I think I've narrowed down my high chair choices...

[celfsh]

to either the Zooper Peas and Carrots or the Combi Easy Glider Deluxe. (Thanks, everybody, for all the great feedback on these chairs!) However, I've spent the last two days calling every baby store within a 50-mile radius, and no one carries either one of these high chairs--in fact, most of the stores didn't even know they existed! Both are available online, although I hesitate to buy without having tried them out in person with my baby as others have recommended. So my question is: should I take my chances and buy one of these high chairs sight unseen? Or should I settle for a high chair that wasn't as highly recommended but is available to try in the store? TIA for any advice!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[August Mom]

I can relate to your problem. I also was calling everyplace I could think of to find these chairs. I personally couldn't bring myself to purchase on-line without seeing the chairs in person, especially because we were having some fit issues with DS. I finally tracked both chairs down at Babyland in Pittsburgh and stopped by the store when visiting my in-laws.

After seeing the chairs in person, I will tell you that IMO the Zooper fits very similarly to the Chicco Mamma. The tray is very similar in height and in distance from the baby. The improvement over the Chicco Mamma, IMO, is that the vinyl covers the arms of the chair and that it looks impossible for the child's arm to get stuck between the tray and the back of the chair. Although the tray attaches to the back of the Zooper, unlike the current Chicco Mamma, according to the clerks at the store, it only does this when the chair is still open. When the Zooper is folded shut, the basket knocks the tray off. I LOVED the look of the Zooper. It was very sophisticated (I saw the black). The tray was a metallic tinted plastic. There were 2 cup holders on either side of the tray on the side closest to the baby. They looked very small. I can't tell you whether the location is good or bad. One other difference is that the Zooper has only one height for the shoulder straps. Anyway, I guess what I am saying is that if the Chicco Mamma fits your baby well, but you like other features or the look of the Zooper better, I would feel pretty comfortable ordering it. However, there really is no chair like the Combi on the market, so personally, I wouldn't have felt comfortable purchasing it sight unseen.

By the way, if you let everyone know the area in which you live, it's possible that someone has seen these chairs and can let you know where to see them in person.

In my calling, some USA Baby stores carried the Combi (and could order the Zooper). Also, others have posted that BRU is starting to carry the Combi (but not near Columbus, Ohio, apparently). Good luck.

BTW, if you have any specific questions about either of these chairs, please let me know. I just saw them and studied them pretty carefully. Good luck.

[celfsh]

Thanks for the informative response! So which one did you end up buying--the Zooper or the Combi? Based on your advice, I think I will take DD to BRU to see how the Chicco fits and get a better idea whether or not the Zooper will work.

Do you mind answering a couple more questions regarding both the Zooper and the Combi? First, which highchair seemed easier to clean? Also, the only negative I have heard about the Combi is its size--how big is it compared to the Zooper and/or other highchairs? Third, which seemed easier to move?

Thanks so much for your help. Oh, BTW, I live in Utah, so if there's anyone out there who knows where I can see either one or both of these highchairs in person, please let me know! (Utah is like the land that cool baby stuff forgot....)

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[caroliner]

Just want to say on the Zooper, since I have one, I have not had a problem with the basket knocking off the tray when the chair is folded. In fact, that has never happened. The basket actually folds. We have been very happy with this chair, but I have never seen the Combi, so I cannot give a comparison. It does look quite large if space is a concern. The nice thing about the Zooper is how small it folds, with tray attached to the legs and also when you are not using the tray, you can just attach it to the legs of the chair. I think the Chicco used to have this feature but no longer does. I would probably have bought the Zooper sight unseen, but my USA baby had one left.

The cup holders are small. They hold a Dr. Brown bottle but not an Avent cup. It is very easy to move as it is on wheels. It is OK to clean. Not super easy, not super hard.

[August Mom]

That's good to know about the tray. It looked like the basket should fold, but the clerk couldn't get it to fold and then another clerk indicated you could only put the tray on the back when the chair was unfolded, like when the child would use it at a real table. That seemed strange. Thanks for clarifying. It looked like a great chair.

[egoldber]

I looked at the Combi pretty closely. When it is open, it isn't any bigger than any other high chair. But the way it folds for storage is very strange and is not very compact. I never fold my chair, so that wouldn't be a problem for me.

HTH,

[August Mom]

Celeste,

Good luck in your high chair search. I'm glad mine is over. :)

We ended up buying the Combi. Actually, I wanted to buy the Zooper because it looked so cool :), but it really didn't fit DS as well as the Combi. When considering the Combi, I really wasn't considering the Deluxe Easy Glider. I was more interested in the regular version. I thought the Combi actually had too many features. I wasn't sure we really needed the seat to glide or a canopy or the ability to pipe in music through ear phones in the canopy. However, when we found such a good price on the Deluxe ($115.99), I figured why not. If I don't like the canopy, I don't have to use it. Actually, I really like the infant body pillow (as Combi calls it). I think it makes the chair fit DS better, especially now when he is small. Anyway, on to your specific questions.

CLEANING: I think that the Combi seemed easier to clean, but I haven't cleaned any high chair so I don't have a lot of experience in this area. The reason that I think it looked easier to clean is that there are no crevices or grooves on the arms of the Combi and the tray comes back on the arms to where the seat cover is located. Thus, if the child smears food on the arm in front of the seat, it will actually be on the removable tray. In the Zooper, I think the food would wind up on the vinyl arm covering. The cushion on the Combi is not only vinyl that can be wiped down, but it also can be machine washed according to the instructions. The back of the infant insert is cloth, not vinyl, however. So, if DS reaches behind the insert, that could be a pain. If the canopy gets dirty, it may be more challenging to clean. It is fabric and can only be surfaced washed. I'm also not sure about how easy it will be to clean the straps. I don't like the way the straps on the Combi adjust. The ends of the straps are loose and DS likes to grab them. At this point, he doesn't have food on his hands, but it's only a matter of time. On the shoulders, the ends of the straps are supposed to go through these vinyl tubes, but DS moves those up and down and the straps fall out. (Please keep in mind that DS has only used this chair for 2 days, but that's what I can report so far).

SIZE: I had heard about the large size of the Combi too. I agree that it looks really large. I think that it appears that way because of the gliding mechanism under the seat. It looks different than other chairs, bulky rather than sleek. Plus, the tray is bigger than others. However, I did a side-by-side comparison of the Combi with the Zooper and the Peg Perego Prima Pappa. Actually, the floor space required by each chair was almost identical. The difference primarily comes when the chairs are folded. I wasn't intending to fold mine very often, so this was not a big deal to me. When you fold the Combi, you put the seat in full recline and lower it to the lowest setting. That's it. I folded the Combi and measured it for you. When folded, the chair is 21 inches wide, 18 inches high, 36 inches long to the top of the chair and 41 inches long to the top of the canopy (if you have it attached). You can store it on its side if you want. However, it will not stand up folded like other chairs.

This site has some good photos of the Combi, including of the Combi folded: http://www.babysupermall.com/main/products/com/com98501.html

MOVEMENT: I wish I could go back and compare the movement of the chairs for you. I pushed them both a little in the store and they both seemed fine. Both are on wheels. However, now that I'm home pushing my Combi, I see that the front casters swivel but the rear wheels don't. Thus, it's easy to move the Combi in a straight line, but not so easy to push around corners or around the room. Also, it is easier to move the Zooper seat up and down. I noticed this in the store. The Combi seat is heavier than the Zooper because of the gliding mechanism. However, I found the lever to lower/raise the height of the Combi easier to use than the height adjuster on the Zooper. Maybe someone who has the Zooper can comment on whether its rear wheels swivel too.

One other thing, with the infant body pillow, the seat of the Combi fit most like the FP Healthy Care, although the rest of the chair is completely different. Without the insert, though, the Combi can get bigger than the FP. Also, the tray on the Combi can come as close as the FP Healthy Care.

HTH Sorry the post was so long. Let me know if you think of anything else.

[celfsh]

August Mom:

You are so great to answer all of my questions--seriously, you have gone above and beyond the call of duty! I did think of one more (stupid?) question about the Combi. How does the glider mechanism work? Do you have to wind it or anything? And have you used this feature at all yet? If so, how does your DS like it? We were thinking of getting DD a swing...maybe this will keep us from having to make that additional purchase?

Once again, thanks so much for your help. Hope the Combi works out for you...I just noticed on another post that you got it for $119?! What a deal--good for you!)

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[firsttimemama]

I bought the zooper because I loved the style. I returned it because I didn't love the design. My biggest problem was that the tray. The bar for in between the baby's legs is on the tray making it bulky and hard to wash in the sink, and IMO more difficult to harness the baby.
I know some people like the bar there better..anyway I ended up with a prima pappa in black sable and I love it!

[August Mom]

That's not a stupid question at all. It would be nice if the glider mechanism ran on batteries, but unfortunately, it runs on the power of your hand. You simply push the seat back and forth. I did try it out with DS when he was cranky. It calmed him, but only if I kept gliding him and singing. Whether you can do without the swing depends on your baby. Some babies don't even like swings. Some love them. My DS is only soothed by the swing as long as it keeps swinging, which would make for a very tired arm using the Combi in place of the swing. I would say if you get the Combi, try out the gliding function with your baby before you try the swing and see if it works. If your baby only needs a little nudge into dreamland instead of constant motion, it might work in place of a swing.

By the way, if you decide to purchase either chair, it may be worth a call to Babyland in Pittsburgh where I bought mine to check shipping costs to Utah. The Zooper was on sale for $109.99 and the Combi for $115.99. There weren't many Combis left in stock, but there were lots of Zoopers. Good luck.

[Techmama]

> I ended up with a prima pappa in black sable and I love it!


Is the chair wipeable or fabric? Curious because I'm ISO a darker, more sophisticated chair that will work in our new kitchen.

TIA

[August Mom]

The black sable chair has both a fabric and vinyl cover. The fabric cover is black/charcoal and fits over a charcoal heather vinyl cover. I saw it in person and it was very sophisticated and sleek. I've attached some links with photos/swatches of the black sable pattern and details on the chair:
http://www.babytrain.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=PPHCBS&Product_Count=2&Category_Code=HIGHCHAIR http://shop.store.yahoo.com/ibabydoc/pegprimpapdu3.html http://www.babyuniverse.com/pro.asp?id=19719&catid=267&secid=8

[celfsh]

An update to my search for a highchair...

Over the weekend, DH and I took DD on a trip to BRU to try their highchairs out in person as August Mom had suggested. While the tray on the Chicco did sit farther than I'd like from the baby's chest, it fit much better than the Peg Perego Prima Pappa, which not only sat even farther away from her but also reached clear above her chin--way too high. Anyway, our BRU does not carry the Combi Easy Glider Deluxe, which I was mainly interested in due to its gliding mechanism. Funny thing is, we tried putting the baby in a swing to see if she would like it, and she was absolutely terrified! So that pretty much eliminated the Combi as a contender, which left us with 2 choices: either continuing to try to track down the Zooper (practically impossible) or just taking the Chicco Mama. We decided to run over to USA Baby to compare prices on the Chicco. By coincidence, the manager came over to help us, and when I told him my dilemma, he agreed to stock a few Zoopers to see if they would sell. Yeah! So as soon as the Zoopers come in, I'll go in and try one out and finally make a decision...the end is in sight!

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I'll be sure to post again once I try the Zooper, if anyone's interested.

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02
celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[August Mom]

Isn't it a great feeling when the end is almost near! Who would have thought that buying a high chair could be so stressful. LOL I'll be looking forward to seeing what you think after you've tried the Zooper in person.

[celfsh]

No kidding. I'm sure everyone at BRU thought we were nuts...we literally had an audience as we were testing all the different models. LOL. Thanks again for all your excellent advice!

celeste
mom to olivia 9/25/02

[JerseyMom]

We recently bought the Combi Deluxe Easy Glider and are now just waiting for the baby to be born, so I can't give you any practical, personal experience.

However the gliding mechanism does have a lock, so that if your child is too young for that kind of movement or plain just doesn't like it, you have the option of having it glide or not. I have read often times infants won't like certain motions at first, because it is sensory overload, but that in time, they could grow to enjoy it.

I recently saw the Zooper and while it was pretty cool looking, I didn't like it. It doesn't have the leg divider on the seat, but on the tray, which I hear makes it hard to clean in the sink. I also didn't like how the tray removed from the seat. It wasn't an easy one handed operation. Otherwise, it was a handsome looking highchair, and for many may be the perfect seat.

[casey]

THANK YOU !!! AUGUST MOM!!
I GOT ZOOPER HC FROM BABYLAND.FOR $109.99 + shipping $28
IGOT IT AS UNSEEN.
BUT, I HAVE TO TELL YOU I LOVE IT,LOVE IT.AND MY BABY 4MOMTHS LOVES IT
TOO.
I SAW PP PRIMA BUT, I THINK ZOOPER IS THE BEST.
THANKS AGAIN ,AUGUST MOM FOR THE GOOD DEAL

CASEY
MOM TO ALEX 10/22/02

[August Mom]

You're welcome, Casey. I'm glad it worked out. That Zooper high chair is certainly elusive!