Like many baby products, there is a huge selection to sort through when it comes to high chairs.
Trust me, we have four types.
We have the big, bulky high chair that is stashed at Grandma and Grandpas for visits. And we have the one that fastens onto a chair that we used when we lived in the apartment. And then we have the small travel one that is about the size of a small accent cushion off the couch. And then we have this one.
I won't go too much into the faults of the first three we have but our biggest issues were their size, stability and ease of cleaning. And the travel one is, well, for travel. And even then we don't use it very often as it doesn't quite contain him.
The Antilop chair from IKEA is $19.99 for the chair and $5 for the tray. The chair comes in two fun colours : red and blue and a not-as-fun colour, white. The trays only come in white from what I have seen online and in store. The chair is very easy to put together when you arrive home. Just snap the legs on and bon appétit!
They claim the chair comes apart easily for transport but I don't agree. Once the tray is on the chair, it's pretty tricky to remove (which is fine by me as it doesn't need to be removed to take baby out of the seat and the less pieces floating around, the better) And the legs don't come off quite as easy as they make it seem. Plus, it's a bit big (though lightweight), even when dismantled, to be using as a travel chair.
Trust me, we have four types.
We have the big, bulky high chair that is stashed at Grandma and Grandpas for visits. And we have the one that fastens onto a chair that we used when we lived in the apartment. And then we have the small travel one that is about the size of a small accent cushion off the couch. And then we have this one.
I won't go too much into the faults of the first three we have but our biggest issues were their size, stability and ease of cleaning. And the travel one is, well, for travel. And even then we don't use it very often as it doesn't quite contain him.
The Antilop chair from IKEA is $19.99 for the chair and $5 for the tray. The chair comes in two fun colours : red and blue and a not-as-fun colour, white. The trays only come in white from what I have seen online and in store. The chair is very easy to put together when you arrive home. Just snap the legs on and bon appétit!
They claim the chair comes apart easily for transport but I don't agree. Once the tray is on the chair, it's pretty tricky to remove (which is fine by me as it doesn't need to be removed to take baby out of the seat and the less pieces floating around, the better) And the legs don't come off quite as easy as they make it seem. Plus, it's a bit big (though lightweight), even when dismantled, to be using as a travel chair.
It has no padding. Which I LOVE. Have you ever tried to wash avocado out of fabric? Taking the fabric off, tossing it in the wash, rewashing it again, then laying it out to dry before trying to remember how it goes back onto the chair is not a fun way to spend three hours.
Plus, food can get hidden under the fabric and unless you routinely check for it in all the crevices, it will start rotting and stink.
The Antilop is simple and fast to clean. Every mother needs a way of saving time. This is a great help. Spaghetti sauce, blueberry fruit cups and mushed banana are easy to wipe off. Even today, after D had his hair cut in the chair, it was clean almost instantly once I took the broom to it!
Shortly before we moved to the house, we got this chair and it was wonderful when D started learning to feed himself. There was a few times in the apartment that I put the high chair, with baby in it, into the bathtub and turned on the shower to wash both of them instantly. And in the warmer months when we moved to the house, I would hose it off outside. Now that it's cold outside and we've had to put away the hose, I just hold it over the sink with one hand and wipe stuff off with the other hand.
No, I am not superwoman. It's just that lightweight.
Which leads to my first complaint. D has learned to scoot his chair. So when we put him out of reach of things on the table, he bounces in his chair and brings his chair closer to reach the forbidden fruits (or veggies, whatever is on the menu) I don't think I would prefer a heavier high chair though. I like that it's easy enough to move around. Just not when I don't want it moving around. Would I prefer if they added bulk? No. Would I prefer if my son didn't realize he can move his chair while sitting in it? Yes.
Plus, food can get hidden under the fabric and unless you routinely check for it in all the crevices, it will start rotting and stink.
The Antilop is simple and fast to clean. Every mother needs a way of saving time. This is a great help. Spaghetti sauce, blueberry fruit cups and mushed banana are easy to wipe off. Even today, after D had his hair cut in the chair, it was clean almost instantly once I took the broom to it!
Shortly before we moved to the house, we got this chair and it was wonderful when D started learning to feed himself. There was a few times in the apartment that I put the high chair, with baby in it, into the bathtub and turned on the shower to wash both of them instantly. And in the warmer months when we moved to the house, I would hose it off outside. Now that it's cold outside and we've had to put away the hose, I just hold it over the sink with one hand and wipe stuff off with the other hand.
No, I am not superwoman. It's just that lightweight.
Which leads to my first complaint. D has learned to scoot his chair. So when we put him out of reach of things on the table, he bounces in his chair and brings his chair closer to reach the forbidden fruits (or veggies, whatever is on the menu) I don't think I would prefer a heavier high chair though. I like that it's easy enough to move around. Just not when I don't want it moving around. Would I prefer if they added bulk? No. Would I prefer if my son didn't realize he can move his chair while sitting in it? Yes.
My second complaint is the harnesses. They are sized for a gigantic 40 year old man, or at least seems that way. But they readjust. However, with the scooting mentioned above, my son manages to loosen them over the course of a couple weeks of chair scooting. And one day, when we had forgotten to tighten them, I looked up from my dinner to see him dancing while standing in his chair. I wish these were made differently in such a way that they wouldn't loosen. I would rather them be a total pain to change the sizing since it's not needed to be altered very often. I've been tempted to super glue them so they stop expanding. Sometimes I feel like it's either that or supergluing my child to the seat.
Overall, I am happy with this high chair. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of reclining for young babies and it's plush for his little behind but he has never seemed to complain about being uncomfortable. And with the amount this child eats, he spends a lot of time in there.
Would I buy another one? Definitely. You will not find a better priced high chair with the same conveniences as this one. I've recommended it to many moms and I haven't heard any of them regret their purchase.
Many (non-chain) restaurants and childcare centers use these chairs. They even stack so if you have multiple children in high chairs, but limited space, this could be a better option than having to fold up your chairs in a closet somewhere!
Overall, I am happy with this high chair. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of reclining for young babies and it's plush for his little behind but he has never seemed to complain about being uncomfortable. And with the amount this child eats, he spends a lot of time in there.
Would I buy another one? Definitely. You will not find a better priced high chair with the same conveniences as this one. I've recommended it to many moms and I haven't heard any of them regret their purchase.
Many (non-chain) restaurants and childcare centers use these chairs. They even stack so if you have multiple children in high chairs, but limited space, this could be a better option than having to fold up your chairs in a closet somewhere!