Need a boost? Try this seat on for size!
Written: May 15 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use, secure if set up correctly
Cons: Tray isn't as big as highchairs, straps dangling during travel
The Bottom Line: A great solution for those looking for an inexpensive booster/high chair. Doesn't take much room, much money or much effort.
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| lisaffire's Full Review: Safety 1st Booster Seat |
When my son was a baby and we got him a highchair, I got one that could be later converted into a chair and table. This worked out so well for us. However, while it lived out its life as a chair and table set, rather than a highchair, we had taken off the tray rails (the rails screwed onto the chair to make the tray stay on) and the strap to secure a baby to the seat was pretty much demolished. I tried looking for those darn rails for weeks.. for months even! Day after day, I'd report to my husband that alas, though I looked, I could NOT find those rails. Contacting the company for replacements wouldn't work either since the company was sold to some other company and this highchair was no longer being made. Ah well.
So I found myself in the market for a highchair when my daughter started eating solids. While sitting her on my lap to feed her was an option, it was an increasingly difficult option as she'd do her best to grab what she could from my plate. Wasn't happenin'.
So while we were on an adventure through Babies R Us we found this booster seat. Actually, I had seen it online first but in the store I was able to see it up close. It was reasonably priced at $14.99, nicely colored (shades of a powdery blue) and portable. My mind started turning, my brain kicked in... could this product possibly solve a few dilemmas? Could it possibly be a good replacement for our old highchair (which is waiting out its existence until that fateful day when it can be a chair and table set for my daughter)? Could it also be a solution for when we eat over at my moms (the highchair she has is older than me and still in the attic)? Could it also be handy for our trips we may be taking this summer to go see my husband's kids? With hopes of many yeses I bought the chair. I haven't been disappointed by it yet.
We emptied the box of it's contents. Out came the base, a seat and some straps, along with instructions. While the instructions were a bit cryptic, I was able to decipher them enough to figure out how this booster worked. Seat slides into slots, comes down and into side slots, they LOCK into place when assembled correctly. Of course I remembered to keep the seat straps out and on tops as I did all that. The other two straps were to be threaded through strategic holes to allow me to strap the seat to a chair. Any chair? Yes, any chair, so long as it's a chair with a bottom and a back. The straps are fully adjustable allowing you to custom fit this to any chair. I quickly had it all together and had my daughter in it in no time. She didn't put up a fuss to sit in it, though she did keep glancing over at my lap.
The tray has proved to be the only real difficult piece. Getting it locked into position has not been the easiest of tricks. But I'm getting better and realizing that it's very finicky. Having it lined up precisely, pushing back on it and waiting for the click, usually works.. it's just keeping my daughter's hands out of the way while I do that, that's proven to be... "fun".
My daughter was 6 months old when I first put her in and she fit in their nicely. I'm very pleased that this seat should last her until she's ready to sit on a regular chair. Travel with the chair has been nice as well. The chair collapses (after safety buttons are pressed to allow seat to come up through the grooves) and even the tray tucks into the whole thing, making the seat VERY travel worthy. The only trick has been what to do with the straps. The one I usually wrap around the whole seat and tighten to add an extra amount of security in keeping it folded while being bounced around in the car, but the other strap, the strap that goes around the back of a chair, just doesn't want to seem to do much more than dangle. I've only stepped on it once though (nearly tripped) and have just taken to tucking it in and around the tray. There's a very nice hand hold in the back of the booster to allow one to carry it easily, even when lugging around a full diaper bag, sling and of course, baby herself.
Cleanup is a breeze with this chair. It's totally plastic, easily wiped clean and disassembly is so simple that even if you have to break it down to get all the crumbs and grossness out, it's still easier to clean than any highchair I've ever encountered. With my son's highchair, I'd have to take a screwdriver to it occasionally to disassemble it to get to all the gunk. Talk about a headache!
All in all this is a great booster, whether used as an occasional chair or used as an every day highchair. You do have to sacrifice one chair at the table, OR be willing to sit on the floor with baby. Actually, that's not a bad scenario either. I've been able to put the booster straight on the floor, strap my daughter in and feed her anywhere we need to be, regardless of the situation. The tray is not as wide or deep as regular highchair trays but still allows for a good range of motion. The one place where the tray falls short the most is along the sides. It's very easy for baby to pick things up and toss on the floor over those sides.
As with any highchair/feeding baby situation, caution should ALWAYS be exercised. Never leave baby unattended or unsupervised. Even if she or he is strapped in, it's amazing what can happen when our attention is diverted or we leave a room, even for a short while. I highly recommend this booster for anyone looking for an inexpensive solution to many needs, be they portability or general highchair use. This is also a great chair to have on hand, whether you're a day care provider, grandparent who might not need an expensive, full time highchair or anyone who might be hosting a baby or toddler during dinnertime.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lisaffire
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Location: Pennsylvania
Reviews written: 206
Trusted by: 50 members
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Spring has sprung!
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