Are Baby Walkers Safe? - What To Expect

Hope that baby walker came with a gift receipt. That present you got — which probably looks like a seat set into a frame on wheels — is a serious safety hazard for your sweetie.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for a ban on the manufacture and sale of baby walkers with wheels. What’s more, the AAP urges parents to throw out any walkers they may already have.

Key Takeaways

• Skip the baby walker. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) warns that wheeled baby walkers are a serious safety hazard and urges parents to avoid or discard them.

• Know what’s safe. Push toys and stationary activity centers are generally considered safe alternatives — just avoid anything your baby can sit in and wheel around.

• Encourage natural mobility. Babies learn to crawl, cruise, and walk best when they have safe, open floor space to practice — not when confined to a walker.

Baby walkers vs. baby walking toys

First, a bit of clarity: The unsafe baby walkers are the kind your little one sits in and wheels around, almost like little toy cars or seats on wheels.

They're not to be confused with push toys and other mobility sets that encourage your little explorer to walk, which generally are considered safe.

Why are walkers bad for babies?

Over the years, baby walkers have caused a substantial number of injuries, prompting the passage of certain safety standards. Manufacturers began making walkers wider so they’d have a harder time fitting through most doors. They also got brakes that automatically stop the toys when one wheel drops lower than the other three — for instance, when a walker starts to roll off the top of a step.

But even with these changes, baby walkers still pose major risks, including:

1. Serious injuries

A tot in a walker can still tumble down the stairs or roll into sharp edges. She can also burn herself by touching a hot oven or pot handle, as being in a walker makes it easier for her to grab things you thought were safely beyond her reach.

And since a wee one in a walker can move more than three feet in just one second, even keeping a close eye on your little bean won’t guarantee that she’ll stay safe. In fact, most walker injuries happen when adults are nearby but just can’t catch their cuties as they whoosh into harm’s way.

2. Less time spent learning how to walk

Spending hours and hours in a walker may have another downside. Research has looked into whether or not babies who spend too much time in walkers learn to crawl and walk at a slower pace than tots who roam free. The evidence is inconclusive.

Other research shows that babies who get plenty of practice being on all fours, pulling up to a stand, and exercising the brain and body muscles they need to balance on their two tiny feet are going to have a leg up when it comes to learning how to walk.

So if you do swap your baby walker for a stationary activity center or jumper (which lets your little mover and shaker get a different view while rotating, tilting, and bouncing), don't let your tot spend all her time playing with it. Remember that as soon as she’s able to crawl, cruise, scoot, or walk on her own, that’s your cue to ditch the (baby-safe) contraptions and give your munchkin free range to master mobility on her own two feet (or hands and knees).

Happy (and safe) trails to your tot,