If the natural materials and softer lines of antique or vintage-looking baby furniture appeal to you, a wooden high chair might top your wish list. New wooden high chairs are as safe as their plastic counterparts, as long as they include the same safety features. A vintage or antique wooden high chair is safe for use only if you've ensured that the finish is free from lead or other toxins, and if it has safety features that meet today's standards. One benefit of plastic high chairs is that they're easier to clean than wooden ones, especially wooden chairs with elaborate leg turnings that trap little bits of food. Plastic trays can go in the dishwasher; some new wooden high chairs come with plastic removable covers you can pop into the dishwasher as well. If you have a vintage high chair, clean the tray thoroughly with hot soapy water every time you use it to prevent food from sticking. A new wooden high chair poses no more safety risk than a plastic chair, since it's manufactured to today's safety standards.
An old chair, however, might not have a crotch post, which keeps your baby from falling through the bottom of the chair. The safety strap and crotch strap, which can serve as a substitute for a crotch post, might be broken or missing. This leaves nothing to keep your little one in the seat if the tray falls off and he tips forward or if he maneuvers both legs through one leg opening of the chair. A newer wooden chair that's certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association should meet all safety standards for preventing falls. Old lead-based paint poses a risk on vintage wooden high chairs. Rather than painting over old paint, strip it off and refinish the chair with water-based paint or a stain certified as safe for use on an eating surface. Drying oils such as linseed, tung and diluted varnish penetrate into the wood and harden it. Although you might worry about bacteria accumulating in wood more than it would on a plastic high chair, wooden cutting boards contained less bacteria after exposure to raw meat than plastic boards when tested by researchers at the University of California, Davis.
While you're unlikely to cut raw meat on your toddler's high chair tray, the study did show that wooden boards didn't pose additional risk over plastic ones, even when both were scratched with use. If you use a vintage high chair, check the hardware to make sure all the pieces are accounted for and sturdy enough to hold your baby. Examine the hardware that holds the tray as it slides in place, both to make sure it's not loose and to see if your baby could pinch his fingers in the mechanism. Test the hardware that allows the chair to fold to ensure that the chair won't collapse while being used. A chair with a wide base has a lower chance of tipping over. Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week Safety Tips for Bungee Jumping The Safety of Iron Cribs Injuries From Bungee Jumping
Why Should You Bend Your Knees When You Hit the Ground After a Jump? Health Risks From Plastic Water Pipes Knee Giving Out When Bending What Are the Dimensions of a Wooden Baseball Bat? How to Convert a Crib Into a Full Size Bed How to Paint a Baby Crib Tips on Running a Cool Mist Humidifier Yoga Chair Poses for Seniors Simple Chair Exercises for Senior Citizens Beginner Chair Leg Exercises The Best Three Wheel Bikes for Adults Are Moses Baskets Safe for Babies? What Are the Health Benefits of a Rocking Chair? Are Vibrating Baby Seats Dangerous? Which Plastics Are Safe to Reuse?The high chair is one of those baby products that you will find yourself using well-past the toddling stage — because a 2-year-old learning to use utensils needs a wide berth. As for what you’re looking for in this fairly pricey investment? Five things: Easy to clean seat. Easy to clean tray. High enough so you don’t kill your back. And stable enough so dinnertime doesn’t become hospital time.
Here are a few of the best seats for every decor and budget. Pros: Baby Gear Lab called the Seeding “one of our easiest chairs to set up right out of the box, just under 6 minutes, and earning itself a 7 out of 10 in ease of setup.” It will also accommodate kids from 4 months up to 3 years (or 45 pounds). And The Nightlight gave it their top pick, saying that it “wowed” them in every category but “removable, cleanable straps; a flat tray bottom; parts made of environmentally friendly materials; replacement parts that are easy to get,” set it apart from from the competition. Cons: If you have a small kitchen, this may not be your solution. BGL says, “The Seedling struggled in our footprint and portability rating metric, earning only a 3 out of 10 when compared to the other chairs. It’s footprint was a whopping 726 square inches, whereas the Stokke Tripp Trapp only took up 396 square inches of space.” Height: Adjustable to 41.3 inches Max load: 45 lbs
Pros: The Norwegian know how to design some furniture, even if it’s destined to get covered with strained peas. Baby Gear Lab touts the Tripp Trapp’s longevity, saying “It grows with your child with its easy adjustments and can hold up to 300 pounds.” (Of course, your adult son may not want to climb into his old high chair.) Cool Mom Picks says, “The tray covers a large area and has a deep rim to catch spills, but the best part are the 6 tray-top templates it comes with so you can swap letters for numbers for animals.” Cons: Even cool designs can still topple over. “There is indeed a tipping possibility if the chair is on certain surfaces and if they can reach a certain part of the table,” says one Amazon reviewer. “So please, please make sure you do not fall into this category before buying this chair.” You’re also going to want to invest in the separate baby set for little ones. Max load: 300 lbs Safety harness: 5-point with separate baby set
Pros: Consumer Reports gave BabyBjörn good ratings, although they found it a little tricky saying “this very small, lightweight chair will surprise you. Takes up remarkably little floor space, and folds up even smaller. There’s a steep learning curve with this chair, but once you get used to it, it’s easy to use.” And Baby Gear Lab thought that this chair was built from alien infant technology, saying, “When it comes to ease of cleaning, this chair blew away the competition, earning a perfect 10 out of 10. It literally has no crevices for food to get caught in, no big base for food to land on, no cushions to stain, and no inserts to lift up or remove and machine wash.” Cons: “Some features are tricky — almost counterintuitive — to use,” says Consumer Reports who have doubts about the adjustable tray’s lack of movement and difficulty figuring out the folding feature. Other owners complained that it didn’t fit their toddlers, but CR said, “Although it looked snug, we were able to seat a mannequin representing a 3-year-old child (30 lbs, 38 inches tall).
Max load: Up to 3 years old Safety harness: Tray functions as restraint Phil & Teds Poppy Pros: Its design doesn’t scream I live with a tiny thing that screams. Beyond the aesthetics, this high chair is dead simple to set up. Cool Mom Picks says, “There’s almost no assembly required, which means you just pop in the legs, pop in the baby and you’re pretty much ready to go.” They’re also big on the lack of seams, so “no wayward bits of organic avocado or quinoa can find their way to where they shouldn’t be.” And Baby Gizmo talks about how the Poppy can grow with your kid, saying “The Poppy transforms into a “My Chair” for 3 to 5 years old (44 lbs) by removing the tray, crotch bar and half of the legs. A high chair that works as a sturdy toddler chair is thumbs up in our book!” Cons: An Amazon reviewer points out that because the tray isn’t adjustable, a few things may happen, “Food and utensils WILL drop into their laps and beyond. At some point a knee will pop up as they sit in power poses to show you who is boss.
And, “You cannot shove them back against the chair and pin them securely in place (if you wanted to).” Max load: 44 lbs Phil & Teds Poppy ($120) Pros: For the price of a large pizza, this fully-functional high chair can be yours. And, unlike a lot of IKEAs modular torture puzzles, putting it together just means attaching the legs (Allen wrench included). One owner on Baby Center says, “The separate tray and chair pads are very inexpensive. Also the perfect chair for grandma’s house at that price!” And an Amazon reviewer says “Sometimes I just lift the chair up and pour all the Cheerios right into the sink.” Pro tip: Take the baby out first.That blasted tray is awful! It snaps on so easily but is nearly impossible to remove,” says the formerly happy Baby Center customer. Other reviewers echo that sentiment, saying that the price is right, the design is cool, but that unadjustable tray is a dealbreaker. Max load: not available Pros: Brand new to the market, the 4moms chair will appeal to those who still wonder how magnets work — because that’s how you attach the tray.
One Amazon reviewer noted, “I struggled with our old chair getting the tray on and off with one hand while holding my daughter. This one is VERY easy but still secure so baby won’t break free when in chair.” Other than using physics to secure your kid, it’s also easy to clean and has adjustable height. Cons: Some early complaints that the magnet isn’t as strong as it could be and the seat is difficult to adjust. But that’s the price you pay for being a high chair innovator. Pros: It doesn’t have a seamless body, but the seat cover does pop out for cleaning. One Amazon reviewer says, “One of my favorite features of this high chair is its compact footprint when folded up.” Best of all for parents with infants, the seat can recline for bottle feeding. Or just cold chillin’. Cons: When it’s not folded up, the Contempo will engulf your kitchen. According to an Amazon customer, “The footprint is enormous. This high chair takes up 6 square feet of floor space (its legs are 2′ wide by 3′ long).