Rochelle Nostalgia High Chair - Beautiful, But Is It Practical?
Written: Aug 04 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Looks nice, can be used as a youth seat
Cons: Difficult to get tray on and off
The Bottom Line: A solid, sturdy wooden high chair that would compliment most kitchens.
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| Staceys1's Full Review: Rochelle Wood High Chair, Traditional, Oak #196 |
Before I had my first baby, my husband and I researched all types of baby products and decided that though many items looked nice, they were just not practical. With that in mind, we registered for, and received as a gift, a high chair made of plastic with a vinyl seat, so that it would be easy to clean. However, my in-laws purchased this Rochelle Nostalgia Style High Chair for themselves when our son was about eight months old and they found themselves babysitting for him at their house quite often.
This high chair was purchased on sale for about $150 though I have seen it retail for $200 or more. At first, I did not think that it was a worthwhile purchase because we had already had a toddler seat that my son was comfortable using. His grandparents felt that since he spent so much time at their house, that he should have a regular high chair to sit in, though they wanted one that would blend in with their decor.
This Rochelle Nostalgia Style High Chair is made of sturdy oak and has ornate carvings on it. It was chosen because it is wood and matches the decor in the kitchen it was to live in. It has a footprint of about 21 inches square, with the seat height at about 21 inches and the overall height of about 36 inches.
At first, we had a chair pad (purchased separately) for the highchair, but it always slipped around on the chair and after a number of washings it faded so it did not get used much before it was tossed in the garbage.
This is not an infant chair, and children need to be able to sit up well by themselves to be secure and safe in it. There are brown straps that secure over the child's lap and provided you have it tight across your child, he or she should not be able to escape.
The high chair itself is sturdy, and does not tip over when a child inevitably leans over the sides. This aspect continues to be tested since my five year old still sits in this chair, pulled up to the table without the tray, and she often leans over the side to try and reach something.
The tray's size is good, and a standard luncheon plate will fit on it. There are no cup holder indentations, but there is a small lip around the edge which does keep food from spilling on the floor. Under the tray are two metal clips which you need to press while sliding it onto the arms of the chair. My mother in law, to this day, is the only one who can do this correctly. The tray has to be pushed on with exactly the same force on the left side as the right side, otherwise it gets stuck and we need to call in the reserves (my mother in law) to fix it. We tried to circumvent the putting on and taking off of the tray, but in order to get your child in or out of this high chair, the tray needs to be removed completely.
Whether the jamming of the tray is a problem with just the one we have, or if a little bit of oil might help, I do not know. At this point, though we do not use the tray anymore, my in laws still use it at least once a month for visiting relatives with small children, and the tray remains my mother in laws's job. The good thing about the tray getting stuck, is that a child could not possibly get the tray off alone. The metal clips are in a position that the child cannot reach them so there is no fear of pinching little fingers while the tray is on.
Once the tray is on the arms, it can be secured in three different positions, depending on the size of the child using it. Even today, my 47 inch tall daughter could still fit into this high chair with the tray, but since that makes it a "baby chair", we just pull it up to the table and use it as a youth chair.
We never purchased one, but tray protectors are sold separately. After many uses, though not daily, neither the tray nor the high chair itself is showing any signs of wear or warping. We often have Sunday dinner at my in-law's house and my children often sleep at their house for a few days at a time, so though we have not used this high chair on a daily basis, it has gotten its fair share of use over the course of our ownership.
The Rochelle Nostalgia Style High Chair is nicer looking than most of the plastic high chairs with the brightly colored accents available, and if your kitchen table or cabinets are wood, it would coordinate nicely. When the chair is not in use it remains out of the way in a corner of the kitchen with a fruit bowl or seasonal decorative items on it.
I am torn over how to rate this high chair. It has served us well for six years and is still being used, however, there is the issue that most of those using it have had much trouble with getting the tray on and off. For my house, for daily use, I am glad we went with a plastic high chair, but if you are able to maneuver the tray, then this one might be the one for you.
[N.B. - In an email from the Rochelle Furniture company, I learned that this particular model of high chair, #196, is one of those that had been redesigned over a year ago. If you want to locate the newer version, its number is 296.]
Recommended:
Yes
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