Best baby walkers: Tried and tested by tots to help with their first steps

With four play modes, including sit-down play, walker, pull-along wagon, and ride-on train, the Fisher-Price Learn With Me Zebra Walker offers a range of interactive activities to keep little ones entertained, including light-up piano keys, turning book, beads, and cogs, providing hands-on learning opportunities.

Our parent testers were fans of this walker’s educational value and sturdy construction, but some were disappointed that it couldn’t easily fold away compared to other walkers on the market. They did, however, find it very easy to assemble, and it really helped their babies strengthen their legs and improve balance. Mum tester Harriet said, “I'd definitely recommend this product to anyone with a little one who is starting to move around. It is extremely easy to put up, only taking around five to ten minutes.” Mum Nicola was impressed with how busy it kept her son, saying, "The activity panel on the front has plenty to grab his attention, and he will quite happily sit playing whilst I can carry on with day-to-day household chores."

Compared to other walkers on the market, this one is particularly compact and lightweight, meaning it’s ideal for most homes as well as transporting to grandma’s house. Parents would have liked it more if it had the capacity to fold up, too. Our testers also loved that it’s wipe-clean, something mum tester Harriet said ‘is essential with baby toys!’ and we couldn’t agree more. 

Mother&Baby Award shortlisted in 2018 for Best Baby Toy.

Read our full Fisher-Price Learn with Me Zebra Walker review

With its removable activity board, the VTech Baby Walker is aimed at little ones of various ages, allowing younger ones to explore with five light-up buttons, a shape sorter, gears, animal buttons and a role play phone for older ones to enjoy when pushing the walker around. This makes it a great investment for families with multiple children. Mum Nikita particularly found it very convenient for her two children, commenting, “Being able to remove the activity board from the actual walker is great because it means both my under twos can play with one each.”

Our other mum testers found this walker very easy to assemble, including Karen. “The walker was very easy to assemble with clear instructions. It also came with batteries, so this is a massive plus if you're like us and never keep batteries in the house”, she commented. Mums also loved how portable it was, making it very travel-friendly.

The majority of our mum testers found it great on hard floors (albeit a little speedy) and carpets, although if you have a high, thick pile, your baby may struggle moving. While the back legs can be removed, it is not fully foldable. While some mum testers would have appreciated more secure attachments on the activity board, this walker remains a top choice for parents looking for a fun yet functional baby walker.

Mother&Baby Award shortlist 2020 for the best baby toy.

Read our full Vtech Baby Walker review

Ideal as a more sustainable option, the Janod Sweet Cocoon Wooden Multi-Activity Baby Walker is designed to help little ones develop their motor skills and balance as they learn to walk. Parent testers found this walker took them only 20 minutes to assemble, and although it's the lightest on our list, our dad tester, Chris, was impressed with its stability. "It’s extremely stable, and the walker can support our daughter when she pulls herself to standing both from the activity side and the walking side..."

Our testers loved how adjustable the wheels were "The main adjustable feature of this walker is being able to slow down how quickly the rear wheels rotate. Some trial and error was involved in finding the right amount of braking for our daughter." It's also worth mentioning that the wheels do gather dust and hair and require more cleaning than the rest of the walker. Although not foldable, this walker does come with a little tidy tray that's deep enough to prevent the blocks and mallets from falling out when it is being moved around. 

As for the interactive elements of this walker, there’s lots going on from a simple wire rail with beads, to a pair of wooden mallets, spinning cogs, a two-sided spinning mirror, a shape maze and much more. We appreciate that thought has clearly been placed into spreading the different activities around the walker rather than focusing the majority of them on the front. "By far, our daughter's favourites are the xylophone and drum, followed by the cogs and bead rail", said Chris.

Read our full Janod Sweet Cocoon Wooden Multi-Activity Baby Walker review here

Lightweight and stable, the Fisher-Price 2-Sided Steady Speed Baby Walker helps keep your baby entertained whilst sitting with the various activities, songs and sounds. Our mum tester, Lauryn, found that her 9-month-old was confidently able to pull herself up to stand from sitting using the top bar without the worry of the walker falling on top of her. "She particularly loved posting the shapes into the holes on the side of the walker and moving the gear stick up and down whilst moving the steering wheel from side to side," she said.

Smaller than other walkers on the market, making it ideal for smaller homes and at a more affordable price point. Mum Lauryn also found it very easy to put the walker together, thanks to the simple instructions. "It could, however, do with a screw to hold the top bar in place as it comes off when picking the walker up to put away." She added. Lauryn also noted that she would have liked options on the wheels to change the speed for early walkers, as the walker does move quickly for those who are still a little unsteady, and there is also no volume button, so it's very loud.

Read our full Fisher-Price 2-sided Steady Speed Walker review here

If you're after a stylish walker, step forward the Little Dutch Wooden Activity Walker. But it's not all style over substance; this walker is crafted from quality wood, which provides a sturdy base for your little one's first steps.

Designed to stimulate their cognitive development, our mum tester, M&B travel and reviews editor Emily Gilbert, was seriously impressed. "The walker features interactive features such as shape sorters, bead mazes, and gear wheels, which kept my little one fully entertained."

While she appreciated the beautiful craftsmanship and functionality, she also loved how different it was from others on the market, saying, "It's not as loud or as busy as others, which I appreciated, and the rubber wheels protect your floors from scratches."

Emily also found it took a little longer to assemble, and it was a bit bulkier and heavier compared to other walkers, but she was still very happy to have it in her home.

Featuring over 70 activities, songs, and sounds, this fun walker encourages babies to take their first steps, as well as engages them in interactive play. Unlike others, the activity panel can lie flat so baby can enjoy it while sitting down, and it can also become an arched table. Our mum tester, Georgia, loved how well this walker performed with her daughter. “My daughter is quite heavy-handed, and yet even after she had pushed this walker into tables and chairs and climbed all over it, there were no signs of breaking,” she said. 

Mums particularly loved the bright colours, sturdy frame, and lights that kept their babies entertained, with Mum Kelly saying this feature makes it last longer. “It's interactive and very user-friendly, and around six months old, as they grow, they can explore different features, making it a very good lasting toy.” She said.  

While some mums noted that the price might be a bit high compared to other similar products, they loved how durable this walker was and how it grows with the child, accommodating different stages of development from sitting to standing and pushing. Mum tester Sarah also loved how easy it was to travel with and store away, commenting, “The ability to fold the walker after use makes storing and carrying the product very, very easy.”

There were only a few minor downsides our parent testers could identify, such as clearer instructions and quieter wheels, with our mum tester Jules saying, “I'd just make the instructions a little clearer and easier to understand. The product itself is great, but the wheels can be quite noisy on our laminate flooring, though I can imagine children enjoying this feature.”

Mother&Baby Award shortlist 2018 for the Best Baby Toy.

Offering both fun and walking support for your toddler, the Puggle In the Jungle Speedy 2 in 1 Baby Walker features a fun play tray with rattles, a toy bar, and a musical/light-up removable toy tray with 12 melodies to keep your little one engaged, providing an element of fun as they learn to walk.

We love how this walker folds flat for easy storage when not in use, and the three adjustable height settings mean it can accommodate your baby's growth. Our parent testers also loved how easy it was to set up and how comfortable their child was in the spacious seat. One of our parent testers said, "It’s so easy to fold away and pop up when needed. I also feel that it’s a comfortable fit for my baby with the soft seat and backrest, so my child isn’t hurting themselves on the go. It is also easily cleaned as the seat can be removed and washed, and the plastic exterior is easily wiped clean too."

Although there’s not as much going on in the form of entertainment and bright colours compared to other baby walkers, this is a brilliant baby walker for helping your baby to gain independence when walking. 

The Puggle In The Jungle Speedy 2 in 1 Baby Walker was awarded Bronze for Best Baby Toy at the Mother&Baby Awards 2024.

Read our full Puggle In The Jungle Speedy 2 in 1 Baby Walker review

For value for money, this is a great find. Doubling up as a baby activity table, this walker's detachable panel is packed with features to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. It includes shape recognition blocks, an electronic organ, a colourful turntable gear, a rattle and much more.

For the walking function, it comes with a weight box that you can put sand or water in to increase the weight of the walker to help avoid any falls with baby. Made from safe, non-toxic ABS material and its safety features include the anti-slip rubber ring on the wheels to control speed and increase friction with the ground, allowing you to fully control the speed your baby can move. We also love the adjustable handle for your growing tot, the triangular table for stability, plus an ergonomic design to promote a proper walking technique to avoid bow-legs. 

Tester Suzannah noticed that while the walker manoeuvred smoothly on hardwood floors, but the wheels became slightly less responsive on carpet - fine for an experienced walker, but not a starter.
She was impressed with how stable and solid it felt, and cleaning it was also a breeze.

Read our full Cute Stone Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker review

A great walker for car-loving babies, the MyChild Coupe Walker features a steering wheel, gear stick, lights, music, and a horn to provide interactive entertainment to keep your child’s imagination engaged. Not an all-singing, all-dancing product which some parents may prefer, it has two main functions - walk mode and rock mode, and it's able to adapt to your child's needs as they grow.

Our mum tester appreciated this walker’s safety features, including the speed-restrictive wheels and a soft padded seat, but found them a little too restrictive, saying, "It was very difficult for my daughter to move anywhere due to the white plastic ‘speed restrictors’ on the bottom of the walker. After these were removed, the walker was great on hard floors and moved safely with ease."

Pricier than others on the market, the walker does fold flat for easy storage, making it convenient for homes with limited space, but our tester still found it bulky. It was also a tight squeeze getting through doorways, but our tester appreciated that the seat padding could be easily removed for cleaning.

Read our full My Child Coupe 2-in-1 Baby Walker review

This lovely little baby walker set includes the Fisher-Price Princess Musical Walker and a cuddly princess doll. With its wide base and an easy-to-grasp handle for stability, parent tester Debbie commented that it was ‘Great quality and very stable for walking.’ 

It's ideal for little princesses who want to push their little doll around, encouraging imaginative play from a young age. We love that as your baby pushes the walker along, it plays fun music and the bright lights are activated, encouraging your little one to keep moving, making it great for their physical development.

This walker also features hands-on activities, including beads and a flip book, to engage baby's senses and fine motor skills. While it's quite robust, it doesn't fold away.

More than just a walker, this multi-functional Push and Ride Train offers four play modes - sit-down play, walker, pull-along wagon, and ride-on train - providing your tot with a variety of different activities to keep them entertained. Packed with features such as letter blocks, light-up piano keys, a turning book, and beads and cogs, it offers fun, interactive learning experiences.

It comes with a handle at the back where your little one can push it, and while our parent testers loved how entertaining it was, some parents found it a little too loud and flashy. Our mum tester, Jennifer, commented, “We considered ‘losing’ the batteries after five minutes. It’s very loud and flashy. He's a bit small for riding it, but it’ll grow with him, so it’s good value for money.” Most mums appreciated how easily it grows with their child, making it good value for money, but some mums were perturbed that it doesn’t have steering capability, a feature some of them missed and felt could benefit the product.

The Mychild Roundabout 4-in-1 Activity Walker is a valuable investment, offering four distinct functions in one. As a baby walker, it is designed to help little ones take their first steps, and its secure harness and no-tip design provide parents with confidence in their child's safety. It can also be transformed into a rocker for a relaxing environment for playtime or nap time.

There’s also the fun interactive activity centre for your child to play with to help develop their fine motor skills as they find their feet. It features a range of toys, lights, sounds and games to engage their senses through the use of colourful buttons and different textures. "This was the most used function of the walker and the one that my daughter enjoyed the most" said our dad tester Thanushiyan Poobalasingam. In terms of safety, our dad tester was initially concerned the walker could tip over however, he found it to be very stable during use, noting that it "was steady and stayed upright despite many bumps." On his hardwood floors, however, the walker's speed became a concern. His 8-month-old would move around very quickly, sometimes causing the bounce board to fall off and sometimes even causing his little one's head to jolt. He also commented that while the adjustable height setting is useful, during activity and rocker mode, the bounce board that needs to be attached raised the floor level, causing his daughter's legs to be in a bent position, making it unsafe to use and therefore giving it a very short lifespan.

Read our full My Child Roundabout 4-in-1 Activity Walker review