Anyone has Boon Flair or Tripp Trapp high chair?

[PGTB]

I am looking for high chair recommendations. Currently the top choices are Boon Flair and the Tripp Trapp. They are very different and I have a hard time deciding.

I love that the Boon Flair has casters to move around the room and it also seems to be easy to clean. How long has your LO used this chair and did he/she find the footrest comfortable? My main concern is that it may not be good for the older toddler.


I love that the Tripp Trapp can be useful for older children and that it grows with them and helps with posture, but I am not sure how it works without the tray option with smaller babies (6 months). Is it easy to clean the infant insert? Did you miss the feeding tray? Did you miss the casters - being able to move it around?

I am also wondering if you need a recline on a high chair, not sure, since this is my first baby.

TIA!

[YouAreTheFocus]

Hello! I have the Boon Flair and am a big fan. I love the way it looks and functions. As you mention, the casters do come in handy. We can bring him over to the kitchen counter when we are cooking/prepping so he can see & feels involved. Or when he's having a snack, I can roll him by the bathroom so I can get ready :) It is also great to clean, no crevices and an easy wipe surface. The only part that's harder to clean is the straps, but this would be the same with any, I'd think. The tray comes with two inserts, so you have three surfaces to use, and we have put tomato sauce, etc on it and it doesn't stain.

The thing that initially drew me to this chair is the base. I love that it doesn't have the typical "trip hazard" legs sticking out. I also love that it can be raised and lowered with the press of a toe. When the baby is done, we can lower the seat and slide it under the table. People don't even notice that we have a highchair, and it's helpful in our small space.

I can't really comment on the footrest for older toddlers, as our baby is 13 mos and his feet still don't reach it yet. They are this close! It has never bothered him, tho...he is always happy & ready to get in his seat. He seems very safe & comfy in there.

We have never missed recline--we always held him for bottles and had him sitting up for food. I guess the only thing you'd need recline for would be if you were giving bottles in the chair?

Let me know if you have any other questions!

[PGTB]

Hello! I have the Boon Flair and am a big fan. I love the way it looks and functions. As you mention, the casters do come in handy. We can bring him over to the kitchen counter when we are cooking/prepping so he can see & feels involved. Or when he's having a snack, I can roll him by the bathroom so I can get ready :) It is also great to clean, no crevices and an easy wipe surface. The only part that's harder to clean is the straps, but this would be the same with any, I'd think. The tray comes with two inserts, so you have three surfaces to use, and we have put tomato sauce, etc on it and it doesn't stain.

The thing that initially drew me to this chair is the base. I love that it doesn't have the typical "trip hazard" legs sticking out. I also love that it can be raised and lowered with the press of a toe. When the baby is done, we can lower the seat and slide it under the table. People don't even notice that we have a highchair, and it's helpful in our small space.

I can't really comment on the footrest for older toddlers, as our baby is 13 mos and his feet still don't reach it yet. They are this close! It has never bothered him, tho...he is always happy & ready to get in his seat. He seems very safe & comfy in there.

We have never missed recline--we always held him for bottles and had him sitting up for food. I guess the only thing you'd need recline for would be if you were giving bottles in the chair?

Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks so much for your review! I have a few questions:

- did you find a problem with the small tray - did you DS tend to throw food on the floor because of the size of the tray?

- When the food falls on the floor does it fall on top of the base and does it present the problem if it falls on the floor and then you roll over it with the casters? It seems like it would be easy to wipe the base, much better than dealing with the legs or the footrest of the more complex Tripp Trapp.

- I read the breaking mechanism isn't so great and the chair still rolls when locked on the hardwood floors, did you find it to be the problem?


It's great to know that your LO didn't miss the recline or the footrest and feels comfy in the chair. DS doesn't hold the bottle himself yet, we have to help him, but he is trying, so I was wondering if it would be easier to have him feed himself in the chair, but I don't really like the models that have the recline unfortunately.

Thanks! :D

[saleenl]

I have both chairs and use both with my 17 month old. For my older DS I had a Fisher Price high chair that I detested. We now keep the Boon chair in the kitchen and the Tripp Trapp at the dining room table.

DD has never complained about the Boon chair and seems quite happy in it. Her feet just started touching the foot rest and she uses it sometimes, but she often just crosses her ankles. She didn't seem bothered when she couldn't reach it.

I like all the Boon features that the previous poster mentioned but also that I can lower the chair and put snacks and drinks on it so that DD can graze during snack time. I also like that she cannot climb into it herself - she is SUCH a climber.

My older DS was using the Tripp Trapp initially and eventually my DD refused to sit in a high chair with a tray at mealtimes. I could have lowered the chair and pushed it into the table, but decided to move DD to the Tripp Trapp and my son (4 at the time) to a grownup chair and booster. I think we moved DD when she was 11 or 12 months old. In my opinion, the Tripp Trapp works best after a year and is the best way to put a little one at the table with the family. We use it with a Tiny Diner placemat and it cuts down on table damage. One warning, DD is such a climber and can scramble up the Tripp Trapp in a second. Unfortunately, she falls off it a lot. She also uses it to climb onto the table and walk on it. Knowing her, she would find something to climb if not the Tripp Trapp.

Stokke offers all kinds of baby accessories for the Tripp Trapp but I wouldn't choose to use it with an infant. I would get a used or inexpensive high chair (like an Ikea one) for the early days if you really want a Tripp Trapp. Sell the chair when you move to the Tripp Trapp. It will be money better spent than buying pricey accessories for the Tripp Trapp.

[saleenl]

- did you find a problem with the small tray - did you DS tend to throw food on the floor because of the size of the tray?

- When the food falls on the floor does it fall on top of the base and does it present the problem if it falls on the floor and then you roll over it with the casters? It seems like it would be easy to wipe the base, much better than dealing with the legs or the footrest of the more complex Tripp Trapp.

- I read the breaking mechanism isn't so great and the chair still rolls when locked on the hardwood floors, did you find it to be the problem?


The tray is a bit of a problem but my DD is not much of a food thrower. It just depends on the kid. We use it in the kitchen and both kids spill so much food, it's not a big deal.

Food often lands on the base and it is easy to clean. Rolling over food isn't a big deal but I don't think I've ever turned it over to check the wheels. Um, I should probably do that.

Overall, the Flair is definitely easier to clean than the tripp trapp. However, the underside of the chair pad can get gross. I have to clean it often or else it smells.

Well, my 5 year old DS like to ride the Flair around. When braked, he can't get it going. The braking mechanism (the part that contacts the floor) got stuff on it from being dragged around the floor when braked but my husband cleaned it off and it stuck better again, if that makes sense. The braking is strong enough to be safe, but it doesn't render it motionless. The locks on the Fisher Price chair were about equivalent, but it was much lighter so easier to move.

[PGTB]

I have both chairs and use both with my 17 month old. For my older DS I had a Fisher Price high chair that I detested. We now keep the Boon chair in the kitchen and the Tripp Trapp at the dining room table.

DD has never complained about the Boon chair and seems quite happy in it. Her feet just started touching the foot rest and she uses it sometimes, but she often just crosses her ankles. She didn't seem bothered when she couldn't reach it.

I like all the Boon features that the previous poster mentioned but also that I can lower the chair and put snacks and drinks on it so that DD can graze during snack time. I also like that she cannot climb into it herself - she is SUCH a climber.

My older DS was using the Tripp Trapp initially and eventually my DD refused to sit in a high chair with a tray at mealtimes. I could have lowered the chair and pushed it into the table, but decided to move DD to the Tripp Trapp and my son (4 at the time) to a grownup chair and booster. I think we moved DD when she was 11 or 12 months old. In my opinion, the Tripp Trapp works best after a year and is the best way to put a little one at the table with the family. We use it with a Tiny Diner placemat and it cuts down on table damage. One warning, DD is such a climber and can scramble up the Tripp Trapp in a second. Unfortunately, she falls off it a lot. She also uses it to climb onto the table and walk on it. Knowing her, she would find something to climb if not the Tripp Trapp.

Stokke offers all kinds of baby accessories for the Tripp Trapp but I wouldn't choose to use it with an infant. I would get a used or inexpensive high chair (like an Ikea one) for the early days if you really want a Tripp Trapp. Sell the chair when you move to the Tripp Trapp. It will be money better spent than buying pricey accessories for the Tripp Trapp.

Great advice! Thank you! I have to go check out the IKEA chairs, I haven't seen any in person. I like that the Boon Flair has casters, I wonder if any Ikea ones do.. Seems like Boon Flair is better for younger babies and the Tripp Trapp for older ones. If I don't like Ikea chairs I may get the Boon Flair and then sell it later and put money towards the Tripp Trapp... Or even get a booster at that point.

Did you have a problem with the Boon Flair tray size? Did your DD throw the food around a lot?

[PGTB]

The tray is a bit of a problem but my DD is not much of a food thrower. It just depends on the kid. We use it in the kitchen and both kids spill so much food, it's not a big deal.

Food often lands on the base and it is easy to clean. Rolling over food isn't a big deal but I don't think I've ever turned it over to check the wheels. Um, I should probably do that.

Overall, the Flair is definitely easier to clean than the tripp trapp. However, the underside of the chair pad can get gross. I have to clean it often or else it smells.

Well, my 5 year old DS like to ride the Flair around. When braked, he can't get it going. The braking mechanism (the part that contacts the floor) got stuff on it from being dragged around the floor when braked but my husband cleaned it off and it stuck better again, if that makes sense. The braking is strong enough to be safe, but it doesn't render it motionless. The locks on the Fisher Price chair were about equivalent, but it was much lighter so easier to move.

Thanks! You just answered some of my questions. I don't know if DS will be a great food thrower, I suspect he will....LOL :D

[YouAreTheFocus]

Thanks so much for your review! I have a few questions:

- did you find a problem with the small tray - did you DS tend to throw food on the floor because of the size of the tray?

- When the food falls on the floor does it fall on top of the base and does it present the problem if it falls on the floor and then you roll over it with the casters? It seems like it would be easy to wipe the base, much better than dealing with the legs or the footrest of the more complex Tripp Trapp.

- I read the breaking mechanism isn't so great and the chair still rolls when locked on the hardwood floors, did you find it to be the problem?


It's great to know that your LO didn't miss the recline or the footrest and feels comfy in the chair. DS doesn't hold the bottle himself yet, we have to help him, but he is trying, so I was wondering if it would be easier to have him feed himself in the chair, but I don't really like the models that have the recline unfortunately.

Thanks! :D

I'll weigh in on these questions, too.

First the tray... I have read others say that the tray is too small and/or too low. We haven't had any problems with it. Maybe if the kid switched from a biger/higher tray to this one? But our baby has learned to eat using this chair, so this is what he is accustomed to. He only pushes food off to tell us he's done eating.

Falling food...When I feed, if it drips it lands on the base. If he tries to eat with a spoon, it could land 6 feet away. The base does wipe off easily. We have a splat mat thing under it, and the chair rolls on & off the mat w/o getting caught up.

Brake...the brake can be hard to set. You have to be very firm with it! But when it is actually on, the chair is pretty hard to move. It can't roll, but it can be dragged--you'll know something isn't right if you try to move it. I don't think a kid could move it.

Bottles...when he learned how to hold it and feed himself, we'd lie him propped on a boppy & pillows on the floor. It was a bit sad for me when he could do it himself, but it is kind of nice, as well.

Also, he started eating in the chair around 7 mos. He couldn't sit by himself at this point--he didn't sit totally reliably until 9+ mos. The chair supported him well, even tho it is totally upright.

[saleenl]

I really do love the Boon, probably as much as I disliked the Fisher Price (which is a lot!). I think the Boon + Tripp Trapp is a perfect combo and I like not having to move the Boon to and from the table/kitchen. The $$$ adds up, but I bought the Tripp Trapp years ago for my first and Boon for my second so the time between purchases made it seem less excessive :). You can't go wrong with both, in my opinion.

[MontrealMum]

We love our TT. We started sitting DS in it when he was about 4 mos. though not feeding him there, just to have him with us at meals. He couldn't sit on his own then, but was fine in the TT with the baby rail. We started feeding him in it around 6 mos. when he started solids and quickly learned that that chair pads were constantly going to be getting dirty so we removed them. DS doesn't miss them. W/O the pads the chair is amazingly easy to clean. I've never had to use more than a wet washcloth, and sometimes it doesn't even have to be wet.

We never missed having a tray, and in our small home it's great that we can just push the TT under the table like any other chair. I honestly don't know what the recline function in a highchair is for - the only other thing we've ever used is a booster. When I needed to feed DS in a reclined position I was breastfeeding him so obviously I wasn't doing that with him in a highchair! Also, whenever we gave bottles we usually did that in his room on the boppy as well.

We also just slide the chair around on the floor when cleaning or whatever and it moves easily so we don't miss having casters. Though I imagine if you had carpet or tile it might not. Our floor is hardwood.

My DS is now just over 3 and still loves his TT, especially the color. Ours is turquoise.

The Boon and TT are quite dissimilar in style, but if it's just generally modern you're looking for you might also consider the Svan and the options they have at Ikea.

[PGTB]

Thank you all for your replies!

What color Boon Flair do you have? Is the frosty blue really blue in person or is it more like transparent whitish? I saw the white orange one at the store and the white plastic was really dirty, it seems like a more porous plastic. Did you have issues with staining on the white base? What about the frosty blue, it seems more like a smooth plastic that looks like it would be cleaner?

[YouAreTheFocus]

Hmm, I'm not sure if I can help with this. We have the frosty blue, it is a pretty unique color/look, hard to describe. It is a very very pale blue, I think you notice the blue more b/c of the bright white seat pad against it. It's pretty non-descript, I think it would blend in with whatever color scheme you have. Personally I'm not a big fan of white, so even tho I like the orange seat pad I went with this one. I wouldn't mind it being blue-er, tho. I haven't had any problems with staining, on the seat or the trays.

Have you looked at the personal pics on Amazon? I think they are pretty true to life.

Can I be bold and say you should just get it? I'm terrible at making decisions, we fed our baby by holding up the head end of the bouncy chair for weeks b/c I was worried about commiting to a highchair. I finally pulled the trigger and have no complaints, except that I wish I had it sooner. Same exact scenario when I was trying to pick a stroller...finally sucked it up and got a Bee, and ditto, no complaints, except that I wish I had it sooner.

[happymom]

I looooove my Boon :)

Love that it rolls around like a dream. This was very important to me because we have hardwood floors and my previous highchair was scratching them. This highchair just glides effortlessly. I love that I can roll the highchair over to the sink to wash DD's hands and face (I have one of those extendable faucets) after she finishes eating.

Love that the height is adjustable- DD loves when I put it on the lowest setting so she can use it for pretend play- she puts her dolls in and feeds them.

Love how easy it is to clean- although as PP mentioned, it gets pretty gross under the pad and you have to remember to check there and clean.

Love the small tray that fits in the dishwasher, and love having multiple trays so theres always a clean one available. I do not find that DD throws food off the tray because its small- we had a Fisher Price one (hated it) before with a big tray, and she threw food equally :)

Love how it looks.

Love that the height is adjustable and we can use it at the table without a tray when DD really wants to eat with us.

I only got this highchair when DD was about 14 months or so, so I cant comment on using it for an infant. I can tell you that I never used the recline on my precious highchair, so I dont think I would have missed it! Also, I never noticed where DD's feet are in regards to the footrest, so I guess it wasnt an issue!


As you can see, most of us who have the Boon are very happy with it! Good luck deciding!

[happymom]

Oh, and we have the frosty blue one btw. I think its a very calm, pretty color. Its very pale, but I think noticeably blue. None of it has stained, although the pad does have to be scrubbed to be totally clean.

[YouAreTheFocus]

:waving4: happymom, I was waiting for your input!

[LoveBeingMrs]

We have the Boon Flair, and we love it, too! Although, I can't wait to get the Tripp Trapp as soon as DS is older and we have another DC.. you ladies are SUCH enablers!!

Is it bad that I use the chair without the straps? DS kept sucking on them, so I just took them off (which is really easy to do, btw). He can't get out of the chair when the tray is on...

[brittone2]

DS1 used the KZ (precursor to the TT) from about 15 months on. DD used a Kettler Tipp Topp (I wasn't wild about that one) and then moved into the KZ.

With DS2, I am using a TT w/ baby set. I really, really hated the baby set initially (have some old posts about it) because at 5-6 months it was really hard to get him in there. He's 7 months now and in the past few weeks it has gotten much easier and it no longer bothers me that much in terms of design.

I like the KZ/TT because we homeschool and I think that style of seat is great ergonomically for getting feet nice and stable, etc. for handwriting too :)

[LoveBeingMrs]

Is it bad that I use the chair without the straps? DS kept sucking on them, so I just took them off (which is really easy to do, btw). He can't get out of the chair when the tray is on...

Please tell me that I'm not the only one who has done this.. :bag:

[YouAreTheFocus]

I've never done no straps, but I have wondered what the danger is, between the tray and the giant crotch post!

So...it seems there's an overlap between Bee fans and Flair fans?

[LoveBeingMrs]

I've never done no straps, but I have wondered what the danger is, between the tray and the giant crotch post!

So...it seems there's an overlap between Bee fans and Flair fans?

I bet there's more overlapping.. what else you got? LOL. :jammin:

[PGTB]

I've never done no straps, but I have wondered what the danger is, between the tray and the giant crotch post!

I was thinking the same thing! The straps must get really filthy from all the food, what's the point of having them when there is a crotch bar and the tray so close to baby's belly? Is this for when you just strap him in without the tray or for when they don't sit straight yet?


So...it seems there's an overlap between Bee fans and Flair fans?
:rotflmao: That's so true!!

[happymom]

:waving4: happymom, I was waiting for your input!

LOL!

About the straps, sometimes DD is sitting in there without a tray- for example, I may remove the tray and walk across the kitchen to put it down before going back and taking her out. If she is not strapped in, she might try to climb out while my back is turned. So the straps might not be necessary per se, but they give me peace of mind, you know?

I did remove the shouler straps though actually just threaded them in backwards so they hang out the back of the chair.

But Im also one of those paranoid parents, so take what I say with a grain of salt I guess! :wink2:

[indigo99]

I have the TT. By the time he started solids, he could sit up well enough on his own that the straps were enough to keep him up and in place.

We never had the baby set (never missed it), but I do have the off-brand tray for it. Our table is round so it won't work as well to push him up to the table yet. The tray works great though. It won't fit in the dishwasher, but I just wipe it down or wash it in the sink when needed.

Our straps have stayed clean b/c we keep a bib on him and put the bottom of the bib up on the tray. Anything that falls will go back onto the tray.