highchair: table or no table?

[glasgowbelle]

Hi, I'm looking for advice on highchairs, specifically on whether I should get one with a table or not. I'm thinking of getting the dan chair but it doesn't have its own table, and although I like the idea of DS sitting at the kitchen table, is it more practical for him to have his own table? He's six months, so food goes absolutely everywhere...

[Singapore]

I am using a high chair without a table with my ds, 7 months and yes the food does go everywhere, but then it did with the other type also. This one is easier to keep clean plus I like ds being at the table with the rest of us.

[gillhowe]

I got a high chair which pulls up to the table as a friend very highly recommended it, then I was in Ikea and bought another one for about £15 with its own tray. TBH I've only used the Ikea one and haven't even constructed the expensive one yet (I am hoping to eventually though...)

[thehairybabysmum]

no table on high chair...easier to clean but get plastic table cloth for your table if it is a wooden one.

[alex8]

I loveds the table on my sons because I used to put him in and put some water on it and he used to happily splash away on it whilst I cooked the dinner.

[glamourbadger]

I really recommend the IKEA chairs as you can use with a tray or without and push it up to the table. For everyday I prefer the tray as it contains food a bit better. The chair is also easy to move and clean underneath.

When we all eat together I take the tray off and push the chairs up to the table. I find it difficult to clean underneath though and constantly finding little peas and raisins in odd places!

The chair is only £10 and the tray a fiver. Super easy to clean - I take mine into the garden and hose it off.

[glasgowbelle]

Thanks for all the replies!

DS isn't quite sitting up unaided yet, so I thought the IKEA one wouldn't support him enough. I guess I could persevere with the bouncy chair for now but my back's starting to ache a bit...

[Sunshinemummy]

Recommend the Tripp Trapp. DS has loved it since before he could sit unaided and we loved having him at the table with us. We shoved two soft balls down the side of him to keep him upright. Food goes everywhere but it does when they're older too - is inevitable I'm afriad.

[Aitch]

funnily enough, the reason i got the ikea one was that i found it relly supportive because of the solid band between the legs and the 'bucket' seat. we'd been given an east coast one and dd used to slide all over the joint in that.

[Aitch]

good thing about the ikea one, tbh, is that you can go and test it in their canteen first...

[glamourbadger]

My twins were tiny prems and we weaned them before they could sit. You can get a blow-up support that goes in the IKEA chairs which supported them really well from the start. I had my heart set on a Tripp Trapp but tried my girls in one and they were like little rag dolls, slumped to the side! I can imagine they would be great for a big term baby or an older child but didn't seem suitable for a small baby.

Would recommend you try a chair before you buy - mine sat in every chair in Mothercare and in various cafes before I bought.

[lizziemun]

I got one with a table, and dd now 3.5 uses it everyday from eating her dinner etc to drawing and painting. I just put a plastic mat under it when she is doing messy bits.


But it does depend on how much space you have for storage.

[Jojay]

I've got the Dan chair and I love it!! Didn't wean til 6 mths and DS could almost sit up by then, so slumping not an issue. We have a plasticky table cloth and it works really well - he looks so dinky sitting at the table like a big boy!!!! The chair looks nice in the kitchen too - not some enormous plastic monstrosity!!

I don't use the seat cushion though - gets filthy in no time. The back cushion is nice though.

Got mine from Ebay for £50 I think, inc. delivery and cushion. I think it was from Online4baby. Delivery was v. quick.

[Ceebee74]

I got an East coast one (like Aitch) and even with the insert in, DS slumped and slid all over in it - he hated it.

Now got a booster seat type which attachs to a normal chair and then you pull it up to the table - much more sociable.

(Must remember about the plastic tablecloth though as our table is slowly getting ruined )

[MungoBrim]

I've got the TrippTrapp. Generally love it but the BUTS are;-

when DS small, once or twice (inc when stropping!) his head banged on the side bits.

The seat cushion is not wipe-cleanable, and although washable, was a PAIN to take off, as the leather strap goes thru' the hole (ie to remove cushion, you have to loosen the screws and remove the leather strap from the front bar). I adapted mine (made a cut so I could remove easily) but this did mean it was no longer a snug fit. Have since dispensed with the cover and DS has to get a numb bum like the rest of us.

Do like the tidiness of it, though, and the way it lasts forever (we can even sit on it)

[glasgowbelle]

Well, I've bought the Tripp Trapp, and it's working really well. DS seems really happy in it. Only flaw, as you say MungoBrim, is the non-wipe-cleanable baby seat, esp. the bottom bit which you can't remove without first dismantling the chair. Vanish spray at the ready...

[Meglet]

We splashed out on a Trip Trap but it didn't suit our 6 month old even though he's pretty stable . So we now have a humungous Chicco Polly too- we love it ! He's really comfy in it and he can play with balls and cars on the tray. Trip Trap will return when he's bigger. The arms on the Chicco go up so that baby can sit up at the table too.

[jezmond]

On highchair, we used to sit DD on a towel, then put some rolled up drying clothes at the sides to make sure she was steady!

[Nemo2007]

When getting a highchair all you want is for it to be easily cleaned, no little crevis like in some of the fold away ones, insert that can be completely taken out to clean.We have had a tchibo one[like a trip trap] which was good but dd1 hated the wooden bar on it. have tried the plain ikea one which always seems to be quite versitle and can either have tray or not. We always have tried a few fld away jobbies which are useless and currently have the toysrus basic one for £20 which works well for us at the minute but is not an up to the table one..however havealways found by the time they are at that stage they hate being strapped into highchair anyway and prefer a booster seat.

[alison222]

I had a cheap plastic one from Argos. It was very easily cleanable and could be used with or without the tray.
I needed a cushion behind DD when she first sat in it but not for long.

Whatever you choose , look for crevices the food can hide in and how easy it is to clean out

[AnaKi]

Thanks for the tips, even though i wasn't the poster
I think I'll get the ikea one but i was wondering about a bumbo for a 6mo old baby as you can have a tray and heard is great for weaning, plus, dd wouldn't be strapped.
any ideas?

[Aitch]

hhhm, i don't like the bumbo for weaning tbh as if they drop their finger food they often can't find it again and get upset. mind you, i just don't like bumbos as i can't see how they're good for babies' backs and core body strength so i'm pretty prejudiced against them.

[AnaKi]

Thank you all for the tips. My LO enjoys eating very much in her new ikea highchair and I enjoy cleaning it (so easy!)