The Best Baby Walkers

If you have a baby in your life, you know: they love to be on the move. And, as is often the case with a wee one, they rely on you to carry them around and show them the world. While this is wonderful for a while, it's also sometimes necessary to have both of your hands free. While walkers used to be the go-to sanity saver, there's a hot debate in the parenting (and pediatrician) world with regards to the safety of baby walkers. In fact, in some countries, they are outright banned. So what's the deal? Because baby walkers can land a baby in the hospital, they have been pushed onto the big no-no list. So why the list? Simple: baby walkers can still be a wonderful addition to your household. If used with strict supervision in a safe space for short periods of time, baby walkers can give caregivers a much needed hands-free chunk of time. Meanwhile, Baby can gleefully scoot about to their heart's content. And because freestanding walkers are considered safer, we've made this list reflect that. Weighing all of the pros and cons, we've done the research. Here are a few of the best out there.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

Bright, Colorful, and Interactive

This plastic push toy is an interactive beginning walker for your busy little one.

Best Overall

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This interactive walker offers hours of fun, first as a skill-building panel, and second as a walker. The panel itself has spinning gears, a musical keyboard, light-up buttons, shapes, colors, and adorable barnyard animals. There’s even a telephone to encourage dramatic play, which is a skill that’s incredibly important for developing youngsters. And although this is a walker meant for more mobile babies (starting from about 9 months old), the vivid colors, lights, and sounds are interesting for even younger babies practicing tummy time. Because the panel is entirely removable from the walker, you’ll get lots of use out of this walker through toddlerhood.

Pros:

The panel is fully removable and can be used to play separately from the walker.
Appropriate for children ages 9-36 months
Doesn’t tip when used as a walker, and there’s a rubber seam on the rear wheels for safety.

Cons:

It’d be a huge improvement if there were locks on the tires.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Walker

Sweet and Educational

This adorable little puppy features interactive and educational extras that'll hold your baby's attention for hours.

Most Educational

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Another favorite toy/walker combo, this one has over 75 interactive, multilingual sounds, songs, and phrases attached to a cute puppy panel-on-wheels. While the push-walking motion of the walker is appropriate for more mobile early walkers, the front panel keeps little sitters totally enthralled. This type of design allows for fine motor skill development (with the panel), and gross motor skill development (with the walker). Overall, what you’ll get with this toy is a totally interactive toy that grows right alongside your little love.

Pros:

Features both Spanish and English words for early bilingual exposure.
In addition to 75 sounds that help to introduce colors, shapes, letters, and numbers, there are 7 additional activities for even more hands-on learning and fun.

Cons:

The wheels are too slippery for hardwood floors, so this baby walker is best for carpeted floors.

Melissa & Doug Chomp & Clack Alligator Push Toy

See You Later, Alligator

Made from durable wood and nontoxic paints, this baby walker with adorable clacking alligators will encourage your little walker to get moving.

Most Durable

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I’m a sucker for wooden toys, and this one is absolutely darling. Made with three busy alligators that chomp when your toddler pushes, there are also colorful painted fish on the wheels, butterfly spinners and beads, and pretty cattails lining the handles. And if you’re someone that can’t stand battery-operated toy noises, this one just makes the sounds of the clacking alligators. There are rubber grips on the wheels that keep this toy safe on all types of floors as your child zips around the house discovering cause-and-effect while simultaneously working on their gross motor skills.

Pros:

Sturdy, well-made wooden toy.
This can be used to push favorite stuffies or dolls around, as well.
Made with high-quality, nontoxic paints.

Cons:

The non-skid wheels make turning this walker a bit tricky. Because it’s made of durable, sturdy wood, this can mean quite a few mark-ups in the walls or furniture if you’re not careful.

Kolcraft Tiny Steps 2-in-1 Infant & Baby Activity Walker

2-in-1 Baby Seat and Walker

Worried about the safety woes of seated walkers? This one has everything you need to make you feel more comfortable, plus it changes into a standing baby walker.

Most Versatile

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I know that I said that baby walkers with seats like this aren’t safe. While this can be true, I’m including this one on the list because it converts. Made with a comfy seat for smaller tots, as they age and develop, you can remove the seat and it’ll turn into an adjustable walker. Now, just to ease some of those walker fears, this one has been JPMA-certified for safety. It has skid-resistant pads on the base, is made of sturdy plastic, and the wheels swivel as both a safety feature and for easy-wheeling around the house.

Pros:

The seat can hold children between 15 and 26 pounds.
Both the seat height and the walking feature are height-adjustable.
Seat is easily removed and cleaned – just toss it in the wash.

Cons:

The red tray screws will need to be re-tightened every so often. They tend to come loose, which is definitely something you’ll want to keep your eye on.

KIDDERY TOYS Wooden Push and Pull Learning Walker

Bright, Colorful, and Vibrant

This activity center/baby walker combo toy is a classic.

Most Creative

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Like I said above, I’m a sucker for wooden toys. Can you blame me with this one, though? It’s almost like an activity cube with wheels. While your little one is working on their gross motor skills, they’re also developing cognitive thinking skills such as math, cause and effect, colors, shapes, and music. For safety features, there are thick rubber bands that are fitted into the middle of each wheel. This makes it possible for your tot to both push and pull the walker in a safe, controlled way.

Pros:

Non-toxic and vibrant paints.
Compact enough for sturdy walking.
Built-in xylophone, mini maze, shape puzzle, and numbers.

Cons:

The rubber on the wheels works almost a bit too well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are baby walkers safe?

Yes and no. Baby walkers are both incredibly dangerous and totally safe. How can this be? Well, the danger of baby walkers lies in the fact that babies are strapped into a wheeled object that can take off with them in it. Powered by their own feet, babies have rolled into hot stoves, down staircases, and into pools. While that’s truly tragic and terrifying, if used in safe spaces (a small, enclosed room with supervision, for example), then a baby walker can be a nice space to place your baby for a few blessed minutes of hands-free time. Just be very selective about the use of a baby walker, mainly making sure that you’re using it in a safe space for short periods of time, and a baby walker can be a totally safe addition to your little one’s life.

What should you look for in a baby walker?

Stand-alone baby walkers are typically safer than seated baby walkers. Although not always the case, stand-alone baby walkers tend to be used by little ones who can already walk or are just about there. This often means they have better control, and that the walker is simply being used for balance. The one that we included in this list can be converted into a stand-alone walker, which is why we’ve included it.

When is an appropriate time to get your little one a baby walker?

It depends on you, as a parent, and the readiness of your child. Typically, baby walkers with seats are used from about 4 months to about 10 months. Stand-alone walkers are used a bit later, when babies are beginning to pull up, cruise, and stand independently. Both should only ever be used with direct supervision.