the old "KZ/Tripp Trapp vs. cheaper alternative" question

[skohng]

hi all,

i know this has been asked TONS of times, but I wanted an update from any moms who decided against Stokke and went for a cheaper alternative. I read lots of "First impressions" but would like to know how high chairs have held up after months/years of use. My main criteria is durability, of course, and that the chair can be pulled up close to the table. some chairs have "arms" that look like they'd hit the table and not allow your lo to sit close.

I'm looking at these:

kettler junior high chair
kettler tipp topp
Primo easy chair
keekaroo
Geuther/Euro-baby family chair

thanks in advance!

[clc053103]

cant help as I have a tripp trapp that I love. But I have heard raves about One Step Ahead's chair as well, check it out on their website.

[mariza]

I've had the OSA ahead chair for about a month and there are pro's and cons. I've had a Hipposmile chair in the past (KZ knockoff) in addition to the fact that I had quality issues with it I ended up not liking the basic design of the chair.
I think the quality of the OSA chair is good but not great. I got it for my 18 month old but I hated the harness strap and we never used it. My guy is pretty chubby so the "baby bar" was hard to get him in and out of. I ended up taking it off. My 3 yo DD uses the chair now since DS isn't mature enough to sit unrestrained without constantly getting out of his chair.
So, I would say it depends on what age child you are buying for. I wish I spent the extra $30 and got the Keekaroo so I could have the tray for my 18 month old (though they do sell an add on tray I could get, but have decided to just keep him in his FP space saver for now and let DD use the OSA)
I do think it's a great chair for an older toddler and I prefer the design of it to the Tripp Trap and other similar chairs.
If your DC needs a tray I'd get the Keekaroo, otherwise the OSA is a great alternative that I'd recommend for a DC over 2 yrs.
Here is the Highchair with straps and Baby bar:
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=534089&cmSource=Search

Here is the "chair only" option for $10 less (I should have got this and saved my $10 since i took off the "extra's)
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=533865&cmSource=Search

[ohiomom]

I just ordered my 2nd keekaroo tonight for DD2. Our 1st was purchased last summer. We are very pleased with the quality, functionality, and price. We did get the free trays, but haven't actually used them. I figure if they want to give tray for free I'd take it from resale standpoint or if a smaller child visits. Therefore, can't really speak to the tray. My 17 mo old likes to sit in DD1's chair and is fine w/out shouldar harness. The chair pulls right up to table, but there is a bar in front between 2 front legs. We have a pedestal table and it is fine.


DD1 7/03
DD2 9/06

[pastrygirl]

I've had a Keekaroo for a few months; I think I got it in January. I really like it so far! My son is 21 months old and has no problems getting in and out of it -- he loves his seat! I got the free tray but I don't use it.

I did have one incident, though... he fell out of the seat, taking the seat part with him since he was buckled in. He slipped out the back. Turns out the sides were really loose. It's the tension that holds the seat in place. I'm not sure if I just never tightened it enough after putting it together, or if it came loose over time. I plan on checking it every once in a while to make sure. My guess is that I never fully tightened it, thinking that I would tighten it all once I was sure that seat height was right. Bad mommy! :(

[ekbecker1]

I've got the Hipposmile and my 2.5 YO dd has been using it since Christmas. We love it. She can get into it herself. She puts her buckles on (unfortunately, her big brother just taught her how to UNDO her buckles too!). It's super easy to clean. I read complaints about the pad, so I never installed it. It's very stable, no tipping. It's also very adjustable for different heights of children and tables.

The only issue I've had is that after a couple of months, we had to tighten the top screws because the seat started to slide (not a big deal at all). My only complaint is a silly one. . .it's so modern looking! It doesn't fit in with my style at atll. But that's true of all these chairs.

My son got a regular youth chair (the old-fashioned kind with arms curving around the sides) when he was 3 and he took much longer to get used to that because of the arms. He couldn't get in and out himself and he got very frustrated. Also, it tips pretty easily.

[WatchingThemGrow]

DD's enjoying using the 2 KZ's I got from Craigslist for $80 each about 1-2 mos. ago. The family that had them before loved them for several years, and they are in great shape. The finish on the blueberry one shows a little more wear than the cherry one, and one of the seatbelts had a messed up clip. I called Stokke and they sent me a new seatbelt/harness for free right away. I'm all about getting the original product and not a knock-off unless it is exponentially better. DD has a wild streak, but she has not come close to tipping over in them. We use one at the kitchen table and one at the dining room table for now.

ETA: Maybe you could put a wanted ad on your local CL and save that way!

[brittone2]

We have a KZ (DS is 4 and has had it since he was about 15 months) and a Kettler Tipp Topp.

I far prefer the KZ. I got the Tipp Topp because it was on sale at Amazon for $100. I like that it has a tray, and I still use the tray with DD (now 15 months). SHe was able to use it earlier than the KZ (although with the tripp trapp that would be different if we went w/ the baby bar, but that's also quite a bit of additional money).

I don't like the Tipp Topp harness, and I find the grain of the seat more "grainy" and harder to clean than the KZ.

If I could snag a used KZ, I would, but at this point, I'm not going to shell out the extra money. The cleaning/harness issue won't be as big of a deal in a few months.

DS continues to love his KZ and I prefer that one *much* more than the Kettler Tipp Topp we have.

[skohng]

thanks for the input everyone -- i put a wanted ad in CL a while ago and a seller contacted me, then wouldn't return my emails! and whenever KZ's are listed for sale on CL, they're gone literally within the hour.

I suppose I could keep stalking, but I just wanted to see which "knock-off"s come close enough.