Some High Chair Questions

[Happybunny]

Hello

We are currently looking at high chairs for April and quite franky we are bemused/confused by the selection. We thought you just need a wipe clean seat, a removable tray and a safety strap/harness. It seems as though high chairs have all sorts of functions and gimmicks, so I have a few questions...

1) Do we really need a high chair that reclines? I don't understand why that is useful, am I missing something obvious?

2) The top of the range (excluding the stupidly priced ones from M&P and John Lewis) seems to be the Chico Polly. It looks nice, but would we be paying over the odds for something we don't really need?

3) What functions do you think are really necessary for a high chair?

4) What chair have you got and would you recommend it?

I really look forward to reading your thoughts on this. Thank you

 

[monster_munch]

We have the mammas and papas zest (i think!) from argos - i like it alot so far

Reclining is good for babies who aren't great at sitting to upright (green bean falls to one side) the non reclining ones do tend to be set at 90' angles which can be too severe for young'uns

OUr high chair has 3 recline settings
3 tray settings (closer to baby etc)
and 5(i think!) height settings - which I would recommend as I can adjust it so when I'm feeding him from our dining table or when I'm on th sofa etc

 

[-Kelly-]

I have this one and it's worked fine for us - I don't use the tray and I like the fact that he's sitting at the table with us on a normal chair, plus it doesn't take up loads of space because it's just on one of our chairs that would be there anyway. I haven't found I need any of the features of others like reclining (Oliver was 6 months when we started using it though so he could sit up well by himself) and I'm glad I didn't spend more money on a posher one. I know some people use their highchair for sitting in other than eating though, like for playing while you do the washing up, and in that case I might have gone for a different one but as it is he's only in it while he's having his dinner.

 

[weenik]

I have a Chicco one and I love it, except for the basket underneath. Dylan feeds himself most things and obviously makes a mess, so there's always bits of food falling into the basket. I thought it would be handy for keeping some toys and bibs in, but I need to take them out after every feed to clean. I've just taken it off (didn't think for so long that I could do that, doh!) so now I just need to brush or hoover underneath it which is much easier x

 

[Magic Monkey]

Hello

We are currently looking at high chairs for April and quite franky we are bemused/confused by the selection. We thought you just need a wipe clean seat, a removable tray and a safety strap/harness. It seems as though high chairs have all sorts of functions and gimmicks, so I have a few questions...

1) Do we really need a high chair that reclines? I don't understand why that is useful, am I missing something obvious?
Ours reclines as we bought it for Ella to just sit in at 3 months, so it's useful for that, but now she can I have never used the recline.

2) The top of the range (excluding the stupidly priced ones from M&P and John Lewis) seems to be the Chico Polly. It looks nice, but would we be paying over the odds for something we don't really need? We have this one! TBH if I was buying one now I wouldn't bother with it as the recline etc is not needed, it isn't really upright enough now so she slouches in it. The height adjustment is good though as I can adjust it according to where she is sitting. Also the tray is removable so she can sit at the table with us.

3) What functions do you think are really necessary for a high chair? Height adjustable seat, removable tray

4) What chair have you got and would you recommend it? as above, I like the Ikea ones that someone has posted a pic of in another post about highchairs at the mo!

I really look forward to reading your thoughts on this. Thank you [/quote]

 

[Urchin]

It was me who posted the pic of the ikea one.

I'm on baby number 3 and I am gutted I never got one sooner:

The only thing you NEED in a highchair IMO is that it's easy to clean. I have one now thats HUGE, with padding and straps etc and it just gets caked in food, all down the cracks, all over the straps and you just can't clean it properly!

The ikea ones come in different colours and you can buy a padded insert too... The chair is a tenner, the tray is £3, I'm getting one ASAP! My mum has one for when the babies eat at hers..... and I'm jealous!!

 

[Squiglet]

3) What functions do you think are really necessary for a high chair?

Having an older baby the most important thing you need for a high chair is one that is easy to clean...

We got given a very expensive mothercare highchair...like the polly one... but they don't make it any more... Its lovely, its height adjustable, removable tray, it folds flat, it reclines, it's padded.... but OMG it has to be THE most DIFFICULT thing in the world to clean... I clean it 3 sometimes 4 times a day, and its never EVER clean... its always minging... I hate it.... I have a tooth brush, a dish brush, a bottle brush and a scrubber sponge to clean it... It takes a good 5 mins to give it a basic clean and over an hour to clean it properly and it needs a proper clean at least once a day imo.... The straps are bolted to the main frame... so you can't take them off and soak them, no no no... you have to sit and scrub them for half an hour. Its gotten so bad that I restrict how much lil miss is allowed to do and touch while eating to minimise the damage, and that is not fair!

Tbh it's just a waste of space... and it annoys me intensely... So we are binning it and going for a basic IKEA one that is just a plastic seat with legs basically... we tried it out when were in IKEA the other day, and its silly simple and will be OH SO easy to clean... Thats all I want... I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!!

 

[Squiglet]

It was me who posted the pic of the ikea one.

I'm on baby number 3 and I am gutted I never got one sooner:

The only thing you NEED in a highchair IMO is that it's easy to clean. I have one now thats HUGE, with padding and straps etc and it just gets caked in food, all down the cracks, all over the straps and you just can't clean it properly!

The ikea ones come in different colours and you can buy a padded insert too... The chair is a tenner, the tray is £3, I'm getting one ASAP! My mum has one for when the babies eat at hers..... and I'm jealous!!

snap!

 

[Happybunny]

I'm so glad I posted this thread and that I have you lot to ask questions!! Thank you so much for replies, I have read them all with great interest and it has certainly given me a lot of help regarding what I should be looking for....I would hate to spend best part of £100 on something I will end up hating!!

I just had a quick look at the IKEA ones - fab for a tenner!! Do they fold up or adjust in height? We have a tiny house, but I suppose I could hide it in the conservatory if I wanted more space...

 

[Urchin]

no they don't fold, but I think they legs might come off if you wanted more space.... not sure I am getting on on the 25th of this month If I remember I will look at my mums.

They are MEGA light though, very easy to move around.


LOL @ squiglet: SNAP!

 

[AliMcC]

Hi there, the legs do come off the ikea high chairs, I wish I had got one, I got a big posh high chair and they are a waste of money and now DD is feeding herself food is just everywhere and my high chair is so hard to clean, but not the ikea ones, they have no corners or creases for food to get stuck in.

 

[Sherlock]

Functions that I look for

Easy to clean
Wipe down/removeable tray
Easy clean seat cushion insert

I'm not a fan of the plastic metal framed ones, which most of them are. I find most of them very OTT and don't like loud patterns. I prefer the wooden ones. Also like the wooden one that doubles as a table and chair for LO as they grow. Mothercare have them.

The plain Ikea one is great. No fuss, no frills. I don't worry about height much tbh. IIRC the Ikea one is pretty much on a level with table height. I'd only use it at meal times anyways, so don't see the need to splash out much on one. So long as LO can see you and eat their food I reckon

 

[Urchin]

Hi there, the legs do come off the ikea high chairs, I wish I had got one, I got a big posh high chair and they are a waste of money and now DD is feeding herself food is just everywhere and my high chair is so hard to clean, but not the ikea ones, they have no corners or creases for food to get stuck in.

I forgot to check but will find out for you asap.

 

[lisa282]

1) Do we really need a high chair that reclines? I don't understand why that is useful, am I missing something obvious?

We bought one that reclines although not purposely, it was just an added feature on top of everything else we wanted. I have to say though, we did use it several times when my son fell asleep during his meal!! Saved us moving and disturbing him, and allowed me to get the washing up done!

 

[littlepip]

I live in a flat and don't have loads of room so i just have one of these and i find it great! Altho he doesn't eat in it yet but he like's sitting in it!

http://www.mothercare.com/gp/product/B0 ... 1&mcb=core

 

[Urchin]

Hi there, the legs do come off the ikea high chairs, I wish I had got one, I got a big posh high chair and they are a waste of money and now DD is feeding herself food is just everywhere and my high chair is so hard to clean, but not the ikea ones, they have no corners or creases for food to get stuck in.

I forgot to check but will find out for you asap.

hiya

I checked at my mums and they do come off, they have those little buttons you press which releases each leg.

I'm getting mine in 1 week

 

[Squiglet]

Hi there, the legs do come off the ikea high chairs, I wish I had got one, I got a big posh high chair and they are a waste of money and now DD is feeding herself food is just everywhere and my high chair is so hard to clean, but not the ikea ones, they have no corners or creases for food to get stuck in.

I forgot to check but will find out for you asap.

hiya

I checked at my mums and they do come off, they have those little buttons you press which releases each leg.

I'm getting mine in 1 week

GAH! I'm soooooooooooooooooo envious of you Urchin...

 

[Urchin]

I thought you were getting one squig?

 

[Bee]

We've got a tripp trapp

I wanted it cos it can be used when Finlay is older and I didn't want a tray either

Its worth the money IMO

 

[Squiglet]

I thought you were getting one squig?

I am when I get the time to drive this... Note the 1 hour away..

edit: to say that is the quick route... the other more "direct" routes take you through little country lanes where little Spanish men and their tractors think they can drive...