Baby Walker vs. Baby Jumper - Which Is Better?
Baby Walker vs. Baby Jumper - Which Is Better?
Congratulations, new parents! Your little bundle of joy is growing rapidly and is on the move! It’s always exciting when your baby hits new developmental milestones. You may be thinking of buying a baby walker or a baby jumper to help your little one be able to further explore the world, but you’re confused as to which one is best for your child.
In this article we will take a closer look at both baby walkers and baby jumpers and compare the pros and cons of each, to help new parents in deciding what’s right for their active baby before making their purchase.
Table of Contents
In a Hurry?
Factor | Baby Jumper | Baby Walker |
Minimum Age | 7-8 Months | 4 months |
Maximum Usage Time | 15-20 minutes per day | 20 minutes per day |
Space Availability | Jumpers are stationary, heence are preferable for small spaces. | Walkers have wheels, hence should be used in a spacious area. |
Safety | A safety hazard (read more...) | A safety hazard (read more...) |
1. What are they?
What Is a Baby Walker?
The walker has a base made of hard plastic, with four wheels and a fabric suspended seat with two leg holes.
There are also push-behind baby walkers that do not have a seat; they are also made of hard plastic and have a handle that the baby holds on to and pushes in front of him.
With the walker’s assistance, your baby can move himself about your house wherever he would like to go.
What is a Baby Jumper?
A jumper is a stationary activity center that also has a seat with leg holes in it. The seat is either attached with elastic straps to make it bouncy or the base has a bouncing board on which the baby jumps and bounces.
There are a variety of different jumpers, including stationary jumpers that look like saucers, suspended jumpers that are installed in doorways, and freestanding jumpers that have a wide, stable base.
2. Minimum Age
Choosing between a walker and a jumper depends on the age of your baby.
What Is The Appropriate Age For Using a Baby Jumper?
A baby can use a jumper as early as 4 months of age.
What Is The Appropriate Age For Using a Baby Walker?
Your child will need to be at least 7 to 8 months old before he or she can use a walker.
3. Maximum Usage Time
How long can a Baby Use a Jumper?
Experts recommend that a parent should limit jumper sessions to 15-20 minutes per day, and not more than two sessions per day.
How long can a Baby Use a Walker?
The same is true of baby walkers, with experts recommending that it is best to use them for no more than 20 minutes at a time.
4. Space Availability
What is the space requirement for a Jumper?
Since a jumper is stationary, jumpers are preferable for small spaces, or when you’d like to have the baby safely contained where you can keep a close eye on him.
What is the space requirement for a Walker?
Since a walker has wheels it should be used in a spacious area that has been thoroughly baby-proofed, i.e., baby gates blocking any stairs, no hot surfaces, or dangerous objects at a level where the baby can easily grab them.
5. Safety Issues
Are walkers safe for babies?
The answer is both yes and no.
Baby walkers can indeed be a safety hazard, and many health and safety experts, including pediatricians, discourage their use because the risk of injury is high.
Walkers are a leading cause of injuries to infants. While in walkers, babies can roll into a hot stove, a heater, a pool, or down a flight of stairs. Falling downstairs is, in fact, one of the most common injuries from walkers, and babies can suffer serious head injuries as well as broken bones.
Research shows that walkers don’t provide any real advantage in terms of helping a baby to walk. Infants also need tummy time to be able to pull themselves up and to crawl, to develop their leg muscles. They can’t do that in a walker.On the other hand, an extended research concluded the following:
“Evidence against baby walker is not enough regarding its negative effect on child development. This subject needs to be addressed more, considering a large number of baby walker users worldwide”.
Are Jumpers safe for babies?
While definitely safer than a free-moving walker, jumpers can also pose a few safety risks.
Parents and caregivers must always be careful to allow the babies to bounce by themselves in the jumper, and never bounce rapidly or aggressively the jumper while the baby is in it.
Pushing the jumper up and down too aggressively, especially with a young infant, can increase the risk of “shaken baby syndrome” and can cause injuries to the baby’s head and baby’s brain. Always allow the baby to experience the jumper at their own pace.
Another point of contention is that any jumper seat, either freestanding or mounted, can set your child’s hips in an awkward position and focus exercise on the wrong leg muscles.
Also, parents who rely too heavily on either a walker or a jumper to occupy their babies may accidentally cause motor-developmental delays in crawling and walking.
What is a Safer Alternative to Walkers and Jumpers?
According to The Australian Government Department of Health Guidelines, from birth to 1-year:
“Physical activity particularly through supervised interactive floor-based play in safe environments should be encouraged from birth. For infants who are not yet mobile, 30 minutes of tummy time including reaching and grasping, pushing and pulling, and crawling spread throughout the day during awake periods is encouraged”.
But If you’d like to provide a safer play area for your little one, you might consider a baby safety helmet, soft & safe nursery rug, stationary rocker, bounce, swing and climb, or play yard instead. But whatever you choose, remember that no toy or device is totally safe for your baby. You need to keep a close eye on them at all times.
Here are some of the top-rated baby jumpers and best infant walker for your consideration.
You can also take a look at our article about 10 Best Bouncy Toys for 1-Year-Olds in 2022 or the article about The 10 Best Baby Push Walker For Hardwood Floors in 2022 or even the article about the Best Baby Walkers for Tall Babies in 2022.
Enjoy!
Best Baby Jumpers
This jumper is one of the best activity jumpers!
It combines high-tech features with easy foldable convenience. This jumper features a light-up cloud bounce center to track the baby’s jumps and rewards the baby with lights and music, and applause every 100 jumps.
With a 360-degree rotating seat, your baby can swivel to play with several clip-on interactive toys which help with both gross motor skills and fine motor skills. When playtime is over, the jumper easily folds flat for storage and transport.
- Foldable for storage
- Light-up cloud bounce center tracks baby’s jumps and rewards with lights and music
- Interactive and engaging toys
- Innovative toy-attachment clips to customize baby’s playtime
- Clean aesthetics, user-friendly, family favorite product
- Requires AAA batteries
- The maximum weight recommendation is 25 pounds.
- The maximum height recommendation is 30 inches.
This is the best baby jumper among the doorway jumpers.
It provides entertainment and exercise for your baby and helps them to develop leg muscles and core muscle development without taking up floor space.
No tools are required to install this jumper in any doorway you choose; the easy-to-use clamps make moving the jumper from room to room quick and easy.
The jumper also features adjustable height settings, so that you can adjust the straps to customize the height for your infant. Because the quick and easy setup requires no tools, this jumper is the perfect take-along accessory to throw in a travel bag for day trips or vacations with your baby.
And best of all, the entire product is machine washable. Because, as we all know, babies are prone to making messes!!
- No tools are required for setup
- Installs quickly and easily
- Does not take up floor space – great for small spaces
- Machine washable product
- Great for day trips or travel
- Requires AAA batteries
- There is a weight limit of 24 pounds.
This company is one of the oldest that has been making jumper devices for babies since 1948!
This jumper features an extra tall, wide, and sturdy frame that also folds flat for storage and easy portability.
The saddle-shaped seat supports your baby’s spine while they bounce and exercise, ensuring proper, upright posture.
The Jolly Jumper helps babies develop rhythm and coordination, as well as strengthen their muscles and improve balance.
The stand can be used indoors or outdoors and is six feet tall with a 42-inch x 43-inch floor footprint.
- No tools are required for setup
- Installs quickly and easily
- Freestanding unit
- Can be used indoors or outdoors
- Folds flat for storage and travel
- Takes up a considerable amount of floor space
- The maximum weight recommendation is 28 pounds.
Best Baby Walker
This activity walker features adaptive technology that grows with your child and is recommended for babies and toddlers from 9 months to 3 years old.
The Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker assists your child in developing from a crawler to a walker. Your baby can start out with an easily removable activity panel for play on the floor or on the go.
Your child’s learning and motor skills will be stimulated by sensory toys such as five piano keys, spinning gears, light-up shape sorters, buttons, and a colorful telephone handset. The walker helps your child to learn shapes, colors, music, barnyard animals, and more.
As they grow, your toddler can transition from a crawler using the activity panel on the floor, to a push walker who learns to push the sturdy walker around your home!!
- Grows with your baby
- Engaging and interactive panel keeps your baby busy
- Removable activity panel
- More than 70 songs, music, sound effects, and phrases for your baby’s sensory development
- Three height position adjustments
- Inexpensive (under $35.00)
- Requires 2 AA batteries
- It’s still a walker, with all the safety risks that accompany a walker
As a new parent, it is a really amazing feeling to see your baby growing and increasing his or her level of physical activity. It gives you a feeling of pride and accomplishment that your baby is reaching his or her developmental milestones. You want the best for your children and have taken the time to research a quality product for them.
Whether you choose to buy a jumper or a walker, or some other device designed to entertain and educate your child, we hope you will take all of the information contained in this article into consideration. Congratulations on your happy, healthy, growing baby. And happy shopping!!!
