Feeding chairs- Padded? Wooden? Size? High chair? Bumbo seats? Argh!

[TheRhythmlessCarolMan]

Where do I start? I just want to find a chair to feed my six month old. What must-have criteria do you find/found useful? Are 'extras' like detachable tables, padding etc just gizmos so I pay more?

Recommendations please!

My SLT workmates that specialise in feeding all rate the IKEA Antilope because it gives the child a good position for eating.

We have the Ikea one as a spare and for using in the garden/as a travel one. It is useful but it is no-where near as robust and stable as the one we use normally. For the price you can’t go wrong but I’m glad I had a different one having been able to do the comparison.

I HATE the Ikea Antilop. It’s practical and cheap but it’s UGLY - your house is going to look like a shitty Ikea cafe for the next three years and you’ll trip over the sticky out legs every day. Plus it has no foot rest which makes it harder for kids to learn fine motor skills.

I’d recommend a Tripp Trapp or Nomi high chair. Looks beautiful and can be colour matched to your decor. Adjustable footrest too. And the child can sit on it for years, in fact adults can even sit on it. You don’t need all the padding and straps, it just gets filthy.

Tripp Trapp and Antiop!

We have the Tripp Trapp (2 still in use with DC 4 and 7) for round the dining table. Have the Antilop to use in the garden, for travel and now as a spare for visitors.

Don't bother with a peg perego. Too hard to clean and top heavy.

What about this one? The Bebe Style.
It looks a bit like ikea antilop but has a foot rest and a detachable clear tray. Anyone with experience of this one?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bebe-Style-Classic-2-in-1-Highchair/dp/B01LXF1E8K/ref=zgbss601440312??encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=MFXZR5YDGZNZM4FJR8QV

I hear what you're saying about the colour and how the legs can be a tripping hazard. Still looking...

@MilkyCuppa not everyone wants to spend over £200 on a high chair though

@TheRhythmlessCarolMan that one actually looks better than the Ikea version x

Thank it's good to see options in different price brackets though. I have been looking at second hand ones which were originally more expensive. But I'm thinking I might go with this Amazon one. At least if I don't like it, I haven't spent a massive amount.

Had an Antilop for 3 years, didn't trip over it once. And i don't two bloody hoots if it didn't match my decor. In fact, it looked great with our two Expedits and Klippan sofa.

Some people are born snobs.

It's not snobby to say something doesn't work for you. We have the Baby Bjorn high chair and I love it. It's being used for our second DC now and looks as good as the day we bought it. It's small in design but can still accommodate my, almost, 3 year old when needed. No straps or nooks and crannies and is dishwasher proof. It also folds away so so small. Yes it was expensive but cost per use we are getting our monies worth. The in laws have the antilop at there house so we do use it too but IMO it's not half as good and looks more unsightly*/takes up more room.

*Every highchair is unsightly though.

*their house!!

We have a joie mimzy snacker high chair, which I really rate. The straps and seat padding come off and go in the washing machine and the rest can be washed outside. The best bit for me is that it has a one handed fold down so it doesn't take up all your kitchen or dining room when not in use (you can also put it back up again with one hand). I liked having a chair with a proper seat back and shoulder straps as my little boy is s real wriggler!

I don't like the antilop. It's not very big at all and was a struggle to get my two in and out of once they were over 12 months. Also, ds2 tipped his over. I never bought it but the GPS had one though I was there when he tipped it.

I did have an expensive High chair at home, one with padding, that could lay flat , useful if they fell asleep or you wanted to put a smaller baby in, it swivvellled so you could turn the baby to wherever you were easily. I've had it 3 yrs, 2 children and it's been used at least 3 times a day and still looked and works well. It was £150 which seems a lot but not when you look at the use it gets.

@TheRhythmlessCarolMan I've got the Bebe one you've linked to from Asda. It's great! It's similar to the Ikea one but I'm not sure about dishwasher safe (don't have a dishwasher...) the tray gets chucked in the sink after the feral monster DS has eaten. The legs come off so it's like a tiny chair. DS is a skinny 50th centile and needed padding around him so I just tucked a spare blanket around him.

We had the Phil & Ted Lobster for DC2 after using the Antilop and hating it, then buying a more classic high chair and hating how big it was and cleaning it. The Lobster takes up a lot less room so you can wipe underneath with no legs getting in the way and also just wipe the table (no tray). The baby is sitting directly at the table with you which is nice. Cleans easily and also portable so we used to take it to friends’ and on holiday. A few friends bought one after seeing ours. We only thought about it after seeing them in Wagamamas! Wish we’d had it for DC1.

If you can afford the Tripp Trapp I'd get it. It's beautifully made, immensely practical and looks lovely.

If you can't, get the Antilop which is an excellent product.

Don't bother with the big, padded mothercare/mamas & papas style chairs that are in between those price points. They are ugly and cumbersome.

@WooYa thank you- I was really hoping someone would come on here and give me the thumbs up for the Bebe one. It's ordered and arriving tomorrow

@LaurieMarlow you confirmed what I thought in relation to the padded mid-range mothercare ones.

Tripp trapp all the way. Agreed with pp who said it looks great, last ages and honestly, fantastic quality. The only highchair I’ve seen that doesn’t have that “highchair” look. Plus, people actively look for second hand ones. Actually once you take the seat bits off, an older child can sit on it too.
I also don’t like the Ikea one, i got one to keep at my parents. It’s big and bulky. And it just annoys me. Maybe I am a highchair snob. For £15 though, you can’t go wrong.

Not bumbo if you're doing BLW/any finger foods because their bum isn't on a flat surface which affects the alignment of their spine and hence arms for coordination, apparently.

Antilop, or tripp trapp or I had this one which was rather excellent. Now discontinued, but several other things like it available. www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Rainforest-Healthy-Care-Booster/dp/B000WUF4LS?tag=mumsnetforum-21

What you've got looks fine. Antilop with a footrest - perfect.

I liked that the antelope doesn't have a foot rest - makes it harder for them to climb out of.

It gives a great sitting position and helps them to sit up unaided. When trying other seats at restaurants or friends' houses, they struggled as they often have a slight recline and don't support properly.

Tripp trapp is great and looks fantastic but we don't all have a spare £200+.

@noloudnoises thanks for the tip on that mat, I had one delivered today and it’s gone down really well

Antilop from Ikea. Used it from 6 months to nearly 3 yrs and ds was a big boy! We popped a cushion behind him went he was younger but I think u can buy an inflatable cushion for the back