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Fireplace guard buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You have an opening, a stove, or a cold hearth, and the amazon.co.uk results all say fireplace guard. Some are metal screens you stand on the hearth. Two in this set screw to the wall and name BS 8423:2010. Two are mesh sheets that stick on with tape. A fireplace guard buying guide only helps if you pick the job before the finish. This page is that order. The [fireplace guard comparison](/hub/fireplaces-and-stoves/fireplace-guard) holds the twelve listings, with prices from £10.59 to £36.90. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have an opening, a stove, or a cold hearth, and the amazon.co.uk results all say fireplace guard. Some are metal screens you stand on the hearth. Two in this set screw to the wall and name BS 8423:2010.

Our top picks

Safetots Safetots Original fireguard

Best overall

Safetots Safetots Original fireguard
9.4/10about £36.90
View offer
Fire Vida Fire Vida Milton arched fire screen

Best value

Fire Vida Fire Vida Milton arched fire screen
9.2/10about £23.95
View offer
Babylo Babylo Premier fireguard

Rank 3

Babylo Babylo Premier fireguard
8.8/10about £34.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Sparks, children or a cover
  2. 2.Wall-fixed guards and BS 8423
  3. 3.Folding spark screens
  4. 4.Mesh covers and price bands

Sparks, children or a cover

Start with what you are trying to stop. Sparks and small coals from an open fire are one job. A toddler who can reach a hot door or a live flame is another. A cover over a fireplace you are not using is a third. GOV.UK says a childproof guard belongs in front of open fires or heaters, and that the better ones are fixed to the wall. That does not turn a £22 folding screen into a nursery guard. The Fire Vida Milton, about 96 cm by 60 cm at £23.95, is sold as a barrier against sparks and embers. The Safetots Original and the Babylo Premier print BS 8423:2010 and screw to the wall. The JINGEGECOME sheet at 50 g and the CLKUEH sheet at 97 g are mesh covers, not nursery guards.

Wall-fixed guards and BS 8423

Only two listings print BS 8423:2010: the Safetots Original at £36.90 and the Babylo Premier at £34.99. Flying particles sit under BS 3248, which none of these files cite. The catalogue title of BS 8423 now includes amendments through A2:2022. These two listings say 2010 only. The Safetots Original adjusts from 84.5 cm to 155 cm, stands 69 cm high and comes 44 cm off the wall, at 6.2 kg, with screw-fit clips and a quick release. UK reviews say the fixing-plate screws are fiddly and the clips are stiff. The Babylo Premier stops at 133 cm wide and weighs 5.5 kg. Several UK reviews say the picture shows a front door that is not in the box. A 150 cm inglenook is inside the Safetots range and outside the Babylo maximum. A freestanding screen does not follow RoSPA’s pattern of side clips into wall brackets.
Safetots Safetots Original fireguard

Testsieger

Safetots Safetots Original fireguard
9.4/10about £36.90
View offer

Folding spark screens

The folding screens run from the Buckton at about 66 cm by 60 cm up to the Kingson arch at 102 cm by 54 cm, mostly between £21.99 and £34.99. None print BS 8423. Kingson titles mention baby safety, or children and pets, without that line. The Stanton is about 100 cm by 64 cm and only 1.25 kg at £22.99, and some UK reviews say it falls. The cast-iron Selby, ASIN B014WB795G, is 2.44 kg at about 85 cm by 64 cm and £21.99, with 4.4 from 1,785 reviews. Model 333313 is a separate Selby at the same price with 4.1 from 315 reviews. The Milton at £23.95, with 4.6 from 655 reviews, is the screen most often described as ready to stand up.

Mesh covers and price bands

Under about £12 you are in the mesh rows. The JINGEGECOME cover is 100 cm by 80 cm and 50 g at £11.99, fixed with tape and Velcro. The material line says glass fibre and the bullets say Teslin mesh, so the page does not settle the fabric. The CLKUEH sheet is the same size and 97 g at £10.59, the bullets also mention flies and bugs, and it has 1.0 from one review. Neither states a British Standard. That is not a saving against a £23 metal screen or a £36 wall guard. Wider than 155 cm, or a wall that will not take plugs, is outside this set.

Common questions

Do I need a spark screen or a nursery guard?
You need a spark screen when the problem is embers from a coal or wood fire and an adult is in the room. You need a nursery-type guard when a child can reach the fire or the stove. In this set only the Safetots Original and the Babylo Premier print BS 8423:2010 and screw to the wall. A folding screen does not become that guard because the title says safety.
What does BS 8423:2010 on a listing actually mean?
It means the brand states compliance with the 2010 edition of the domestic fireguard standard, which is about limiting access and contact burns. It does not, on these pages, mean the listing has printed the A1 or A2 amendment. Flying particles are the subject of BS 3248, which none of these twelve files cite.
Can a mesh cover replace a metal guard?
Not for a lit fire, and not for a child. The JINGEGECOME sheet weighs 50 g and the CLKUEH sheet 97 g. Both stick on with tape. One JINGEGECOME review describes a limited measure, and the CLKUEH file has a single one-star review. Mesh in this table is a cover, including for openings that are not in use.
How do I measure width and depth for a wall-fixed guard?
Measure the clear width of the opening and the depth of the hearth in front of it. The Safetots Original adjusts from 84.5 cm to 155 cm and projects 44 cm, with a top panel of 26 cm. The Babylo Premier is listed up to 133 cm wide, with 44 cm depth on the listing line. If your width sits between 133 cm and 155 cm, only the Safetots range in this set covers it.
Are folding Fire Vida screens childproof?
They are not sold with a BS 8423 line, and they do not fix to the wall in these files. Reviewers use them for sparks. Some also say a Selby or a Stanton tips. If the child can pull a panel, you want the wall-fixed rows, not a higher star rating on a screen. The arched Kingson is only 54 cm high.

Related pages

Best fireplace guard

How to fit a fireplace guard

Spark screen or nursery fire guard

Fireplace guard

Fireplace guard for a wood burner: burns and sparks

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK, Fire safety for parents and child carers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BS 8423:2010+A2:2022 scope (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. BSI catalogue, domestic fireguards (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. BS 3248:1986, freestanding sparkguards (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. RoSPA, Keeping kids safe: fires (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. Scottish Fire and Rescue, chimney safety (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue, open fires (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. HETAS, standards list (retrieved 19 October 2026)