Buggy

Hi, I never usually do posts, but am looking for advice & experiences from other parents/ carers.

My son is Autistic non verbal. He's 4 years old. When we are out & about he still relys on the use of a buggie and or buggie board. Unfortunately he has now outgrown both.

He is physically able to walk, however he often walks on tiptoes and generally can be a very slow & awkward. He also can have a tendency to all of a sudden leg it. He's buggy has always been a safe space for my son and also peace of mind for myself & husband. Also my son can wake early meaning he needs a place to nap if we are out for the whole day.

We are now on the look out for a bigger buggy. The end goal is hopfully he will want to walk more and be more aware of dangers, but currently this is just not where we are at. We have a certain family member who has expressed there concerns that we are possible making the wrong decision. They feel my son is too old to be in a buggy and will be drawing attention to himself and he needs to integrate himself into the world. 

My question is, for those out there who did decide to get a bigger buggy, did you regret it? Did it actually make a bigger problem for you and your child later on down the line? 

Apologies for the big post and thank you.