The best baby walkers aren’t necessarily designed for hardwood floors, because of their nature and functionality. Wheels of any kind don’t do well with any wooden flooring, but there are still a few good walkers that won’t ruin your beautiful floors completely.
While scratching can’t be avoided 100%, you can significantly reduce them by picking the best baby walker for hardwood floors. It will give your baby and yourself hours of fun and joy, while at the same time granting your baby a chance to get a bit of exercise in the safest way possible.
In this guide we’re looking into the best options on the market, and at the bottom we’ve provided a general guide on how to minimize the risk of walkers scratching your hardwood floors.
Our top picks
Choosing a baby walker that can reduce the risk of scratched floors can be a bit challenging at first. At ConsumerJar we’ve looked above and beyond to identify the best options, that are both safe and said to cause less damage to your hardwood floors.
Joovy Spoon Walker
- Easy storage and travel
- Soft, machine washable seat
- Removable tray insert
Specifications:
- Color: Charcoal, Blueberry, Greenie, Red
- Weight: 12.3 lbs
- Dimensions: 27.8 x 25.5 x 18.00 inches
- Maximum weight recommendation: 30 lbs
- Maximum height recommendation: 33.5 inches tall
The simple design and functionality of the Joovy Walker makes it one of the best baby walker options for hardwood floors. It works great on all flooring types as well as low pile carpet. If your hardwood floor is high in the Janka hardness scale and has a durable finish, you can enjoy watching your kid play without worrying too much about scratches.
The height is adjustable to three levels to accommodate your growing child. Its foundation provides ample space for footwork. This feature prevents your baby’s toes from getting caught or stubbed on the base.
QUICK TIP: Adjustable height on baby walkers
Make sure that your baby’s knees are slightly bent, and that the feet can lay flat on the ground. Once your baby grows, you can adjust the height to suit him/her better. A feature like this encourages your child to find the balance and lessen the dependence on the baby walker.
One of the best features in the Joovy Spoon Walker is the wide tray insert. The tray insert can be removed and it is dishwasher safe, making it easier for parents to clean after their baby once they’re done with their meals or snacks.
The seat is also removable, and has safety toggles to keep it secure to the walker when in use. It is machine washable, but make sure to remove the padding from the back and the strip of tabs from the front before putting it in. These materials ensure the baby seat retains its form.
The walker can be folded flat. The height of 18” is shortened to 9” once folded. It is suitable for storage and makes travel hassle-free, as it fits easily into most car trunks.
Kolcraft Tiny Steps 2-in-1 Walker
- Converts from a seated baby walker to a walk-behind walker
- Folds easily for storage
- Great value
Specifications:
- Color: Jubilee, Forest Friends
- Weight: 7.47 lbs
- Dimensions: 26 x 24 x 32.5 inches
- Weight recommendation: Between 15 and 26 lbs
- Maximum height recommendation: 32 inches tall
The Kolcraft 2-in-1 Walker works great for hardwood floors but perhaps not as fast on a carpet. Similar to the Joovy Spoon, this barely scratches hardwood floors that have tough finish and rates high in the Janka hardness scale. The base also has skid-resistant friction pads for the child’s safety.
This baby walker is perfect for infants as well as toddlers, because of its developmental toys that include a spinning bead ball, a bead bar, and a flower toy mirror.
The seat itself is where you can adjust the height. It is detachable and machine washable. The height adjustment it provides is not that big, but the removal of the cloth converts the seated walker to a push toy walker. This feature substantially balances out the lack of its modification in seat height.
For easy storage and portability, the walker can be folded flat to 8 inches high.
Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker – Ford Mustang
- 3 Modes of usage
- Adjustable frame height
- Removable steering wheel play station
Specifications:
- Color: Red Mustang, Pink Mustang
- Weight: 8.62 lbs
- Dimensions: 28.5 x 25 x 19.7 inches
- Maximum weight recommendation: 26 lbs
As the name suggests, there are three ways for your baby to enjoy the Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker. The first one is the normal walker mode with the car frame. This mode makes your baby look like he or she is driving a Ford Mustang while in the walker.
The second way is by removing the Ford Mustang car frame from the walker. Then pull up the handlebar, and turn the Mustang into a push toy. This mode is perfect for babies or toddlers with more advanced walking capabilities.
The last mode is the baby walker without the car frame. Your baby can choose to play with the removable steering wheel play station that plays engine sounds. There is a tray space when you remove the steering wheel play station. The tray space is quite narrow compared to different baby walkers, but it offers enough space for a small child to play with other toys, or even eat snacks on top of it.
This baby walker has three levels of the adjustable frame to suit your child’s growth. The seat cushion has a high back for support, and it can be easily cleaned up by wiping or by removing the seat and have it machine washed. And when not in use, the walker can be folded compact for storage or travel.
In terms of how great this product is for hardwood floors, it’s one of our top choices because of its wheels and rubber feet. The wheels work smoothly on hardwood floors, and the rubber feet serves well as a “brake” when close to uneven surfaces.
QUICK TIP: Checking the wheels
Make sure that the wheels can properly twist and spin when attached to the baby walker. We found some reports of scratches on the flooring because the wheels are not turning the right way when your baby is moving around with it. This can easily be fixed though, by simply testing whether the wheels twist and spin properly before letting your baby use it.
The great thing about this baby walker is that if you have two small growing kids, they can play together with the Bright Starts 3 Ways to Play Walker.
Melissa & Doug Chomp & Clack Alligator Push Toy
- Wooden walker push toy
- Makes sounds when moved
- Engaging design and activities
Specifications:
- Weight: 7.1 lbs
- Dimensions: 15 x 12 x 15 inches
- Recommended age: 12 months and up
The Melissa & Doug: Chomp and Clack Alligator is the best baby push walker for hardwood floors. The recommended age usage for children is 12 months and up. And 10 1/2 to 14 months is just the right age for infants to stand up and getting used to walking with a little or no assistance.
The main feature of this push walker is the three chomping alligators that make clacking sounds when pushed. The wheels feature fishes that turn upon movement. And there are a butterfly, dragonfly, and ladybug beads that can slide and spin just below the handle. With these features, the child can improve both motor skills and hand-eye coordination while playing.
Wood is the main component of the walker, but the wheels on it do feature a rubberized strip. This strip makes it perfect for your child to play with the push walker on hardwood floors, as it enables a good grip with no risk of sliding to the sides. It also works well on other kinds of flooring, such as carpet or ceramic tile.
One thing to watch out for with this toy is the way your kid handles it. Do not let your child put its full weight on it. The walker doesn’t fall easily, but it would still be better to take caution to avoid accidents.
We do also recommend that you inspect the wheels on a regular basis, to make sure the rubber stays clean and causes less scratching.
Minimizing the risk of baby walkers scratching hardwood floors
Prevention goes a long way when it comes to maintaining the quality of hardwood floors. To keep the wear and tear at a minimum, here are some tips on how to reduce the risk of scratching.
Hardwood floors cleaning routine
Always keep your floors clean from time to time, because hardwood floors can gain dust or dirt that can cause deterioration. The two ways you can clean hardwood floors is by mopping it with the help of cleaning products for hardwood floors, or by vacuuming regularly.
It will only damage your hardwood floors if you clean with water or cleaning products that are not safe for hardwood flooring. Products such as the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner or the Swiffer WetJet Multi-Purpose Floor and Hardwood Cleaner works amazingly well in hardwood floors. If it’s your first time trying out any of these two products, purchasing the Bona Hardwood Floor Ultimate Care Kit or the Swiffer WetJet Cleaner Starter Kit can save you time and money in looking for other appropriate cleaning tools.
Regularly vacuum the floors to remove dust, dirt, sand, and any other small or loose materials that can damage your floors. Choose a vacuum that comes with special hardwood floor attachments or one specifically built for hardwood floors. One of the best options is the Eureka NEN110A Whirlwind Vacuum Cleaner, but there are a lot of great alternatives as well.
Preventive maintenance for hardwood floors
Conducting preventive maintenance is an excellent way to keep your hardwood floor shine like it’s newly installed, and it will last longer with proper care. It can be in the form of doing a screen or recoat of the floor. This maintenance is typically done 3 to 4 years after refinishing the floor, and before scratches make it through the top layer.
Baby walker regular cleaning
Making sure that the baby walker is clean and in good condition is not only for the safety of your baby but for your floors as well. The wheels underneath can gain some dust and dirt while in use. Having loose materials stuck on the wheels can scratch hardwood floors. With regular cleaning, you can avoid damage to the flooring.
QUICK TIP: Protect your walls!
Don’t let your baby walk to the walls without proper protection. Placing a bumper guard on the baby walker can prevent damage on your walls, furniture, and even your toes. For a quick and easy-to-stick option, try Mr. B’s Baby Bumper.
Keep an eye on the baby
Although baby walkers seem like a fun and safe activity that your baby can do while you’re busy taking care of household chores, it’s advised to keep an eye on the baby while the walker is in use. Babies have a habit of getting themselves into all kinds of trouble, so it’s best to always have someone with them in the same room and never leave them out of sight when using the walker.