Good, but a couple annoying short comings *update*
Written: Feb 27 '03 (Updated Mar 16 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Inexpensive, durable plastic, dishwasher safe
Cons: Crevices at the joints where food can drop; skinny straps
The Bottom Line: A good product with a couple annoying design flaws. Hard to go wrong though for the price. I would consider looking at other styles before picking this again.
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| imaginetr's Full Review: The First Years 3-in-1 Booster Seat |
Cost = A ($19.99); Style = B-; durability = A; Overall ease = B-; Cleaning = A (dishwasher);
{updated 3/16/03} The "3-in-1" is define as: High-chair alternative as it provides a tray, but sits in a regular dining chair; a booster seat used without the tray at a regular table; and a "play seat". This last is a stretch as the picture shows a child sitting in the chair, on the floor, reading. I suppose it could happen but it wouldn't be comfortable or practical in my opinion. {end update}
Used with our 1 1/2 year old daughter. This is the "First years 3-in-1 Booster seat model #4200. It is intended to sit and be strapped on a normal chair for a baby/toddler. The child must be able to hold themselves upright on their own.
It is inexpensive, lightweight and durable. Made out of molded plastic. Ours is a two-color style: blue and green. This booster seat promotes itself as "portable" and it is. It folds up on itself and the straps act to hold it shut while the back has a "handle" to carry it from.
It must be assembled and has good instructions. The seat itself has 4 main parts: Back, seat, & 2 sides. These parts are all molded plastic. There is also a nice tray that locks in place and has a ledge to control spills. The tray removes easily.
SHORT COMING #1: because of the separate parts, there are gaps and crevices at the inner corners and along the sides. These are natural 'catch alls' for food droppings. Where the inner corners meet are actual gaps between parts that food slips into. But the gaps are too small to get all the food out so some always slips under the seat or onto the floor. This requires complete removal of the seat to clean beneath the booster. Part of our hope was that the seat could remain in place for a series of meals before needing removed for deep cleaning. It can't really if you want to clean up the food droppings.
It has a total of 4 straps: 2 Chair Straps; 1 child safety belt; & 1 crotch strap. Of the Chair straps, 1 goes around the back of the chair and through the back of the booster. 1 goes under the chair seat and through the seat of the booster. In this way the booster is anchored fairly well to the chair it sits on. the 3rd strap goes under the booster seat and comes up over the lap of the child. The 4th (crotch) strap is inserted in a hole in the front of the seat and anchored there. There is a loop at the top of this crotch strap that the safety belt threads through that keeps the child in place and prevents them from slipping out of the seat.
SHORT COMING #2: I find these straps to be 'skinny' and therefor twist under strain/movement (as most children do while eating). If our daughter moves around she usually slips forward until the straps are pressing against her legs & crotch. she doesn't complain but it puts strain on the buckle and makes it more difficult to unbuckle her easily.
Also, those chair straps, despite tightening them securing, often loosen slightly due to normal movement. It's not so much a problem for us because the chair it's on has arms and back which keep the seat within the chair. But if your chair does not have arms, that could be an issue if too much slack occurs. In fact, the instructions show it being used in an armless chair. I can see the potential for a fall if not properly secured or overestimated.
We like the fact it can go in the dishwasher for sterilized cleaning. We don't take it anywhere else but I'm sure it is portable. It fits our daughter well in the seat although the straps are getting more difficult as she's getting long/tall!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
imaginetr
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Location: Pacific Northwest, Washington
Reviews written: 33
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Husband and father, born in Washington 1961, military brat and college grad.
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