I got this for my baby when she was 5 months old and out growing her bouncer. She loves this toy and actually WANTS to to play with it rather than just tolerating not being in my arms. All in all, I have been very happy with the purchase. The colors are bright and fun (they make me think of a beach stand that sells rainbow sherbet), and the toy bar is excellent. The only complaint that I have it that it could move a little easier.
Toy Bar
She immediately LOVED the toy bar (which is one of the main reasons I bought this walker over others). It has an excellent variety of shapes and activities on it that are all easily within chewable range. The bar in the middle can be turned to arch inward or outward to make it closer or farther away from baby. The spinning ball on the side can switch positions with the bendable vine on the other side. I love that I can attach other items to the rings that hang from the vine, and all toys can be easily removed from the tray if needed.
Walker
It has taken my baby a few weeks to figure out that the seat moves since she was just enjoying sitting/standing and chewing on the toys. I removed all the bumper bars on the bottom since they made it impossible to roll on the carpet with her in it. Even without them it is a little difficult for her to move. The wheels in the back don't spin freely, but I am guessing that it is supposed to be that way as a safety feature so that the walker will not get away from her. At 5 and 1/2 months she is now able to move around some on the wood floor, but not yet the carpet. It is not very difficult for me to push around, so I am thinking that the trouble is more her not being quite strong enough than a design issue with the walker. I will add more in a few months.
Function and Assembly
Has 3 height levels and my baby could reach the floor by 5 months. Seat is machine washable (although I have not tested that yet). Collapses nicely for storage and travel. Assembly is pretty easy, and instructions seemed clear. Watch your fingers when you snap the bars to the base though; i smashed my thumb pretty good...
I bought this walker for my 4-month-old baby boy. No, I did not expect it to teach him how to walk. He simply wasn't content to be on the ground all the time (in between the times I was holding him). He was very curious (nosy!) and wanted to be "up" all the time. I bought this walker with the idea that it would allow him to see what's going on all around and keep him occupied for some time. It did exactly that.
It was obviously a little big at first (nothing some rolled up baby blankets couldn't fix!) but he LOVED it! It was definitely worth the 30 bucks or so that I paid for it.
It seemed to make him happier that he could see all that was going on around him. He played with the little attached toys quite a bit as well. They are pretty engaging with the spinning ball with little beads inside that make noise when he moved it. The small leaf/tree thing was perfect for attaching other toys with the plastic chains. From the very beginning he was able to spin the green happy face disc on the front bar.
I obviously did not buy this with the expectation that it would teach/help my son learn how to walk (I have this strange notion that that will come semi-naturally as he gets older and I help him). Because of new laws and regulations, I'm not sure that any walker could do that. The makers have to put the rubber pads on the bottom that give a lot of resistance when on carpet (in our small apartment we mostly have just carpet; except in the tiny kitchen and bathroom). The wheels, also, are not extremely easy to navigate with. Keep in mind, I am speaking from the perspective of watching my now 7-month old. An older child (9-12 months) would probably be a little more coordinated and strong.
As far as the smaller details of the walker: The colors were bright and cheery. They seemed to be exactly like the picture. The different heights have been very helpful as he's grown a bit since I first purchased it. The fact that it folds up has been great since I am frequently carting it to one grandmother's house or another!
Overall, I, and my son, greatly enjoyed this product! It did exactly what I wanted it to do and I couldn't be happier.
I would like to quickly (or not so quickly!) address two of the interesting (outrageous, crazy, who-thinks-of-these-things?!) concerns that I have read in some of the reviews and comments. 1. Walkers can damage the spine and hinder natural child development My son used this walker about every day for the last 3 months. He is now crawling around all over, rolling over both ways and pulling himself up on anything that is remotely within the reach of his little fingertips. Personally, I don't see any hindrance in his development and his doctor has assured me that his spine is just fine. 2. Walkers put babies at risk of reaching higher things such as stove burners and table tops The walker itself is maybe a foot and a half (two feet?) tall. It does not lift a baby any higher than if they were standing on their own. If this is such a great risk then we should never allow our children to stand, right? I think not. If anything, the base of the walker is so wide that it keeps the kid from coming even close enough to most things (especially stove burners!). I don't see how it is very probable that a kid would be pulling down a pot from the stove or reaching up to the table and yanking down that place setting while in the walker. 3. The walker is obviously a death trap and will easily cause any child within a 5-mile radius of a staircase to fall down Now, I realize that common sense is not exactly the "in" thing right now (have you read any of these reviews on here?!). However, why would you have your child in a walker, unattended, near a stair case...? I think that's enough said. Also, the previously-mentioned rubber pads on the bottom keep this walker from even clearing the half-inch drop from my dining room carpet to my linoleum kitchen floor. I think that would have to be one strong baby to get it going fast enough to clear a couple of stairs. Don't get me wrong, I know that accidents happen. But, please, when an accident happens, remember that it is just that: an accident. Not every little bump or bruise that your little one gets is a result of a faulty product.
I apologize for the long review (rant...). Kudos to you if you made it this far! Once again, I highly recommend this product. I hope you and your little one have a great time with it! I know my son and I certainly have.
Buy Bright Starts Walk-A-Bout Walker Now
I just bought this walker for my 4 month baby girl, from the moment I put her in it, she immeidately loved it. The walker is very colorful and the toys are great, you can purchase additional toys and change them so your baby wont get bored. My baby is a little short to walk on her own but she has found that if she leans to one side she can move the walker with one foot, very funny to see since she just turned 4 months this week.
Read Best Reviews of Bright Starts Walk-A-Bout Walker Here
The overall look of this walker is cute and appealing to a parent's eye, but it's severely lacking in functionality and practical design. The base is too wide and there is far too much space between the back of the seat and tray. Worst of all the back wheels are extremely difficult to move. Sat my baby in it and he couldn't even budge the thing. It would have been much better if all 4 wheels were swiveled like the front ones.
Want Bright Starts Walk-A-Bout Walker Discount?
My 7 month old baby loves this walker.She zooms around on the hardwood floors and right over area rugs. The toys are safe and well placed.
Excellent craftmanship and a must have for Sesame Street lovers.It is just the right size for a finger puppet.
