Help me understand the Stokke Tripp Trapp

[Etherealhedgehog]

DD is 16 months and we'd like her to start eating directly at the table with us (mostly in an effort to reduce mealtime chaos - seems like it helps with behaviour/mess). But her Antilop high chair doesn't work well for this - it's quite deep, she hates having a cushion in and the plastic front hits up against the table - so she's sat quite far back from her food - cue more mess and chaos.

I was wondering if a (secondhand!) Tripp Trapp might help - it looks like it's less deep, but I can't work out if the baby set is going to cause a similar problem, ie. push her too far back from the table, or are they sat so they're right up close to the plastic guard? Or is it possible to use it with just the harness and no baby set? I feel like I've seen pictures of that but it's not clear.

Problem is partly caused by the fact that our table is quite deep, so it's not possible to slot the whole front of the high chair under it IYSWIM.

Any Tripp Trapp owners with babies using it in this way and can tell me if it works?

We have used the Tripp Trapp with the baby set since our daughter was 6 months old and it works great. We don't use a tray or cushion and the baby set front sits against the table. You can adjust the depth of the seat and the footplate to avoid sitting too far back. She's 14 months now and I wouldn't feel comfortable using it without the baby set yet.

This is how it works in practice, how this makes sense.

The Chico Snack is a cheaper option. But I have to admit to being a recent convert to Tripp Trapp - they are great.

Can also look at the Huack Alpha+. It's like a tripp trapp but not as £££. Both mine ate at the table in it but neither lasted beyond 2 in it before preferring a normal seat despite being barely able to see over the table.

Like most high chairs the wide base is a bastard for catching your toes as you walk past.

They cause mess and chaos wherever they eat...

At 16 months I wouldn't bother with the baby set, just use it as a chair.

You can just use a harness if you don't think she will sit nicely.

And from the other side.

Both of mine had a Baby Dan Danchair which is half the price of the Tripp Trapp. It is a fantastic chair, we also had the Ikea Antilop.

It was used until the children were able to sit on our normal dining chairs and be able to eat at the table without any restrictions. We also used the Danchair when our hairdresser came to do hair, I also sat in it as an adult for a hair cut.

The benefits are the adjustable seat and foot rest and no tipping backward. Both children had them from needing the straps but I think we removed the wooden bar thing relatively early on.

We had the Red Kite version. It was about £25 at an Asda baby event. The seat and footrest are easily slid out for cleaning.

Unless you really want the Tripp Trapp, I'd look at booster seats that strap to a normal dining chair. Fisher price do a great one. Or the seats that clamp onto the side of the table.

My 10 year old is still sitting on her tripp trapp, which was originally bought for her 14 year old sister! I quite often sit on it to work at the kitchen table too.
We used the baby reins for a short while. Great things! Messy though!

Thanks all, this is really helpful. @MariaDingbat thanks so much for the photos - just what I needed. That definitely looks like a better position than DD in her Antilop. I'll also definitely check out the Hauck and Babydan. I did think about booster seats but I want her to have a footrest. We already have a Chicco Snack as our travel high chair and love it, but won't do for the same reason (and actually I tried it yesterday and the position of the straps holds her quite far back from the table, similar to the Antilop ).

we still use out Tripptrapp as a spare chair when entertaining. DH say on it Christmas Day and he is well over 6' tall.
We are thinking of evading it though as he had a clear out today and found all the baby bits.

I’d just get a cheap booster that fits on a normal chair. You can take it with you when you go visiting/ on holiday/ cinema etc. I do t think they care whether there’s a footrest or not

My kids 14 and ten still use their tripp trapp, best investment we made for them my daughters was second hand, my son had his from new born. We will never get rid of them as they will be great spare seats.

You can also buy a tray to go on top which I liked as we had a small kitchen table back then.

We also still have out trip trap, it's over 17 years old!

I would recommend them although they're a PITA to clean. I have a 16mo and would def recommend the baby set as he is such a wriggler. We got our Tripp Trapp for £50 on eBay and the baby set was given to us for free.

We just push ours up against the table so the plastic bit is in line with the edge of the table, works fine!

Agree you get years and years out of a Tripp trapp and f you have space for it

We have a tripp trapp and have never had the tray. I have always just used it with a harness so they have eaten at the table with us even when very small