Easy Care High Chair

As mother of a determined self-feeder 17 month old and a serious mess-a-phobe, I highly recommend this chair.

For full disclosure, we have the now discontinued Aquarium version of this chair, so some of the entertainment features may differ.

Fisher-Price did some hefty market research when designing the features for this product:

SEAT COVER - The seat cover is a durable vinyl-coated material that easily wipes clean with a damp cloth. Most high chairs on the market have a fabric covered seat which grip dirt and crumbs and do not wipe clean. The Seat Cover was reason #1 for my purchase and continues to be my favorite feature.

TRAY - The tray consists of a white base tray as well as a removable feeding tray. The feeding tray is dishwasher safe and has proven to be stain resistant - even when tested with tomato sauce. One of the great features of having the removable feeding tray is that on those hectic days when there isn't time (or energy) to wash the feeding tray and assorted dishes after every meal, the base tray works perfectly as a feeding tray as well. This was not a feature I researched when making this purchase, but have since observed friends' highchairs and discovered that the separate feeding tray is not standard on all highchairs.

TOYS - The entertainment options for this highchair were a second reason for my purchase. The base tray includes two snap on toys that easily hang out of the way when not in use (but greatly aid Mom in the "drop it" game all toddlers come pre-programmed to play). Aside from entertaining baby while Mom makes the meal, the toy also serves as a helpful feeding aid in our house. Vegetables are fed to the fishy toys first and baby then gobbles those veggies up! The tray also comes equipped with an aquarium that snaps onto the base tray (again, avoiding the drop it game). (Note that the Rainforest chair has a different themed snap on toy.) The aquarium plays music and includes buttons that send the fish swimming. When not in use, the aquarium hangs out of the way on a hook attached to the back of the chair.

SIZE - Size was a third reason for my choice. This chair collapses easily, but at 28" deep and 22" wide when fully opened for use, it easily fits into the corner of our rather small kitchen. The height adjustments are similar to other chairs on the market and can easily be used along-side most tables so baby can join mealtime.

SAFETY - A final reason for my choice was the 5-point harness which makes it more difficult for a determined toddler to squirm her way out of the chair (and onto a very hard floor). During baby's first days of solid food and more frequent choking scares, I tended to just buckle the waist belt (pushing the shoulder harness behing baby) so that I could more easily lean her forward or pull her out of her chair. Now that she's a better eater but also better at squirming, the harness is a great help at keeping her safe in the chair. The chair is on 4-wheel casters that lock into place and do not skirt across the floor even when "tested" (see below).

QUALITY - This chair is very well constructed. While my baby is relatively low key, we've used the chair with toddler boys and it's survived just fine without wobbling or seeming weakened in anyway. In addition, even when one of these children threw his entire 40 lb. self against the chair, the locked wheels didn't budge.

PRICE - Price was not a primary concern for my selection as this was a baby registry registry item and we were so taken with the features. It is currently priced at a major baby store chain at $99 and I would absolutely agree that it's worth every penny.

CONCLUSION - As anyone who has read my reviews knows, I rarely lack at least one negative or constructive criticism. This is one of those occasions. I'd have to stretch to find a negative quality about this chair. I could say that it is a certainly a child-friendly design and may not compliment a well-decorated kitchen. However, now that it's a fixture in our kitchen, I don't notice the design, particularly as toys and crayon artwork slowly take over the rest of the house. If quality, compact size and convenience are more important than a trendy name or design, then I would highly recommend this chair.