In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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We tested the top baby walkers from Radio Flyer, Brio, HABA, Skip Hop, and others to find the best
A fun spring day testing walkers and taking photos of the top baby walkers on the market.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
By Wendy Schmitz ⋅ Senior Research Analyst ⋅ May 24, 2024
The Best Baby Walkers
Is your little one ready for a baby walker? Our review ranks the top 8 baby walkers to get them moving and zipping around with help. We've researched the market and purchased worthy and popular contenders for hands-on testing to determine the best. We performed side-by-side comparisons and testing with tiny tots to evaluate essential factors, such as baby interest, quality of construction, safety, and ease of setup. There's no doubt that some walkers are better than others. You can find all the details you need to make the best choice for your family in our complete review.
If quality and high-end are the names of your game, look no further than the HABA Walker Wagon. This classic-looking walker reminds us of something Grandpa would build, and the quality and craftsmanship of the materials, plus attention to detail, shows just how much he cares. This all-wood option uses non-toxic stains to avoid chipping paint or unsightly scratches. It feels sturdy and durable and looks like an heirloom you'll proudly pass on to the grandbabies. The rubber wheels prevent sliding, and the front brakes stop little ones from going too fast. Your little one may also appreciate that the walker doubles as a chair and can carry tiny treasures. Overall, the HABA is a parent favorite, with one saying, “I love the design and feel of this walker.”
This wooden walker is the most expensive among the group, which could be a deal-breaker for those with tighter budgets. However, you do get what you pay for with this quality walker, and we think generations of little ones will enjoy it. If you are okay with plastic, the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker has a lot to offer in one product at a budget-friendly price. So whether you pass it down from sibling to sibling or from child to grandchild, we think you'll get your money's worth with this option if your budget allows.
The VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker is an ultra-interactive baby entertainment machine. With all the bells, whistles, lights, and buttons you can think of, this walker does almost everything but make fries (only kidding). It does draw toddlers' attention and keeps it longer than other contenders, which could be a lifesaver if you're a busy parent who needs a breather. This walker was a baby favorite in our tests with the removable faceplate and melodies with adjustable volume. We appreciate that the wheels are slip-resistant, and it has an adjustable brake to limit the speed at which your baby can travel.
This walker is entirely plastic, which isn't our favorite, but it does feel sturdy compared to the thinner plastic competition. Also, we suspect the noises and lights will grow wearisome over time, and some parents will long for a quieter playtime. As one tester remarked, “Thank goodness you can turn the volume on this down or off.” However, this may be frustrating for little ones who fancy the constant noise. If you want something quiet, fun, and lasting for multiple children, the Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon is a wooden option we love. Overall, it is hard to argue with a baby's favorite walker, and we think most babies will find it an enduring favorite even if parents long for a more nostalgic (and quieter) wagon option.
The nostalgic look of the Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon harkens back to a simpler time and is part of what makes this walker so attractive. The Radio Flyer is sturdy and thoughtfully designed, with ample room for all of your baby's treasures or a sibling to share in the fun. The wood-slatted sides are removable, and the front has a plastic bumper to prevent damage to your walls or furniture, which we appreciate. We love the look and feel of this primarily wood option, and the design seems like one your child can use well past toddling time. This walker includes a resistance tensioner that limits the forward movement of the wheels. You can adjust this tensioner as your child masters walking, and the wheels are foam-filled plastic with no discernable slipping problems in our tests.
This wagon has an involved assembly with more parts and setup than most competitors. Still, construction isn't challenging if you follow the instructions. If you like building, you might even enjoy putting this wagon together. Also, this pusher makes an audible clicking noise when you use the tensioner. This sound will likely be intriguing to little ones, but parent testers remarked, “The sound is annoying; why would they design it this way?”. As your child masters walking, you can remove the tension and stop the clicking. If you think a walker with a seat might be useful and want wood, we think the HABA Walker Wagon is an adorable choice with multi-uses. Overall, we think the Flyer has some attractive features, and we believe little ones will use it to move and store toys for years after they learn to walk, making it a valuable and fun addition they'll use for years.
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Credit: Abriah Wofford
How We Test Baby Walkers
We researched more than 15 potential contenders for our review of baby walkers. We focused on popular and well-regarded options combining engaging features with aspects parents might want, like natural materials, longevity, and entertainment value. We gathered our chosen options and let little ones have free access to the products, observing which options they preferred and why. We also considered metrics like quality, ease of use, features, and more when assigning high-ranking options and award winners. Toddlers have opinions and are not afraid to share them, so we considered their views when scoring products because adults can be boring, but toddlers rarely are.
Each walker in this review was presented to tiny testers for expert analysis of the fun factor they offer.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Why Trust GearLab
Our BabyGearLab team has assembled and tested baby gear with over 20 years of combined experience. This review team includes Abriah Wofford, Senior Review Editor, who was responsible for the product selection, testing, and assessing baby engagement with each walker. Abriah is one of 7 siblings and has extensive experience as a nanny and tester of baby gear. Assembly master Bob Wofford, Senior Review Analyst and father of seven, put together each walker and scored products with a keen eye for quality, durability, and longevity. Bob has been assembling baby gear for over eight years and has assembled more equipment than just about anyone. Wendy Schmitz, Senior Review Editor and mother of two, rounds out the team helping to assess the award winners and product ranks using the test data and her seven years of experience as a guide.
The plastic on the FIsher-Price is thin and flexes when little ones push on it to support themselves.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Analysis and Test Results
We purchased and tested top baby walkers in this review to determine the best options for specific goals and budgets. We used each walker with little ones of different ages to assess interest, quality, and ease of assembly.
What's the Best Value?
A high-quality walker can be expensive. Our highest scoring product, the HABA Walker Wagon, is the most expensive product and costs more than twice as much as most competitors. This wagon uses top-quality materials that will last through multiple children and generations. If $200 is out of your budget, there is no need to worry. Some other options come close behind the HABA and are much more affordable, proving that you don't have to shell out a fortune to get your baby on its feet. The second-highest scorer in our review is the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker. With an affordable price tag, this pushcart offers many features to keep toddlers entertained and provides a solid structure to help support the balance of new walkers.
The V-Tech was definitely a fan favorite of our little testers with a variety of sounds and lights to keep children engaged.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Features
Play features on a walker can grab your baby's attention and keep their minds entertained and engaged. The walkers in our lineup cover the full range, some with only wheels and handles and others with a full-on panel of buttons, switches, and fun songs.
As expected, tots like sounds, lights, and bright colors. So, to no surprise, our little testers made a beeline to the plastic walkers with interactive features like the VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker and the Fisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra Walker, earning the two products high scores in this metric. Over time, they preferred the V-Tech as it has more going on and seems to respond to touch more than the Learn with Me. However, parents and caregivers might not be interested in hearing repetitive sounds that often continue to play when no one is near the walker. This reality could mean you'd prefer something quieter, but you still want the walker to be exciting and interactive.
The Hape Wonder is one of the few wood options with a variety of interactive baby-centric features to help engage little ones to use the walker.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The bucket/seat on the Skip Hop Kids 3-in-1 makes this walker more versatile, allowing children to use it as a bucket, a place to sit, a carrying device, and more. The cute design of the scooter offers more versatility than any other walker in the group. The Brio Toddler Wobbler is a rather dull option. The Janod Crazy Doggy Cart comes in below average. The simple u-shaped handle is attached to a bright red cargo box, but this walker offers no enticing activities.
The HABA offers impressive attention to detail using real wood and screws for a finished product that feels like it will last for generations.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Quality
The quality of the walkers we tested varies widely. Some wood options are incredibly well-built and have excellent attention to detail using non-toxic materials, like the HABA Walker and Radio Flyer Classic Walker Wagon, both of which earned high-quality results.
In contrast, others use plastic with rougher edges and have nooks and crannies for spit-up and snacks to hide. While testing, we didn't have any trouble with quality perse; our kits came ready to assemble with holes in the right spots and functional screws, and none of the walkers broke or failed during testing.
The Radio Flyer feels sturdy with solid construction and mostly wood materials.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The Hape and Brio impressed us with varying levels of real wood construction, chipless paint, and attention to detail, such as rubber on the wheels, brakes, or resistance devices that help keep your baby moving at a reasonable and safer pace. These products feel like they will last through multiple children and awed us with attention to detail and overall design choices that speak to potential longevity and ease of use. It is easy to see how the Radio Flyer will remain a family favorite well past the toddling, learning to walk phase, and the product's quality indicates it will last as long as you need it.
While our Clack & Chomp walker came with all the right parts and did not break during testing, some reviewers report that parts break off easily and the paint frequently chips.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Some of the plastic options were less impressive. The Fisher-Price Zebra came in with a low score, as it has thin plastic that flexes when pushed on and feels like it might break under regular use. In comparison, the V-Tech, another plastic contender, feels significantly sturdier and well put together.
Safety
All the walkers we tested adhere to safety regulations; however, some have features that make it easier for your baby to use the walker safely. Our favorite products have adjustable rolling resistance so that you can ensure the pushcart doesn't move too quickly for a new walker to keep up.
The HABA Walker Wagon earned a high score for safety. It has a non-slip silicone coating on the wheels, adjustable rolling resistance, sturdy construction, and a handle extending from the wagon's center rather than the edge. This design creates a more stable structure for your baby to pull themselves upon, reducing the risk of tipping. The Fisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra Walker has the lowest score of the group. The frame is flimsy, and we found it flexed when put under pressure. The wheels are made of hard plastic that may slip on hard surfaces.
The wood slats on the Sie of the Radio Flyer are easily removable, but the initial assembly of this product is fairly involved and includes a lot of parts.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Ease of Setup
Some walkers are more manageable and easier to assemble, while others are more of a hassle. Therefore, ease of assembly may be essential if building things isn't in your wheelhouse or you hate reading directions.
In our review, the longest and most involved contender is the Radio Flyer Walker Wagon with more parts than any other walker. This pushcart earned a low score for ease of setup. While the instructions are helpful, it feels like you built a kit instead of putting together a toy. Luckily, it is a one-time project, and it's unlikely you'll need to make it twice. The Fisher-Price Zebra is another contender that caused some trouble with more parts and screws than most competition. While the Zebra is not hard to assemble, your hands and arms will likely get tired. The HABA requires a hammer and a wrench you supply yourself, and while not a challenge, it does feel more like building a toy from scratch than assembling a kit. The Skip Hop Kids 3-in-1 requires the ability to follow instructions, as you will end up doubling your efforts if you don't. The assembly is not intuitive, and if done out of order, it will not work.
The Brio walker is easy to assemble with few parts and a somewhat intuitive design.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
The easiest walker to assemble is the Brio, earning a 9 out of 10 in this metric. The Melissa & Doug Chomp & Clack Alligator and the V-Techare close behind. These products generally have fewer parts and screws and include the required tools. A relatively universal issue with many walkers in our review is the exceptionally long screws that take forever to turn and result in a tired hand and forearm. We aren't convinced they need to be this long, which significantly extended some products' assembly time.
Some users report trouble during setup with misaligned holes or faulty screws, specifically with the Chomp & Clack Alligator. So, we recommend putting your walker together immediately to see if you need to return it for any reason.
A baby walker can be a useful and enjoyable piece of gear for little ones learning to walk and beyond.
Credit: Abriah Wofford
Conclusion
Testing baby walkers and listening to tots' honest opinions on exciting or boring features is more fun than we should probably have at work. We are confident that there is something for everyone in our roundup of baby walkers. Whether you're hoping for something to span multiple age groups, a sturdy heirloom to pass down to the next generation, or a gadget with all the bells and whistles, this review has the details you need to select a winner for your child and budget.
