There is a product safety standard for baby walkers to help reduce the risk of children getting hurt when using one. This is because baby walkers allow children to move around faster and further and in different ways than they are able to on their own.
To reduce the risk of children being injured when using a baby walker, for example, from falling down stairs or from tipping over, all baby walkers must comply with safety standards for design, construction and performance. They must also be labelled with permanent warnings about how to use baby walkers safely.
What is a 'baby walker'?
A baby walker is defined as a device that:
consists of a frame on wheels designed to support, inside the frame and with the child's feet touching the ground, a child who has not learned to walk
is propelled by the movement of the child.
What are the rules?
All new and second-hand baby walkers supplied in New Zealand must comply with the safety standard. This includes:
general requirements for latches, locking, openings, exposed springs and protective components
performance tests for stability, structural integrity and preventing the baby from falling down steps
structural integrity and stability tests for loads, locking mechanisms, rear tipping resistance and whether the baby walker remains stable when a baby leans over its edge – it must pass tests to show it can withstand a force before tipping over when it is against an immovable object, and that it can remain upright when forces are applied forwards and sidewards
warning information – the baby walker must carry written permanent warnings about its safe use.