Which high chair is the best buy? Baby Trend, Evenflo Envision or FP Healthy Care Classic or Deluxe?

[pillysuss]

Hi,

I just started my 6-month old son on solids and am realizing that I'll need to get a high chair, and quick! I would like to keep it under $100 and I've narrowed down the choices to: Baby Trend, Evenflo Envision, Fisher-Price Healthy Care Classic and Deluxe.

Which is best, in your opinion, and why? Also, where are the best sites to order from online?

Thanks.

[HoneymoonBaby]

In my edition of Baby Bargains, Fisher Price is rated the highest. That's the chair we use now, and I have been very happy with it. We do not have the deluxe version because we didn't need casters. It's easy to clean and blends well with our kitchen decor. Ian can't kick off the tray. I can get the tray close enough to him to prevent food from falling into his lap. And it's very height-adjustable and has a good recline range. I got the floor model on sale at BRU for $39.99, but I think they run about $70-80 regularly.

[SpaceGal]

We got a Baby Trend high chair for our baby. I'm due in a few weeks and although I didn't use it yet, I tested it out like a madwoman at the store and read lots of reviews on the Baby Trends...they seemed to be very durable and handy. I liked that the seat cover is reversible and washable. Although I know some people complained that washing will fade out the fabric but I think that's to be expected with repeated washings. I'm not to big a fan of the whole plastic-y vinyl feel of the other kinds of high chairs I saw. A lot of people compared the Baby Trend high chairs to have similar features of the Peg Pergeos but are made just as nice if not better and are more affordable. I got mine new from Babies R Us for about $80. I know I don't need it yet but I liked the pattern so I got it otherwise I might have waited. Good luck with your search and let us know what you end up choosing.

[lilycat88]

We have the FP Healthy Care Deluxe. Love it. I can't remember if we got ours at BRU or Target but it's a blue one with a plaid pattern. We have the one that only has 1 removable tray. We've been using for feeding since just before Christmas but we used it for a few months before that as a "chair" for DD. We would put her in it strapped in and wheel her over in the vicinity of the sink, for instance, if we were doing dishes. It was an alternative to putting a bouncy seat on a counter and a great way to have her near and entertained while we got some work done. She LOVED it. So, even though I wasn't thinking of using it that way, I'm glad we had the castors. I love the cover also. We've never had to wash it yet. I simply wipe it down with a wet cloth if it gets something on it. Oh...I'm remembering another reason we went with this one instead of some of the others (the FP Linkadoos one, even) was because the one we got has navy straps. I kept thinking of how nasty the straps would get if they were white...like a lot of the chairs. At least this way, if they are stained, I don't know it :-)

[murpheyblue]

We have the FP Healthy Care Deluxe and love it. As a PP mentioned it's got multiple reclines and height adjustments so it works everywhere. The tray is large and sturdy and you can adjust it right up to baby so there's no food in the lap. We have the version with the three trays or tray liners that switch out and I love that feature. It didn't matter so much when DD was spoonfed but once she started feeding herself I loved just popping the tray out and tossing it in the dishwasher. The fabric is very easily wipeable but can alos be put in the washing machine for really easy cleaning. We use the casters a fair amount but whether you want/need that feature depends on your house set up and how you're using the chair.

[whittyanne]

We have a Baby Trend and I HATE it. I can't say that enough. I bought it b/c it was recommended by BB, and I figured I wouldn't mind washing the cover. Well I mind. And not only has it faded but it's fallen apart. It already fell apart so badly that I emailed BT and they had to send me a new cover (their customer service was great) but this second one is falling apart. I'm not going to keep emailing them/calling them. We're at the point where we're about to retire it anyway and just stick with the booster... but I always tell ppl not to get it. Spend the extra money on a high chair that comes with a vinyl cover. We wish we had gotten one of the Peg Peregos...

[pillysuss]

Have decided to go for the FP Healthy Care and I'm going to wait for the new ones in Jungle Plaid to arrive at Babies R' Us. According to another posting on this site, they won't have the annoying cloth ruffle.

I like the Baby Trend but realized that a cloth cover would be a disaster for us since we have a coin laundry in our apartment and I can't afford to be washing it every day. Also saw a real nice-looking Evenflo Simplicity Plus high chair 50% off for $50 at BabyAge.com and was tempted to go for this seemingly good deal, but then I read too many negative things about the chair and the website.

Most people seem to rave about the Healthy Care so I figure I can't go wrong!

Thanks for the input.

[fate]

We have the Baby Trend and have used it 3+ times a day since DS was about 7 months old. He is now almost 16 months. We do not wash it frequently so that might be why it is not falling apart. (I don't put it through the dryer).I occassionally wipe the cloth cover and that seems to be clean enough for my standards especially since we are through with jar food. I love everything about it except that there is a large gap between DS and the tray, yes DS is very small for his age, but still the gap is annoying because food falls through.

BTW --My favorite must rave about bibs are "Dura Bibs". They are vinyl like and go thru the washer. They snap together to create a catch basin for all the food that falls between DS and the tray.

Hope this helps...