If this is your first time with a toddler or even just your first time using a walker to teach your little one how to get around, the following guide is a great start to find the perfect vehicle for your baby to learn walking. Push walkers are, in short, small stands on wheels with support handles that allow your kid to stand up and become mobile. These devices are great for developing the muscles in your toddlers’ legs, arms, and especially core muscles essential to good posture and movement. On this currently cluttered market, our guide only covers the best baby push walkers.
Essentially, these push walkers are also toys, and so in our review we found it equally important that these walkers were fun for toddlers in addition to being simple to use and helpful for learning to walk. Other important features in our review were the sizes and weights of each vehicle, range of ages each walker was best for, and what features made each toy fun to use daily. Additionally, one very top concern were the safeties which manufacturers included in their products to keep you toddler out of harms way at all times. Based on these features. the Hape Wonder Walker became our Editor’s Choice.
More features: storage base, wooden peg maze, gears, rattle, spinning happy face, sliding balls, water-based dyes
Just at a glance this push walker offers easy 4-wheel mobility with fun doodads to keep your little one entertained no matter the places in your house they’re going. It’s suggested that this model is for age 12 months and up, though it’s built with safety measures that include rubber rimmed wheels, a balance stabilizer design, with a total color design from water-based dyes. This wheeler has many parts which add to the fun, including moveable knobs, spinning gears, and colorful counting balls. Our favorite parts are the spinning happy face which encourages your baby to stand so they can spin it, as well as the engaging wooden peg maze which is proven to improve a child’s depth perception. The overall design integrates a standing handle and 4 wheels (best for hardwood floors) around a storage box which is great for transporting your kids’ favorite toys and stuffed animals. Easy to assemble, this is a compact and fun solution for teaching your baby to walk.
More features: includes 24 colored and natural blocks, non-toxic water-based dyes
Recommended for 10-months and up, which is especially great for those early-blooming babies already trying to walk like mommy and daddy, this is easily the best toddler push walker. It’s lightweight at only 6.5lbs and very easy to assemble with an adjustable handle which can be lowered or raised to match the height of your baby; handle can also be adjusted for different stability (stiffness) to add increased safety. Other safety features include overlarge blocks colored with non-toxic water-based dyes, rubber wood for soft collisions, and a tension knob designed to increase/decrease the spinning function of the wheels. One of the customers favorite things is the easy portable carrying-basket design and included blocks which promote better depth perception, recognition of geometric shapes, and imagination. This is a fantastic traditional baby walker to help your young child take that first step.
More features: non-toxic finish, water-based dyes
This is a fun walker solution which encourages your child’s relationship with their walker by making it friendlier and more recognizable as ‘a toy’, which is especially important as many first-time-walkers can become timid after their first experience falling. The friendly block puzzle is colored from entirely water-based dyes with a non-toxic finish; additional safety features include a balanced shape designed to assist your baby in pulling themselves up and rubber rimmed wheels. With this puzzle, your kid is going to have tons of fun! This cart may be too short for taller toddlers, though it’s rated for kids 12 months and up and guaranteed to improve coordination, balance, and physical strength. For your added consideration, this pusher easily has one of the sturdiest and strongest designs which can handle anything your active child throws at it.
More features: removable wooden stake sides, storage base, 35 lbs weight capacity
This heavier design promotes beginner confidence and added balance, whereas lighter weight walkers are more likely to tip over if your baby falls on their butt and pulls the cart with them. This walker is rated for 12 months and up and is not only a fun color but has the deepest basket and carrying space of any walker – with removable wooden stake sides. Wheels are designed with surrounding rubber to protect your child and your floors, additionally the no-scratch bumper will protect your walls and make sure your baby doesn’t completely run over the dog. The natural solid wood body creates a classic look which is fun for your and your child, additional components include the taught handle for added portability, tightening wheels which increase or decrease your baby’s push-speed, and deep cart which can hold all your kids’ toys with stuffed animals to boot! For your consideration, this is a parent favorite and reward-winning design in regards to balance and non-tip heavy weight features.
More features: non-toxic finish, vegetable dye, storage base
PlanToy push walkers are rated for 10 months and up, which is excellent for those earlier learners curious to follow in their parents’ footsteps. Entire product is guaranteed to be environmentally friendly and offer toxic-free safety, made from preservative-free rubber wood as part of the companies zero waste goal and coated in colors made from vegetable dyes. This cute walker is very simple to assemble, has safety rubber wheels, and offers a small space so your child can tote around their favorite toys or stuffed animal friends; additionally, it comes in pink, yellow, or blue. Upon delivery some assembly is required, though this is probably one of the simplest walkers and also the easiest to store when not in use. For the money parents agree it’s a great beginner walker from a great brand which believes in protecting your children as well as the environment.
More features: adjustable resistance on the wheels
This makes the perfect gift for your child or the children of another family; it’s built with heirloom quality which ensures a unique simple design suitable for all kids 8 months and up. This cart offers one of the easiest assemblies which requires no extra hardware or tools but is also guaranteed to hold up against hard outside sidewalks and all hardwood floors. Included are safety-conscious rubber wheels and rubber handle which are both great at absorbing shock; wheels include a tension dial to adjust their overall resistance and therefore speed. Cart design is pretty simple and encourages your baby to tote around their favorite toys with little hassle and even less clean-up. Best of all, this toy is crafted entirely from sustainable sources which are toxic-free and environmentally conscious. For parents who travel a lot with their young ones, not only does this product offer easy assembly but it can also be taken apart using a ‘click-in-place’ system which makes it simple to pack and to store.
The remainder of our guide was designed and written to provide you all the extra information you’ll need in buying the best baby push walker. Remaining topics include general information on push walkers and their benefits, features further explained, and a segment answering frequently asked questions.
In the past babies really only had one option when it came to walking: learn the old-fashioned way. However, with the advent of baby push walkers there was actually more of a drive for babies to learn quicker and better improve their fine motor skills. With the first notion of movement on two feet you should certainly consider giving your kid the fun and added support of a push walker, first because pulling up using on improves a sense of coordination, and so does driving one, secondly because moving a pusher will actually further develop your baby’s depth perception better than traditional learning can provide. Additionally, these toys are fun and encourage balance, imagination, and even basic learning of shapes and other skills great for younger children.
First you should ensure your baby is at the right age for a push walker, typically this can be anywhere between the ages of 4 and 16 months and most walkers on the market are designed specifically for these ages with even up to 4 years old. The best way to determine if your baby is ready to start standing is by judging their strength and rate of development; typically, if they’re pulling themselves up onto furniture then they’re ready for a push walker. However, if they can’t fully support their head yet, you might want to wait a little longer.
Once you have your baby walker let your infant get acquainted with the toy and start discovering how it works on their own – don’t just prop them up grabbing the handle. If your baby is at the right exploratory age, they’ll be more comfortable discovering the walker, pulling themselves up with it, and moving it all on their own. At first progress will be slow, this is because your baby is slowly discovering and training their body to operate hands, feet, and body weight all at once. There will also be a learning curve based on balance and coordination as they walk and push their walker – this is a great time for parents to enjoy the wonders of baby development and growth.
Often the biggest help you can offer as a parent is as an example.
If your baby isn’t figuring out the push walker on their own it’s of great advantage for you to ‘test it out’ and push it around the room while making excited noises. First, this will demonstrate to them how the toy operates, second, this will show them that walking with their push walker is fun and not challenging.
Other ways you can help are actually those times when you’re not using the push walker. For instance, just as your baby is first learning to stand offer them your hands and slowly help them up. Once their standing let go and count out loud how long they can stand up before they fall, make sure you cheer each and every time they do a good job (oh, and you may want pillows for this suggestion). Another thing you can do is sit across the room from them and encourage them to walk the distance to you; at first make this a small distance (2 or 3 feet) and then gradually make the game more challenging.
The main area of safety actually depends on space – the space in a house or room that your baby has to wheel around. If you have a cluttered dining room, entryway, or living room, move your furniture to the sides and pick up other obstacles which might waylay your walking child. In limited quarters your baby is much more likely to slam into a coffee table, or worse fall backward into one, and to also get the wheels caught on smaller objects which interrupt the objective of walking.
Other safety concerns are the wheels themselves, make sure these are made from rubber!
Harder large wheels can run over your feet or your babies’ feet and cause major injury, if you have small pets their safety is also a concern. Handles should be tightened on your walker otherwise your baby will pull them free and fall over when trying to lift themselves up.
Many of the features listed and further described below were listed in the detailed reviews of our walkers, it’s our hope you’ll read through these if you have any feature related questions; for your benefit we’ve also included examples of products which best demonstrate particular attributes.
The most important concern here is the size and height of the handle, rather than the overall size of the cart. With a higher handle your smaller baby might not be able to reach until they grow a bit more, however some kids are too tall for certain products. At their current stage you should measure their height, but also one of the best options is a push walker with an adjustable handle. For adjustable handles you should certainly consider the Plan Toy Baby Walker. Other size concerns actually depend on the overall stretch of your walker – how wide or long is it? – because the wider and longer the push walker is the more balance it will offer as your baby pulls themselves up with it. Smaller walkers are more likely to tip over, whereas wide walkers like the Hape Wonder Walker are great for all babies.
Another tipping concern is the weight of the walker. Your baby should not easily be able to pull it over onto themselves or fall over and carrying it down on top of them. Lightweight products are much more likely to tip over when your baby falls, whereas a heavier model – such as the Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon – offers great support and is quite impossible to tip over. Rule of thumb: if you set a 7-pound object in front of your baby and they can easily pull it over, don’t get a 7lb push walker.
Typically, the age most infants start walking is around 9 months old, though you’ll see that most walkers are listed for only 12 months and up. This is largely a suggestion which depends on the development of the baby – some babies develop quicker than others – and so the final judgment is yours as a parent. One great beginner product for a range of ages is the PlanToys Van Walker.
In many ways the durability of the product will depend on the company you purchase it from. Different companies use different materials for their walkers, however these tend to be non-toxic with soft woods and rounded edges. Not only are rounded edges and soft woods best for durability (since your baby might be bumping into things), but these features will also further protect your child when they fall or trip over their toy.
As a parent it depends on what you want for your child and what you want for your home. Some push toys are very simple and provide an experience for your baby to learn how to stand, walk, and push something at the same time. Additionally, these simple toys can also teach your baby how to clean up toys into a cart that they push, and how to do activities like ‘move forward’ and ‘move backward’. For simple carts one active feature which will alter the experience is a ‘brake’ or ‘tensioning’ mechanism which can make the walker move at faster or slower speeds. The PlanToys Baby Walker and HABA Moover both have fantastic tension dials.
More complicated toys offer the active use of added stimulation. These products include toys, moving pieces, and even puzzles to encourage the developmental growth of your babies brain. A great product which has both a brake system and added parts for stimulation is the Hape Wonder Walker.
Other height concerns not mentioned till this point are the height of the push walkers base. A high base on a push walker will actually facilitate a beginner to lift themselves up more easily than a lower base normally would.
The best push walkers use natural substances (such as wood rather than plastic), however some plastic products and pieces are okay to purchase so long as their listed non-toxic and therefore not harmful to children. Other concerns are the paints and dyes which are used to color the walkers as well as the included toys, it’s always best to check that dyes and finishes are made from 100% non-toxic materials; your baby will place their mouths on their push walker, it’s a guarantee.
This is in regards to carrying and moving the walker when its not in use as well as when its being rolled along by your baby. Make sure you pick a product which stores easily, isn’t too heavy for a parent to lift, and can also be pushed by your baby with little hassle but not tones of speed. A great easy-store product on our list is the snap-apart HABA Moover.
Again, pick a product which is narrow enough to fit into a specific corner or closet in your house, the best products break down after use and tuck simply away in the box they came in or other storage space of your choosing. One of the smallest products is the PlanToys Van Walker, and one of the most storable products is the HABA Moover.
For the most part assembly should be easy and require very few tools; in fact, almost all of the products on our list offer no-tool assembly right out of the box.
A great warranty will give you plenty of time to test the product and see how your child operates with it and if they’re capable of breaking it on their own. You should at least have a 3-month testing window where your baby is able to learn and use the toy; if it has any manufacturing errors or is not designed as promised your warranty should allow you to return, exchange, or get repairs for the product with no hassle and very little extra cost.
In closing we prefer to leave our customers with our top three favorite products, not only because these are fantastic push walkers with great materials, designs, and added features, but also because we believe it will simplify your buying process when caught between multiple products and not sure which to choose. It’s our hope you’ll have no trouble choosing the best baby push walker.
Hape Wonder Walker. This is a fantastic product which is great for learning how to walk with but is simply the best walker for the features and stimulating extras it offers. Your baby will increase their depth perception with this walkers’ puzzles and will also be very entertained by their walker. If you want a toy you baby will love and always want to use, this is the pick!
Plan Toy Baby Walker. The best product for a quickly growing baby, twins, or if you’re not sure what handle size is the best for your child. This push walker offers an adjustable handle and wheels with adjustable traction that can increase or decreased the speed your baby can push at. It also comes with fun blocks!
Hape Block and Roll Cart. It’s a very colorful walker with an environmentally-friendly, wooden design. It also features a block puzzle as a part of its design, making it the most engaging product on our list.
