walls and we have a 10 months old baby who has been very mobile since she turned 6 month. We find it’s too expensive & too complicated to install a proper barrier that’s approved by the council & the strata & can’t see the point anyway as it’s only a rented place. As the result we haven’t been able to open the sliding doors/windows much, for safety reason, the bedroom ones are closed at all times.
Naturally we jumped at the chance to try those locks. They really are fantastic, they look pretty basic but they work. Easy to install & very affordable.
One drawback: it wasn’t mentioned on the instruction whether the glue on the Sliding Doors and Windows lock can be removed easily – would be a useful thing to know if you’re renting.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to try them. I’m passing on the Window Latch to my cousin as we don’t have that type of window.
I received these locks to review and I am so impressed with them. Now being a Nana of 5 little grandchildren that I often look after so my girls can have abreak I found that it took away some of the stress. I personally loved the sliding door locks as we all know how much little ones love to open and close them. I would highly recommend these products to any parent or grandparent.
Thanks so much for the opportunity to review them 🙂
The sliding door lock was brilliant! So quick to put in place – literally peel the backing off and stick it to the glass. We’ve been using it to allow inside / outside access for our small maltese dog, but since our son is four he’s much too big to fit through the gap and get outside.
The window latches could not be used in our current home as we have all sliding windows. In our previous home we had traditional timber windows that pushed out but they had latches as part of the design.
The sliding window locks didn’t require drilling – the allen key that was provided screwed them into place. I would have liked rubber or plastic lining to protect my window frames, but they didn’t leave a mark.
Thank you for the opportunity to review the Dreambaby locks. I was unable to use them myself, but a friend with a 4yr old, 2yr old, and another on the way was very grateful to use them. His 2yr old daughter is particularly adventurous and attracted to windows! My friend described the locks as unobtrusive, sturdy, and easy to install. The extent of the opening permitted by the locks allows sufficient air-flow, whilst perfectly reducing the space so that a small child cannot crawl or fall out the window.
Child safety is paramount in my house. My young son is so busy and always on the move. So when Dreambaby locks became available to review my hand automatically shot up. I love how easy these products are to use. The window latch and lock prevented my son from opening our windows too wide so that his body could fall out. (Even though we do have a mesh insert these can easily pop out if force is used.) The sliding door lock, although tricky to instal ensured that my son couldn’t open the door and wander off into our garden without his parents knowledge. As a mum I have great piece of mind that I can leave my son in a room on his own for at least 10 minutes and there is no chance he can get hurt, stuck or up to mischief. Well, a mother can only dream!