Push Walkers: Does Your Baby Need One?
What is a Push Walker?
Before starting, it is important to note that there is a vast difference between sit in walkers and push walkers. Sit in walkers are generally NOT recommended and are actually banned in most places except the United States due to safety reasons.
In comparison, a push walker is anything that a child can use to actively bring themselves from the floor to a standing position and then push forward to take steps. With a push walker, your child is standing, not sitting, and not confined to the device.
An important note before we go on- a push walker can be a great option for babies who want to explore upright with support, but they are absolutely NOT a necessity for your child’s development towards independent walking! In fact, I can almost guarantee that if you don’t purchase a push walker, as your child moves towards walking independently, they’ll use just about anything they can as a stand in “push walker”, like a laundry basket, diaper box, chair, or a stool!
One last note before moving on - if your little one is exploring upright anywhere from pulling to stand up through taking a few steps, and you're looking for lots of tips, tricks, environment set ups & ways to play purposefully that work towards independent walking, don't forget to check out my walking masterclass, linked here!
Let’s dig into all things pushwalkers, starting with some pros & cons:
PROS
Push walkers have a lot of great benefits for your child’s development, but again they are not a necessity. They can be used both before and after walking skills are developed depending on the style of the push walker and the child’s preference. They are also a great option for more than just walking! The right push-walker can be useful for encouraging skills like tummy time, sitting practice, hands and knees play, pulling to stand, step taking and squatting to/from floor. They are also helpful for supporting balance when your child is progressing through & motor planning upright skills. They can also help with confidence in standing and stepping for some children.
CONS
Some of the most frequently asked questions I receive are related to children reaching for or wanting support before they’ll attempt exploring step taking. Unfortunately, for some children, push walkers can feed into that desire for support and children may become reliant on using them and/or resistant to attempting steps without it. In those cases, my suggestion would be putting the push walker out of sight for a few days and noting if any changes happen.
Depending on the push walker used, it is also helpful to be aware it may move too quickly on surfaces, resulting in children rising onto toes or leaning far forward to keep hands in contact with it. If that is the case for your little one, using a weight strapped to the bottom front can often be helpful in slowing it down & allowing them to have more control.
Lastly on this note….
Overall, push walkers are great for some kids and I do use them for my own children and in therapy sessions. They are not a “must have” and if you ARE going to use one, my biggest tip is to LET YOUR BABY LEAD! Trying to avoid placing them in standing at the push walker, avoiding moving it for them & instead letting them explore if and how they want to use it can be really helpful! And, if you have introduced one & it seems like they are becoming reliant on it, or won’t attempt the same skills without it - don’t hesitate to try putting it out of sight for a few days and see what happens!
SO YOU’VE DECIDED YOU WANT A PUSH WALKER, BUT WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU GET?
There are a ton of different push walkers on the market and it’s hard to know where to start, but here are my top two:
VTech Sit-To-Stand Learning Walker
This push walker is my recommendation for a plastic option. The front pops off which makes it something you can use from birth right up through walking & beyond. Things like tummy time, sitting, hands and knees play, all the way through to taking steps (check out my reel on Instagram for a visual!) can be accomplished with just popping the front of or putting it back on. It also has adjustable resistance on the wheels, which can be really helpful if it’s moving too quickly for your little one.
TIP: As I mentioned above, push walkers can topple over when they’re pulling to stand, or move too quickly for them to keep up with. If that happens, giving a little weight to the front of it can make a huge difference. For a visual of this, check out my reel on Instagram here.
Wooden Push Walker:
There are tons of wooden options, but I personally love this one! It’s pricier than the plastic ones, but it’s great because they can use it WAY past the push walker stage into toddlerhood as a wagon. Because of that wagon design, it’s also easy to give it a little weight to help them more safely explore using it.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the proper foot alignment during push walker use?
It can be really common when kids are first using them (and first exploring step taking in general) to see feet turned out or in, wide choppy steps, more side to side than forward/back, etc. As they get stronger, hip & trunk muscles develop that will improve the alignment, bring legs into a more neutral position, and let their walking pattern mature!
What are some things to be aware of & bring to your pediatrician’s attention?
If alignment as described above is only on one side and there is any indication of pain/discomfort/limp, any history of hip concerns, or the alignment doesn’t improve over a few months as they become more proficient independent walkers, it’s absolutely worth mentioning it!
When should I introduce the push walker to my baby?
I usually recommend just leaving the push walker out and allowing them to explore using it on their own. Again, as mentioned earlier, letting your child lead is the goal!
As I shared above, if your little one is exploring upright anywhere from pulling to stand up through taking a few steps, and you're looking for lots of tips, tricks, environment setups and ways to play purposefully that work towards independent walking, don't forget to check out my walking masterclass, linked here! Hope this helps!
Want more?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
