Good as a high chair - not sure about other "options"
Written: Mar 12 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: sturdy, large tray; easy to clean; nice restraint system
Cons: RECALLED - certain models only; pattern wears; seat pad can slip
The Bottom Line: This is a useful product - just be sure that yours does not still have the defect that prompted the recent recall. Because of this, I recommend it with reservation.
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| amknight's Full Review: Cosco Options 5 Adjustable High Chair |
We have more experience with this chair than most, as we have two of them that we have been using for over a year now (yes, twins!!). We received the chairs as baby gifts from very kind grandparents, and although we like the chairs, bedrest prevented me from going out and researching myself, so I didn't actually choose the model. But overall, we are happy with the chairs and have gotten great use out of them.
Before I go on, here is the caution: some models have been RECALLED! You won't purchase those models in the store today, as the problem has been fixed, but you do need to check on the bottom of a chair if it is used and see if the number is one listed on Cosco's website at www.coscoinc.com. Here is the problem: when in the reclining position, the seat in these models can actually slide off, sending the child and chair careening to the floor. Cosco also manufactures the "Safety 1st" product line - sounds like they needed to take their own advice! Thankfully, the cause of the problem was the shape of a particular latch, and that latch can easily be replaced with a free repair kit you can obtain by filling out a form on Cosco's website.
As you may have figured, both of our chairs happened to be on the recall list. But as I said, this does NOT mean they need to be tossed - the repair kit completely fixed the problem, which was not even a problem for us, as we never used the reclining function, nor did we move the seat to different levels (which you should NEVER do while the child is in the seat!!).
Now for other features... yes, the chair can recline and it can sit at a variety of different levels. For us, the top level was perfect, and we chose not to even use highchairs until our girls could sit up on their own. I felt more comfortable feeding them cereal as they sat on my lap or in a bouncy seat until they were strong enough to sit up on their own. We didn't need a tray anyway, just a bib, so I saw no reason to move them to a high chair yet. These do give that option though, which some may like.
As a high chair, these do have some nice functions. The seatbelt/strap comes up between the legs and around the waist, and we ALWAYS use this. Anyone with toddlers knows how squirmy they like to be! Some older models also had the recall applied to these straps and their method of attachment to the high chair - again, check your model number. Ours are newer, though, and we are very happy with the seatbelt straps.
The tray is nice and large, and it has a helpful, tall lip around it to help in preventing excessive amounts of food from plummeting to the floor. (Of course, if your child can reach over the side, which she WILL learn to do, no tray can prevent this. Trust me.) The tray also has a part that connects at the front and comes down between the child's legs, adding extra support to keep a child from slipping. This is NOT a substitute for using the straps, and they are very clear about that, but it is nice. The last few weeks (after 12 months of use), one of these parts has begun giving us problems in becoming stuck at the front and making it difficult to push the tray all the way in to latch... I haven't read of anyone else having this problem, and it is easy to go around if you just stick a finger up and slightly lift the tray extension as you are pushing the tray in.
The legs of this highchair are bulkier than some I have seen - they have a very large base. This has been quite useful to us, as I mentioned those squirmy toddlers earlier. I have absolutely no fear of these chairs ever tipping. They do fold, but since we use them three times a day and have space at the side of our kitchen, I have never felt the need to fold them between meals.
Now for the negatives... I mentioned the problem that can occur with the lever that comes down from the tray. In addition, the tray can stain a little bit, particularly if your children are eating food like good ol' spaghettios or something with bright red sauce. The stains will eventually wear off - with a lot of scrubbing - but not easily. Until we came to the age of jello and red sauce, we did not have this problem.
I like the design of the chair pad - it is a plaid that doesn't scream "BABY!!!". I am all for cute little ducks and teddies, but I'd just as soon not have them in the middle of our kitchen for more than a year. And babies, frankly, don't care. So I appreciated the plaid (that does, in fact, have "cute" little teddy bears woven into the pattern). Here is the problem - after a year of having a head rub against this pad, the color is fading a great deal in the head area. When we first put the chairs together, one could imagine that they were actually covered in fabric. It is now obvious that they're not.
One of our chair pads also has a difficult time staying connected over the back of the chair. The other does not, and the little places where it is hooked on stay hooked. Why? Who knows. Our girls are different, so I suppose their chairs have personalities, too.
One more thing we will be able to do with these chairs, if we choose, is use the seats as booster seats at our table. We have other booster seats that take up less space and fit better at our table (we didn't know that we'd be getting high chairs we could use for this when we asked for them as shower gifts), so we probably won't use them for this, but it's nice to have this option.
Overall, if you can be certain that your chair no longer has the defect(s) that prompted the recall, I do recommend this product. But I recommend it with reservation, as a recall is never a positive thing.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
amknight
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Member: Angela Knight
Location: Indiana
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 18 members
About Me:
Mother of twins and teacher by trade, I love my husband, daughters, and my Lord!
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