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My wife and I are expecting our first child in December. We have been researching, among other things, products that we will need/want. We've taken care of the most important items, and are now onto things of less importance and things that he will not need immediately. One of those things is a highchair. My question is simple. Is there any reason something like this won't suffice:
I like the idea of having children sitting right at the table, so as long as your table fits the specs, I would opt for it. I'm assuming you read the reviews, both positive and negative.
I know how tempting it is to want all new equipment for your firstborn. But, had I known 35 years ago what I know now, I would have checked out thrift and consignment shops. I see what comes in to our thrift store, and the amount of new, or almost new, baby items would floor you. That chair would sell for less than $20 by us, even if it appeared to never have been used.
My friend gave me something like that. I never used it. It didn’t fit on my table and when going to restaurants, I’d have to set the baby down somewhere in order to install that on the table (if it fit on their table) and it would be another thing to carry. So to me, what looked simple and practical actually turned out to be the opposite.
And yes, check out used baby stuff. Some of it is in really good shape, and it’s all over Facebook marketplace.
It's been a while, but when we had our first baby we got a plastic booster seat that strapped onto one of our regular chairs. When the baby was first sitting up, we used the snap-on plastic tray to make it a "highchair." When she was older, we took the tray off and pushed the chair right up to the table. This worked great for her and for our second child. However, when we had the third, the second was still using the seat as a booster, so we got a separate standard highchair. This was fine too, but not as versatile.
I personally would steer away from seats with covers that need to be washed instead of just wiped down. Also, I wouldn't get any seat with the thought of taking it with me when going out. You already have to schlep the baby and whatever you're using for a diaper bag, the last thing you need is one more thing to carry. Just use the seat provided by the restaurant. If their chairs are clean enough for you, they're clean enough for your baby, with maybe a wipedown with some baby wipes.
It's been a while, but when we had our first baby we got a plastic booster seat that strapped onto one of our regular chairs. When the baby was first sitting up, we used the snap-on plastic tray to make it a "highchair." When she was older, we took the tray off and pushed the chair right up to the table. This worked great for her and for our second child. However, when we had the third, the second was still using the seat as a booster, so we got a separate standard highchair. This was fine too, but not as versatile.
I personally would steer away from seats with covers that need to be washed instead of just wiped down. Also, I wouldn't get any seat with the thought of taking it with me when going out. You already have to schlep the baby and whatever you're using for a diaper bag, the last thing you need is one more thing to carry. Just use the seat provided by the restaurant. If their chairs are clean enough for you, they're clean enough for your baby, with maybe a wipedown with some baby wipes.
I’m not a germ freak - AT ALL - but restaurant high chairs do almost always feel sticky and gross. I don’t think they ever clean them properly. I do use them anyway with maybe a quick wipe down, but I can see a lot of those parents who won’t even stick the kid in a shopping cart without a poofy cloth liner not being comfortable with it. The chair I sit in at a restaurant feels much cleaner.
You can use the poofy liner to line the high chair, but after wrestling with that twice I wished I had that $20 back. I need to sell it on Marketplace, except I feel bad selling something I think is worthless.
We used the second item maybe a handful of times before transitioning over to the booster that straps to the existing seat at the table. The full high chair just seemed a bit of a PITA. Didn't fit at the table, pain to clean, always in the way.
The booster on the existing chair was smaller, could be removed in a second, easier to move around and clean, and more portable.
We used this one from a young age up to age 2.5, when he began to sit in the chair normally. The top tray got misplaced around age 1 so it was just a booster after that. http://ep.yimg.com/ay/albee-baby/fis...-booster-1.jpg
I have two kids. Got the traditional high chair with the first. Used it maybe 3 times before I ended up getting one that strapped to the chair. So, so much more convenient and takes up less space. Also portable for going to grandma's, etc. I don't feel comfortable with the ones that attach to the actual table; they just don't seem secure to me. Plus, the ones that strap to the chair become a booster as the kid gets older. We got this one and loved it:
My kids are older now (youngest is 9) but after having a highchair with my first, I ended up going with this after he turned 1 and for the other 2. They can still sit in them and they are in our basement at the game table except for the one I handed down. They all sat in them for years.
Have a daughter who just turned 1 year, we bought a used high chair similar to the Graco in your link. My favourite thing about it is the 3 levels of trays. if the first tray gets messy it can be taken out and the one below is immediately usable. it is a bit of pain to keep having to wipe it and then the floor for all the thrown food but it's not difficult to clean. It's just a daily chore.
i did get some hand me downs from my sister, like a chair booster seat and my personal view is it's garbage unless your baby can sit up straight by themselves. otherwise baby will just be drooping over.
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