Baby walker - retro/classic or Vtech?

[WhoahThereCrazyHorse]

I'm trying to think of presents for the GPs to buy for DD's first birthday - just wondered if anyone has any views on baby walkers.... My instinct is for something a bit more classic

like this

but will DD actually get more out of the more plasticky ones

like this?

Anyone got any experience/thoughts? Thanks

I like both of them, both have good entertainment value.

The price of the VTEch on Amazon is criminal though! Mothercare do the same one for £27!

Few more options for you

ELC

Mothercare with bricks for £10!

Vtech zebra that converts three times to three different things as your child grows.

We have a vtech walker (not the one you've linked to, got it from a charity shop so possibly an older model?). I had originally fancied the classical model as wooden toys look so much better, but I have to say DD loves the vetch one. She isn't walking yet, but she sits pressing the buttons and it keeps her busy for a fair while.

We got the Vtech one for DS1 when he was about 9 months. & years on it is still going strong. Lots of my friends bought one also,as whenever their kids came over it was all they played with!
The white bit comes off,so you can pop little 'un on your lap and let them bash away at it.
It is on offer at Smyths at the minute too,here.
I would really recommend it, but the wooden one is nice too.

Sorry,that should have said "7 years on..."

DS has the vtech one - was about 24 pounds I think. Does enjoy using it. I like the bricks one too though. Difficult choice!

Sorry to hijack the post, but my DD is getting a sit n ride with the handle at the back for walking and I was wondering if this is the same sort of thing? Or whether she would need one of the above too?

We have the classic one from JL. Twins are nearly 4 and still use it to push stuff around or each other. The classic one will definitely last longer and be played with in different ways.

I would go for the classic one. That JL one is way over-priced though.

My MIL got DD a Chicco one - similar to Vtech - instead of the classic style one I'd picked out, which was this www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?q=pintoy+baby+walker&hl=en&show=dd&cid=12484844954033017777&ei=VyXATqbRLNHY4wb1vfGvBQ&ved=0CB8Q8wIwBjgK#p. DD had played with it at baby groups and I really liked the feel of it.

I refused to put batteries in it as I knew the songs would drive us nuts. She used it for a while but got bored pretty quickly. She would have used the classic style one for longer as she loved pushing things around and carrying bits and bobs about.

I wound up buying her a wooden pram to play with instead. She's been using that for over a year happily and it should do her for years to come.

the v tech one is £19 in Tesco. Can't believe the JL price!

sorry Amazon price!

We had the vtech one. I thought it was a rite of passage as a mum to have the words "hello puppy calling, do you want to play with me?" engraved on your brain.

We have a classic wooden one with blocks, my DS has loved in from day 1, in fact at 19 months he's using it more than ever as a 'trolley' (he's been walking unaided since he was 12 months old).

We started with the Vtech one too - it's definitely a rite of passage. Thankfully it's now at gp's house, so they get the mindnumbing joy of it!

DD now has one with bricks in. Bear in mind, when they're first learning to walk, they'll be using the walker to support their weight and if the handle is behind the back wheel it's much less stable and may tip over as they push it learnt the hard way with bit lips. Other than that, the brick ones have much more longevity. DD sits in it, her toys sit in it, the bricks get thrown at the tv played with, and most recently she draws on it

Am now looking for a nice pushchair/pram for her in an effort to girly her up a bit She very much bricks, cars, footballs, tools (at 17mo).

You will want to take a hammer to the VTech one after about 3 days I promise you !

I prefer the wooden one - both my boys learnt to walk using a wooden walker like that, the same one their dad learnt to walk with nearly 40 years ago , still going strong!

In Australia, it's recommended not to use baby walkers due to serious safety concerns - is that not the case in the UK then?

here's a summary why but basically it's because there have been a number of serious injuries due to either the walker tipping, or things like falling down stairs.

You can minimise the risks, obviously, but I wouldn't buy one. Children will learn to walk in their own time.

My DS got the Moover toddle truck for his first birthday and it is very popular. If he'd been a DD I would have gone for the pram- so cute and would be played with as a pram instead of a walker later.

Moover pram

Love this too:

wooden walker

Not that kind of baby walker, Tortoise. Did you look at the links? You're talking about the ones the baby sits in, these are the ones they push along the floor.

My son has two of the wooden ones that came with blocks and still loves putting things in them to push around the house at 2.5.

My dd gran has just bought her the moover red pram for my dd 1st b day. It can be used as walker/pram/cart for hopefully many years to come and looks great too. Hopefully a toy to pass down the generations.

EBD I love that wooden walker you've linked, so colourful.

DS has the V-tech and loves it BUT it is driving me insane with that blardy "welcome to our learning farm, we have lots to show you" song.

I would prefer the brick one, put it that way.

I would say they do different things. The V-tech one is rubbish for helping them walk if you have wooden floors, as they just slip and slide around or zoom off up the hall and fall flat on their face. However, the musical panel is great - we've had lots of use out of it and it can be detached so you can use it in the car (joy!) or sitting on your lap (in bed!). It's good as a toy for when they sitting up and want to have a good bask at something but wouldn't use it as a walker per se.

The wooden truck is much better for walking. We have a Brio one and you can slow the wheels down to make it easier for them to push. And they can cart stuff around in it.

If you can stretch to it, I'd get both.

Agree no home should be without "Hello puppy calling". You'll love it. Oh, get it in red, much nicer than pink.

Oh, sorry, Tee (and OP) - I did look at the photos, but I didn't know the warnings related to a different sort, having never had a walker. I feel all kinds of foolish now!

As you were.

I got DS the Vtech one, then someone gave him the wooden Brio trolley walker for his first birthday, so he had both. He loved them both and used them even after he could walk. However the wooden Brio one ended up falling apart after about a year - just not that solid. Now that DD learning to walk, she is still using the Vtech one, as we threw the wooden one away... So we definitely got more use out of the Vtech walker. Btw, we have wooden floors and none of my DCs had problems walking with the Vtech walker on them.

I picked up a classic one with bricks for £3.99 at a NCT nearly new sale and DS loves it. He has also always loved the VTech ones at toddler groups/friends houses, but I don't think I could take the 'Hello puppy calling, do you want to play with me' all the time at home! Basically either is good.