Tripp Trapp highchairs

[Detta]

I really like the idea of a chair that grows along with your child, and also the way that this chair fits up to the table. What I would really like to find is a cheaper version of this, or the best (ie cheapest!) place to buy the Tripp Trapp chair.

Also, has anyone got one - if so what do you think of it?
Thanks in advance.

I have the baby Dan and got it from GLTC using the 10% discount available to Mumsnet users. Can't remeber how much it was but it was cheaper than the Tripp Trapp. I use it myself for sitting at the computer as it means I can't slouch!

We've used a TrippTrapp chair since dd was about 3 and it's fantastic. We moved abroad last year and it's the only item of furniture we brought with us. I bought it direct from the makers (I wish I could recall the name of the shop - The Back People/Company/Shop???) and I think it was about 105gbp inc postage three or four yrs ago. As we needed to buy an extra kitchen chair for dd anyway, it seemed a pretty good price but I apreciate that if you already have seating you might not see it that way. I have seen cheaper versions but from what I've heard, this really is a case of 'you get what you pay for'. HTH.

Sorry Detta, as I don't go through the homepage to talk I didn't realise that MUMsnet don't get 10% anymore

How about this one, I was looking for a pine folding chair and came across this

i've got a tripp trapp and while it is aesthetically pleasing, i have found it fails on the practical front. the idea of them sitting up at the table is lovely - but in practice until they can feed themselves you need to be facing them or you will find yourself and/or them at an awkward angle. also, not having a tray adds quite a bit to the inevitable clean up operation. in addition, they don't fold, and it takes up a fair bit of space - we have quite a good sized kitchen, btw, but with the benefit of hindsight i would have given more weight to folding as a criteria for purchase. this also means they are difficult to transport to friends or on holiday. also, he doesn't much like being at the table and pushes away from it with his feet, and he can rock the chair quite easily. getting him in and out was quite hard (assuming you will also buy the "baby kit" - the bar that goes into it) as it is rigid and it requires the strength of hercules to get the bar in and out.

we now have a "handysitt" booster chair, which is much more flexible - it folds and is easily transportable. allows ds to sit up at the table "like a big boy!" - bless!. it also cost a fraction of the price of the tripp trapp. the one disadvantage - if you have a wriggly child, like my ds, the constant movement works loose the straps holding it to the ordinary chair, so you need to keep an eye out for that.

hth and good luck with your decision

oh, ds is 18m now and we used the tripp trapp between 6m - 17m. might be different pros and cons with an older child.

We have the Tripp Trapp (only chair my DH would contemplate). I think a tray would definitely be easier in terms of clean up mode, and less damage to your furniture - our table is dented from DS whacking his cup up and down. Plus DS chucks his food around/smears it on the table/grabs for random cups and plates in reach so having him at the table is a mixed blessing. But it supports him well (better than the cheap highchairs we used on holiday) as it is adjustable and as far as chairs go (as opposed to highchairs) it is quite cheap. I am able to get DS in and out without removing the bar, so didn't have BK's problem there, but you do have to remove the bar to clean the cushion - eventually we gave up on the cushion. Depending on how old your child is, you might want to do without the cushion from the start. Not very portable so you do need to buy another lightweight chair for travelling (Argos have one for only £15). I think the price is pretty fixed at all retailers - bit of retail price maintenance there I think. As well as the Baby Dan, there is a Mamas and Papas copy which is cheaper and has a tray, but not as nice-looking IMO.

Here in Belgium you can get a tray to fit the Trippp Trapp chair - at a price! We didn't bother as dd has always sat up at the table in her chair, and we didn't think there would be much difference cleaning a wooden tray or a wooden table. I would recommend it (or a cheaper copy), but as dd is not yet 3 I don't know how long she'll want to use it for.

I agree with the comments about the cushion - we gave up using it because it was a pain taking the bar off everytime it needed a clean. It is worth buying the babykit. Having the chair up to the table is a real bonus but the table got wrecked where DS sits. I should have put one of those table protectors under the tablecloth. Food has a tendency to get stuck in some of the nooks and crannies but I expext this is the case with all high chairs. It is large but DS stills sits in it, it really is growing with him!

We bought a Tripp Trapp for dd, having made a bad choice for ds of a Britax convertible chair(high/low chair and swing all in one) and then moved on to a £20 Tomy booster seat at 15 months (tray is useless)! We all really like having dd at the table joining in meals and have used it since she was about 10 months old and starting to feed herself.

The baby set we have does not include the UK high back or D-rings and we have had no problems with her sitting nicely in it or getting her in and out(but she is petite for her age). Getting the cushion out to clean is a pain but haven't had the problems described as you just loosen the nuts with the Allen key. It wipes down really easily and looks great(dark wood matches our table!!). We use a Pooh plastic table mat and have avoided too much damage to table so far and really don't miss a tray.

Prices here (CH) don't seem to vary very much as I think it is only available through selected outlets - independent babyshops and Furniture stores. Wonder if this is the same in UK.

hth

LizS

Ww love our Tripp Trapp. I love DD (9 months) being sat at the table with us. DD adores being sat with us too. I don't find it difficult to feed her at the table really - if necessary, I just turn the chair round a bit to face towards me more. The cushion can be a little awkward to take off but we dont to it that often and we just give the side a tiny twist with the Allan Key provided. I certainly don't miss having a tray or a recline feature. The highchair has also won safety awards and is considered to be one of the safest around - that's why a lot of the american business in the UK use them, like TGI Fridays.

We got ours, about 5 months ago from the Two Left Feet website. With the baby set and cushion it cost up just under £140. We had great service and it was delivered quickly. There was no delivery charge and it was the cheapest we found it but only by 2 or 3 pounds. It was dearer than the others but definitely work it. We desperately didn't want a bright, bold plastic one. We wanted one that would fit in with our new apartment so we opted for the plain beech wood - looks great as well as being a really useful, well built piece of furniture that she last DD for years to come.

Anyway, I could go on for ever - we love it so much!

Sorry, forgot to add - The maker is a company called Stokke. They are Norwegian. The stokke website doesn't sell it sirect but does have a list of retailers for each country. I bought on-line though. When I did a web search it brought up lots to choose from.

HTH
Claire

we've got the east coast multi-purpose chair from Alibubbles link. Dd has loved it since she was 6 mo, the tray is attached with screws, but can be easily removed so that dd can sit at the table with us. it has the adjustable seat and foot rest a bit like the tripp trapp. they're also available at John Lewis

We have Tripp Trapp chairs for twins of 11 months and ds of nearly 4. In some ways a tray would be good but it's great to be able to have them sitting at the table. The main advantage is not spending money on a high chair (or two!) which becomes redundant in no time.

We were loaned a tripp trapp for ds by his physiotherapy dept, and it came with a tray. The only problem is that by the very design of tripp trapp, adding a tray makes it more unstable, because if the tray is leaned on it overbalances. It has now been replaced with a breezi chair, which to all intents and purposes is exactly the same to look at, but with a better balanced base.

The tray hooks on over the back of the chair btw, so it is completely removable.