Looking for a bit of advice.

I'm helping a friend who is expecting do some research into high chairs for infants and toddlers... totally overwhelmed!

So I'm looking to the parents around here for some advice and pointers.

What did you use for your kids?

What features did you use or not use? Reclining? Wheels? One-handed tray installation?

She's ideally looking for something that can grow with the kid until the kid is big enough for just a simple booster seat and is easy to clean, so minimal fabric. She's not fussed on one that's free-standing/traditional vs one that just straps to a chair.

Any advice, tips, pointers, recommendations, etc would be greatly appreciated.

We initially got a really fancy peg perego (fortunately passed on from a friend as they cost a fortune) but hated how fiddly it was to clean - plus the sponge pad cover rips really easily and once you get food in there it ends up stinking. The replacement pads cost almost as much as the high chair.
We also ended up not using all the extra features like reclining/folding etc so we ditched that and ended up just getting the very basic Antilop from IKEA - with tray and safety strap.
Easiest thing ever to clean and only $20. Don't need to take the tray off to put the child in but it did come off pretty easily for cleaning etc. Loads of mums I know have ended up going with those even after they used more expensive ones. and preferred them.
Once she grew out of that we switched to a two level booster that strapped to the dining chair. The bottom came off and turned into a step stool when she got big enough.
Can't remember the name but they are pretty common and not that expensive so even though you are having to buy something after the high chair the combined cost is so little it isn't a big deal .

Our one is very tall so by the time we moved over here she only needed a extra cushion for a few months (just got a couple of tie-on ones from target/Walmart so we could chuck them in the wash).

IKEA Antilop!!! Can't go wrong.

Mamas & Papas for our kids. Did both of them. Pricey but good quality and we re-sold it after use for 50% of the purchase price (so my wife tells me).

Don't suppose you remember the model?

It was pretty much this one (but 12 years ago), but it wasn't lime green!
Mamas & Papas USA - Strollers, Baby Carriers, Bouncers, Clothing & more

Not wishing to sound like an advertisement, but we found all things M&P was very good quality and all of it did both kids without wearing out or breaking. I think I bought replacement wheels for the pram for the second kid as my wife had worn out the others doing so much walking in the park etc...

Amusingly, the Prima Pappa high chairs on their website is actually the high chair line made by Peg Perego, which I know is one on her short list of chairs, haha! Too funny. They do have good reviews, but she's put off by the price of those chairs, plus a lot of the reviews on Amazon etc say that crumbs etc get into the corners very easily and it can be difficult to clean... Your thoughts?

She's currently leaning towards something simple like this: Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat - Fisher-Price - Babies"R"Us

Our two were such revolting little pirates the whole chair had to be pretty much hosed down after each meal anyway. It wasn't cheap, but it was really sturdy and stored away well (although it was just left up 99% of the time). The safety harness strappy thing was pretty good too - especially since our first born was some sort of budding escape artist!

We sold it for a reasonable return once not needed any more.

we had a Mothercare one that lasted for ever. Not much help for moms to be in Canada, though...

For when they grew a little bigger and no longer needed the attached tray, we acquired (through a doting grandparent) a Stokke Tripp Trapp chair. This was - still is - absolutely brilliant: not cheap, but infinitely adjustable (for both height and depth) seat and footrest so grows with the child from very small (it comes with restraint straps so almost like a high chair without a separate tray piece) to when they're big enough to sit on an adult chair. We bought a second one from a company that made rip-off versions (I think they've since been sued out of business, which was frankly inevitable and well deserved - it was the rip-off-iest copy of anything ever...). Both chairs are still going strong years later.

Apparently the Stokke has optional attachments that mean it can be used from birth. Tripp Trapp® Chair | Seating | Stokke

My parents-in-law had one of those boosters. OK for occasional use, but it's not as adjustable, nor as supportive, as a proper high chair. Also, of course, stability relies on the adult chair it's strapped to. With a lightweight chair, it could be unstable or top-heavy.

I don't believe any advertising that says "free of crevices so it won't trap crumbs." Crumbs and small children will conspire to find ways to get everywhere, regardless of careful design. You can, though, put the whole thing in the dishwasher if necessary (and it will be...)

Pretty sure ours was a Graco one. Was actually very good. height adjustable, could single hand the tray part. I *think* it might also have had straps on it with which to secure the little person in place - handy when they like to be an escape artist.

Was certainly easy to clean and didn't have much fabric on it from what I recall. It did have a removable tray insert thingy, which was handy, until someone had learned that they could remove it, hmm.


I think it came from Babies R Us.

Sorry, rather vague I know, but it's been a while since mini me used

Just looked at the price, bloody hell! I don't remember them being that expensive. Perhaps they were?

There is a fantastic accessory for all high-chairs, in fact, it's a general purpose child cleaning system. Costs about as much as a child though. It's called a black lab Anything dropped on the floor is immediately disposed of. Child, if within reach of the cleaning device will also be licked clean as well. Has been known to act as a security device too. Highly recommended!

If I was going to do it all over again then I would go for something like this ^^^ now - pretty practical as you can move it around easily, take it to grandma's, etc.

We started with a second hand bumbo for a bit which was handy, and then used a peg perego that was on ex display sale. The peg perego is fine, I like the fact it goes up and down, and it has a detachable tray that you can easily remove for cleaning. Its pretty sturdy. Had no probs with disintegration of the pad and its been used for two kids. The crumbs do get in the little ridges at the side but if you keep on top of the cleaning and don't leave it for ages then its fine. If they are close to Calgary we will be shifting a second hand peg perego shortly

Really? I usually find popping the small person in the washing machine brings them out sparkling and clean, if a little dizzy.

Oh, you're talking about the high chair. Whoops!

I am at the moment sitting on the baby chair we bought for our now teenager.... It's very durable (14+ years), grows with the child, sturdy, wood, a lot of colours to choose from and did I mention I am sitting on it at the moment and it's very comfy.
Tripp Trapp® Chair | Seating | Stokke

We also have the crib/bed, it grew from crib, to cot to toddler bed to junior bed and now it's turned into two small reading chairs....

And I like that it's wood, not plastic, there's too much plastic in baby's face as it is....

Edit: It almost looks like an add, I don't work for the company, I'm just a very happy customer....