Need help making a decision on high chair

[noradc]

Hi Moms,

I have finally narrowed down my high chairs to the Boon Flair high chair or the Anka Svan high chair.

Boon: http://www.booninc.com/products/Flair
Anka: http://www.ankababystore.com/

Two completely different high chairs. Moms if you're familiar with either one of these chairs please let me know what your feelings are on it. Also, there might be other useful features which I never considered so feel free to bring them up.

This is what I have gathered so far:

Boon Pros:
- Wheels/casters make it easier to move around eg dining table to kitchen
- Adjustable height
- Modern design

Boon Cons:
- Large footprint
- Heavier (I will be sending the high chair overseas with me via air freight so weight is a factor)

Anka Pros:
- Small foot print, not bulky, lighter
- Legs fold for compact storage
- Adjustable footrest

Anka Cons:
- No wheels
- Looks like the restaurant high chairs
- Seat height not adjustable

Also, how long did your child use his/her high chair for? I looked at high chairs that "grow" with the baby until they are 4 or 5 yo. But does a 4 or 5 yo want to sit in a high chair or would they rather sit in the same chair mommy and daddy sit in? I was thinking about it as a long term investment but maybe I dont need to.

Thanks as always for all your help!

[Momof3Labs]

I consider a recline to be essential; do either recline?

My boys both boycotted the high chair by 18 months and moved to a Tripp Trapp pulled up to the table.

[noradc]

I consider a recline to be essential; do either recline?

My boys both boycotted the high chair by 18 months and moved to a Tripp Trapp pulled up to the table.

Thought about the recline. Not too many high chairs do that, the only one on my original list that reclined was the Bloom Fresco high chair but its $500 and my other half cant justify the price.

Did you have another high chair with recline in mind?

My 7 mon old hasnt passed out while eating/sitting up yet so I dont know if a recline feature should be high on my criteria list. Any thoughts other moms out there?

[doberbrat]

the only time I ever recline my highchair is when I'm trying to give baby meds of some sort. having them in a reclineing position makes it easier to give when they dont want it - something that obviously I dont do for food.

but my kids have always wanted to be upright from birth. I think that by 7mo you're fine w/o a recline

[happymom]

I have the Boon Flair and have posted about it before if you feel like searching. When I first got it, I was unhappy with it because the tray is set very low and DD was making a HUGE mess every time she ate- the food kept dropping into her lap on the way to her mouth. I think she got used to the low tray after a little while though, because the food has been making it to her mouth most of the time.

We had the Fisher Price Healthy Care highchair until DD was about 15 months old. I was unhappy with it and so I got the Boon instead. So I cant tell you what the Boon is like for an infant. But we LOVE it for our 19 month old DD. But here are the pros and cons IMO- I starred the pros that matter most to me.

Pros:
-cleans effortlessly and spotlessly**
-glides easily without scratching floors etc*** (we move it from kitchen to dining room multiple times a day)
-small tray fits in dishwasher**
-easy to adjust harness
-tray comes with 2 covers, so theres always a clean one available
-modern looking
-adjustable height- I plan on using this once DD wants to join us at the table. We have already done it a few times successfully.

Cons:
-small tray- it takes some getting used to, but at this point we are fine with it.
- as mentioned above, tray is set low
-the tray is a little hard to remove (it is one handed though). We are used to it, but everytime a guest is over, they cannot figure out how to do it.
- there are only 2 positions that the tray can click into- one is too far from DD and the other is a bit close. Doesnt bother her though.
-it definitely is heavy, but I never lift it, so it doesnt bother me.
-it doesnt fold. However, our storage area is basically a crawlspace, and it will fit in there when on the lowest height setting so its OK for us.

HTH!

ETA: We never used the recline setting on the Fisher Price chair when DD was an infant.

[Smillow]

I loove the Boon Flair (especially the pink one!), but because weight is a factor, I would be tempted to go with the Anka. THought re: footprint: the Anka may be more of a trip hazard because of the way the legs are spread vs. the Boon.
I have the Ikea Antilop & have never missed a recline feature. I would guess that is mainly for infants < 6months.

[arivecchi]

I would get the Svan highchair over the Anka because it converts to a toddler chair like the TT.

[Melaine]

I would suggest the Tripp Trapp....mine will be 4 soon and are still strapped in them for each meal and use them for coloring and table projects too. LOVE them.

[llama8]

I use the recline on my high chair a lot. I don't know much about these 2 brands, I have a Chicco Polly, but I love the recline feature on mine!

[YouAreTheFocus]

I have the Boon and love it. I agree w/ everything happymom wrote. I feel like we are the Boon cheerleaders!

- I LOVE that the height is adjustable--I raise it up to feed him at a height that is comfortable for me, and then when he's done I drop it down and slide it under the table.
- I LOVE the pedestal base...we have a small kitchen/dining area, and were concerned about the legs on a typical highchair being a trip hazard. The Boon really doesn't feel like it has a big footprint.
- I LOVE how easy it is to clean. Since the seat it is one molded piece, the are no creases or crevices for things to get stuck in. And I like that is has the foam pad as opposed to fabric.
- I LOVE how it looks!!!

I have never misssed the lack of recline...I actually don't even understand why you would need a highchair to recline. He eats, drinks, takes meds in it, no problem.