The best baby walker should be durable, versatile, and highly adjustable. These days, baby walkers offer more than just a way for your child to explore their home. In fact, many models are multifunctional and can change from a traditional walker to a push walker, exersaucer, jumper, and more.
We reviewed many of the best-selling models on the market and narrowed it down to five must-have models that come loaded with toys, safety features, and are highly adjustable.
How We Chose the Best
Whether you’re looking for a more traditional baby walker or one that doubles as a push walker and traditional walker, we have the model the for you.
It’s true, once you have a baby, their toys, gear, clothing, and supplies tend to quickly overtake your home. There are Johnny Jump Ups, exersaucers, push walkers, and traditional walkers, all designed to help improve fine and gross motor function, while providing much-needed mental stimulation during this important time in your child’s life.
But not only can all of these devices take up too much room in the home, but they can also end up costing you hundreds of dollars a year. So, why not buy one walker that can be converted into a jumper, rocker, exersaucer, and function as a traditional walker?
Functionality
We focused not only the best traditional walkers on the market, but we looked for models that were versatile and ones with a higher than average safety rating.
If you can’t afford to keep upgrading your child’s gear, then three in one models are a great way to go. Multifunctional models will save you both money and space in the home.
An In-Depth Look at Leading Models
Before we dive into summaries of the leading models we reviewed, below you’ll find a comparison chart which lists the style of the walker, whether it’s traditional, a push walker, or multifunctional. You’ll also find information regarding adjustability. Many newer models these days will allow mom and dad to adjust the height setting once their child hits a growth spurt. This type of adjustability will allow your child to use their walker for a longer period of time as opposed to quickly outgrowing it.
Additionally, you’ll also find information regarding the price and how they rated.
Top Baby Walkers Comparison Chart
| Product | Height Adjustment Settings | Style | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicco Lil Piano View Price | 3 | Traditional | $$$$ | 5/5 |
Haba Walker Wagon View Price | 0 | Push | $$$$ | 4.5/5 |
Combi Activity Walker View Price | 3 | Multifunctional | $$ | 4.5/5 |
Bright Stars Walker View Price | 3 | Multifunctional | $$ | 4.5/5 |
Storkcraft Activity Walker View Price | 3 | Multifunctional | $$ | 4.5/5 |
Chicco Lil Piano Splash Baby Walker
Our Rating:
The Lil Piano splash walker by Chicco is rated as one of the safest baby walkers on the market. The built-in brake pads will prevent the walker from traveling over uneven surfaces, preventing a serious fall. The walker’s wide base will prevent it from tipping over once the walker picks up speed or when your child makes a tight turn.
The walker’s foldable design not only makes it a great choice if you’re short on space in the home, but it also makes the walker highly portable and travel-friendly.
The large wheels roll smoothly, but have some resistance, giving your child more control over speed.
Haba Walker Wagon Fire Brigade Push Baby Walker
Our Rating:
Made out wood and shaped like a large vintage fire engine, this cute, whimsical push walker is designed for infants who are ready to take their first steps. This push walker will provide your toddler with stability and security once they’re ready to start walking. It should be the device you use once they have outgrown a traditional baby walker and don’t need quite as much support. The walker features smooth rolling wheels that have some resistance, so you won’t have to worry about the walker getting away from your child when they’re walking over a smoother surface, such as hardwood floors or tile.
Combi Baby Activity Walker
Our Rating:
This versatile baby walker can be switched to jump mode, working just like an exersaucer and keeping your infant safe and stationary. The loaded toy tray will keep them engaged as they jump and play, or you can switch the walker back to the traditional walking mode and allow them to strengthen their legs and explore. The walker is also height adjustable so it can be used for a longer period of time compared to models that don’t offer this feature. The large snack tray is perfect for both mealtime and snack time and is easy to remove and clean.
Bright Starts 3 Ways To Play 3-in-1 Activity Baby Walker Car
Our Rating:
Designed to resemble a Ford F 150 truck, this baby walker can be used as a traditional walker, a jumper, or you can remove the face of the truck and use the included tray for meal or snack time. The walker also includes three height adjustable options, so your child will not quickly outgrow it. Once your toddler is ready to walk with more independence, the walker can easily be switched to a push walker, providing your toddler with a stable base they can use to steady themselves as they attempt to take their first steps.
Storkcraft 3-in-1 Activity Walker and Rocker with Jumping Board
Our Rating:
Storkcraft offers a new take on baby walker design. This model works as a rocker, traditional walker, and jumper in one. Simply attach the jump board, pull some levers and the walker will be stationary allowing your child to rock and jump to strengthen their legs and improve gross motor function, while the loaded activity center keeps them mentally stimulated and helps to improve fine motor skills. When they’re ready to explore, this model also works as a traditional baby walker.
Baby Walker Buyer’s Guide
A baby walker will not only encourage your infant to take their first steps, but it can also keep them entertained, freeing up mom and dad, allowing them to get some work done around the home. Many new models of baby walkers come loaded with toys that are educational and stimulating.
Our buyer’s guide will go over the features and styles to look for when you’re shopping around for the best baby walker for your child. We’ll cover style options, safety features, and why baby walkers are now safer than ever before.
In the past, baby walkers got a bad rap, mainly because older models were nowhere near as stable as they are today.
Are Baby Walkers Safe?
The right baby walker can help your child to master gross motor function, while building up their muscles, preparing them for their first steps. The use of baby walkers has been pretty controversial in the past, with medical professionals arguing that not only can excessive use of baby walkers actually delay walking, but the walkers themselves can be a safety hazard since they have wheels and essentially allow your child to access rooms or areas in the home they shouldn’t. Additionally, the style of some models can also make the walkers prone to tipping over.
So, what’s the truth?
Are baby walkers a good choice or can they do more harm than good?
While in the past baby walkers were seen as unsafe, these days, manufacturers have taken the safety features up a notch, producing innovative designs that prevent baby walkers from tipping over. These new and improved baby walkers are incredibly stable. The wheels are not as loose, meaning the walker cannot pick up too much speed.
Baby walkers should never be used without parental supervision, for obvious safety reasons. When used correctly, these walkers can actually do wonders in terms of strengthening the legs and encouraging your child to take their first few steps, unassisted.
How Baby Walkers Help With Development
When a child tries to walk without assistance, a parent must keep a close eye on their child, in order to prevent a serious fall. But this type of strict supervision can actually inhibit a child’s independence and hinder development and progress. Baby walkers are a great way to allow your child to explore a safe space, independently. This means you won’t have to constantly hover over them. Instead, they can do a little exploring on their own while exercising their legs and improving gross motor function.
This will also help to free up both mom and dad to do chores around the house, without constantly worrying about their child going where they shouldn’t.
Baby Walker Styles
The baby walker is available in a few different styles. This includes push walkers and the traditional four-wheeled walkers. Most models these days are loaded with toys and activities and are designed to not only encourage your little one to start walking but can also keep them entertained via an extensive activity center setup.
Push Baby Walkers
First, is the push baby walker. These walkers are usually available in a themed design or come loaded with some great toys to keep your child entertained. With this type of walker, parents will need to stay in close physical contact with their toddler. The child will hold onto the handle of the push walker and basically push the walker in front of them as they take their first steps. The walker will help your child by giving them some much-needed stability as they master their new skill.
This type of walker will also strengthen the hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders as the child works hard to push the walker carefully in front of them. Some occupational therapists also claim that push walkers help to improve hand-eye coordination and bilateral coordination.
Traditional Baby Walkers
A traditional baby walker is wheeled and specifically designed to provide older infants with a safer way to take their first steps and strengthen their legs. The walker’s purpose is to encourage babies who have not yet taken their first steps to do so, in a controlled vehicle. Some studies claim that a baby walker can actually speed up development, allowing infants to walk at an earlier age. Unfortunately, more research is needed in order to determine whether or not the baby walker can, in fact, speed up gross motor skill development.
In homes with stairs, even just one or two steps, parents will need to keep a close eye on their infant when they’re using their walker.
While it’s true that baby walkers are now more stable than ever, with a minimal chance of the walkers tipping over, stairs still pose a major safety risk. If you have stairs in the home you can easily babyproof your home with the use of baby gates.
Multifunctional Baby Walkers
Multifunctional walkers are very versatile. Some models can be converted into push walkers, jumpers, rockers, and exersaucers. These models are often best-sellers because they allow your child to use them for so much more than just exploring the home. These are the walkers that often come loaded with music, lights, toys, and built-in snack trays.
Toys
Some baby walkers are very basic, while others will double as an activity center and come equipped with a wide variety of toys. These toys can help teach your child about different textures, shapes, letters, numbers, and colors. Not only will these walkers encourage your toddler to be active, but they can also be very mentally stimulating and can help to keep them entertained while you clean the house, vacuum, or do a load of laundry. Many of the toys are also designed to help your child refine their fine motor skills.
Safety Features
If your infant is too young to walk you may want to hold off on using a baby walker for a month or two. When shopping for a new walker, look for a model that features a wider base, this increases the walker’s stability and minimizes the risk of the walker tipping over.
Models that allow you to adjust the height will allow you to get more use out of the walker.
Portability
If you’re searching for a model that’s highly portable, keep your eye out for a foldable model. Typically, the push walkers are a much better choice if portability is a priority, however, there are foldable traditional baby walkers out there, but they’re not quite as stable as the fixed in place models.
The best baby walker will be a model designed to meet the needs of your rapidly developing infant or toddler. Many models these days are also priced more affordable, making it easier for parents on a tight budget to afford top of the line models multifunctional models.
We designed our site in the hope of helping parents find the perfect walker that meets both the needs of their child and one that works with their budget. We’re confident that you’ll find the right model on our site, one that will give your child the confidence they need to master their new skill.
