Baby walkers help children go from crawling to walking. They help your child exercise, learn, and develop physically and mentally. They physically support your baby during the early stages of learning to stand and walk.
Even if your child isn’t ready to walk around solo yet, walkers give him or her freedom to explore your house and take the next “step” toward being a grown-up.
Baby walkers also keep your child busy and engaged with interactive (or static) toy panels, music boxes, or mini-light shows.
There are many factors used to determine the best baby walker. Here are a few of the most important ones.
The fabric used for seat cushions, seat backs and other parts of the walker must be sturdy and washable, preferably by machine. Steel frames and sturdy plastic last longer than cheaper materials, and we look for these materials.
A seated walker should have wheels that move freely and allow babies to maneuver over floors, carpets and anywhere in the house without getting “stuck” received higher ratings.
Top walkers contain interesting or unique toys that teach children skills and help them develop their senses. The number of toys a walker has isn't as important as how much engagement and the educational value they offer.
A baby walker should fold up and store easily and unfold for later use just as fast. Seat heights, cushions, and wheels should also adjust to fit your baby’s needs.
All baby walkers should have non-skid grips, safety bumpers or other built-in measures to prevent accidents.
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This walker has a pure, uncluttered design to help your baby move around the house. The Joovy has no toys or lights or anything to distract your baby from standing and walking.
It has a wide base to prevent fingers from getting stuck between the wall and tray. It has oversized wheels, non-slip-stair pads and is reinforced with steel. This walker meets or exceeds all government standards for safety. You can detach and wash the seat.
As your baby grows, you can adjust the height setting. (The Joovy has three sizes.) There’s a sturdy tray to serve meals and snacks, and it’s easy to clean.
The Joovy folds to a size of 25.5W x 27.75D x 9H for travel and storage. It’s perfect for trips to Grandma’s house.
While it doesn't come with toys, it has a tray where your baby can easily access their favorite toys.
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The Vtech Sit to Stand Learning Walker is a good bet if you’re on a tight budget. This walker offers many great features; it will be a plus for your child even if you can afford something more expensive.
The busy activity center has animal sounds, musical notes, 70 songs, a detachable play phone, two spinning rollers and shape sorters. The rolling rattle on the bottom of the activity center is great for entertaining younger users.
Your child will develop motor skills and musical aptitude while learning to maintain balance and walk.
The wheels work equally well on hardwood or carpet and have two settings (slow and fast). There's volume control in case the music gets out of hand.
Check out the runners-up for best baby walkers.You and your little one may be more intrigued to the look or style of one of these baby walkers. They all still have great safety features and will help your baby start to walk so it really comes down to your preference.
This colorful walker has an under the sea motif to give your child many hours of enjoyment. It provides excellent support for babies learning to walk and should be used for infants who've already learned to sit without help.
The toys and lights on the walker will improve your child’s cognitive function. The sturdy unit will help develop leg muscles as the baby “steers” it around the house. The seat back has extra support to keep your child comfortable while he or she plays.
There’s a removable toy center, and you can add your baby’s favorite toys to the walker with two loop links.
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This walker is for babies six months or older who can sit by themselves but can't stand or walk yet. The durable elliptical frame and high-back seat keep your baby well-supported.
The toy tray is removable if you want your baby to walk without anything distracting in the way, and you can customize the toys on the walker by using the loop links to add favorite playthings.
The walker can move forward and backward and turn left, and right, so your baby can learn how to maneuver anywhere in the house that's safe.
This Minnie Mouse themed walker is for girls aged nine months and up who haven’t started to walk yet. The high seat back provides more than enough support, and the comfortable seat cushion is removable and can be machine washed.
There's a removable, light-up piano station to entertain budding music stars, plastic flowers, and beads to keep girls busy.
This walker is easy to clean with a wet cloth. The toys and frame can be good as new without using harsh cleaners.
If your baby girl can sit by herself, crawls and can hold her head high without assistance, this walker will provide many hours of enjoyment.
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The Disney Baby Minnie Mouse Peek-a-boo Walker has a high seat back for support, a comfortable, removable seat cushion and a body made of hard plastic.
You can adjust the height as your baby get older and position the seat in a way that’s comfy for her. These adjustments make it easy for your baby to move around and explore new ways of steering the walker.
If your baby wants to play on the floor, you can remove the piano and toy station and easily reattach it later. The frame has two link loops, so you can add a rattle, puzzle or other favorite toys to the walker.
This walker glides smoothly on tile, linoleum, and hardwood, but is best on a carpet.
It works great on carpets partially because it allows the infant to walk one leg at a time. Using this walker on carpet makes for easier, safer walking practice for the youngest infants. The wheels move forward and back, and there’s a safety stopper to keep your baby from getting into tight spots.
The swing-away activity trays make it easy to serve snacks and meals when playtime is over. The toys are all dinosaur-themed and entertain babies without too much sensory overload.
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As a mobile activity center, the Safety First Sounds ‘N’ Lights Discovery Walker lives up to its name. It has five toys on the tray that rattle, spin, light up and crinkle. It’s somewhere in the mid-range when it comes to quality and variety of toys on a baby walker. There’s enough to keep your baby occupied, but not enough to overwhelm him or her.
It is quite easy to fold and store and is an excellent walker if you travel a lot with your baby. The seat is comfortable and can be machine-washed.
You can adjust this walker to three different heights and use it as your baby gets older.
The toys in the Activity Center are fun and challenging for babies as young as five or six months. It’s more of a traditional walk-behind walker than one with an Activity Center; the toys seem appropriate only for seated babies, though toddlers can certainly use them.
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This convertible walker can be used throughout your child’s journey from crawling to walking. The seated walker has a battery-operated activity center with a mirror toy with a textured stem and crinkle petals, a spinning ball and a bead bar to develop motor skills.
It has skid-resistant pads to keep your baby safe, along with high-foam back seat supports. The machine washable seat pads to make cleanups easy.
The wheels swivel for better maneuvering, and folding is a breeze. The Kolcraft Tiny Steps is durable and can be passed on to siblings or friends with children when you're done with it.
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This 2-in-1 Activity Center and Walk-Behind Walker can be converted into a standalone activity table. Your child can play with it while learning to walk or as a fun toy and game board anywhere. This walker is appropriate to use as your child starts standing and walking on his own.
The Activity Center has lots of sounds, bright colors and melodies keep your child engaged. You can control the volume and change modes easily to keep your child happy and your sanity intact! Unlike many other activity centers, there is no detachable phone to get loose and go missing.
Based on the best-selling children’s book “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”, this walker converts from a seated walker to a walk-behind walker when to use when your child can walk independently.
The toy station has over six toys, including a caterpillar (of course), a swirl-y knob, a bubble popper, and a removable music station that plays classical music. The toy and music station need 2 AA batteries to work (not included). The seated portion of this high-quality walker can be used for children between 15-26 pounds and less than 32 inches tall.
The front wheels swivel 360 degrees for fast movement, but the back wheels are stationary. Your baby can maneuver this walker on any flooring, including carpeting, although you may have to adjust or remove the non-skid pads to use on carpet.
The toys aren’t as flashy as on some other activity walkers, and they are geared for younger babies. The music station plays classical music instead of children’s songs. (Classical music has been shown to make babies smarter.)
Remove the seat and use the bar feature to convert the Hungry Caterpillar into a walk-behind walker.
There is an orange handle on the bottom of the walker that lets you fold it up for storage.
There are several items you’ll need to make your walker safer for your baby. Here are a few good investments.
These socks have a rubberized pattern of dots to grip the floor when your child walks. Anti-slip socks make it easier for the baby to walk in socks only without wobbling or falling.
A doorway jumper attaches to framed doorways to let your baby jump in place and have fun. Toys, lights, and games are usually included on the jumper to keep the child occupied.
A handheld baby walker harness lets you help your baby stand and walk naturally, and balance better than using a baby walker. They look like a safety harness, and you can hold onto a strap and walk behind your baby to assist with his or her progress.
Baby’s first walking shoes are designed for walking outdoors, away from the safety of kitchen floors and living room carpets. These shoes should be snug, but not tight, and try to pick a pair that has Velcro, laces or snaps with an ankle cut or high-top design.
There are many different baby walkers that are a useful tool for the physical and cognitive development of your child when used in moderation. Seated walkers help strengthen your baby’s arms and legs for walking solo and walk-behind models improve balance and further a toddler’s walking ability.
Activity centers keep your child engaged and busy while sharpening their senses and imagination.
Hopefully this review of the best baby walkers helped to decide which baby walker is right for you and your baby.
Featured Image Source: Flickr
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