Pros-Cons of "space saver" (chair top) high chair?

[newmama]

I am expecting ( and registering soon!) and trying to figure out the pros and cons of a "space saver" high chair that essentially buckles onto a chair top, as opposed to a free-standing one. We have a very small dining room and it seems like one that would strap on to a regular chair and could go from infant to a regular sit-up chair would be great. Am I missing something? Anyone with opinions and/or experience with that kind of seat would be helpful.

[Anonymous]

I have one - it's by Fisher Price - have used it for both kids and it's great. I started with a highchair and hated it. When my fist dd was 6 mos and first eating solids, the highchair was too big for her and I had to put in towels to prop her up. Also, it took up a lot of room - no place to store it in the kitchen so I had to drag it in each and every time to use it. With the chair top, it stays in the kitchen and doesn't take up any extra room. My first dd used it from 6 months up until she was 3 1/2. When she turned about 2 we took the tray off and just moved the seat up to the table so it worked as a booster. We kicked her out of it to make room for dd #2. I'd say the only con is that I have it on top of a straw seat chair and there's definitely some food wedged between the straw. You have to remember to take it off to clean every once in a while. Otherwise, it's perfect!

[Anonymous]

I enjoy mine, I have a cheapie blue one I picked up for $25. We too have a small dining room and a stand alone high cair would be bulky and ugly. The only con is that I have to put a towel over my kitchen chair to protect it from all the spills.
I've been in big kitchens and the stand alone high chairs still look monsterous.

[Anonymous]

We started with highchairs with first kids, and replaced them with the ones that secure to a chair later on and with the 2nd+ kids only used them. Love them. The highchairs were just too bulky. We've used the First Years Reclining Seat for years now and it's great. I would definitely skip the highchairs!

[Anonymous]

I started my twins in the latch to the high chair kind. We have a smallish dining room. There is not way two huge high chairs would have fit. They are almost three and we still use them.

[Anonymous]

We use the Fisher Price Healthy Care Child's Booster seat, though we really started using it at 14 months. With #2 I'll probably start using it earlier and may even skip the highchair. The thing I like about the booster seat is that my son sits at the table with us (he's 22 months). I felt with the high chair he wasn't a part of family meals. Plus the high chair is just another LPO (Large Plastic Object) that takes up space.

MIL is mad that we don't use a highchair anymore for my son...only because she has one at her house (they bought it when their older grandkids were young). Sad to say, one reason I probably won't use a high chair with #2 is just to make MIL upset . Can you tell MIL gets on my nerves? Thank goodness they live on Long Island and not down here!

[Anonymous]

We have a very small high chair we got at ikea for $25 - we love it! Started him in it at 5 months (it has a blow up insert that goes behind his back and on the left and right) Just another option

[Anonymous]

14:45 poster here. I forgot to add that another benefit of using the FP booster seat was that we could put the tray right in the dishwasher and it didn't take up the whole dishwasher. I found you could do that with our high chair but it was HUGE in the dishwasher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a very small high chair we got at ikea for $25 - we love it! Started him in it at 5 months (it has a blow up insert that goes behind his back and on the left and right) Just another option

We have the Ikea one as well and love it.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30069724

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40076093

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70046622

My DS is 7 months and we also use the blow up insert.

[Anonymous]

I have the Fisher Price space saver and really like it. We have an eat in kitchen and I think it really makes a difference not having an extra huge plastic thing in there with us. I received all sorts of comments from people (who don't own one) about how later I will wish I had got a normal highchair. I don't see how that matters. The baby is safe, it tilts back for easy infant feeding and can convert to a toddler booster. It's worked great for us for over a year now!
Good luck registering - it can be overwhelming!

[Anonymous]

OP here--thanks for all the replies, this is super helpful!

[Anonymous]

I love the space saver. What we like the most is when we go to a friends house for dinner we can pack it in the car and bring it with us. Most people don't have extra high chairs sitting around, so we have found this really helpful.

[Anonymous]

We like the Fisher Price Space Saver, too. Can't see any reason for a high chair unless you like one. Unlike the PP's, though, ours is not one of the super-portable small ones.

[Anonymous]

We also have First Years recliner -- live in apt. It is a must-have.

Great for baby because reclines and has padding, and a "no slip" bar between the legs, then when baby got older it sits up straight and we could remove pad (and just sponge down chair). Then we took away tray and he used it at table until we had Baby 2
and he graduated to a Cooshee booster (which I also love by the way).

We also got them for both grandparents' houses -- they are great.

[Anonymous]

I've had experience with both and am glad I went with a regular high chair for just one reason. My DC likes to sit in his high chair and play while I make dinner. Then I just roll him in the highchair (we have hardwoods so it's easy) through the hall and into the dining room to "sit" at the table. For this reason alone, I'm glad I got the big high chair. However, my mom bought the Space Saver for her house and it's wonderful too!