The Best Baby Walkers Based on Our Testing

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker

The Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker is our top choice for parents looking for a budget-friendly walker. It helps babies learn to walk while providing a fun experience without breaking the bank. Although the wheels cannot be locked to slow the walker’s speed, the wheels have a natural resistance to them, even on non-carpeted floors.

The puppy activity panel is attention-grabbing and offers “Smart Stages” — three levels of interactive fun depending on your child’s age. There are lights and sounds but they are not obnoxious. Plus, you can adjust the volume (2 settings) if necessary.

During the testing process, we noticed that there was a lot of flexibility in the handlebar; pressure put on the handlebar makes it bend rather than remain sturdy. We also noticed that the front and back wheels expand out when pressure is placed on the handlebar, preventing the walker from tipping.

Why You Should Trust Us

Since baby walkers play a role in physical development milestones, we interviewed 2 physical therapist experts for their input on these products:

• Lauren Baker, Pediatric PT, and Author of the Pediatric Exercise Handbook
• Hope Reyes, PT, DPT

In addition to talking with experts, we reviewed articles from the AAP (Academy of Pediatrics), peer-reviewed journals, and Healthychildren.org. We also checked for product recalls posted by the CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission) to make sure we weren’t considering any recalled baby walkers.

We personally purchased each baby walker and did not receive any samples nor incentives from manufacturers for doing so.

After figuring out what makes a baby push walker a great baby push walker, we decided to test and score each walker under the following categories:

• Safety (25% weighting)
• Practicality (20% weighting)
• Features (10% weighting)
• Quality (30% weighting)
• Ease of Setup (15% weighting)

Who Should Get This

Parents with children who are pulling themselves up or able to stand alone while holding onto something may be ready to use a baby walker. While it is exciting to introduce a baby walker to your little one, it is possible to do so too early, per Lauren Baker, PT:

There are also things that make a baby push walker a bad idea, including encouraging walking or standing with it too early (before cruising independently)…

Lauren Baker, PT

In fact, babies don’t have to use a baby walker at all in order to learn to walk. There are easy alternatives. Hope Reyes, PT, DPT says:

Babies do not absolutely need one (a baby push walker) to meet the milestone of walking, because they can use an upside down laundry basket or diaper box to use as a push toy.

Hope Reyes, PT, DPT

For babies showing the first signs of walking readiness, we recommend baby walkers with good natural wheel resistance or walkers with wheel locking settings. For more experienced walkers, any push walker should work well. Adult supervision is always recommended.

If your child is in the young infant stage, we recommend the LeapFrog 3-in-1 Walker. This walker can be used first as a baby play gym. Your little one can lay under the activity panel and play before transitioning to the sit-and-play stage and then finally, the walker stage.

How We Tested

We first gathered information about 19 popular and high-selling baby walkers. We reviewed recent customer reviews to educate ourselves on common walker problems. Baby walkers with mixed reviews regarding quality issues, toppling, or safety problems were rejected and not purchased for testing. We also rejected walkers that were unreasonably expensive or too similar to baby walkers we already planned to buy and test.

On the other hand, baby walkers that had higher star ratings and specifically those where 80% or more of the ratings were 5-stars were considered as long as they also had positive recent reviews and were available to purchase.

Based on what makes a baby walker a great baby walker, we decided to test each baby walker on these 5 categories:

• Safety
• Practicality
• Features
• Quality
• Ease of Setup

Safety was tested by checking for an apparent risk of baby falling or getting hurt in some way. Does the walker have wheel locking settings and/or natural wheel resistance? Is there a high risk of the walker tipping or being pulled down to the floor? Is the paint used on wooden walkers non-toxic?

For practicality, we looked at how easy it is to use the walker overall. We tested how easy it is to turn the walker and transition it from one stage to another (if applicable). Is it easy to store? Is the handlebar adjustable? How many loose toys are there that may easily get lost?

We looked at the features and design of each baby walker. If there is an activity panel, does it offer lights, sounds, and educational learning? Is the panel too distracting or irritating? Does the walker offer a storage basket for toys to be placed in? Does the walker have visual appeal?

Quality was tested by how the product felt overall (if it felt cheaply made or sturdy). Is there chipping or smooth finishes? We also considered the walker’s material and whether it was plastic, wood, or a mix of both.

Finally, for ease of setup, we timed the assembly of each baby walker and noted how much effort was required. Are tools needed? If so, how many? Are batteries needed and not included?

Product Ratings and Specs

	Recommended	Editor's Choice		Upgrade Choice			Budget Choice
	LeapFrog 3-in-1 Walker	VTech Sit-to-Stand Walker	Radio Flyer Push Walker	Hape Wonder Walker	Radio Flyer Walker Wagon	Skip Hop 3-in-1 Walker	Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker	Fisher-Price On-the-Go Camper	Bright Starts 4-in-1 Walker	Melissa & Doug Alligator Walker
	Amazon	Amazon Walmart	Amazon	Amazon	Amazon Walmart	Amazon	Amazon BedBath&Beyond Walmart	Amazon	Amazon BedBath&Beyond Walmart	Amazon Walmart
Test Lab Score	85	81	74	71	69	66	65	64	60	58
Safety Rating	100	94	68	52	68	35	65	45	78	49
Practicality Rating	69	58	81	59	68	57	56	51	33	65
Features Rating	58	62	75	81	58	47	67	76	64	39
Quality Rating	88	93	98	83	100	97	88	95	65	47
Ease of Setup Rating	94	98	25	88	20	82	32	43	50	100
Specifications
Adjustable Handlebar	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Convertible	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Material	Plastic	Plastic	Wood/Plastic	Wood	Wood	Plastic/Rubber	Plastic	Plastic	Plastic	Wood
Weight	4.86 pounds	5 pounds	7.35 pounds	11.2 ounces	10.41 pounds	5.4 pounds	4 pounds	9.24 pounds	5.28 pounds	1 pound
Assembly Time	3 min	3 min	18 min	7 min	27 min	5 min	17 min	11 min	9 min
Batteries Required	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Ease of Turning Rating	9	9	9	7	7	10	7	7	4	8
Natural Wheel Resistance Rating	9	7	8	2	9	1	7	10	6	9
Risk of Tipping Rating	10	10	10	9	10	7	10	3	7	5
Locking Wheels	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No

Show more rows

Value

Because children outgrow most baby walkers quickly, we only tested walkers that are reasonably priced and no more than $100. Even so, we were able to find good quality walkers for under $50 as well.

We consider the Hape Wonder Walker to be our Upgrade Choice because of its overall high score and high price. While this product is the most expensive, it is wooden, sturdy, and a walker that could last for years.

The LeapFrog 3-in-1 Walker and VTech Sit-to-Stand Walker are quality walkers that aren’t overpriced. If you need a more basic walker that is lower-priced, the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker boasts a low cost, making it our Budget Choice.

Safety

To test safety, we considered the “pushing speed” of each walker. If it glided quickly, and almost dangerously, we ranked it low, due to the risk of a child falling. If it had some natural wheel resistance to it or the option to lock the wheels, we ranked it higher. We also tested the risk of tipping by pressing down on the handlebars to see how much pressure would make the walker tip back. Some walkers showed no signs of tipping despite heavy pressure on the handlebar.

Natural Wheel Resistance

Many baby walkers on our list have natural wheel resistance. This is great, especially if they don’t have wheel locking settings. Even though the Hape Walker doesn’t have wheel locking settings, its wheels naturally slow the walker enough to not be a safety hazard. Unfortunately, some walkers, like the Skip Hop Walker, show zero signs of wheel resistance. Instead, the wheels spin rather quickly when pushed.

To test the natural wheel resistance of the baby walkers, we placed 2 walkers side-by-side and pushed them at the same time to see which walker resisted compared to the other. This process helped us rate the natural wheel resistance of each baby walker. Overall, Fisher-Price Camper had the most natural wheel resistance compared to the others.

We also took the 3 baby walkers with wheel locking settings (Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet, VTech Sit-to-Stand, and LeapFrog 3-in-1) and compared each walker’s wheel resistance to one another with the wheels locked. We found that the LeapFrog 3-in-1 has the most wheel resistance when the wheels are locked, followed by the Vtech Sit-to-Stand, and ending with the Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet. All of the results are shown in the chart below.

No Risk of Tipping

To test the risk of tipping, we pressed down on the handlebars, gradually increasing pressure per second. If the front wheels came up off the ground, we noted how many seconds of increasing pressure it took for that to happen. We found that a few walkers’ front wheels did lift off the ground, with the Fisher-Price Camper scoring the worst (1 second of pressure).

The Melissa & Doug Alligator Walker also scored low in this category. Although it has a rear bumper, probably to prevent it from tipping, the walker still wants to tip if you pull and roll it back.

Most of the baby walkers showed no risk of tipping after 6+ seconds of increasing pressure on the handlebars. These walkers were either sturdy and wooden or designed with very wideset wheels. For example, when pressure is applied to the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker, the front wheels and back wheels widen to prevent any risk of tipping.

Practicality

For each baby walker, we want to see design aspects that make the product a practical baby walker. Is it easy to turn? If the walker converts to more stages (e.g. a walker to a scooter), how easy is that to do? We also considered how many loose toys there are (since loose toys get lost easily) and whether the handlebar and/or volume can be adjusted.

Adjustable Handlebar

An adjustable handlebar that is easy to adjust is great for getting more use out of a baby walker; you are able to increase the handlebar height as your little one gets taller.

Surprisingly, only 1 baby walker on our list has an adjustable handlebar and that is the Skip Hop 3-in-1 Walker. Unfortunately, the Skip Hop handlebar was not easy to adjust at all after multiple attempts. If parents can look past this difficulty, then it’s a great long-term walker toy.

Ease of Turning

To test the ease of turning, we first observed whether or not the two front walker wheels needed to be lifted up off the floor in order for the walker to turn. If that was not the case, we evaluated how easy it felt to turn each walker in either direction, whether walking and turning or turning from a standstill position.

Most of the walkers had limited-to-no problems and were able to turn easily on smooth floors and carpeted floors. When turning the handlebar of the Skip Hop 3-in-1, we noticed the handlebar and the front two wheels of the walker turn in the direction the walker is being turned, allowing the walker to turn easily.

It seems that the sturdiness of the handlebar correlates with how easy it is to turn the walkers. For example, the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Walker has a very flexible handlebar so when pressure is applied to it, the handlebar bends down to some degree. This flexibility makes it harder to control and turn the walker overall.

Regarding the walkers that have lockable wheels, like the VTech Sit-to-Stand, these walkers were obviously harder to turn when the wheels were locked. We did not fault the walkers for this; if babies need to push the walker with the wheels locked, they are probably not yet ready to make turns.

Ease of Converting

The Skip Hop 3-in-1 and LeapFrog 3-in-1 are the only walkers on our list that convert to other stages. We are pleased by how easy it is to transition the LeapFrog to 3 different stages. You only need to loosen two knobs by hand to do so. On the other hand, the Skip Hop was a pain to transition. We had major trouble removing the handlebars from the walker to flip them around for scooting. In fact, we gave up and didn’t end up flipping the handlebars around at all.

Features

When evaluating the features of each baby walker, we started from the bottom and worked our way up. Do the wheels provide floor protection? Is there a basket or storage for toys? Is there an activity panel? If so, is it educational? Overwhelming? Are the sounds/phrases/tunes annoying or not too bad? We also considered how long each walker may be used as the child grows, since some baby walkers transition into other stages of play.

Educational Rating

Most of the baby walkers feature educational phrases and songs. For example, the Fisher-Price Puppy Walker and Fisher-Price Camper both include “Smart Stages” — various levels of educational play based on the child’s age or preferences. The Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet Walker has 3 language options: English, Spanish, or French, introducing new languages to children.

In addition to educational phrases and songs, some of the baby walkers include visuals to help with learning numbers, letters, and shapes. The VTech Sit-to-Stand even has a small piano with “Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So” written on the keys.

Length of Use Rating

For the length of use, we ranked each walker by how well the product may last (high quality) or be played with over the years (fun features). The Skip Hop 3-in-1 transitions from a walker to a sitting scooter and then finally, to a standing scooter. It’s a toy that grows with the child which is why we ranked it so high.

The LeapFrog 3-in-1 Walker, on the other hand, transitions to more stages, but rather than starting from the walking age and up, it starts from the infant baby stage. Therefore children who are already close to walking won’t get as much use out of this walker since the walker stage is the last stage.

Sounds Rating

We know how important sound can be to parents when it comes to baby toys and electronics, so we considered this during our testing evaluations. Most of the phrases, sounds, and music that come from the electronic baby walkers we tested were at a reasonable volume or there was a volume setting on the walker.

The first walker sound that stood out to us during testing was from the Bright Starts Giggling Gourmet Walker. The Bright Starts walker surprised us with how loud, and frankly annoying, the popcorn “popping” sound is. Visually, it is fun for kids to watch but the loud popping sound gets old quickly.

Both the Radio Flyer Walker and Radio Flyer Walker Wagon also caught our attention regarding their sounds. When pushed, the walker wheels produce a “clicking” sound that could be irritating to some parents. We didn’t think it was too bad but it is definitely not a silent baby walker.

Quality

Quality was ranked by type of material, smooth finishes, and if the walker felt cheaply made or not. Wooden push walkers were given a higher ranking than plastic walkers unless damaged. Regarding plastic baby walkers, the Bright Starts Walker received the lowest score for quality. The handlebars feel flimsy and the overall makeup does not feel sturdy.

Both the Radio Flyer Walker and Radio Flyer Walker Wagon felt the sturdiest, heaviest, and of the highest quality. Unfortunately, even wooden walkers are subject to quality problems. The Melissa & Doug Alligator Walker arrived with partially-cracked wood which affected its score. Although it isn’t common, some other customers experienced cracked or scratched wood.

Ease of Setup

Ease of setup was tested by looking at how many parts there were out of the box and what tools or batteries were needed. Some walkers included all tools needed for assembly whereas some required you to use your own screwdriver, hammer, etc.

In addition, assembly time was calculated from the time of opening the box to a completely assembled walker. The Melissa & Doug Alligator Walker has the best score in this category since it was ready to be used out of the box.

Number of Parts

When counting the number of parts in each box, we included screws and other loose parts like bolts, washers, etc. About half of the walkers included just a few parts compared to the other half of walkers that included 15+ parts.

The Radio Flyer Walker Wagon came with the most parts (40) which made assembly time the longest, as you’ll see below. Walkers with a high number of parts are more likely to arrive with a part missing or damaged so we don’t prefer baby walkers to have a high number of parts out of the box.

Assembly Time

Assembly time was calculated from the start of opening the manufacturer’s box to a completed walker. The Radio Flyer Walker Wagon took the longest to assemble, at 27 minutes, due to the high number of parts (40) out of the box.

While the parts were organized and the assembly itself was not confusing, the time it took for a fully assembled walker was a bit frustrating. In addition, a hammer, screwdriver, and wrench were needed to assemble the walker and were not provided.

FAQs – Best Baby Walkers

Are baby walkers safe?

Per the Cleveland Clinic, baby walkers “have become serious safety hazards and should be avoided at all costs¹.” The AAP has also called for the ban of baby (sit-in) walkers. On the other hand, the AAP does not criticize baby push walkers.

Do doctors recommend walkers for babies?

Lauren Baker, Pediatric PT, says that “baby push walkers are great options for kiddos who are able to cruise independently (walking while holding onto furniture).” She also says that using a push walker is a bad idea if it’s encouraged too early or if used on a slippery surface without close supervision.

At what age can babies start using walkers?

Babies can start using push walkers around 6 months of age or when they’re able to stand alone by holding onto something else.

Do baby walkers help babies walk?

Per Hope Reyes, PT, DPT, baby push walkers can develop the following: muscular development and endurance, static and dynamic balance strategies, vestibular and motor systems to work together in an upright position, vision system development, whole-body coordination (hands and feet working together), and independence in play and cognitive development.

What can I use instead of a walker?

Hope Reyes, PT, DPT, suggests that babies can learn to walk by pushing an upside-down laundry basket or diaper box, instead of a push walker. This is a great way for babies to learn to walk by using items already in the house instead of purchasing a push walker.