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View Full Version : HELP! PLEASE!! Prima Pappa or Chicco Mamma?



tabithasmom
05-23-2001, 05:01 PM
I am SO confused at this point about which high chair to choose! I have read great things and concerns about both of these chairs. Does anyone have a point of view on each of these that they are willing to share? Are they comperable now that the 2001 Chicco Mamma comes w/ an insert to raise the height of the baby a bit? This will be a gift from Tabitha's grandparents, so budget is not as large as a concern as ease of use, features, durability, etc.

Thanks!

littlemomma
05-28-2001, 11:03 PM
I have had both and ended up returning them for the new Evenflo rolling high chair. Just like you, my inlaws gave us the Prima Pappa high chair b/c I heard glowing reviews from the books and from some of my friends. I got this year's model about 1 month ago and used it for 2 weeks. The wheels don't turn or swivel on the prima papa. I have hardwood floors that are scratched b/c everytime I moved the high chair, the cheap plastic wheels stayed in place. I made sure the breaks weren't on & emailed their customer service - they mailed me another set of cheap wheels that didn't swivel either. So I brough home the Chicco Mama to see if it worked better. The wheels on it swiveled/turned a little better but still wasn't what I call a smooth roll/mobile, but I didn't like the tray at all. The tray doesn't lay flat on the counter b/c it has a plastic leg divider attached to the bottom of the tray. (the prima papa divider is attached to the seat).

My mother inlaw bought the Evenflo knock-off of the prima papa and the wheels worked great. I decided to buy one to and test it on my kitchen floor b/c I was beginning to think something must be wrong w/ my floor. The chair rolls smoothly and does everything the prima papa & chicco mama does. It even has a smaller food tray underneath the larger one. The only difference is that it doesn't have the 2 shoulder straps. The best part: I just bought it last week at Toys r Us for $99.99 instead of $159. My advice is to go to Babies r Us where you can test the mobility of these high chairs. I should have done this in the first place. When I went back for the Evenflo you could tell the difference in the store and it would have saved me the hassle.

E&E
05-29-2001, 11:19 PM
I have the Chicco Mamma and really love it. My sis had the Prima Pappa and the cleaning problems led me to the Chicco model. Also, the Chicco folds much easier than the Prima Pappa. Good luck! :)

hunter
06-06-2001, 01:05 PM
I chose the Chicco Mamma last year and my husband and I love it. Our son is large for his age and the Chicco Mama seemed a lot larger than the Prima Pappa. We love the ease of the rollers, use of the tray, the safety belt, ease of cleaning, and the quick fold up capability. At that price range you will get similar features. Choose the one that seems right for you, but I continue to recommend the Chicco Mamma to all of my friends.

tbank
06-11-2001, 01:17 PM
I love my Prima Pappa - but I've heard good things about Chicco too. Maybe the Fields will respond with what they've heard!!

susanhafner
06-17-2001, 12:37 PM
We love our Chicco and find that it rolls really easily across our floor. That isnt an issue. Also, we love having the insert for him, the 5 point harness was very impt for us with our little squirmer, it now has a passive restraint bar (or you can call thme and they will send one free of charge) which was an impt feature of the prima we liked. It does fold and maneuver alot easier than the prima too. I did not want a highchair with an attached tray like the evenflo as my little one likes to lock his legs every once an a while and trying to get him into that kind of chair would be a problem. We have used it since Max was 4 months old and havent used the tray yet but we tried it out while he sat in it and our only problem was that it sits very far from him which is the same as the prima. Good luck.:7

Megansmom
06-23-2001, 07:47 PM
I have the prima pappa..its really hard to clean.we have the white one and there are so many little spaces food gets stuck in. also the straps are hard to adjust and fit a baby in. my daughter is 16 months old and only 18 lbs and we had to take it off cause they would not adjust right. also i heard from the fields it might be getting recalled...not sure of the reasons yet they will update everyone soon as they know
go with the chicca mamma i wish i had.. although i am due in december with baby # 2 and i might buy a new one like graco or evenflow i am sick of cleaning it!

karrie

MilasMommy
06-26-2001, 04:20 PM
At a friend's baby shower a fellow attendee {whom is twice blessed} said the Mamma is much easier to clean just like the book said!

smorrr
07-01-2001, 10:02 PM
I'm not sure either. A good friend bought the chicco mamma after I read the great comments in the book and told her about it. After one feeding she packed it back up, returned it, and exchanged it for the Pappa because her 6 month old daughter got her arm caught in the space between the tray and the seat and she felt this was dangerous. She says the pappa has more of a plastic armrest to prevent her arms from getting caught. Did anyone else hear of this? The store said they had several returns because of this flaw-yet the mamma seems to have so many other nice features. I don't know which one to get.

suzska
07-08-2001, 07:09 PM
I just bought the Evenflo chair at Baby Depot on sale for $83.99!
Since we just bought it today, I can't say much about it, except that the wheels do roll easily as the other poster mentioned.

I looked and looked at the Chicco Mama, but couldn't decide why it would have been any better than the Evenflo chair, so we went with the Evenflo one. I will admit that I have pinced my fingers on both of them while "test driving" at the store, so just be careful when folding or raising/lowering the chairs. I never could figure out how to fold the Prima Pappa, so that's why I eliminated it right off the bat--if it's not obvious how to adjust/use it without reading all the instructions, I don't think it's good design.

Anyway, that's my $.02.

mkkrum
07-11-2001, 02:06 PM
We have a Chicco Mamma, purchased Spring '01 for our now 8 month-old son. Don't know anything about using the Pappa, but the Mamma "ain't no big deal" to us. What I have found is that of all the extra important and pricey features, I use only the wheels (rolls just fine on linoleum) and the recline feature. I found it to be too much hassle to fold up, plus it doesn't take up significantly less space when it's folded. And when I have my hands full of Squirmy Boy I can't unfold it by myself. The "tray storage" feature looks great, but if you accidentally bump the tray when you move the chair, it falls off. I finally put the tray in the basement until he begins to feed himself. One less thing for me to clean every meal! The five-point restraint seems solid enough that I don't feel like we need the tray with the between-the-legs bar to keep him safe in the seat. I'm always sitting in front of him feeding him, anyway. Oh, and as for the "one-handed tray release". . .that's up for debate. It may release with one hand, but it definitely takes two hands to put it on.

I'm not unhappy with my Chicco, but I probably would have been just fine with a $30 high chair rather than the $159 Chicco Mamma. Just my two cents!

elaine
07-11-2001, 02:56 PM
I have the Prima Pappa, and am reasonably pleased with it. I don't find it difficult to clean ... maybe it's just the white leatherette?

I had to go to Babies R Us to see the Pappa and the Mamma side-by-side - I went with the Pappa because it's a bit smaller, and my daughter is smallish.

My biggest complaint is that the 5-point harness on the Pappa is difficult to adjust for a small baby. Even now at 10 months, it is still big on her. The shoulder straps are useless - perhaps they'll work better when she grows into it. However, it does hold her securely (and she's squirmy).

I only recently started using the tray. Even now it is up to her chin. I would've liked a high chair with an adjustable tray position, but rather to my surprise, I never found that option. It seems obvious to me, and far more useful than having the whole chair go up and down.

peg
07-18-2001, 11:00 AM
I also have both the prima pappa and the chicco mamma. big wastes of money if the evenflo one really has all the features at much less cost! I had the prima pappa first and hated how dirty it kept getting. Also the tray release was easy for my daughter to push with her foot and off flew the tray and food went everywhere! I NEVER used the fold up feature except for the one time I took it to my mother in law's for dinner. I broke off one of the brake things from the wheel by just putting it in the car. That was the last of many small straws! I left it at my mother in laws (which actually made her happy!) and we went to buy a new chicco mamma. The tray on the chicco has the exact same release problem, and the seat doesn't fit the baby as snuggly as the prima did. But the chicco rolls better and is much easier to keep clean. Still never use the fold up option. Knowing what I know now, I'd probably opt for a cheaper one. In my opinion, more money doesn't seem to get you more high chair!

peg
07-18-2001, 11:07 AM
It sounds like your daughter is still pretty young. You will experience the horrors of trying to clean your prima pappa once your daughter is a toddler and is grabbing all parts of the high chair with her food covered hands. Also, just wait till your child throws up while in the chair!!! You'll have food under the plastic seat cushion (which you'll find after you wonder "what is that smell???") and in all the cracks and crevices where your child's fingers can reach. My daughter took pleasure in packing bits of food into any recessed screw hole she could find. Enjoy your high chair now, cuz I fear you're in for a rude surprise!

shandrin
07-20-2001, 12:09 PM
I say skip both! yes, they are pretty and having the wheels and fold up ability( but who folds their chair up to 3 times day!? not me...)is 'nice' but they have major problems when put to the real life test of feeding a baby, i have owned both and found huge problems with each, from cleaning, tray heights, pinching style fold designs, tearing covers, trays that don't truly come off with one hand etc.

After all the hassle of these 'pretty & costly' chairs my cheap graco no frills highchair is a welcome guest in my house!The tray is set at the right height, easy to clean and best of all CHEAP!;-)

shandrin
07-20-2001, 12:12 PM
Oh it gets you more alright, more to clean, more to break, more to hassle with etc......etc. Agree with you 100%!! ;-)

Prima Papa
07-25-2001, 08:50 PM
Enough is enough already, GET BOTH AND TRY THEM OUT!

E&E
07-25-2001, 08:59 PM
Get the Mamma! I LOVE this chair! It is easy to use. It is attractive. Baby loves it.

barblmoon
07-25-2001, 10:05 PM
LAST EDITED ON Jul-25-01 AT 09:06PM (Mountain)[p]I have the Prima Pappa (blue bear print seat)

Pros (that I found great):

- It's compact and we have taken it in the car and on vacations.
- The reclining seat allowed for us to use it when our son was only a couple of months old. (for sitting in the kitchen)
- The chair raises up and down depending on the height of the table or chair you are at.
- I do have hardwood floors and it slides easily. No problems with the wheels.

The cons:

- Get's so dirty. So many nooks and crannys to keep clean. Especially the rim around the tray and the top legs of the chair. I didn't notice food could get under the seat until it smelled bad. Now I take it out back and hose it down once a week and clean under the cushion daily. I can't wait till my son learns to use a fork.
- My cushion ripped where the snaps attached taking it off on the first try.

The other girls in my playgroup all have the Graco and love it. I've never heard them complain. If I could find the compactness of the Prima Pappa, but something more steamlined and easy to clean I would get it.

mamalela
07-27-2001, 04:14 PM
LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-01 AT 03:22PM (Mountain)[p]LAST EDITED ON Jul-27-01 AT 03:19 PM (Mountain)

CAN WE SAY RECALL!! GO TO PEREGO.COM AND YOU WILL FIND IN THEIR RECALL LIST THE PRIMA PAPPA AND OTHER ITEMS LISTED FOR RECALL. THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ARMREST BEING FIVE INCHES INSTEAD OF NINE. THERE WERE INJURIES REPORTED. BE SAFE INSTEAD STYLISH.

Gabby29
08-18-2001, 01:02 AM
I have the chicco mama also and that is something I have noticed, my six month old daughter and is constantly resting her arm in between the tray and the frame, but it hasn't been a problem with her getting stuck. I don't think there is a perfect chair out there, but i have been overall very happy with the chicco. Probably the worst that will happen is that you return it, so just save the box and try it out. :-)

ElbertMom
09-19-2001, 11:53 PM
I took the books suggestions as well and looked at both of these highchairs. In the end, my daughter made the decision when we went shopping at 5 months! She likes to sit very upright and hold the tray and she really liked the Pappa. We test drove a Graco as well, but she seemed the most comfortable in the Pappa and it was on sale at BabiesRUs for $134. So far I have not found the cleaning to be too painful, but she is not feeding herself...staytuned.

tilly2321
11-01-2001, 05:04 PM
I am interested in getting the Chicco Mama, but won't be registering for one until early next year (due in May. YOU mentioned that they now have an insert to prop the baby up. Do you know if all models have that now? I am so confused by all of these choices. Everyone seems to complain about the height of the tray, but loves everything else. Is it worth it? Seems like the price is steep for there to be a major problem with it. HELP!

emmiem
11-02-2001, 02:39 PM
All the Chicco Mammas come with the insert now. I have it for my eight month old and love it. She is a little small so the tray is too high for her to use so I just feed her without it. She is not doing self feeding yet anyway.

mgupta
01-09-2002, 01:38 AM
Definetly the Mamma! All my friends with the Papa tell me they wished they had my Mamma. Even though my DD is 17 months...she still loves it and it is so easy to take to our friends when we have dinner at their houses.