Me and my wife did a common error with the HighChair. We tried, at first, a traditional one and only after finding out that it was really uncomfortable, we decided that we needed something better.
We started the weaning of Alessandro with a traditional HighChair.
We had our kitchen half occupied by the HighChair: impossible to put the baby close to the table during dinner and, when not used, it was not possible to move HighChair partially under the table as normal chairs.
The worst thing was the distance between us and Alessandro during lunch and dinner.
Obviously I already had eyed the solution: Tripp-Trapp Chair by Stokke but to get convinced we needed to experience the disadvantages of other choices.
Then when Alessandro started using his own Tripp-Trapp he was already 8 months old.
The best thing about Tripp-Trapp Chair is that you can put it close to the table as a chair thus having your son at your table with you. He will be at your same level and the meal will be a moment together from the very first days. Your baby can eat directly at the table, with his own dish and he is not forced to eat using a tray.
The amount of space occupied by Tripp-Trapp is much less than other HighChairs, though still a certain amount of space is needed.
Tripp-Trapp changes its configuration depending on the age and dimensions of the baby, becoming a different kind of chair depending on the specific period of life of your child.
For toddlers less than 2 years old you can use the ‘baby set’ in order to prevent them to fall down.
The ‘baby set’ is made up of a seatback and a front stand (both made in plastic). The front stand is what prevents them to fall down forward.
It works like the seat of a stroller, with two holes for the legs.
Once you remove the baby set (between 2 and 3 years depending from your child), the Tripp-Trapp obstructs less than a chair.
For newborns you can buy a ‘newborn set’. I cannot talk about it because we did not use it. We did not consider it useful for us.
As far as the baby set and the associated cushions (unfortunately sold apart) are concerned, we found it very useful and user friendly.
We always left Alessandro on his HighChair with no fear of him falling back.
As soon as he could, he started climbing it on his own, using the footrest as a step to reach the seat.
Now that he is 7 years old he uses it as his own chair, since when he was 3 years old. It helped him having his eyes at the same height as ours and allows him to do whatever we do during the meal.
Here I attach a photo of the HighChair with and without babyset (the baby set is the green part).
