review will focus on the Stokke Tripp Trapp feeding chair accessories - Newborn Set, Tripp Trapp Cushion, Tripp Trapp Baby Set, Stokke Table Top and Stokke Harness. If you are thinking of buying any of the accessories for Stokke Tripp Trapp read my thoughts about these products to help you consider what your family might need and how much use you will get out of them. We love our whitewash Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair. In fact, we loved it so much we bought every single accessory for it. Being clueless first-time parents we had no idea what we would actually need and what accessories for the Tripp Trapp would be the best, so we just got them all. Our baby is now nearly two, so I wanted to share my thoughts about all these Stokke Tripp Trapp accessories and review them so it might help other parents. If you already have the Tripp Trapp chair, you probably know the key idea behind the concept. You can use the chair from a baby (with the right accessories) to an adult. Tripp Trapp and the accessories are designed to ensure your child can sit right up the dinner table, learning and sharing, practically from birth.
If you are looking to buy these items please do check the links below - the links within the body text are set to UK shops, but should you be in US, you can find the items online from these links below. Best places to buy these items: If you are in US: Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair, Newborn Set, Tripp Trapp Cushion, Tripp Trapp Baby Set, Stokke Table Top, PlayTray (by 4MyKid), Tray (by Stokke) and Stokke Harness. If you are in UK: Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair, Newborn Set, Tripp Trapp Cushion, Tripp Trapp Baby Set, Stokke Table Top, PlayTray(by 4MyKid), Tray (by Stokke) and Stokke Harness. The idea with this product is that your baby can sit up at the table with you from birth, and be part of the dinner table conversation. I can also imagine the Newborn Set would be useful in families with older siblings, as parents can use it to keep the baby out of the floor and out of the reach of their (ever so helpful) toddler siblings. Did I think Newborn Set was worth the purchase?
We really liked this product, but you don't use this for a long time (six months / 9kg maximum). We got two of these Tripp Trapp Cushions - they go with the Tripp Trapp Baby Set and can be used later just with the chair. I liked the look of them, and they are nice in terms of customising the look of the chair. They wash easily, and stood up to some serious staining excellently. We've had carrot puree, and all sorts of other horribly staining materials being spilled on them and we've managed to get rid of the stains fine without much bother. We got these cushions originally to provide our baby some comfort. That said, there is a lot of cushioning going on down there in baby pants... Feeding a baby is messy business, and annoyingly we had to keep on taking the cushions off all the time to wash them. So eventually we just stopped using them as it is much quicker just to wipe the plastic Baby Set. There are wipe-clean cushions available from other sellers - we haven't tried these but the reviews are good!
If you want to use Tripp Trapp as a highchair for a baby or a toddler you have to get the Baby Set. The idea behind the Table Top is that you can use it to protect the table when your baby sits up at the table with you, eating as they do, very messily. It can also be used as a protector when your little ones are older, and perhaps doing crafts or painting. I really liked that this product came with two double-sided templates (4 pictures) to use with the Table Top - we've been teaching our daughter letters and numbers using them. There are also colourful pictures to entertain them. The sides of the Table Top are raised, so if liquid is spilled it stays on the tray and it is easier to mop. The Table Top is really easy to wipe clean although I wish I could just bang it in the dishwasher (the instructions say no to dishwasher, apparently it is not resistant to heat).It has stood the test of much banging and fork scraping and looks still fine (scratched, but OK). The suction cups are pretty good, however, if one of them breaks, the Table Top will move very easily.
This happened to us, and after emailing Stokke customer service I got replacement suction cups free - great service! You can also get a tray that attaches to the chair rather than the table. There are two options - PlayTray that was the original version, and Stokke provides their own version now too. We haven't tried them, but if you want to have your baby eat in her seat away from the dining table, then these are handy. Did I think the Table Top was worth the purchase? Well, we do use it all the time, but we probably could have done without one too. It has been useful with crafting activities too as our child has got older. Stokke Harness is the second most important accessory for the Tripp Trapp in my opinion (the first being the Baby Set). It will stop your super-fast monkey from climbing out of their seat, and seriously hurting themselves by falling head first down on the floor. The harness is sturdy, can be adjusted well, and very secure, so the child can't wiggle themselves out or open the buckle (although never say never so you shouldn't leave them unsupervised).
It does mean that if I need to pop in to the kitchen or turn my back to our little one for a moment, I can, and I do not need to worry that she is about to fall into impending doom... Because she is securely strapped in her seat, and knows she can't get out, so she won't even try. The design is super cute, with a little kitten as the buckle. Also, I don't know what kind of a magic ingredient Stokke puts in their products, but this one as all the other accessories is resistant to staining and scrubs up well. Did I think the Harness was worth the purchase? Yes, most definitely, I would not do without this. In my opinion, this is the second most important accessory after the Baby Set. Toddlers are fast and a bit nutty, without this I think we would have had some painful accidents. So which accessories to choose once you bought your Stokke Tripp Trapp? We liked all of them and used them all, and obviously in an ideal world you'd just get everything. However, as we all know, money doesn't grow on trees and you have to prioritise.
So, when choosing the accessories consider these points. If I bought the Tripp Trapp to use as a highchair, I would definitely purchase the Tripp Trapp Baby Set and the Stokke Harness. The Baby Set is essential, and in my opinion the Harness makes it a lot safer for older babies and toddlers. The Harness is a safety device and has saved us from lots of trouble. Not all kids try to get out of their chairs and if you are at an arms length all the time you might not need the harness. The Newborn Set is useful as you can keep the baby away from the floor (handy if you have older kids) and babies may enjoy being able to see better and sitting at the same level as you. Downside is that the set can be used only around 6 months. Tripp Trapp Cushion looks nice, and you can customise the chair with different patterns. While weaning and with toddlers likelihood is that the cushion gets very messy and you have to wash it constantly (very annoying) but you might have more use of it with older kids when you take the baby set away.