Since I have two girls under 3, I’ve tried literally every baby product out there. But every time I post Tess or Nell eating on Instagram, my DMs immediately fill with questions like, “do you like that high chair?,” “what should I look for in a high chair?” and so on.
There are a ton of things you want to consider to help you choose the right high chair for you. For me, it was important to find a high chair that’s safe, easy to clean, can be used for a while (since I knew I wanted more than one kid) and let’s be real – looks good in my home.
With Tess, my older one, we went with the Tripp Trapp from Stokke, but when we had Nellie Lalo had come out with The Chair, so we decided to give that one a try for her. (Spoiler alert: we now have three Lalo’s). As I do with my mom’s groups, friends and followers I wanted to give you an honest run down of both of these high chairs since I get so many questions about them.
Lalo is known for their modern and thoughtfully designed baby and toddler products. I was drawn to try The Chair immediately because of how chic it looked and how it turns into a play chair once your baby has outgrown the high chair phase, so it would be great for either of the kids down the line. You can get The Chair in three different bundles: the Basic Kit ($175), the 2-in-1 Kit ($195) and the Full Kit ($215). I ended up going with the Full Kit which comes with everything. It costs $215, but is $255 worth of products so it really did feel like I was getting a deal with the cushion and play legs.
I immediately loved the way The Chair looked and how sleek it was! It wasn’t bulky like other high chairs and fit right into the decor of our NYC apartment and in a way, it made me feel like I could keep my own personal identity outside of being a parent. Whenever I fed the girls, I usually kept the tray on and loved that I didn’t need to take the tray off to get the girls in and out. The tray can be tricky to learn how to take off, but it’s super easy to clean so I leave it on most of the time. I simply just wipe it down with a sponge and the food comes right off. There were a few times I needed a deep clean (you know those messy meals…), so I would just throw the tray in the dishwasher and the cushion and straps in the laundry machine! Super low maintenance. The footrest is a great height. In the early days of eating solids they won’t be able to reach it but by the time they’re really eating meals it will be perfect for most. It also flips over to gain an extra 3 inches as they grow.
When going back to what I was looking for in a high chair, The Chair ended up checking all of my boxes and then some! Pro tip: I also have their play table now. I converted two of my chairs and kept the brace on and the girls love eating at their own table, and are secure in place.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Beautiful design
- It turns into a play chair!
- Easy to clean
- Can remove kids without taking off the tray
- Machine washable cushion
WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE:
- Learning curve to take off the tray
Bonus: They have the absolute best customer service.
Stokke – Tripp Trapp High Chair
Stokke is a Norwegian-based company known for their simple and classic Scandinavian designed products that have been around for years. The Tripp Trapp High Chair is a classic that’s been around since 1972. The Tripp Trapp comes in two different configurations: High Chair ($269) and Complete ($349). I first selected “High Chair” but then realized that didn’t come with the cushions and tray. Seriously what’s a high chair without a tray! So I switched to the “Complete.” Although the chair could be modified to eventually grow as Tess does, it was hard to justify spending $349+ on a high chair, especially because I had to add on more accessories which made it even more expensive. This was something that was hard for me to look past!
Looks-wise, the Tripp Trapp looked more traditional to me and honestly a bit bulky for my style. I did like the wide selection of colors, though! When it arrived, I attempted to assemble it myself and definitely had to put in some extra work to screw everything in to make sure all was stable. I was excited about the harness because it seemed pretty safe and secure, but honestly, with the tray on I would struggle to get Tess in and out every. single. Time. I needed to take off the tray every time to get her out, and it just seemed like an unnecessary step. One other flaw of the tray is that the kids easily have access to the bottom, and food ends up smushed underneath in the crevices 100% of the time.
The Tripp Trapp is a classic, but it just doesn’t check all the boxes for me. It is certainly safe and sturdy, and the adjustable footrest is really nice. But looking back it is pricey for what you get.
WHAT I LOVED:
- Sturdy and durable
- Can be pushed up to the dinner table
- Adjustable footrest
WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE:
- Costly, especially with added accessories
- A little bulky
- Hard assembly
- Food gets stuck under the tray
- Have to take off tray to get child out
- Hard to clean straps
My Pick: The Chair by Lalo. This high chair really has it all and I recommend it to everyone of my friends, members of my moms groups and to all my followers. You can get it here and save $40 when you get the “Full Kit.” If you’re expecting and building your registry, you can easily add it to your registry on Babylist!