
READ NEXT: The best baby carriers to buy Which baby walker is best on carpet? All new models comply with this standard but older models, including any that you are given as hand-me-downs, may not. If you’re unsure, ask the manufacturer or retailer. All baby walkers must comply with the safety standard BS EN 1273:2005. So make sure they spend most of their time on the floor in a hazard-free zone – preferably barefoot – and keep baby walker time as an occasional 20-minute treat. They’ll have to do that by themselves, using furniture to help. It’s a fun way to encourage your baby to walk, but it won’t actually help the process. Don’t leave them in the baby walker too long.Look out for household cleaning stuff, perfumes and alcohol that might now be within reach, and bear in mind that if your little one’s in a seated walker, they’ll have new freedom to grasp objects, such as trailing cables, with both hands. You may have already put cushions against all the sharp corners and picked all the dangerous objects up from ground level when your baby started to walk, but your baby will gain height in their walker. Babies can move at one metre per second with a walker so before you know it they could be in trouble without you there to rescue them. They’ve also added safety features to protect babies from steps and trapping their hands or limbs.Īdditionally, as with all baby gear, it’s your responsibility to make sure the walkers are being used safely, and babies shouldn’t be left alone. This standard was amended in 2005 (look for BS EN 1273:2005 when buying a seated walker) to make baby walkers safe, and manufacturers are now obliged to make the baby gear move more slowly. Physiotherapists have also warned that the use of baby walkers could actually hinder a child’s ability to learn to walk.ĭespite this, you’ll find them for sale in almost every baby store in the country, and they have been certified safe by the European Committee for Standardisation. This is because children have been known to tip themselves out of these walkers, and catch fingers between the sides of walkers and walls, while the extra height can give them access to plug sockets or other items that would typically be out of reach. Childminders are advised not to use them, the NHS recommends they’re used for a maximum of 20 minutes at a time and Canada has gone a step further by banning them entirely. Health visitors across the UK, as well as medical professionals, are reluctant to recommend seated walkers for babies and toddlers following reports of injuries. READ NEXT: The best prams to buy Are walkers safe for babies? Trailer: this simple, classic design is useful beyond the transition into walking because it can double up as a toy carrier for when your two-year-old becomes obsessed with transportation.It can be useful before the walking stage from around six months, when babies start to sit up independently and can play with the buttons and spinners. Walking frame: this resembles a colourful Zimmer frame and, like the seated kind, often doubles as a play station with multi-sensory distractions.Seated walker: these take up the most space and often double up as play stations, with buttons, lights and noises to entertain your baby.There are three types of baby walker: the seated walker, the walking frame and the push-along trailer.
#BABY WALKER BOUNCER HOW TO#
How to choose the best baby walker for you Best interactive baby walker: Little Tikes Fantastic Firsts 3-in-1 Activity Walker | £50.Best baby walker on a budget: Fisher-Price DLF00 Learn with Me Zebra Walker | £25.


Best baby walker for versatility: Babylo Combo 3-in-1 Walker | £65.Read on for our guide to the different types of baby walker available, how to use baby walkers safely and for our pick of the best baby walkers available right now.

There are plenty to choose from, whether you’re looking for a tasteful retro wooden push-along or a bells-and-whistles activity centre. When your baby makes the transition from crawling to “cruising” with the help of furniture and walls, it can be fun to give them a taste of freedom with a baby walker or seated walker.
