Ikea Toddler Wagon/Walker

Post edit, June 8, 2020: I initially wrote this review in 2014.  This wagon isn’t available at IKEA anymore, sadly, however, I’ve found an alternative on Amazon that’s close! 

With Blake being so mobile now, but not quite walking on his own just yet, I’ve wanted to purchase a walker of some sort.  There’s one at his daycare that keeps his attention a majority of the day, however, it isn’t one that I’d want to purchase for our home.  It has all the lights, bells, and whistles which he NEVER plays with. He’s simply interested in the walking component only.

My friend and I made a “girls night out” trip to Ikea, complete with an Ikea shopping trip and dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. This mommy time out was the highlight of my week! I don’t really get out much without Blake so this time spent was much needed! Shopping with an (almost) one year old can have its ups and downs, as I’m sure many would agree.  I wanted to go to Ikea to shop for a table and chairs for Blake for our living room, which is where we spend a lot of time. I’m a little behind on child proofing and making things kid-friendly for him.  The small transformation will come in another blog post, but for now I wanted to review a spontaneous purchase I made.  As my friend and I finished our winding walk through Ikea, we went to the store room to pick up our purchases from the shelf. Next to the table I decided to buy, there was a walker. Finally one without bells and whistles! Simple wood, handle, wheels, and a wagon top so that kids can put in and take out items they like. For $19.99 I was sold the moment I noticed it.

I put it together at home in a jiffy. Trust me, if I can put it together then anyone can! I hate directions! Not because I necessarily like figure things out my own, but because I find them often confusing.  I only had to attach the handle (which I initially did place on backwards. Go figure), but when I stepped back, analyzed my handiwork I quickly noticed something just looked “off.”  Usually my husband is the one who puts these things together, but his schedule lately has not been family-friendly.  That’s a WHOLE other tropic of conversation, though.

So, I flipped the handle around, screwed everything in and we were ready to go! (One of the few tools I know how to operate is a screwdriver, thankfully!)

Blake sat near me as I was putting it together, with his eyes lit up and his hands flapping up and down. I knew he couldn’t wait to get his hands on it! He was ready to take off!

This wagon is no longer available at IKEA, however, there’s a great alternative for it on Amazon now that is almost exactly the same!

You will notice the ball inside the wagon.  Blake didn’t put that there.  It’s a 5 lb weighted ball that I put there because each time he would grab the handle the wagon would tip back toward him.  He doesn’t yet have the leg strength to hold it up and relies on his arms to keep him steady. I had the weighted ball from years ago when I decided I would “lift weights” while I was watching television.  Seemed easy and a good way to get a quick arm workout in while watching my favorite shows, right? Needless to say, this has been collecting dust for 5 years in an upstairs closet. Until now!

Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase.  It’s just like what I’ve been looking for!  I wish it didn’t tip so easily, but I’m sure as he becomes more confident walking that he’ll be able to use it without the weight.  He’s already realized he can place things in the cart.  He gathered up the remotes and toted them around the house.

I’m so much more into toys for Blake that allow him to explore and use them as he wishes, rather than toys that are limited to a few songs, lots of light, and way too much noise-making.

This was just perfect for us!
We can’t wait to show daddy when he wakes up!