Best Baby Walker to Get Little Feet Moving
Last Updated on January 3, 2021
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One of the most joyful moments for a parent is watching their baby take their first awkward steps. There’s nothing like seeing him or her stand up, take a step, fall to their bottom, and try it again.
The transition from crawling to learning to walk is a real struggle for most babies. They often look like a newborn animal fresh out of the womb that can barely stand.
A baby walker is an incredible product to assist your baby in learning to take those first steps. They provide the stability and support the baby will need early on this journey to toddlerhood.
They’re on their way to be a walking champ!
Whether you’re looking for the best baby walkers for carpet, hardwood, or any flooring around the house – we’ve got you covered!
Too busy loving your little one? Here’s our top pick.
Our top pick for the best walker for babies learning how to walk is the Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker. It is the most versatile and easy to use 3-in-1 walker that comes in several fun vehicle shapes.
The Bright Starts baby walker passed all of our checks and is able to handle just about any type of flooring. The number of styles, adjustable height positions, sound effects, and interactive steering wheel will make learning to walk enjoyable for your little one.
Top 5 Best Baby Walkers
- Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker (Best Convertible Walker)
- VTech Sit-To-Stand Learning Walker (Best Baby Walker for Carpet & Push Walker)
- Joovy Spoon Walker (Best Highchair Walker)
- Kolcraft Tiny Steps 2-in-1 Activity Toddler & Baby Walker (Best Basic Walker)
- Baby Trend 3.0 Activity Walker (Best Budget Walker)
When You Should Get A Baby Walker
It’s the perfect time to get a walker when your baby is able to sit up by themselves (~6 months), not walking independently, and can get up on their hands and knees.
However, some babies may be inclined to skip crawling and jump straight to learning to walk with some assistance.
One indication they may be ready for a walker is when they reach their arms out to you or a couch to pull themselves up. This shows they are interested in getting off the floor and are looking for a new view by standing up.
This will likely happen anywhere from 3 to 12+ months. Ultimately, it will depend on how fast your baby develops these motions and whether they are ready physically to move onto walking.
How to Choose the Best Baby Walker
There are essentially two types of baby walkers to help your baby learn to walk: push behind and seated. Each does a great job when it comes to providing stability for the baby as they work on their motor skills.
Here is what separates these two types of walkers.
Seated Baby Walkers
The seated baby walkers are often the most popular with younger babies. The seat is made of soft cloth material with two holes for the baby’s legs.
It suspends the baby at adjustable heights until they have the leg strength to stand. It can also be used to hold the baby when they can’t reach the floor as soon as the baby can hold its head up.
Seated baby walkers are best for:
- Harder flooring like wood, tile, and vinyl
- Smaller and younger babies
- Parents looking for a multipurpose walker that can be used as a high chair, bouncer, or chair
- Babies with physical disabilities that require more support
Push-Behind Baby Walkers
The baby push walkers are often best if you have carpet floors. The wheels are bigger which allows them to move more smoothly across thicker carpeting.
They have a push bar at the top that also allows the baby to pull themselves up. Your baby can then walk behind it and push it all around the room.
Push behind baby walkers are best for:
- Carpet or softer flooring
- Slightly older babies ready to start walking
- Helping babies develop skills to pull themselves up
- Parents looking for a multipurpose walker that can also be used for entertaining baby
Baby Walkers Can Be Dangerous (Please Read)
While baby walkers are amazing and have some safety features, there are some precautions that should be taken. This is not meant to scare you, but rather make you informed when using walkers for babies around the house.
In short, the #1 concern is using walkers anywhere near the stairs. If you do have stairs, you must get a strong walk thru or retractable baby gate to block the stairs.
This includes blocking off spaces with even a single step that separates rooms. That one step can cause the walker and your baby to flip over.
There have been many stories in the news about babies getting injured because they fell down flights of stairs. This can be the result of negligent parents, but accidents do happen. All it takes is forgetting to close a gate one time for an injury to occur.
In fact, baby walkers have been banned in Canada since 2004 due to the high number of accidents. This tells you how serious you need to take safety when it comes to baby walkers.
Other areas to be careful when using a baby walker:
- Pools, decks, or patios that are not safely sealed off and baby-proofed.
- Concrete or other hard floors when using push walkers.
- Kitchens or dining rooms where tables/countertops are at your baby’s level.
- Rooms with TVs or other big objects that the baby may be able to pull down.
If you are using a baby walker around any of these dangerous areas, you should lock the wheels or apply the brakes. This will help prevent your baby from moving closer to unsafe places.
Most importantly, make sure you keep an eye on your baby at all times.
Other Walker Safety Precautions
Outside of limiting baby walker use near stairs, there are other steps you can take to keep your baby safe.
- Follow manufacturer recommendations on weight and size limits. Stop using the seated walkers once the baby is over 30 pounds or if they are able to jump leaving the ground (playful bouncing is fine).
- Keep small and unsafe objects out of reach. They will now have access to new areas that were previously too high to reach.
- Mount or move any large or dangerous items that can tip over. They will be bumping into everything with the walker in the space you put them. Make sure everything is secured so it can’t fall over on top of your baby.
Finally, when it comes to baby walker safety, it’s recommended to select a product that has been certified as safe by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association. They are an organization that defines safety standards for baby and toddler products.
Recommended Baby Walker Alternative
If you’ve got a lot of stairs or it’s just not practical to block off unsafe parts of your home, we’d recommend going with a sit-to-state activity center. This will allow them to practice standing while keeping them safely stationary in the room.
We like the Fisher-Price 2-in-1 Activity Center as a great alternative to a walker. It comes in Jazzy Jungle or Spin ‘n Play Safari versions and has plenty of toys to keep you little one busy. You can also replace the seat with the included swirl ramp to add another way for your baby to play.
Our Picks for the Best Baby Walkers
1. Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker (Best Convertible Walker)
WHAT WE LOVE
- Several fun body styles all kids will love: Mustang, Jeep Wrangler, Ford F150, and John Deere Gator Tractor
- Three modes of play: push behind, seated, and detached
- Detachable steering wheel allows for play outside of the walker
- Larger wheels in push-behind mode are best for carpet
- Rubber “brakes” provide better safety
- Interactive steering wheel and car sounds
- Adjustable height walker to grow with baby
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
- Larger base takes up more storage space
- Bumper and brakes are close to the ground which may grab carpet or rugs
Manufacturer Recommended Age & Limits: 6+ months old and has a weight capacity of 26 pounds.
2. VTech Sit-To-Stand Learning Walker (Best Baby Walker for Carpet & Push Walker)
Read our review of the Best Baby Walker for Carpet
WHAT WE LOVE
- Interactive activity center with buttons, shapes, songs, bright colors, and sounds to engage your baby
- Larger plastic wheels work great on carpet floors
- Great baby walker for travel since it folds up for easy storage
- Wide wheelbase to help prevent your baby from tipping over
- Features that help baby work on motor skills by pushing piano keys, grabbing the phone, and spinning gears/rollers
- All plastic design is super easy to clean to wipe off any drool, crayons, or dirt
- Extremely easy to assemble right out of the box
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
- Not ideal for really young or small babies due with no seat or back support
- More challenging for babies with physical disabilities
Manufacturer Recommended Age & Limits: 9 months to 3 years of age.
3. Joovy Spoon Walker (Best Highchair Walker)
WHAT WE LOVE
- Perfect combination of baby walker and high chair
- Massive high gloss white tray fits plates, cups, and many toys at once
- Removable tray is dishwasher safe, BPA free, and easy to clean
- Machine washable and removable seat padding
- Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association certified for safety
- Stair “grippers” and low profile reduce the potential for the baby to fall down a flight of stairs (although not a substitute for a baby gate)
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
- Maximum child height of 33.5 not enough for babies on the taller side
- Lacks interactive features that most other walkers have such as toys, buttons, or sounds
- Low profile design makes moving a challenge over anything except for a completely flat and smooth floor (catches on rugs, carpet, room transitions, etc.)
- Wider base takes up more storage space
Manufacturer Recommended Age & Limits: Up to 30 pounds or 33.5 inches. No age recommendation provided.
4. Kolcraft Tiny Steps 2-in-1 Activity Toddler & Baby Walker (Best Basic Walker)
WHAT WE LOVE
- Easy conversion from a seated to walk-behind by removing the seat
- Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association certified for safety
- Skid-resistant pads on the bottom to reduce potential falls on stairs
- Several interactive crinkle mirror flower, ball, and bead toys
- Machine washable seat pad in case your baby spills or spits up
- Combination of a walker and activity center allows your little one to play many ways
- Great movement on flat and hard surfaces
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
- Low profile design makes it difficult to move on carpet or anything other than a smooth surface
- Not as comfortable for average-to-large babies due to shorter height and smaller seat size
- Plastic frame not as durable as other walker brands
Manufacturer Recommended Age & Limits: 6+ months old and up to 30 pounds or 32 inches.
5. Baby Trend 3.0 Activity Walker (Best Budget Walker)
WHAT WE LOVE
- Most budget-friendly baby walker
- Decent sized tray to hold snacks or toys
- Can be used in either seated or walk-behind positions
- Extra-wide base for more stability
- Adjustable height with three different settings
WHAT COULD BE BETTER
- Toys are not well connected so your baby may pull them off
- Seat does not always securely attach to the walker
- Wheels are made of lightweight plastic and are not the easiest for baby to move around
Manufacturer Recommended Age & Limits: 6+ months old and up to 30 pounds or 32 inches.
Conclusion
The best baby walkers are really going to depend on the layout of your home. However, our favorite for the overall best walker for baby is the Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker.
It can be used from as early as 6 months old to support your little one while they’re learning to walk on their own. You can also use it as a push-behind that works great on carpet or a seated walker that provides the support baby needs. Not to mention – it comes in stylish body styles from brands like Ford, Jeep, and John Deere.
However, the Bright Starts walker might not be the best choice if you have carpet throughout most of your house. Our recommendation for the best baby walker for carpet flooring is the VTech Sit-To-Stand Learning Walker.
Our family bought one of these for our carpeted living room and our baby loved pushing it back and forth. He also loved just sitting there playing with the shapes, pushing the buttons, and listening to the music.
