The Perfect High Chair - Product Review

07/01/2020

During their first few years, babies grow extraordinarily quickly! Since this physical and mental growth zaps a TON of energy, it comes as no surprise that babies spend the majority of their time doing two things—eating and sleeping! Three meals a day plus snacks means hours and hours each week eating. In fact, besides his crib, your baby will likely spend the most amount of his time in his high chair.

But there are HUNDREDS of high chairs on the market; choosing the perfect one can feel overwhelming!

My top criteria for choosing a high chair are—

1. Easy to clean. I want to spend hours playing with my baby, not picking crumbs out of tiny cracks in his chair
2. Comfortable for my child for several years
3. Looks nice (this is a large piece of furniture that will be around your kitchen table for quite some time—big hunks of plastic aren’t necessarily aesthetically pleasing)

I looked for YEARS to find the perfect chair that met all these criteria. And I found it! The Stokke Tripp Trapp. But I gasped at the price. (The 2019 Tripp Trapp chair costs $199.) I waited and waited and waited for there to be a sale. But I found that this chair almost never comes on sale... so I went ahead and bought a cheaper chair instead. Then when our fifth baby was born, my generous sister insisted on getting us something we’d love so she purchased this perfect chair for us. After heavy use for over a year, I can honestly say that this chair was worth.every.penny. In fact, because the Tripp Trapp quickly became the coveted chair in our home, we just purchased another with our own pennies!

The Tripp Trapp arrives in a slim box with everything inside required—no searching for extra tools or gadgets.

With everything out of the box lined up, this is what you can expect... 8 perfect pieces. Some hardware. And the tool to assemble it.

Assembly took my husband less than 20 minutes. The easy-to-follow directions show you exactly how to custom fit it for your child. A younger child requires a higher seat to be brought up to the perfect height at the table. Done. A smaller bum requires a smaller seat. Done. A child’s shorter legs need a footrest so they’re not left dangling. Done.

The chair is designed with simple lines, absent of extra “fluff” or crevices for food to get stuck into. Perfect. It is made with quality European beech wood (also available in oak) and is available in 14 different colors. We got the hazy grey color because I’m not the eccentric type and I just wanted something that would complement the colors in our home. After being used for the past year by our not so gentle 3-year-old, the wood still looks like new without any chipping or fading. In fact, there is no noticeable difference between our year old chair and the brand-new chair we just got!

On that note, Stokke just updated the Tripp Trapp for 2019. While a few new colors were introduced, the design of the chair remains unaltered. And even better-- they reduced the price by $50 for a regular Tripp Trapp chair without any harness straps, which is fantastic for our kids 3+ years old. (The 2018 model comes with harness straps included but, as I mentioned, it cost $50 more!!) If you do need the Tripp Trapp for a younger child, it makes the most sense to invest an additional $60 to upgrade to the Tripp Trapp highchair (retail $259) which includes not only a harness, but a baby seat too-- perfect for younger kiddos just beginning to sit up. And Stokke recently introduced a newborn set that can be placed on the Tripp Trapp, so your newborn can join the rest of his family being up and close during mealtimes.

The 2018 chair is on the left, with the seat and footrest adjusted for our 4 year old.
The 2019 chair is on the right, with the seat and footrest adjusted for our 6 year old.

Our new Tripp Trapp comfortably sits our 6-year-old. He enjoys sitting in a chair that truly fits him and brings him up close to the table. And since he’s well past the baby stage, the chair isn’t just being used for mealtimes anymore… he sits on it a couple hours a day working on his schoolwork too! His bottom and legs are being supported while he works, and he doesn’t squirm or become fatigued because he’s reaching at an uncomfortable angle to reach the table.

Although you’ll find options that are cheaper upfront, you won’t find a chair that lasts as long or looks as sleek as this one. There are ways you can skimp as a parent—buy store brand diapers, opt for a convertible car seat and forego an infant car seat, skip the clunky toys. But do yourself a favor and invest in the piece of furniture that will see your child through babyhood, toddlerhood, and beyond!

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**The manufacturer/service provider mentioned in this article did NOT pay the reviewer for this review.  The reviewer may have received this complimentary product from our review team or may be reviewing their own purchase.  We do not allow manufacturers or service providers to pay for positive reviews.  The opinions belong solely to the author.