are tripp trapp highchairs worth it?

[pookiemum]

we've got a 2yo who is currently fidgeting in a handysitt booster seat - wants up and down all the time, refuses to be strapped in (yes, i know we are boss but he'll hit his head against the table wanting to be undone) and if he's not strapped uses the dining chair and booster seat like a climbing frame. He's sat in tripp trapps at friend houses and seems more settled at his knees aren't jammed up under the table and he can climb in and out himself. Asked dh about getting one and his reaction was that it was unnecessary, he survived as a kid without,kids want to do what adults do and won't want to sit in a special chair and that thinking ds might still be using it as an older school age child was, with much coughing and spluttering, crazy and what's the evidence for it helping with posture and that I'm being conned by a marketing gimmick. So I don't know. I know it won't turn ds into an angel at the mealtable overnight but I thought it might remove part of the behavioural problems, he is two after all. What does anyone else think? We've got a 3 month old as well who could always use it if elder ds didn't.
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They look lovely but I don?t believe the blurb. We haven?t got one but did use a friends when visiting and thought that there was nothing so special to justify the price - also disagree about the posture thing but no expert. I reckon he is more settled at friends? homes with them because of the novelty factor of being in a different house with other people to watch and nothing to do with the chair. Sorry if not the answer you were after.

I think it is fantastic. Would definately recommend but opinions will differ. You can shop around and get a good price. There are also two for sale on Ebay at the moment. There are also lots of threads regarding the Tripp Trapp.

I'm not convinced by them either. We haven't got but my BIL and family had one for their first. They put their ds2 in it and he pushed himself backwards off the table leg and nearly crashed to the floor, so they don't put him in it anymore. I can't imagine an older child using it either. Have you tried letting your ds sit on an ordinary chair? I realise this may be a recipe for disaster, at least in the short term, but we have always encouraged ours onto ordinary seats asap. They've got to sit on them at some point and it makes life easier when you're out too. We just don't let them do it with tomato soup...

We like ours - didn't have it for ds (not out then) but used it from about 8 months with dd although she was happy sitting in one earlier we reused ds' high chair until could bear it no longer ! not sur eit would sort out your problems htough. dd gets out as as soon as possible at a meal. She is 3 and friends still use theirs for a 5y old.

They could, I suppose, tip it but need to get leverage on the underside of the table ime so if you adjust the seat appropriately then that should limit how high they can raise their legs and push. However they could equally tip an adult chair. Actually I could envisage using it with an older child - we've been looking for a suitable chair to use with a desk for ds and that would fit the bill because you could adjust the height and foot rest so that they can sit comfortably with their feet supported. - bit pricey for occasional use though.

I think they are fab & worth every penny! We have 2 and both my DD & DS still use them aged 9 years & 7 years (I can now use them comfortably too, although they are still a little too high)
We bought the first one when DD was 2, after trying a friends (friend is an Alexander Technique teacher & very convincing on the posture argument!)and DD DID pretty much turn into an angel at mealtimes! + would spend much more time drawing/play dohing etc at the table.

I don't know if it is still there but the Children's seating Centre in London used to have giant table & chairs for adults to try - another convincing argument IMHO as it is ver hard to sit "nicely" in them.

I have just tried tipping one back, as an adult, pushing feet against the ground, it can be done, but is much harder to tip than an ordinary dining chair. Guess it would be a similar effect pushing agaisnt a table leg?

Sorry, long, rambling post - just can't praise Tripp Trapps enough

another vote for a tripptrapp - got ours for dd when she was about 6 months old, she's 3 now and we'll get another one for the baby ( on it's way) I love the fact that she sits up straight and that she's at the table with us ( no tray) easy to clean. We've never had probs with tipping but have heard this. She climbs on and off by herself......could go on, but it's been one of the best things we bought for her!
although I agreee with the poster who said that it might be a novelty factor of being away from home and being 'better' at the table

IMO YES!!!

We love ours and wouldn't have any other now. DD's been using it since she was 5 months and is still using it now, minus baby kit, at 2.5 years.

It is the only chair recommended by the back specialists company. It has to be better in many ways, due to the way a child has to sit in it and the fact that the child is able to place their feet down flat on a solid base.

DD has never ye managed to even knock it slightly over, so that hasn't even been a vague worry for us. TBH it is more stable that most other chairs I have seen.

And I love the way it looks. We are open plan here, so looks is important. DH would have hated a big, plastic, brightly coloured thing.

definitely worth the money and your child WILL use it for years. we bought ours when DS was just 2 as the last high chair was rubbish. I justified the price when I realised that our 15 yr old babysitter still sits on hers! So you do get many years use from them.

DS loves his and now has it just as a chair, but when friends with younger children come round, it's easy to add the baby bar to make it into a high chair again.

Another vote for the T/T. Both my 3.5 yr old and my 2 yr old have used (and do use) one. Never had a problem with tipping backwards. For us letting our eldest sit in a 'big chair' (ie T/T) where she had the freedom to come and go paradoxically meant that she was more settled.

after 2 useless highchairs (prima pappa - horrendous to clean and a mothercare winnie the pooh chair - ds2 kept trapping his arms between seat and tray and one of the straps snapped) i can honestly say the tripp trapp is by far the best, so easy to clean and he enjoys joining us at the table at mealtimes. the tipping over sounds like the chair was at the wrong height? there is a similar chair called a tchibo which i think is about 2/3 cheaper which has been talked about on mumsnet which might also be worth a look at, also when i was looking for recommendations about tt on mumsnet, lots of mums said not to bother with the cushion set as they are constantly needing washing though saw in urchin catalogue wipeable seat inserts

IMO no, not unless you can get one cheap off ebay or somewhere. I have used one although don't own one and was made to feel a social outcast whilst living in Denmark and not being the owner of one. I couldn't see the difference between them and my, much cheaper high chair which converted to a table and chair as DS got older (he (4.5) now sits nicely and plays with his playdough on it) Nice chair but far to much hype!

I was thinking of getting one in a month or so, how good are they for younger babies? bean is 5 months at the mo.

Ours continues to be a success, (DS 3). Suspect the outlay is more economical if you use it from the beginning as a high chair though. there are other cheaper 'high' chairs, aren't there, in IKEA for e.g.

Just to say that we have the wooden one from mothercare...similar not the same as tt. I have used it from about 5/6 months and love it. It pulls up to out tabel at the right height and also has a tray wich my lo loves at the moment. It was about £60 so less expensive than the tt....just as good i think...can't see any advantage when i compare my mates tt to ours. Ikea also do a blow up insert for highchairs that helps with any baby under about 9 months.

HTH

Another vote in favour. DS1 still uses his, aged 6 1/2, his was bought new and although expensive we have so far had over 4 years of use out of it. DS2 also has one, although a slightly cheaper knock-off which was bought for £5 at a car boot sale and is still going strong.

beansmum - it depends on whether your little one can sit or not. My DD sat unaided at 17 weeks, so we did use ours from her being 5 months very successfully.

Ds2 was only able to use ours (kindly on loan from his godparents) from eight months when he could sit unaided. Highly recommend them though - wish I'd had it for ds1 and dd! They just take up so much less room than our previous highchair.