Most of the walkers I’ve reviewed on this blog have been walkers that your baby can sit in. However, there is another kind of walker that many parents are also interested in. This is the walk behind kind of walker. One of the more popular models of these is the Nuopeng 3 in 1 Walker.
So what makes this walker more popular than others? Is it better than the walkers that your baby can sit in? Which product is safer? Read on to find out the answers to all these questions!
What Makes the Nuopeng 3 in 1 Stand Out?
3 Functions
The Nuopeng 3 in 1 has three different functions that your baby will enjoy at different ages or simultaneously. These different functions make yoru baby more interested in the toy than they would if it were just a typical walker and will encourage your baby to use it more and more.
Here are all the functions that the Nuopeng 3 in 1 Walker has:
Activity Center
The activity center is one of the more exciting parts of the walker. Although Nuopeng says that a baby should use this part of the walker at about 12 months and up, babies will likely be interested in this toy from a much younger age, probably around 6 months.
This toy is designed to simulate traveling objects, so there is a steering wheel that babies are sure to be interested in spinning and an airplane that makes take off and landing sounds. There are also lights and sounds associated with barnyard animals that will entertain babies of all ages. Your baby can learn different skills while playing and experimenting with this activity table.
There are buttons to push, plastic book pages to turn, and lots of sounds to hear. What’s not to love?
Walker
The walker function of the Nuopeng 3 in 1 is a bit different than the others that I have reviewed in that your baby will walk behind the walker. Many babies, when they learn to stand, will use chairs or baby toys with wheels to hang onto and walk. This is a natural way for them to practice using the muscles in their legs to walk across the room. It is a necessary part for them to practice before they can walk on their own.
This walker function is more natural than the sit in walkers because they will have to pull themselves up and walk, keeping themselves upright while leaning on the walker. They don’t have a seat to catch them if they fall. This means that they will need to be older to use the walker portion, about 9 months.
Drawing Board
There is yet another function that the Nuopeng 3 in 1 has. It can be positioned into a four legged table with a magnetic drawing board. You can use the drawing tools and magnets to create different designs and help your baby learn some fine motor skills.
This part of the activity center/walker can be used interactively with parents and babies alike. You can draw pictures for your baby to identify, numbers, letters, etc. Your baby might not be able to participate in some of the more involved drawings at a young age, but they will enjoy scribbling and watching you draw as well.
This is also a perfect opportunity for an older sibling to interact with their younger sibling. Or for an older sibling to not be so jealous of all the cool new baby toys that have appeared out of nowhere.
Is It Better Than Typical Walkers?
One of the big questions that parents as is if this kind of walker is better than the other kinds of seat walkers that I’ve reviewed in the past couple weeks. However, this is a really hard question to answer because everyone has a personal preference. I will outline the pros and cons below.
Teaching Your Child to Walk
In my opinion, this walker is more helpful to teaching your child how to walk. There are many, many articles on the internet about walkers and how they do not teach your child how to walk. Some even say that it could delay walking (VERY slightly).
However, this walker doesn’t have the baby in a seat where there is immediate support if their legs give out and it really doesn’t offer a lot of support. It only offers enough support that they won’t fall down. These walk behind walkers, like the Nuopeng 3 in 1, are designed to aid your baby as they independently pull themselves to standing and use all their own muscles to walk.
Almost all children will use a seat or other similar sized object to help them walk before they are independent walkers and this is very similar to using one of those. I would say that the walker imitates independent walking much better than the seat walkers and it requires more effort from the baby than the seat walkers.
So, in my opinion, it is more helpful than seat walkers. However, your child will not require either one of the walkers to learn how to walk. This device is more of an aid and it is simply fun for your baby to learn and explore.
More Interesting
I will also say that the activity center as well as the drawing board offer a lot more interesting toys and sounds than the other walkers that I have seen and reviewed. There are a lot of walkers with toys, but most of them are simple.
This activity center and drawing board have stimulating toys that will be interesting for babies on a daily basis.
One thing that I love about the design of the walk behind walker is that the toys aren’t constantly in your baby’s face. This can be overstimulating and overwhelming to a child if they cannot get away from the toys. I love that the baby is free to approach the toys and the lights and sounds, but can move away when they have had too much. This toy offers a lot more freedom than the seat walkers.
Does Not Double As High Chair
One con for the Nuopeng 3 in 1 is that it does not have a seating options like the other walkers. One nice thing about those walkers is that they double as a high chair, so you can bring them along with you to friend’s houses and have a spot where your baby can play and also eat. They can also take a snack with them as they walk around.
Snacking and walking with the Nuopeng is not an option, since the baby will need full use of his or her hands to support themselves while walking.
Cannot Use It Until 9 Months
Another small con for the Nuopeng 3 in 1 walker is that your baby will not really be able to use it until he or she is able to stand, around 9 months. Babies can use the other walkers around 6 months, when they start being able to sit up on their own.
3 months is a substantial amount of time, but when you consider that your baby will be interested in the Nuopeng 3 in 1 until 18 months or longer, versus being done at a year for a sit in walker, you will see that you can actually use the walk behind much longer than the seated walker.
Is It Safer Than Other Walkers?
Another question many parents wonder is if the Nuopeng 3 in 1 walker is safer than other walkers. In my review of the Baby Joy Walker (you can read it here!) I mentioned that Kids Health stated, “Walkers are a leading cause of injuries in babies, so health and safety experts strongly discourage their use. While in walkers, babies can roll into hot stoves, heaters, and pools.”
Though this article was talking about sit in walkers, the risks will be pretty similar if you don’t take the proper precautions to make your home baby safe and to be vigilant when supervising your baby.
Baby Proof
The truth of the matter is that the world is a dangerous place for babies, especially when they start becoming mobile. If your baby is starting to move around then it is definitely time to:
- Move dangerous or heavy things from low places to high places.
- Make sure your furniture like dressers and bookshelves are anchored to the floor.
- Have expandable baby gates around radiators and wood burning stoves.
- Install outlet plug covers.
- Don’t allow your baby outside when not supervised and do not allow the walker outside, especially in driveways or near pools.
- Install baby gates at the top or foot of the stairs, depending on the common area of your house.
All of these things are baby proofing things that you should do when your baby starts to walk around or even crawl, so they shouldn’t be a surprise, or anything unexpected.
Nuopeng May Be Slightly Safer
The dangers that babies face when they are using a walker are very similar to the dangers they face when they learn a new skill like crawling or walking. I would say that this walker may be a bit safer because your baby is not stuck inside it, so if it were to fall into a pool, it is easier to save a baby who isn’t stuck inside a walker than one who is.
The Nuopeng 3 in 1 may be slightly safer than the high chair walkers because babies start to use it at about 9 months, when they can stand on their own. Babies start using the sit in walkers when they are about 6 months old. So although it’s not a huge gap in time, 3 months is a lot of development that your baby goes through. So your baby may be better equipped to see dangers before they happen. Perhaps they will stay away from stairs etc.
However, you never want to leave it to chance or assume that your baby is much smarter than they actually are. So always, always take the proper precautions and make your home baby safe before your baby is mobile. You have 6 months to do it after your baby is born, so that is plenty of time to prepare!
Other Great Features
The Nuopeng 3 in 1 walker has even more cool features that I haven’t yet touched on, so buckle up!
You can also view these features in the video Nuopeng put out:
Speed Control
One thing that I love about this walker is that it has a speed control button on the bottom inner leg. You can adjust how easy it is to push it based on how fast your baby can walk. This way you avoid a lot of face plants and bumps and bruises.
I would always start a baby off on the slowest setting, even if you consider your baby to be a pretty good supported walker. Then bump it up if you need to.
Sound Simulated By Movement
Another neat feature of the Nuopeng 3 in 1 is that when your baby starts to move it, it will play sounds. I love the toys that respond to movement, first of all, because it is so fun to see your baby discover that they can control a toy. That look of surprise is priceless.
It is also great because it teaches your baby cause and effect. Your baby will learn that they can manipulate things to get different outcomes. This is a very empowering tool for your baby to have and will help them be excited about independence.
Interesting At Different Ages
I love, love, love that this toy is something that your baby will enjoy using even after they know how to walk. In fact, I went to a friend’s house who had this product and my four year old loved playing with it! Kids love toys that have noise and lights and baby toys that they can push around are fun even after they learn to walk.
Conclusion
Overall, the Nuopeng 3 in 1 Walker is a really great product that teaches babies lots of skills while being very entertaining. It is a product that I love because you don’t have to put your kid in a device or take them out. They can pull themselves up and use it independently. It is safe to use under supervision and it is a great toy that they will love to use even after they have technically outgrown it.