travel high chairs good for toddlers?

[beautifulboy]

I am looking at buying a travel high chair - the kind that clips on to the side of the table. DS is a tall thin 14 mos old. Would you us this chair, or one like it, for a toddler?

[tarasattva]

The chico one works great for toddlers. In fact when we have other toddlers over to the house we're glad we have two b/c when they only see the one that stays attached to the counter they fight over who's going to sit in it! (The look on their faces when we pull out the 'spare' one is great!!).

It is very stable, and PLENTY big enough (in fact for a while at the beginning (8mo?) we put a pillow behind DD to push her forward in it a bit - but we have a peanut).

One warning, if you are putting this on a bar in your kitchen check to see if the overhang is deep enough. This is the one thing I have consistently heard people have trouble with with these chairs.

[daniturtle]

Yes, we have the chicco one and like it quite well - our daughter is also a tall, thin 14-month old! Like PP said, we used to put a pillow or rolled up jacket behind her, but haven't done that in months now.

I'd like to have one that folds up smaller than the chico though. We are travelling to Rome when she is 18-months old and have heard that not many restaurants have high chairs and so having somewhere for her to sit OTHER than our laps - at least some of the time - would be nice. But the chico is bulky and awkward. Fine for getting out of the car and walking to the restaurant but walking around Rome and darting into a trattoria? Not so much... So I'm going to keep watching this thread to see if anyone has other ones that they like...

[kdtmom2be]

We use the Chicco as our main high-chair because we have a bar-height island and no table at home. We used it from when DD was about 18 months until she was 26 months, then she was too heavy for it. DS is 7 months and I set it up for him yesterday and it works quite well for him, even with nothing tucked in behind him. He's so intent on getting stuff off of the table that he sits right up at the front with no trouble at all!

Another option, is to use a mei tai baby carrier to modify a regular chair into a high chair. I use it in a pinch and it works well for a toddler in a regular chair or for a small baby in a highchair to make them more stable (and it fits in your purse).

[abharrington]

any btdt experience with the P&T MeToo or the inglesin Fast Table Chair? they both seem smaller than the chicco.

[gabsev]

We like the Phil and Teds a bit more expensive than the Chico, but very portable, it folds flat and it's about the size of a medium pizza box. We've traveled extensively throughout Europe and it has been great, my daughter is 31 lbs and we continue to use it whenerver we go out

[peachespoe]

We have the Phil and Teds Me too chair and love it. I found a perfect carrying bag at a thrift shop to tote it around (it didn't come with a carrying case). We use it with the Kiddopotamus placemat. We just keep the two together in the bag so we can grab it and go.

[abharrington]

thanks mamas...i really want to like the P&T since it is smallest. i ordered all 3 to compare...i'll come back and update after they get here.

[ellairiesmom]

Can't wait to see how your product testing goes!!

We had the chicco, but it didn't fit on our own dining room table & then when we brought it out & about, the 1st 2 tables we tried it on at friends didn't work either. Ended up with the P&T's me too which has worked out really well for us although still didn't fit at home. (we ended up trying 4 different ones for home & our hand me down dining room table just wont cooperate so the P&T was truly for travel)

A friend of mine ended up loving it when we used it at her house & bought her own for their island. It stays out permanently & became their at home full time high chair because of the space it saved.

[beautifulboy]

Originally Posted by peachespoe

We have the Phil and Teds Me too chair and love it. I found a perfect carrying bag at a thrift shop to tote it around (it didn't come with a carrying case). We use it with the Kiddopotamus placemat. We just keep the two together in the bag so we can grab it and go.

With the P+T's I am worried about the mechanism that holds the chair to the table....it looks like it screws onto the table-- do you find that this works? One user review said that the screw mechanism eventually stripped, does it seem like this might happen? (thanks for your input here, I would love to get a hold of one and check it out myself, but no-one seems to carry them in the area so it's internet shopping for us)

[beautifulboy]

Originally Posted by ellairiesmom

Can't wait to see how your product testing goes!!

We had the chicco, but it didn't fit on our own dining room table & then when we brought it out & about, the 1st 2 tables we tried it on at friends didn't work either. Ended up with the P&T's me too which has worked out really well for us although still didn't fit at home. (we ended up trying 4 different ones for home & our hand me down dining room table just wont cooperate so the P&T was truly for travel)

What kind of tables are these that they don't fit? Does the table have a lip or a 'skirt' on the edge?

[sarahsmiles]

Our P&T didn't fit our new table. The table does indeed have an angle. The top is beveled (sort of) and on a much smaller base, so there's nothing parallel "underneath" for the clamp to clamp to. We THINK we can fix it for DS by placing blocks under the table base to the diameter of the table and clamping to that. It is VERY secure and we used it for about a year and a half as the only seat for DD and had no problems at all.

I'm a P&T's junkie, though. Everything we've seen of theirs is just awesome & so well-designed!

[abharrington]

hi mamas...just wanted to post back that we LOVED the chicco for our trip last weekend. it was easy to use on all the tables we tried (4, plus our home table). I was not able to try the P&T...but was happy with this one. also tried the inglasina one but did not like it as much. the seat was very thick and padded...seemed like a pain to clean.

[indigosky]

We have a Phil & Ted's chair and have been thrilled with it. DD likes it so much better than her high chair that now it's what we use every day at home, in addition to bringing it for some travel (if we're going someplace that doesn't have its own high chair/booster seat). We've been using it for about 1 1/2 years now, and have had no problem with the screw mechanism -- it feels very secure. It folds up so compactly -- we often put it right in the backpack we use as DD's diaper bag, or in a cloth grocery bag.

[kim.mpls]

We have P&T MeToo and the Chicco. They both work great-- but on different tables. We've traveled with the P&T in a suitcase and it took up no room. Super easy to set up and has felt secure unless we can't get a good clamp because of the table. Now I leave it in the car all the time. We have used it since 6 months old. Now 17 mo, but the woman I bought it from (Craigslist) said she used it to 33 months easily with her lighter child on the kitchen countertop. We use the Chicco on our dining room table all the time.

[olien]

We love this chair!! very easy to use & to take apart & throw in the washing machine.
It is our chair we use everyday bec we have a counteer height island we eat at & the only HC I could find that went that tall was $300. We even brought it on a cruise with us & it was perfect.
Also have an eddie bauer one that is a Pain In The A**