Lunchtime- Let's Eat!
Written: Apr 15 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: safe, sturdy, easy to clean, looks good
Cons: toy is hard to clean, cup/snack holders hard to reach,
The Bottom Line: I really like this seat. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, safe, and looks good.
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| fallyn96's Full Review: Graco Neat Seat 3660wnn |
So what do you get your son in law for his twenty-fourth birthday? Why, a high chair, of course! I know- you’re probably sitting there, thinking ‘Huh?’ But this is exactly what my mom got my husband for his birthday last January. She wanted to get him something that we actually needed. So- she bought him the Graco Neat Seat (3660WNN model).
Not All Neat Seats Are Created Equal
When I went to research the high chair for this review, intending to put it in the other Neat Seat category, I discovered that not all Neat Seats are created equal. This is a high chair that my hubby and I had looked at while pregnant with Bean. We knew that we liked the way it looked, how safe the high seems (and is), and the different features. We had even registered for one at Toys R Us.
For those who don’t know- the 3660 model is the Disney Pooh pattern that you can find at Wal-mart. At $60 (on sale for less than $50 at Wal-mart.com), this high chair is reasonably priced for those of us budget conscious people. Below, I’ve listed the different features of this model (the starred features are the features that aren’t listed with the 3656 model).
-Adjustable to five height positions
-3 position recline for easy infant feeding
-Easy Server tray with convenient cup holder and snack holder
-Removable toy for baby’s entertainment*
-Locking wheels to make movement around the kitchen easier
-5 point harness for baby’s safety
-A large roomy seat*
-A permanent T-bar restraint designed to keep baby in the seat, with or without the tray
-A removable vinyl seat pad that fits under the washable, padded cloth seat pad.
The 3656 model has a bar on the back for hanging towels and bibs that the 3660 does not have.
First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions
I know that safety is important to all parents. We want our kids to have toys and furniture that isn’t going to turn around and bite them in the rear, so to speak. So we talk up all the safety features, while secretly looking at things like patterns and wondering ‘Will this look good in my kitchen/living room/nursery?’ Admit it- I’m not the only one who thinks that style is just as important as function and safety. This seat has all the safety features that I like- the permanent T-bar restraint, the five point harness, and the locking wheels (you just never know when your three year old is going to decide that baby needs a ride in his high chair).
But this seat looks sharp. The 3660 has a cream colored frame, with dark, pastel green accents. The vinyl pad and straps are this dark pastel green. The washable cloth seat pad is mostly green gingham check, with yellow and cream accents. There’s also a cute scene with Disney’s Winnie the Pooh and friends. The colors are neutral, and work well for a boy- but the ruffle on the top of the cloth pad can make this a girl’s seat.
Out Of The Box
There is some work involved when putting this seat together. Unfortunately- the instructions are for both reclining and non-reclining models, and can get confusing when it’s time to put the seat on. Once I figured out that I have a reclining model, I was good to go. You will need a Phillips head screwdriver to put the seat together. It took me less than an hour (even with two kids climbing in and out of my lap) to put this seat together.
What’s Good?
It is easy to remove and reinstall the straps. Really, the hardest part is matching the holes in the cloth seat pad, vinyl seat pad, and the high chair itself.
I was leary of the cloth pad at first. We all know how messy a baby can be, especially when they are first learning to feed themselves. I was worried that I’d use the high chair for lunch, and then have to rush around getting the seat clean just so I could use it for supper. I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that yes, you can use the seat without the cloth pad, if the cloth pad is still in the dryer when supper is ready. It may not be as comfortable as when the cloth pad is on the seat- but it works.
The T-bar was another worry of mine. There’s a bar on our stroller that scraped Monster’s legs when he was barely a year old. Bean is almost to that age, and while he’s a little smaller than Monster was- I see that there is plenty of room for his legs when I take him in and out of the seat.
Let’s talk harness. The five point harness on this seat is nice. It adjusts to different heights as baby grows (there’s only two heights though- so you will have to watch just how tall your child is to make sure that the straps are fitting right). The straps are fairly easy to remove and reinstall for cleaning- and they can be tossed into the washing machine for cleaning (I do not dry them in the dryer- I let them air dry, and I’ve never had a problem with them being wet at suppertime after a lunchtime washing).
What’s Not So Good?
The Neat Seat has a weight limit of 37 pounds. Monster is 37 pounds- even if I could get him to sit in the seat, he wouldn’t fit. His chubby legs would be scraping that T-bar. He’s also a little tall for the foot rest- he wouldn’t be comfortable in the seat. But this seat isn’t for Monster- it’s for Bean. And Bean, at almost 20 pounds, still fits comfortably in this seat.
Forget the cup and snack holders. Your child would have to have long gorilla arms in order to reach them at a young age. I’m sure that when the child is old, that this isn’t a problem- but that wide try does present a problem when Cheerios get scattered to the far side of the tray. Because of the tray’s width and length, it’s hard to clean in smaller sinks.
It takes some practice getting the tray to snap onto the seat. After a few days of constant use, I was able to get the hang of it. But it does take some patience when you first start using the seat. And I have yet to figure out what the handle on the front of the tray is for- it pulls out, but as far as I can tell, it doesn’t lock into anything (I’d be grateful to anyone who explained this to me!).
The seat does not fold up. We have a tiny apartment kitchen. So this high chair is taking up valuable space in our kitchen. I would love it if this seat had a fold up option for the legs at the very least. At least then I could lean it up against the wall, or stick in in the laundry room when we have company over. Instead- the high chair is sitting out, getting in everyone’s way.
We only use the high chair for eating. I don’t believe in using things like play pens, walkers, swings and high chairs as babysitters so that I can get things done around the house. So the toy is pretty useless for us. In fact- it’s the only feature that I out and out hate on this high chair. The toy is removable, but it’s hard to clean. The one that came with our seat is a bee that rattles and squeaks. It looks like it has an accordion shoved up its behind. When baby bats at it- the bee squeaks (sometimes) and rattles (every time). Because it is so easy to smear mashed potatoes on the bee, you would think that it would be easier to clean. But all those little cracks and crevices are just too hard to get into and clean thoroughly. So the bee has been removed from our high chair, and won’t be returning anytime soon.
Final Thoughts
I haven’t mentioned the height adjustment or the reclining options because those are features that we don’t use, and probably won’t use. Bean was eight months old when we received this high chair, so the infant recline stage had passed. And the top height is perfect for us- I have no problems spoon feeding at this height, and now that Bean is feeding himself, the seat is at a perfect height for me to hand him his snacks and meals. I really like this seat. It’s sturdy, easy to clean, safe, and looks good.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fallyn96
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Member: Tracey
Location: Illinois
Reviews written: 263
Trusted by: 104 members
About Me:
Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids.
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