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How is it possible that your baby could barely grab their toes a few days ago only, and they now want to stand up? Children grow so fast! If your little one is about to enter this wonderful stage of life, then the time has come for you to get a baby walker.
From now on, your child will have greater freedom to move around your home. Baby walkers are one of the oldest childcare articles, yet they will never fall out of fashion. Why? It’s simple: they allow babies to strengthen their muscles and gain greater access to their surroundings.
Contents
- 1 Key Facts
- 2 Our Selection: The Best Baby Walkers on the U.S. Market
- 3 Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Baby Walkers
- 3.1 What are the benefits of baby walkers?
- 3.2 Can walkers really help babies to walk?
- 3.3 What is the difference between a baby walker and a ride-on toy?
- 3.4 At what age can my baby start using a walker?
- 3.5 Up to what age can they use walkers?
- 3.6 What do baby walkers need to be safe?
- 3.7 Do baby walkers require special maintenance?
- 4 Buyer’s Guide
- 5 Summary
Key Facts
- The baby walker is a children’s product that helps our little ones move around more freely and safely when they cannot stand up on their own just yet.
- This type of article offers great benefits in everyday life, both for the children themselves and for the parents. This is why it remains one of the products that has been used the longest to raise our babies.
- There are various criteria that you need to evaluate to choose the baby walker that will give the greatest autonomy to your child. These include the design, quality, and safety of the product.
Our Selection: The Best Baby Walkers on the U.S. Market
We know just how challenging it can be to pick the perfect product for your child. You always want what’s best for them, and finding the right model among the hundreds of options on the market is quite a journey. Luckily for you, we have selected some of the best baby walkers currently available out there. In the section below, you can learn all about these products and their main characteristics:
- Best-Selling Baby Walker
- Most Versatile Baby Walker
- Best Baby Walker: Amazon’s Choice
- Best Baby Walker for Eating and Playing
Best-Selling Baby Walker
Available in three different color schemes, Baby Trend’s 2.0 baby walker is an Amazon’s Best Seller in the category for good reasons. It features different height positions to grow with your child, while the padded seat provides increased comfort and safety. In addition, the toy bar is removable to allow your baby to use the tray come mealtime. This baby walker is very easy to store, too.
Most Versatile Baby Walker
Are you looking for a model that your little one can use for longer than just a couple of months? Then Kolcraft’s 2-in-1 activity baby walker is exactly what you need. You can convert it from a seated activity walker to a walk-behind toy when the time is right. It features fun and educational toys, as well as a height-adjustable seat. This JPMA-certified product comes with a one-year warranty.
Best Baby Walker: Amazon’s Choice
This dinosaur-themed baby walker is affordable, safe, and entertaining, so it’s no wonder that it has become Amazon’s Choice in the category. You can easily remove the two activity trays to leave space for an eating area, and the grip strips provide enhanced safety on uneven surfaces. The padded seat is machine washable, and its height is adjustable.
Best Baby Walker for Eating and Playing
Our last product is Joovy’s Spoon walker, which is designed for children weighing a maximum of 30 pounds. Its extremely wide base prevents children from getting their fingers stuck and from passing through doors. It features a super-sized tray on which your little one can eat and play with their favorite toys. This baby walker presents an elegant design.
Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Baby Walkers
In recent times, there have been several controversies regarding baby walkers and their benefits for the development of our babies. So, what should you believe? The best thing you can do is inform yourself and make a decision based on that knowledge. In the following section, we have answered the most frequently asked questions regarding baby walkers.
(Source: Suwannaphoom: 97943785/ 123rf.com)
What are the benefits of baby walkers?
- Your baby exercises and strengthens the leg muscles through daily use of the walker.
- This product allows children to move autonomously, arousing curiosity in their surrounding environment.
- The activity table most walkers integrate helps develop your baby’s most basic intellectual capacities.
- Baby walkers are a safe place for children to play.
Not only will you be promoting the physical development of your child, but you will also be helping their emotional development (through autonomy) and cognitive development (depending on the activities included in the walker). In fact, they are one of the most complete toys for babies aged six months and over.
Can walkers really help babies to walk?
- They allow the child to move freely around the house.
- They help strengthen the leg muscles.
- The child is entertained by the games they integrate.
This is all baby walkers will do. They are essentially an interactive toy that also offers the possibility of safe movement for the child. However, under no circumstances do they teach them how to walk. If this is what you’re after, you may want to turn to ride-on toys rather than baby walkers.
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What is the difference between a baby walker and a ride-on toy?
| Ride-on toy | Baby walker | |
|---|---|---|
| Baby’s feet situation | On the floor | Practically in the air, with the toes barely touching |
| Fastening system | None | Safety belt |
| Goal | It promotes the child’s balance. | It holds the baby up. |
| Does it help babies to learn to walk? | Yes | No |
| Growth stage | When babies can stand up (even if supported) | Younger babies |
As you can see, the two toys have nothing to do with each other. On the one hand, the ride-on toy gives your child freedom of movement and helps support and improve the motor skills they already possess. On the other, the baby walker is simply a structure to hold the baby and with which to move around in a more restricted manner.
At what age can my baby start using a walker?
In this specific case, babies are not advised to start using their walkers until they can hold their back in a straight position. This will generally occur between six and eight months of age, depending on the child. You should check with your pediatrician if you have any doubts.
Up to what age can they use walkers?
In other words, your child should wave goodbye to their walker the moment they can stand up on their own – whether you support them or not. The walker will have fulfilled its function, and you now have to let your baby make the necessary efforts to maintain balance and practice on their own in this new growth stage.
What do baby walkers need to be safe?
- Start by looking at the wheels. These are the base of the walker, whose aim is to allow your baby to move around. The wheels should be hard and sturdy, and of course, not get stuck when in movement.
- They must feature a seat belt to keep the child in the right posture and prevent them from falling out of the walker.
- The best models come with anti-tipper barriers. Note that not all models have this feature, but it is particularly handy for restless children. You should never underestimate your baby’s strength.
- The latest models also integrate a safety brake system for steps. We can assure you that this will help you avoid many frights.
In any case, you should never forget that adult supervision is fundamental. While baby walkers are designed to give your child autonomy and to allow them to move freely around the house, you should always keep an eye on them to prevent any accidents. Keep in mind that children do not have the slightest sense of danger.
Do baby walkers require special maintenance?
Buyer’s Guide
Have you been having a hard time finding the baby walker that best suits your baby and their needs? Don’t worry, we all go through this. In the end, what matters is that you can make an informed decision. To do this, the best method is to analyze the key shopping criteria that will help you identify the very best baby walkers on the market. In the section below, we will delve into the following aspects:
Recommended Age
The very first thing you need to make sure is whether or not your baby is old enough to start using a walker. Remember that children must know how to hold their back straight and get into a standing position on their own before we can introduce these products into their lives.
The contrary is just as true. When babies can hold themselves in a standing position, be it with the help of a support point or not, it is time for them to move on to ride-on toys. Generally speaking, the recommended age for using a baby walker is between six and eight months.
(Source: Suwannaphoom:(Source: Patryk Kośmider 55970415/ 123rf.com)
Design
This shopping criterion actually refers to two fundamental aspects of baby walkers. On the one hand, the article must be aesthetically attractive for your baby, so that they want to play with it. In this sense, you will want to favor models with bright colors, sounds, and lights.
On the other hand, you should also pay attention to the activities included in the product. As you may have noticed from our selection, these can be very varied and even focus on specific themes (racing cars or the sea, for instance). Regarding this aspect, simply consider your child’s personality and choose accordingly.
Durability
Your little one will be moving back and forth with this product all day, every day. This is why resistance and durability are crucial. The baby walker you purchase must be sturdy and resistant to any blow that it might receive as your child gains confidence and autonomy.
In that regard, you are advised to opt for a plastic model. The characteristics of this material make it durable and very easy to clean. All you need to do is wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth, and the product will look as good as new.
Manufacturing Materials
We’ve just touched upon that topic, but let’s go a bit deeper into it. The material your baby walker is made from must be suitable for your child. On the one hand, it must be respectful of the baby’s skin; as we know, it tends to be easily irritated, especially in the area on which they sit.
This is why it is generally covered by a soft, comfortable fabric that you can throw in the washing machine whenever necessary. Going back to the previous shopping criterion we looked at, it is also essential that these quality materials can resist the intensive use that your little one will make of this product.
Safety
Last but not least, let’s discuss the absolute necessity of buying a safe product. Any childcare article has to go through testing and safety evaluations before being released on the market, but it is always a good idea to double-check on your own.
Once you have found a model that satisfies these requirements, we still encourage you to inspect it closely when you receive it, before your child can use it for the first time. In fact, you should check it regularly for any potential anomaly. By this, we essentially mean making sure that there are no parts that can come off or slots in which your baby can accidentally put their fingers.
(Source: Thatsaphon Saengnarongrat: 48153465/ 123rf.com)
Summary
No more lying around or sitting in a hammock all day! The time has come for your little one to start using a baby walker and wander their new world called home. This won’t only be great fun for them, but it will also strengthen their leg muscles and prepare them for when they have to learn to walk.
Besides, using a baby walker will give your child greater freedom and autonomy, awakening their curiosity and interest in the environment surrounding them. Considering the many advantages they have to offer, it is not surprising that they are some of the oldest childcare articles in the world – and their popularity isn’t decreasing.
We hope that you found our guide on baby walkers helpful and informative. If so, feel free to share it on your social media. You can also leave us a comment in the section below!
(Source of featured image: Patryk Kośmider: 55970031/ 123rf.com)
