Little Tikes Easy Store Table: Is This a Fluke?
Written: Mar 25 '05
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Pros: sturdy, doesn't fade easily
Cons: hard to fold, filled with water, benches bowing
The Bottom Line: The Bottom Line is washing its mind with Clorox to clean the thought of stagnant water in a table out.
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| pippadaisy's Full Review: Little Tikes Easy Store Table |
As I'm writing this review, my kids' Little Tikes Easy Store Table is in our living room. You see, our dining room table needs to be sanded and painted, and I got it in my head that I was going to redo our living room, so I trucked the table out to the garage to await repainting, and brought the kids' table in to give them a place to eat. Spending this much time with the Little Tikes Easy Store Table has made me realize that in the scheme of things, I really don't like it all that much!
::: Basic Colors, Basic Concept :::
Our Little Tikes Easy Store Table has red benches, a yellow table top, and blue sides, but the newer tables go for a more "natural" look with colors that are less bright. Made entirely of plastic, the Little Tikes Easy Store Table arrives in its box fully assembled (for once). All you need to do is slide the supports and the flattened table pops up into a picnic table for little ones. At 42 inches wide by 19¾ inches deep by 38 inches tall, this table is large enough to fit six children (although four are more comfortable), but stable enough to seat just one.
Made of the standard Little Tikes plastic, the Little Tikes Easy Store Table is designed for indoor or outside use, and cleans up easily with cleanser.
::: Slosh, Slide :::
When we first got our Little Tikes Easy Store Table, I was thrilled. It was the picnic table of choice for kids, and all our friends with small children had one. What wasn't to love? It was plastic, it wouldn't tip, and it was supposed to clean up easily. What wouldn't a mom love?
As time has worn on, however, I've become less enamored with the Little Tikes Easy Store Table. For starters, "Easy Store" is all in the eye of the beholder. We've never been able to get the supports to pop out easily to fold the table flat, so storing and transporting our table has been done with the table fully assembled.
Secondly, the indoor/outdoor "feature" should state "once placed outdoors, abandon hope all ye who wish to use indoors." Our Little Tikes Easy Store Table got tipped in a wind storm, and somehow, defying all laws of nature, got water inside the benches and side supports. Whenever the table moves, you hear a sloshing of what I can only assume is stagnant water inside. My husband has attempted to alleviate the internal flood with strategically placed drill holes, but no matter how much water SEEMS to dribble out, we still hear the sloshing, which has also served to make the table (which is hard to move since we can't FOLD it) even harder to move.
Finally, after close to three years of use, I'm noticing that the benches are staring to bow in the middle. I probably shouldn't be all that surprised; after all, they are made of plastic, and aside from the one winter that the Little Tikes Easy Store Table spent outside, it's seen probably daily use, but it's still something you would assume wouldn't happen with a Little Tikes product.
On the good side, the table really does clean up easily, and even with its frequent stints outside, it shows minimal staining and fading. I just wish I could say that the good points outweighed the bad, although this is still probably one of the better picnic tables out there on the market. Were I to buy one today, though, I'd definitely be looking for another brand and design.
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More proof of our nearly unswerving devotion to Little Tikes:
8-in-1 Adjustable Playground • Activity Gym • Alphabet Desk • Buzzz About Mailbox • Loader • Monster Truck • Party Ware • PlayAbout Kingdom • Rhythm Maker Music Set • StudioDesign Art Desk • Tender Heart Talking Vanity
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): @65.00
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Other
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pippadaisy
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Reviews written: 1086
Trusted by: 177 members
About Me:
Divorce seriously cuts into the amount of time for reviewing.
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