When your baby takes his or her first steps, they need a little encouragement. Kids will ‘cruise’ around the room after a relatively short time but for those moments when they’re trying to get to their feet, a baby walker is a relatively inexpensive investment in the grand scheme of baby-orientated purchases.
Naturally we’ve gathered together the very best baby walkers for your perusal, and we’ve listed our favourites in order below, starting with the best. Walkers come in various shapes and sizes.
Some are push-along devices while others have wheels. Wheel-based walkers are very common, but you may find the push-along variety works better for you – they can encourage baby to be a bit more controlled in forward movement, that’s for sure!
Some of these walkers double up as stationary activity centres that let babies play safely while on their feet without having to move around the room and risk them toppling over. Finally, remember that if your baby isn’t yet walking but another the same age already is, it’s important not to worry about it. All children develop at different rates and your child can probably do something the other one can’t.
Well known for its super interactive baby toys, VTech is a king at this type of thing, one of the titans of the world of educational toys. What you get is plasticky but sturdy, helping you through the time for first steps. It’s lovely and colourful, while there’s plenty to do as well. Assembly is straightforward and it’s designed to be stored in small places, meaning you don’t need to store it away at the end of each day with baby. There’s plenty to do, including a Do-Re-Me-Fa-So keyboard. What’s more, the main activity centre also detaches, which is great if baby isn’t quite ready for too much movement – we love multi-purpose toys! You’ll need three AA batteries (not included).
This lovely activity centre is a baby walker, but at 18 months plus many babies will have made the transition to being on their feet by that time. Regardless, there’s plenty to do within this 52cm-high centre and it’s well-crafted from wood with a bead maze, xylophone with stick (don't lose it!), animal puzzle, peg maze, flower gear tumblers, shape sorter (always a winner) and even a netted storage area at the rear so your child can perform the all-important task of collecting up stuff. Manufacturer EverEarth is planting one tree for every toy sold and even recently established an FSC certified forest of its own. All paints used are also water-based for safety.
Made by a UK company, here’s an alternative, traditional wooden walker, made out of beech wood. Push-along trolleys like this are most useful for helping your small person stand upright initially, but your child will love the fact they can collect stuff up in the trolley. Building blocks are, of course, an absolutely classic toy and here they’re in assorted shapes and sizes for interesting constructions before they get into plastic interlocking building blocks - such as Lego Duplo - properly. Your child will be pushing this along for days on end and it features a high quality finish for longevity. Although 12 months is the cited age, many children will be able to interact with it much earlier.
This push-along walker with swivel wheels is designed for flexibility, so it can be used in different ways. For smaller babies, it can be used as a normal walker for complete support, with a colourful and machine washable seat pad designed for comfort (the whole walker is designed to be easily cleaned). As your baby becomes more confident, they can then walk behind it. There are also three adjustable heights, plus a tray which you could use to give your child a snack or alternatively let them play with other toys while standing at the walker. There’s even a cup holder for your baby’s water or milk bottle, plus an activity centre for entertainment, too. This baby walker is foldable so will store really easily. For a similar model, check out the Chicco 123 Activity Centre Baby Walker.
This baby walker goes on our list because not only can it be used to help your child walk, it can also be used as a rocker after they’ve outgrown a baby chair such as a bouncer after they’ve learnt to sit up on their own. It’s hardly going to be a substitute for something like the popular yet expensive Fisher Price Jumperoo but it should keep your baby occupied for short periods while you need to attend to other things (as all parents do). There’s a removable musical, electronic activity tray, or you can use other toys on the tray should you wish. It’s height adjustable to cater for different ages of baby, while it’s also available in pink.
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