VTech First Steps Baby Walker

Product Information

However a sit-on walker can be lots of fun and can give babies their first taste of independence and help to reduce frustration. Just remember to use them no longer than 20 minutes at a time, as recommended by the NHS, and always under close supervision. What month should a baby start using a walker?

Some will be on their feet from as early as eight months whereas others are happy to sit and crawl until 18 months.

The front panel is covered in an array of fun music and sensory activities to keep your baby stimulated and there’s also a handy storage tray to keep the accompanying accessories in one place. A baby walker helps to give your little one a sense of independence. The toys and activity centres that come with baby walkers help with mental and visual development. As well as being lots of fun to play with! How do you choose a baby walker? Also included are a removable walkie-talkie and number pad, light-up piano keys, a turning book and manipulative beads and cogs.

For babies who can sit and play, it’s an interactive play tray at which they can spend time exploring either on the frame or on the floor; for toddlers who have only just learned to walk, it’s a little Zimmer frame that can take them across the room at exciting new speeds. It may be plastic fantastic, but you can always fold it up and put it in a cupboard when you want to clear your living space again. The best baby walkers to use on carpet are the Zimmer frame-style models, but they don’t offer the support or safety that enclosed seated walkers do.We know how overwhelming it can be to research baby equipment online. With so much choice available, it can be difficult to know where to start. This is the reason we test every baby walker in this roundup to ensure we provide the most honest and hands-on review of a product. When choosing a baby entertainer or baby activity walker, look out for features that can spark your little one’s curiosity. Playful music, flashing lights, mirrors and bright colours stimulate baby’s senses, while entertainers with animal toys or baby walkers with steering wheels can help encourage imaginative play. Bat-at toys, teethers and bead chasers are great for your child’s developing hand-eye coordination and other fine motor skills. Some baby entertainers, like the Fisher-Price jumperoo, feature seats that spin 360˚ so baby has even more to explore. With textured wheels, an easy grip handle and a durable design, this sturdy baby walker from VTech gives your baby all the support they need to take their first steps. Second, it’s a seated walker. Once you remove the footrest, your baby can start exploring and pushing themselves around as they grow in confidence and get more strength in their legs. Push-along walkers are a great way for your baby to strengthen their leg muscles and work on their coordination skills in preparation for walking unaided. Do baby walkers help with development?

Paediatric research has shown that sit-in baby walkers may have an impact on baby’s development and impact on gait and posture. Can baby walkers delay walking? Don’t leave them in the baby walker too long. It’s a fun way to encourage your baby to walk, but it won’t actually help the process. They’ll have to do that by themselves, using furniture to help. 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.

6. Best baby walker with blocks: Chad Valley Wooden Crocodile Trolley

Finally, consider the footprint of the baby walker. Most do not fold up and will take up space in your home. What is the best baby walker? Third – and this is what elevates the Babylo Combo from others in this list – you can remove the seat completely and replace it with a bar to transform it into a push-along walker. One that’s more secure and enclosed than other push-along walkers, while still offering the benefits of activities. From the best baby nail clippers to the best bath toys, when it comes to buying for your little one, we write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family. Recommendations from real parents Mumsnetters are big fans of push along walkers, particularly as they promote independent walking and are recommended by bodies such as the National Childminding Association and physiotherapists over a seated option. DS2 had a Playskool plastic one that turns into a car. He still uses the ride on car all the time even though he's two and enormous.” (Recommended by Mumsnetter BertieBotts) Our verdict

Additionally, 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.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. Walking frame: this resembles a colourful Zimmer frame and, like the seated kind, often doubles as a play station with multi-sensory distractions. 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. Another highlight is the detachability of the activity panel so your baby can play with it anywhere – even when laid on their best play mat if they're not quite up to walking yet. At this point, you may wish to introduce a push-along baby walker to help your baby get used to the action of walking and to encourage them to take their first unaided steps.