Convenient, well-made & truly portable high chair.
Written: Feb 15 '06 (Updated Feb 19 '06)
Product Rating:
Pros: Truly portable, very convenient, well-made, easy to clean, it works well, our child likes it.
Cons: Much more expensive than others.
The Bottom Line: Spend the extra money and get this seat. It works well, looks great, is truly portable, and is very easy to clean. We have no regrets.
We recently bought this because our 1 ½ year old wanted to sit closer to us at the table, and we were not comfortable with some of the booster seats we saw at our local babys r us. Most were too baby'ish, with too much plastic and very bright colors (like toys), and some looked cumbersome & hard to clean. They were cheaply made & cheap looking. The Chicco is not cheap, and at first look, it seemed a little fragile and "too good" to be true, but in fact, it works rather well and is worth the extra money.
The seat and the arms/table hooks unfold (from flat) and the instant chair slips right on to the end of your table. Each arm has two contact points, and the ones closer to the edge of the table (closer to you) have plastic-tipped rubber screws that easily tighten & loosen to make the fit very snug & secure. The frame is tubular (maybe aluminum) and altogether (with cushion, fabric, & pouch) weighs maybe 6 or 7 pounds.
According to the warnings, this seat is appropriate for ages 6 to 36 month, up to 35 pounds. Our son is 30 pounds, and there is no concern yet, as the chair holds him firmly and shows no sign of bending or sliding (but we're going to keep paying attention as he gets a little heavier).
The two arms that sit on the top of the table are topped with very thick & soft rubber boots that hold the chair in place and prevent it from scratching your table. The instructions advise you NOT to use this on tables with glass tops, presumably because the glass top could slide off and cause the chair to slide off with it. (The weight appears to be distributed mostly on the underside, so I do not believe the concern is breaking the glass).
Could this chair cause the table to topple over with your child attached? I dont think so. Our table is very heavy, so there is absolutely no chance. With this chair attached, the center of gravity does not appear to change enough that the table would topple over, even if the table were lighter than ours. I imagine that if the table would withstand your child standing on the edge without toppling over, you would be OK. But, if you have a flimsy table, please be careful!
The seat "cushion" is quilted cotton & has a firm plastic insert that maintains the chair cushion's shape and appears to provide a comfortable sitting surface. The lap belt, which feeds through built-in hoops in the chair's frame, adequately prevents your child from climbing out of the chair, but is not obtrusive and does not appear to bother our child. (He does not like our high-chair's restraint system). Your child's legs dangle underneath the table.
At first, we had trouble sliding this onto our dining room table, because our table has a lip on the underside that prevented the brackets from sliding on properly. But, we figured out that if we opened the table's leaf mechanism, we could easily slide the chair into place and then close the leaf. So, in our case, there is no possible way for the chair to come loose without opening the leaf. From the edge of the table to about 6" you must have a level underside for the bracket to slide on properly.
***If your table has a lip underneath, and you do not have a leaf to give you a way around the lip, this chair may not work for you***.
For cleaning, the fabric slides right off the chair, but only when the chair is off the table - this way your child cannot take it apart while he's sitting in it. The fabric is machine washable and has been through several cleanings so far without fading.
The back side of the chair has a built-in pouch that holds a travel cover & storage for the lap restraint, along with a shoulder strap. The pouch also has plenty of room for your child's plate, flatware, a bottle, and pacifier. You can easily and quickly remove the chair to bring it with you to a restaurant or for visits to grandma's house.
We have been very happy with this seat. It feels durable and it appears to be made well enough to last for several years. It looks mature enough to be at the dining room table and does not look not childish or toy-like. We feel it was well worth the extra money and highly recommend it.
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