You may have seen this product before. You may have read other reviews on it. You may even have a friend/relative that has one.
Most of you have heard of this product at the same place....a baby safety seminar.
The Pitch.
Some of us received a flyer in the mail informing us about a "baby safety seminar" in our area...being new or soon-to-be parents...we are intrigued. We were also curious about this "amazing free gift" that we receive afterwards.
When you arrive (probably at a local hotel conference room), you introduced to a smooth talking instructor that gives you a sermon about safety and your baby. Listen up; most of what he has to say is true.
Yes. This safety seminar is really a sales pitch for the Babee Tenda feeding table, and your instructor is the local distributor. Regardless of how "deceiving" this "sales-pitch-disguised-as-safety-seminar" is labeled as...it still makes very valid points about the safety of your child in dangerous furniture such as high chairs, saucers, walkers, and bouncy seats. It is true that going to the seminar will get you "an instant deal" on the furniture, as you will pay about $100 more if you buy outside the seminar, directly from the company. Oh...and the "free gift" I mentioned earlier? Yeah...it's just some coupons for free sittings at photo places and stuff like that...
What's in the box? See http://www.babeetenda.com/tableinst.htm for a visual instruction.
The Babee Tenda feeding table is about 2ft. by 2ft. square, and between 2 and 3 ft. tall (depending on what height you have it adjusted to). When it arrives in the mail, it will be folded up and slightly dis-assembled. The metal, adjustable height, legs, with plastic rolling casters, will be folded up into the table. Keep a close eye on how you put it together, because this will essentially be how to pack it up for storage or travel (more later). Fold the legs out. The legs tighten down with large wing nuts.
With the table standing, the chair is now ready to be installed. Release the table top by reaching under the front of the table for a small spring release latch. This will now allow you to remove the table top for assembly or cleaning.
The chair is made of Formica, covered in a washable vinyl pad (covers can be purchased to protect this as well), the straps are secured to the seat by metal clips. The removable and adjustable footrest is made of plastic. The chair sits on two wooden dowels with holes drilled along them. The chair adjusts forward and back by placing the pegs on the chair into the different holes. Once the tray is in place, the chair cannot move.
The sides of the table are made of wood, the edges are covered in a soft plastic/rubber and the corners have plastic bumper guards.
Babee Tenda sells this product as the "safest baby device in the world". The Babee Tenda feeding table does not have warning labels on the product, unlike most high chairs and children's devices do have...especially the DO NOT LEAVE CHILD UNATTENDED one. Which, yes, is on your high chair...I guarantee it. Sheesh, even your child's crib has warnings! Once your child is in the Babee Tenda, there is no way out (if you use all the locking, strapping, safety features properly), there is no way of knocking it over, and there is no way they can hurt themselves in it.
The Babee Tenda has a 5-7 day "shipping protection guarantee" where if the product arrives damaged, you can call the service number and replacement parts will be shipped out to you. Along with that, you have a warranty on the product.
What's it used for? Infant seat
The Babee Tenda is not just a feeding table. Clip the footrest into the front of the table on the inside, put the chair on the farthest peg hole, and the chair should lay back in a reclined position. Replace the tray. As your infant grows, slowly move the chair up one peg a month until you reach around 3-5 peg holes...at this time, your child should be sitting up on their own enough to move to the next stage.
This setup can be used for sleeping, playing with toys, and feeding. Although, since the tray does not snugly fit against your child's stomach at this time, be prepared to clean the seat as food will fall between them and the tray if you are feeding them.
Child seat/feeding table
Unlatch the footrest from the front of the table. At this stage, the position of the seat should be in whatever peg hole allows the chair to sit close enough to the tray that the cut out "U-shape" should fit snugly into the soft part of the child's belly.
This setup is the major function of the Babee Tenda. You can let your child sit in the Babee Tenda while they play with toys, or when they are eating. It works great for kids who are learning to eat by themselves. It offers a huge "working space" for them to push their food around and make a mess (as kids will do). My hint, this is a great place for them to play with their play dough...better than on your floor.
Highchair
From child seat mode, turn the chair around backwards. Slide the tray in, and adjust the legs so the table is the same height as your dining room table. Now, when you put the child in the Babee Tenda, they can sit up next to the table with their plate and utensils on the table like a "big boy" or "big girl".
Unfortunately, the Babee Tenda is a bit bulky at the dining room table, especially if you have a small table. But, it eliminates the need of having to buy a booster seat when they are too big for their high chair.
Play Table
Now, the extra piece that came in the box? That is the table top. Take the chair out of the Babee Tenda and store it. Slide the tray into the table. DO NOT try to slide the table top into the table...it is not made that way. The table top sits on top of the tray. Adjust the legs to whatever height you need.
This is the cool part of the Babee Tenda. One side of the table top is normal. Use this as a playing table, card table, serving table (for real tea or fake tea), or even end table. Now, flip the table top over...chalkboard! Adjust two of the legs farther down than the others and you have a "drafting style" table. Paired along with the chair that Babee Tenda sells (or any other "little people" chair), you have an instant desk! Attach one of those "clip-on" or "clamp-on" lamps and you have a homework desk that can be used by your kids until at least middle school!
Babee Tenda offers so many different features, that it eliminates the need of having so many pieces of children's furniture. How many of you have a play saucer? Where does it go when they aren't using it? In the middle of the floor....where else can you put the bulky thing? And the high chair? It stays in the kitchen/dining room all the time. What about the booster seat, and the children's table and chair set? Instead of trying to make room for all of those pieces, you can use the Babee Tenda and its only one piece of furniture!
Pros and Cons, everything has them. Pros
- one piece of furniture, many uses
- one of the safest (if not THE safest) baby devices in the world
- rolls around on the floor easily, move the child into every room you are in
- fairly easy to clean
- folds up for transportation or storage
Cons
- expensive
- bulky
- the table's surface will NOT stain, but the rubber strips on the edges will. This will require a little extra cleaning after messy meals like spaghetti
- wing nuts on the legs need tightened down at least once a month...more often if you "rock" the table when you are trying to put your infant to sleep
- tray is hard to get unlatched and removed if you only have one hand at the time
- GUARD YOUR STAIRS...the Babee Tenda does fit through doorways easily...if you have an older child who likes to push the younger one around in the table, make sure you have baby gates on your stairs, or doors!
Mythbusters
This is where I break some myths that other reviewers had made about the Babee Tenda in their reviews.
"You can use it from infant?? No way, maybe if you're not concern of baby comfort"
Did you have it in the infant mode? In that setting, you may need to add a couple of blankets in between the baby and the seat to help keep them from "getting lost" in the seat. You have to keep in mind that the seat has to be big enough for them when they are older.
"As a high chair, not that easy to clean. In fact, if food or some liquid go into the edge, that's it. Surface, stained within month."
Is anything easy to clean? Most high chairs' HUGE trays don't fit into your sink. Wipe up the "big chunks" of food with a paper towel. Pull the tray out (don't worry, kid is still strapped in), dump the crumbs in the trash. Wipe it down with a paper towel. The surface is NON-POUROUS, that means it cannot and should not stain. We've had ours for three months and have yet to see stains.
"One day I sat her in her chair for lunch and turned to get her meal and then back at her again and there was a small square piece of plastic in front of her on her table.. Where did this come from? Well it was one of the corner plastic cover pieces of the table.. She could have easily picked it up and put in her mouth and CHOKED. I WAS IRATE."
Ok, this I CAN understand. The same thing happened to ours. Luckily, I had read this person's review and was aware that it might happen. PLEASE BE ADVISED, the corner pieces may have a tendency to break after use. THE BEST FIX? Break them off when you get it. The piece that breaks is a part of the plastic corner caps. In breaking off the piece (not the whole cap), the cap is still screwed onto the table and will still do its job.
"The first table had the dowels reversed. The chair can’t be adjusted more than three spaces. The second table had a staple misaligned that would not let the tray go in. 6 phone calls and three extra weeks of feeding my baby in my arms, I asked them to overnight a new table to us. They said it "just isn’t feasible. You’ll get it regular shipping". This is my answer after waiting four days to get a return call after the second bad table had arrived."
This is literally the ONLY review out of the 30 reviews here where I have heard this. 1 out of 30 isn't a bad record....
"My son gave the table a slight nudge and it began to roll towards the stairs. Keep in mind, not all stairways have doors. We use this staircase a hundred times a day and I can't just put a cheap, stationary, wooden gate in front of it. Am I supposed to go out and buy an expensive swing gate, after spending hundreds of dollars on a product that is supposed to be the safest out there??? "
To answer your question...YES! What are you going to do when your baby starts to crawl around on the floor and heads for the stairs!?!?!? The product is safe...but it isn't made to replace common sense!
The conclusion. The end all be all.
My wife, kids, and I LOVE this product. No…I’m not a Babee Tenda salesman…but I do a darn good job, don’t I? The Babee Tenda table has a ton of great features and it’s safe. Don’t mistake my review. It is a great product. Is it the best product for everyone? No. That’s why this is my opinion. I DO recommend this product to everyone. I DON’T recommend this product to people who don’t want to take the time to take care of a great piece of equipment. Yes, it is expensive. Yes, it can be a pain to clean sometimes. Yes, it takes a minute to switch from feature to feature. But as long as you take the time, you will love it. Remember, it is a piece of children’s furniture, not a life-saving babysitter.
Official Site - http://www.babeetenda.com
Optional Accessories - http://www.babeetenda.com/orderfrm.html
Leave me a comment if you wish, I would love to hear other’s opinions and chat more about this product.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Remarkably versatile you'll use it steadily from birth until your child is well into school as it converts quickly into infant seat, highchair, bather...More at Amazon Marketplace
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Remarkably versatile you'll use it steadily from birth until your child is well into school as it converts quickly into infant seat, highchair, bather...More at Amazon Marketplace
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Remarkably versatile you'll use it steadily from birth until your child is well into school as it converts quickly into infant seat, highchair, bather...More at Amazon Marketplace
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Remarkably versatile you'll use it steadily from birth until your child is well into school as it converts quickly into infant seat, highchair, bather...More at Amazon Marketplace
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