Best High Chair? - Fort Benning,GA

I tried the stand alone high chairs with both of my children. For us, their use was short lived. The kids learned to climb out of them quckly or rock them. Plus I hated having one more baby item to walk around. I always liked the space save high chairs. The kind that fit on top of the chairs. They seem to work well and usually change into a booster chair when baby is past the phase of needing a high chair. Plus there is something nice with having the baby at the table with the rest of the family. I had a Fisher Price Space Saver with my son. With my daughter we have one of the fold up kinds. They both do their job, but I could use the Fisher Price space saver from the get go with my son. With the portable kind, I had to wait for my daughter to be older.

Keekaroo all the way!

The Keekaroo is so adjustable from infant to adult. We love our daughter's so much (she's 3) that we're going to purchase a second one when #2 needs a high chair. The chair is super versatile, incredibly easy to clean, adjustable to multiple heights, very study, made from sustainable materials, and has a small footprint.

We started with a Chicco Polly (and I absolutely love the Chicco brand) that we really wanted to love... but the footprint on the base and the constant cleaning of all of the nooks & crannies and having to remove the cover just got old. When our daughter was old enough to use it as a "booster" at the table, the arms folded up but it was awkward for her because the chair's arms hit right at her shoulders. Also, getting in and out of the Chicco wasn't as easy with the wheels, and the foot rest isn't really designed as a step. Sure it folds up small, but rarely if ever do you fold it up after every meal... and the footprint on the Chicco is large... we were constantly tripping over it.

The Keekaroo chair is fantastic, and will fit in nicely in Germany (it's a streamlined wood chair, not some huge American plastic contraption that will take up half your German house). Plus, it can hold up to 250 pounds since it converts to a regular chair, so you don't have to worry about sturdiness. And when you ship it, you can break it down to the pieces it came in - it's all flat wood so it will ship easily, and then put it back together when you arrive.

My girls have both been in Keekaroos since they were 6 months old - we love them. At first we used the Keekaroos as regular high chairs with the trays, and then when my girls were old enough to sit at the table, we took the trays off and pulled the Keekaroos up to the table. At each stage we adjusted the seat and footboard to fit their height. Now we've taken off the footboard and my girls are using the Keekaroos like regular chairs at the dining room table. I like it because they're more stable than a regular chair so I don't worry about the chairs tipping over when my four year olds climb in. You can order them online at keekaroo . com

I went a less traditional route and got a resaurant style wooden high chair. My son started using it at about 5 or 6 months and he still uses it at just over 2 years old. A few months ago we took out the bar in the front so that he can get in and out on his own. I liked having him at the table with us and it's relatively small. It's also super easy to clean and very sturdy. Plus, I got it online at Target when they were doing free shipping and it only cost me $40.

For baby number 2, we opted for no high chair and bought a plastic seat with a tray that affixes right to the kitchen chair. It was soooo much better. High chair was always in the way. The chair at the table allowed the baby to be at dinner with us and not away from the table. Super easy clean up too. Only thing I will say if you go this route, be sure to put a towel or rubber mat under the chair. As the baby moves the seat can make scuff marks on your chair.

The Baby Tenda feeding table is great. It cant tip over. Our baby was really big & active & it just felt safe. It is a little pricey but it converts to other things. Check it out on The Baby Tenda website.

I had the big free standing high chairs with my twins and hated them! Hard to clean and move around. I switched to the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seats before they were a year old and loved them! Easy to clean, easy to take along when you travel or just to a friend's house and nice to have the child eating at the table with us instead of on the tray after a while. I am pregnant with another one now and have already sold off our big high chairs and plan to only use this booster with the new baby. Good luck!

B.
Mom of Twins
www.babybearsden.com

I second the recommendation for a restaurant-style wooden chair. We had the silly giant plastic one first and it just got all crusty and took up half the kitchen.

Here's a link---there are bunches to choose from on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Commercial-Restaurant-Wooden-N...

Ikea, $25 bucks. My sister in law recommended. This was after she had 2 fancy expensive ones for her twins. These are plastic (I think even come in a few colors now). I used it for both my boys. It cleans sooooo easily, has a strap for safety and you can get a pillow to make it more cushy. Mine never had a problem with it. Absolutely the best purchase I made and was sooo cheap. No need for a $150 highchair.