When expecting our first child, we knew we were going to need a high chair, but we didn’t know which one to choose.
Our kitchen is pretty small, so we definitely didn’t have space for a freestanding high chair — they seemed too big to me anyway. We agreed getting a high chair that straps onto a regular chair made the most sense.
When selecting items for our registry, we found one we liked at Babies R Us made by Ingenuity.
One feature really stood out to me: the tray is actually two different pieces. This helps a LOT with cleanup. You can remove the top tray before you start wiping your little one’s hands.
With the messy top tray removed, you don’t have to worry about the hand you just wiped getting into the food mess again while you wipe the second hand. Also, the main tray stays locked in place so you know your little one is secure. It also has a removable back support for when your baby is still learning to sit upright.
Use it anywhere
We took this high chair with us everywhere, including camping at St. Croix State Park! We were able to use it a variety of ways within our campsite. The first time we took our daughter camping, she was still using the tray to eat. We attached the high chair to the picnic table sideways so she could eat right next to us. We’ve also used the high chair facing the table without the tray.
Last summer when we went camping (yes, I went camping while six-months-pregnant with twins!), we attached her high chair to my bright pink bag chair and she loved it! We’ve used it that way eating dinner outside at home as well. I wouldn’t recommend using it on a flimsy bag chair — the ones we have are very strong.
Beyond mealtimes
When we chose this high chair for our baby registry, we were thinking about using it only for feeding time. After realizing how easy it was to clean up and how well she sat in it, we started using to do other activities with her.
I love painting, and wanted to have some mother-daughter painting time, so I thought using the high chair would be a good way to contain the mess. I gave her a piece of paper, some paint on an old container lid and a paintbrush. We had so much fun!
Another example of how we’ve used the high chair for more than just mealtime happened when we were camping in our pop-up camper that first summer. I was getting ready to pack up all of our stuff, and wanted to keep my daughter entertained and close by. I put her in the high chair with the tray and gave her some paper and crayons.
Since I didn’t have the high chair attached to a chair, I put our heavy diaper bag on the base of it to keep it stable. She sat there coloring happily while I got all of our stuff together.
Second chair for Baby B
After we found out we were having twins, I knew I wanted to get a second high chair so both of our new babies could have one. The version of the chair we bought for our first child isn’t available at Babies R Us anymore.
When selecting items for my twin baby registry, I chose the newer version which had a different fabric pattern and had one continuous fabric insert/cover instead of the two separate pieces like the chair we had already.
My twin babies started using the high chairs for eating “happy baby cereal” — as my 3-year-old likes to call it — after we got the go-ahead from our pediatrician. I like that the seats can sit upright (for solid foods) or tilt back (for bottles) because it makes feeding two babies at the same time easier.
In addition to the baby cereal, they love eating smashed up bananas — just like their big sister did! We’re using our mash & serve bowl (pictured above) again, and it still works great!
It looks like Ingenuity is moving away from having fabric on the chair top high chairs, because when I was searching for links for this post, most of the Ingenuity chairs I found are the new all-plastic SmartClean ones. I also noticed they’ve made changes to the tray, but it’s still two separate pieces which is a key feature to me.
Check out the Resources for helpful links to the newest versions of our high chairs and check back soon for new posts about my must-haves! My next post is going to be about an absolute must-have for current or future moms of multiples. 😉
This blog is truthful and based on personal experience with the products or items mentioned. It doesn’t have sponsors, and no one paid to receive positive reviews of their products. All of the links provided are for your convenience and are not “affiliate links” — Valerie doesn’t receive payment or kickbacks if people purchase products based on her recommendations.
Valerie Moe is the Senior Graphic Designer for Minnesota Parent magazine. She lives in Bloomington with her husband, their 3-year-old daughter and 5-month-old twins.
