When your little one hits about the 4 month mark, it seems like an optimal time to start searching for the perfect high chair. Your baby is starting to sit and hold their head up, and is almost ready for solids.
At first, we got by with a
First Years Deluxe Reclining Feeding Seat. We fully reclined the seat, strapped Sleepybear in, and provided him with a few Lamaze toys to play with. This way, he was able to participate in family meals without being confined to a swing on the floor or laying in a bassinet staring at as awkwardly. Hubby and I wanted to teach Sleepybear about family mealtime and have him interact with us on a new level. It was a huge success. Sleepybear loved being at the table with us, and enjoyed playing with his toys in an upright position. When he began to sit unsupported at about 6 months, we wanted to upgrade to a proper high chair. We loved our little space saving seat, but it seemed so flimsy for permanent usage.
For our high chair, we needed a chic seat that would not become an eyesore in our kitchen. I hate the look of plastic high chairs. They fall into two camps: the cheap looking and the modern. Neither of these suit my style. I love wood. We have beautiful hardwood floors in our century old home, and wood always looks good. I wanted something that would be easy to clean, comfortable for Sleepybear, has an attached tray or can pulled up to the table, converts into a toddler chair, and looks incredible. After countless hours of research, I narrowed it down to five chairs:
The Stokke Tripp Trapp
The Keekaroo Height Right
The Svan Signet
The Hilo Chair
The OXO Sprout
Our final decision came down to what would be the easiest to clean and which chair was the most bang forr your buck.
The Tripp Trapp, while lovely, was just too many purchases to equal one high chair. You need to buy the chair itself, then you need the cushion set, the baby set, the tray, and possibly the tabletop surface. We were looking at roughly $600 for one high chair.
The Keekaroo was more affordable than the Tripp Trapp, which was my first choice chair. However, it was quickly vetoed as it is only a 3 point harness. Give me 5 points or I won't take it. In addition to this major issue, my husband and I did not like the low back. Our little Sleepybear is extremely active and cannot sit still even strapped in. I wanted a soft surface for him to hit in case he decided to smack his head back in his fits of laughter. This low back would mean he would be putting a lot of pressure on his upper back if he was rocking in his chair.
The Svan Signet left us in a similar situation to the Tripp Trapp. A lovely and sturdy wooden chair that came with too many extras to make it complete. The price tag for all of the items combined made this a quick no.
The Age design Hilo chair was an affordable option with a beautiful wooden base. I couldn't find too many things I didn't like about this. We ultimately decided against this chair as it was too much plastic for our preferences. The large plastic seat was what we were trying to get away from, so as not to disrupt the aesthetics of our kitchen too much. If this chair was a wooden flip seat with a cushion set, we would have sprung for it in a heartbeat.
Last but not least is our beloved Oxo Sprout. There was nothing we didn't like about this chair. It came in 2 different wood choices - natural birch or stained walnut. We loved the option for neutral cushions or bright pops of colour. Best of all, the entire set came all inclusive. With our purchase we received the chair base with leg post and 5 point harness, an infant cushion set, a tray, and a toddler chair cushion set.
We love the high back on this chair that keeps Sleepybear's head safe and sound with his bumping and rocking
. The birch wood matches our kitchen beautifully. The adjustable seat height works well whether we use the tray or pull Sleepybear up to the table with us. The velcro cushions make cleanup a breeze as we just remove them, dump them in the sink, and place them back in the chair. Another great feature is the one-handed removal of the chair tray which will lay flat on the table. I take the tray off with one hand, put it on the table without worries of spills, and grab Sleepybear with my other arm. As well, the harness straps slide in and out of their slats easily so I can toss them in the washing machine and slide them back without a problem.
This chair is a great purchase and looks lovely with our white maple kitchen table. Best of all, this chair will last for years. It will covert to a great toddler chair when we are ready, and easily convert back to a highchair for future baby bears.
