VTech First Steps Baby Walker

Product Information

There’s lots of exciting activities, cheerful music and friendly phrases to introduce your little one to numbers, shapes, animals and colours, with the removable role-play phone a particular highlight. The walker comes in both multicolour and pink to suit your little one’s personality, and we think it's one of the best toys for a 9-month-old. The best baby walkers you can buy in 2023 1. Babylo Combo 3-in-1 walker: Best baby walker for versatility Kids can explore the hands-on activities in both the walker and ride-on modes to see fascinating sights, hear silly sounds and touch interesting textures. It’s a joyful little walker, guaranteed to put a smile on your baby’s face. But don’t blame us if the cheery tunes start to grate on you after a while. 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.

Generally, however, as babies approach their first birthday they will have begun to pull themselves upright where they can, and some will be starting to ‘cruise’ around which means that they are moving on their feet while leaning on furniture. 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?

Customer reviews

Never leave your baby unattended. 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. Evidence shows that babies who use a seated baby walker actually sit, crawl and walk later than those that didn’t and also score lower on the Bayley Assessment which looks at a child’s mental development and language development as well as motor skills. When purchasing a push along walker the main consideration is that the toy is the right height for your child. Some walkers have adjustable handles to assist with this, so look for this feature. Laura Cooke spent nearly 19 years writing for local newspapers before going into freelance journalism. She has written for a range of publications including the i Newspaper, Business Insider and Stylist, and has researched and written a large number of baby product round-ups for Mumsnet - from the best baby thermometers to the best outdoor toys. Laura lives with her husband and two young daughters in the south of England. Why you should trust us 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.

Baby walkers hinder or, in severe cases, prevent the child from crawling and keep the child in an upright position which interferes with the natural brain development of the child. Baby walkers help your child to get their first taste of independence and encourage them to take their first wobbly steps into toddlerhood. Most push and sit in walkers come with fun toys to keep kids engaged. What are the disadvantages of a baby walker? When powered, this gizmo offers an array of cheerful farmyard noises, songs and counting options, along with other sounds and lights, shapes, buttons, spinning wheels and a little plastic phone for them to talk into.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. 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. The lower age limit for baby walkers varies from six months up to 12 months. However, as with all things to do with babies, there is no definitive answer as to when your child can use a walker as all infants develop in their own time. 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. VTech First Steps Baby Walker is fab, front panel detaches for playing on floor then can be used as a walker when baby is a bit bigger.” (Rated by Mumsnetter moaningminniewhingesagain)

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. We’re not in the business of shaming toys, but if you feel your house is getting overwhelmed by mountains of plastic then how about a nice wooden alternative?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. 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? As discussed, it’s not a good idea to buy a sit-in baby walker for your baby and a push-along walker is a better option. Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve investigated, tried and reviewed thousands of products. Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about where we find our recommendations.

Mindful of the problems that encouraging ‘toe walking’ can bring, the manufacturer recommends this sit-in walker is only used by children who can put their feet flat on the floor. 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. There are three types of baby walker: the seated walker, the walking frame and the push-along trailer. The brain works in a criss-cross pattern with the left brain controlling the right arm and leg and the right brain controlling the left arm and leg. Crawling is an important activity in encouraging this criss-cross pattern in the brain to develop, although don’t worry if your baby doesn't crawl – many miss out this stage. Push-along baby walkers don’t generate the same concerns as seated baby walkers. Your baby is required to concentrate on keeping upright by themselves, rather than being held in place, and their hands are always occupied holding onto the handle bar.

Imagine the look on your baby’s face when they see this! Not only does it look pretty spectacular, this cute 4-in-1 train toy from VTech functions as a walker, pull-along wagon and ride-on, has modes for sit-down play as well as plenty of educational features. When it’s not in use, it also folds down. Chances are that many parents end up buying a seated walker and a push-along one, which cost more than buying this all-in-one model. Encourage baby’s first steps with the VTech First Steps Baby Walker. This 2-in-1 baby walker and activity centre is designed to help tots find their balance, with a playful activity panel for fun along the way. 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