First and foremost, we’re moms. But, for approximately three hours a day, we’re also waitresses. It’s a shift with few perks: we never receive a tip, there’s rarely a kind word about the service or meals, and sometimes we even have to endure food being thrown at us. So, the least we can ask for is a high chair that works well during the messy dance that is dinner. Recently, we had the opportunity to try out the new OXO Seedling high chair ($150). Here’s a breakdown of what works well and what doesn’t: It’s easy to assemble. I assembled this chair at 7 am in my pajamas while sitting on the couch. It took approximately 15 seconds, and zero caffeine or tools. The words, “Honey, can you help me with something?” never even crossed my mind, which my husband is eternally grateful for. All you have to do is attach the chair to its metal legs and listen for a snap. Adjusting the high chair is equally as easy — the large gray buttons are intuitive and easy to press, like the tray which you can adjust forward or backward with just one hand.
The seat also has three reclining positions, which my little munchkin seems to like. It’s stylish, which is nice because it’s hard to find a high chair that doesn’t give your kitchen the daycare center look. It also comes in four mellow, non-patterned colors which won’t compete with your own décor. The seat cushion is stain resistant, wipeable and simple to remove for machine washing, too. So, when a food fight takes place, wipe it down, pull it off and just toss it in the wash, and your shift is over! I love the bells and whistles. Because the chair sits on scratch-resistant wheels my hardwood floors no longer take a beating. The wheel’s brakes are hands free, too, so it’s easy to lock the seat in place with your foot while you’re serving up food. Keeping this puppy clean is nowhere near as difficult as other chairs I’ve tried because there are no black-holes-of-death where food can get trapped. I’d often find petrified blueberries lurking in the nooks and crannies of other chairs, but with the Seedling you can feel free to give your little nugget an extra helping of slippery edamame.
Anything that misses its intended target will be found just underneath them. The price is reasonable — it’s cheaper than OXO’s wooden Sprout chair ($250) and other high-end seats on the market. Seriously, you’d be hard pressed to find a chair this pretty (that’s also BPA, PVC and phthalate free) which gives you this much bang for your buck. The tray is heavy. As a mom of two, I definitely don’t hit the gym as much as I used to, but I still considered myself in decent shape. Lifting the chair’s tray with one hand (because when do you ever have two?) really works those biceps! Which one could argue is a good thing with summer on the way. While the company agrees that the tray is heavier than some others on the market, they said that in general they prefer thicker parts to ensure things are extra strong and will not bend or break. While I absolutely LOVE that the plastic tray attaches to the back legs of the chair for easy storage (and lays flat on a table when not in use), when I place my daughter in the seat for dinner it can be hard to pull the hanging tray off quickly.
The tray grips the legs in a way that sticks, likely so that little ones won’t easily be able to pull it off when they’re crawling around it. It’s not a deal breaker for me but I’ve definitely uttered “ugh” while doing it. I’ve finally learned what I want in a high chair: something easy-to-clean and easy-to-maneuver because with two kids, I’m always being pulled in at least two different directions. I may have a small beef with the heavy tray, but thanks to intelligent design, all of the other features are a piece of cake.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).