First AND last highchair.
Written: Mar 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A must for parents that appreciate quality.
Cons: Expensive. Older models may scratch wood floors.
The Bottom Line: Yes, it's expensive - but the features and quality are well worth the cost. Very suitable for active, rambunctious escape artists!
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| ch59's Full Review: Peg Perego Prima Pappa Menta Highchair |
**The review title states "MENTA" highchair. Menta is simply one of the color options.
Originally, I purchased a Baby Trend highchair & used it for about 6 months before I chucked it. It had safety issues, and was a nightmare to clean.
I did my homework for my next selection, as I didn't want to keep replacing highchairs! A majority of the highchairs I looked at were cheaply made: seats were made of cloth fabric, or very slick, tacky-patterned vinyl, some even had ruffles-ever try and clean baby food from the crease's of ruffles? They also had cumbersome dials/levers/buttons to move the seat, take the tray off etc. I wanted a quality product that was easy to use and clean.
The Peg I purchased is a 2004 Prima Pappa model with 'oatmeal' colored leatherette: an attractive matte, textured surface that easily wipes clean with a sponge. This was one of THE most important features to me. My child is a messy eater and there is always food everywhere. Because the Peg's seat is a one piece, sealed 'box' design-there isn't any deep crevices for food to disappear into.
However, the one thing I wouldn't suggest is to spray the chair down with a water hose, or use LARGE amounts of water to clean the seat. My little one had thrown-up (sorry!) in his chair and I hosed it off outside. Because I got it soaking wet, the water got into the little air holes on the underside of the seat cushion. It smelled a bit musty for a few weeks. But it's fine now.
The dining tray is easy to clean. It's a dual design which means the dining tray pops off for cleaning, and a clean tray is underneath. If you need to take the entire tray out for cleaning, it easily removes using one hand. Once it's locked in position, it's locked in! Very sturdy. The dining tray is good sized & has a beverage holder. It can be popped into the dishwasher for cleaning if needed.
The only places for food to collect are at the sides near the armrests. Even with my super messy guy, not much food collected there and it wasn't that difficult to clean.
I can't tell you how many friends' highchairs were like rubix cubes. You had to pull/turn things this way and that way-yet the child was easily able to get the tray off the chairs and escape! Many of the chairs were so cheaply made that my son could kick the tray off, or climb out of the lap belt.
Which brings me to the other feature I love. The 5 point safety harness: just like the ones on Peg's strollers! My little guy is a houdini. But the rugged straps kept him in place. Some might argue the shoulder straps are hard to clean when they get dirty. Not really, they pop off through the back when they need a soaking. The lap belts are more of a challenge as you need to unscrew them-but I've only had to remove them once for cleaning. And think about it, if it were too easy to remove, your child could easily figure it out too!
The way the chair is made, makes it tip-proof with my wiggle worm. My child has always been in the 100th percentile in height since he was an infant-and is VERY active in his highchair-yet he hasn't been able to tip this chair in the least bit. As he got older, I was able to remove the dining tray and pull him right up to the table to eat with us, then use the 'brakes' so he couldn't propel backwards. There is also a large T bar at the front of the seat to keep the child from sliding out from under the tray.
The great thing about this chair is that it can be adjusted to varying height levels. It didn't matter if I was sitting outside in a lowslung chair for barbecues, as this chair easily adjusted. Just push the two buttons on each side and it adjusts accordingly. The frame is made of aluminum, which makes the adjustments nice and smooth.
There are 4 recline positions. Again, just need one hand to pull the tab in the back of the chair. I only used the upright position for eating, and the recline position to place my child inside the chair. The recline position would be better suited for a smaller infant.
The only negative thing is the wheels. I have hardwood floors and noticed I had scratch marks. Not quite sure if the wheels or the crossbar, (which has a protruding part underneath) may have caused the scratches. Either way, the wheels didn't roll as smoothly as I would've liked. My handy hubby was able to replace the wheels with hard rubber wheels. (I would NOT suggest anyone else do this!).
The newer Peg chairs have different 'non-mar' wheels so this may not be an issue anymore. The new chairs also have a thicker padded seat-which must be pure luxury as the one I have is fairly thick to begin with.
There is also an optional activity tray, which I wasn't impressed with. Better off buying suction cup toy's that are much cheaper/fun.
I cannot comment on the folding feature as I've never had to use it. The chair is not cumbersome or too big, about 40" tall x 30" wide, yet the seat is roomy enough for a larger than average toddler.
I have a lot of friends with infants/toddlers. They love this highchair! They comment on the ease of cleaning and using this chair. Yes, it's expensive-but it'll easily last through all of your children and still be in great shape. Mine went through hell and it still looks and performs wonderfully.
*Many different patterns, but only the basic ones are
readily available. Others are online/special order.
*7 height, and 4 recline positions.
*5-point harness
*Aluminum frame
*Foldable
*Brakes on wheels
*Dual tray
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ch59
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Member: Shauna
Reviews written: 11
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