Brief Start/First Impressions
Transitional chairs for babies to toddlers and further more, usually come in the form of convertible high chairs, like the Stokke Tripp Trapp, keekaroo, HiLo and other similar options. The question is: are they worth the extra money? I believe that if you use it from the baby stage right through to when they can easily use a normal chair by themselves, then yes, the price tag is worth it. You’ll undoubtedly get good value for your money once you factor in cost per use. Some of the options however, may not be wide enough for a little ones growing bottom or provide enough support for the weight of a young child.  If you plan to spend more than £50, I’d say you need to really think through the long-term use.

There’s really lots of amazing cheap options out there like the IKEA Highchair, the mamas and papas Bop chair, I even trialled the Ickle bubba orb chair (Looking back I now wouldn’t recommend for cleaning, bulky and heaviness).  Since Hamish (and we’ve just purchased our second one for Seth) we went with the Stokke Steps system, granted this chair has cost us over £150, however it takes you from those early baby bouncer days right through to up-to-the-table eating.

Knowing what I learnt from the first highchair we knew what we wanted this time round.  Firstly, we wanted one that was good quality and built to last. I’m all for cheap and cheerful but for something that we’ll use three times a day, it had to be hard wearing. Secondly, it had to be easy to clean. Weaning is a messy business and it doesn’t really get much cleaner from then on. I wanted a chair I could wipe clean after every meal time. Last but not least, I wanted it to be stylish and not take up too much room in our already small kitchen.

Features and Benefits
The Steps high chair is customisable  – you can choose the colour of the legs from six choices and the seat can be black or white. We chose ‘natural oak’ legs, with a black seat for both Hamish and Seth. This matches in perfectly with our kitchen colours.  What’s better is that you can pick and chose what you need, rather than paying for the whole bundle that you might not need. We ordered the chair with the baby set and tray for Hamish – we only need an extra chair base for Seth.  You can also purchase cushions and inserts for comfort – but that’s just more cleaning that I feel is unnecessary.  The baby seat attachment is removable and that means the chair is useable as a raised chair at the table for when they grow older. The backrest of the chair can be moved into a forward position, for a smaller baby, or further back when they get a bit bigger.  You can even buy the bouncer attachment so baby can sit up close to the family whilst everyone eats – this is certainly helpful to encourage good eating habits from an early age.  

The Stokke Steps Chair is unbelievably easy to assemble and means it gets working for you right away. You can also easily adjust the footrest on the Steps Chair. 

Pros
Adjustable footrest
Adjustable seat positions
Functional
Different colour choices
Easy to install
Huge tray
Easy to clean
Grows with your child 

Cons
Not foldable (but that doesn’t bother me) 
Unable to adjust the seat height (but the foot rest makes it fit any sized child)
Can be difficult to climb in/out (Hamish at 2 years old can climb up but can’t get off)
Initial cost is expensive 

Overall Feedback
Although this isn’t the most compact highchair it fits perfectly in our little kitchen.  It’s lightweight and able to be moved around the house with one hand (child is usually in the other)!  Cleaning the chair is easy as it is such a simple design.  If you’re looking for a good quality, stylish high chair that’s made to last then I can’t recommend the Stokke Steps chair enough.  I’m in love – i would like to add, it might be worthwhile buying from Stokke direct though! 

Much love
Rebecca