product review: tripp trapp chair by stokke

When Stokke offered us the opportunity to try and review their Tripp Trapp chair, I couldn't wait! We had a high chair for Ethan, but it was your typical big, bulky, plastic highchair that always sort of exiled him from sitting at the table with the rest of us during mealtimes. Someone would always end up with Ethan on our lap just so he could sit through dinner and feel like he was part of the family. The Tripp Trapp tucks right into our dining room table like one of our dining room chairs. Because you're able to select which colors and stains you prefer, I was able to customize our Tripp Trapp to match our dining room table exactly. I selected a red Baby Set seat to match our kitchen, which is painted the same bold shade of red. Instead of a large, clunky piece of plastic taking up space in our tiny dining room, we now had a gorgeous piece of furniture that looked like it was made for our dining set. Most importantly, Ethan is finally able to join us at dinnertime and comfortably sit with us. Mealtimes have gotten much better and he looks forward to sitting in his Tripp Trapp while we eat together.

To explain a little better how it works, the Tripp Trapp is able to grow with your baby until, well, adulthood. The Baby Set is sold separately for infants small enough to need that support. The seat and footrest are able to be adjusted based on your child's size and, eventually, you're left with an actual chair that any adult can sit in. As someone who is, uh, not very tall, my favorite Tripp Trapp feature just might be how you can separately adjust the footrest and seat to custom fit it to you or your child. This guarantees that the chair stays comfortable and a perfect fit through all ages and stages of life (and no dangling feet!). Now matter your child's height or age, the chair is always a perfect, custom fit. The chair's sleek design also ensures that your child's back and feet are always properly supported. With baby's comfort, safety and well-being in mind, there is nothing Stokke didn't consider when creating the Tripp Trapp.

Another great feature is the Table Top. Instead of a clunky high chair tray, the Table Top suctions onto your table. It comes with several varieties of activity templates and games that you can insert under the tray whenever your child wants to do or play something different. Right now, Ethan is pretty into the chickens! The suctions not only provide a stable way for your child to play and learn without worrying about a tray sliding around the table, but they make for such easy clean-up. The edges of the tray are also elevated keeping any and all spills on the tray and not the table.

The Tripp Trapp has a comfortable harness that keeps Ethan feeling safe and secure without feeling restrained. Oftentimes in your typical high chair, baby can feel trapped behind that huge tray and behind restricting seatbelts. This harness is extremely lightweight and comfortable while still keeping Ethan safe in his Baby Set!

My husband insisted I put emphasis on how easy the chair was to assemble and how amazing the overall quality of the Tripp Trapp's beachwood is. I have to completely agree with how stable and sturdy this chair is. The Tripp Trapp is for life, and I look forward to ours growing up alongside Ethan right into adulthood!

Ethan is pretty thrilled with the Tripp Trapp, too. As I mentioned, he finally feels included during mealtimes and it's been great having him able to sit with the family at dinner in his own chair. Every once in a while you stumble upon an incredible product and the Tripp Trapp -- which has a 7 year warranty on wood components -- is just that. It's more than just a high chair, but a beautiful piece of furniture that will safely accommodate your child from infancy to adulthood.

TO BUY: The Tripp Trapp retails for $450.00 with the additional options of the Baby Set ($69.99), additional cushion ($44.99) and Table Top ($89.00). It is available for purchase by visiting http://shop.stokke.com.

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