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When I was pregnant with my first son seven years ago, my husband and I hemmed and hawed over which stroller and car seat to get. But pretty quickly, we knew which high chair that we both wanted: the Stokke Tripp Trapp.
If you’re not familiar with the Tripp Trapp, it’s a wooden high chair that's one of the more aesthetically pleasing options on the market. It can convert into a toddler and big kid chair, so you can get years of use out of it — but at $319, it's also one of the more expensive high chairs you can buy.
The hefty price tag begs the question: Is it worth it? We have used our Tripp Trapp with all three of our children, now ages 7, 4 and 1 — and our 1-year-old is currently using the high chair multiple times a day. I do feel like I've gotten my money's worth out of the Tripp Trapp, but it also has its flaws. Here's my honest review of the Stokke Tripp Trapp.
Pros of the Stokke Tripp Trapp
There's a lot to love about the Stokke Tripp Trapp (which is why What to Expect named it its Best Overall High Chair). Here are some of my favorite aspects.
The quality of the Tripp Trapp is unmatched
As a first-time parent, I thought that I'd buy a baby item once and use it for all of my future kids. Now that I have three children, I know that's not the case. A lot of the gear I used with my older son ended up breaking, or otherwise not working well for us. The Tripp Trapp has never gotten damaged, despite going through multiple moves and multiple rough children. It's one of the few items that I've actually passed down to each baby because it's held up so well.
It really does grow with your child
While other high chairs might have a couple of different settings for the foot rest, the Stokke Tripp Trapp has multiple height options for both the seat and the footplate. You can also buy a separate newborn seat attachment ($149 at Amazon), which lets you start using the high chair from birth. When your baby starts solids, you'll want to use the included baby seat and harness, which are removable when your child is ready to start sitting in a big kid chair. At this point, the Tripp Trapp is more convenient than having your child sit in the chair, since you can adjust the seat height and avoid the need for a booster seat.
It's ergonomic
The curved seatback and the adjustable footplate help ensure that your baby is comfortable and has good posture while eating. I've found that my kids sit up straighter in the Tripp Trapp than in other high chairs we’ve used at friends' homes.
It's good looking and made from responsibly sourced materials
When you have to look at a piece of furniture all the time, it's nice to have it not be an eyesore! I've also appreciated that the Tripp Trapp is made from wood finished with nontoxic paint. According to the manufacturer, it “adheres to EU standards for wood and wood based parts, which is meant to support a responsible forestry and wood industry.” It's also free from harmful substances like BPA and phthalates, which is important to me.
It has a small footprint
Some other high chairs have legs that stick out more, which means they take up more space in your dining area and are easier to trip over.
Cons of the Tripp Trapp
While I've loved our Tripp Trapp, it's not a perfect product. These have been my biggest issues with it.
It’s expensive — and that's before you factor in extra accessories
The chair with the included baby seat is $319, and then there are additional attachments that you can buy. We got the tray, which retails for $69. I'll admit that the tray isn't necessary — the Tripp Trapp can be pulled right up to your table — but we found that it does come in handy, especially for easier cleaning. We also bought the cushions, which retail for $65. These also aren’t a must-have, but we liked the idea of making the wooden seat more comfortable. That said, we actually haven’t been using the cushions with our third — we took them off to clean them and then forgot to put them back on. Our son has seemed fine without them.
There is also a newborn seat that you can purchase for $149. This allows you to put your baby in the Stokke Tripp Trapp from birth. We didn’t get this and didn’t find it necessary, as we had a bouncer seat. Some other parents have told me that it's nice, though, especially if you have pets and you don't want to park your baby so close to the floor (and therefore the animals).
It can be hard to clean
The Tripp Trapp has lots of grooves (they're what make the seat height so customizable). While these are great for versatility, they're not great for cleaning. The grooves have a rougher finish to them, so they're harder to wipe clean when they get food in them, especially compared to high chairs that are made of smooth plastic. It’s also hard to clean the harness, or to remove it when it gets dirty, as you need a screwdriver to undo it. Ours got so dirty that we ended up replacing it at an added cost.
It takes a bit of time to build
There are a lot of parts, and we ended up using a couple of basic tools. My husband did most of the building and found it frustrating. Along the same lines, it can be a pain to change your child's seat and footplate from one height to the next. It requires a allen wrench and some patience.
So…is it worth it?
In my opinion, the Stokke Tripp Trapp is definitely worth the money. It’s lasted us for more than seven years and three active children, and it still works perfectly. It’s gone through multiple moves, and it's never broken. Since it’s a prominent part of our kitchen, I also love that it sits compactly under the table or against the wall when not in use, and it isn’t an eyesore. It blends seamlessly into our kitchen and can easily be set up at meal times.
I also love that it’s free of many harmful toxins and that you can use it even as your kids get bigger. I would definitely recommend the Tripp Trapp to a new parent, and seven years later, I’m so glad we chose this high chair.
Tips and tricks for using the Stokke Tripp Trapp
The Stokke Tripp Trapp is generally easy to use, but I've found that there are a few tricks that will help you get the most out of it.
- The high chair is a lot easier to clean if you use a wet cloth or wipe immediately after each use. It's a lot harder to get food, sauce, etc. off of the chair's surfaces once they're harder and have dried up.
- If you buy the tray, you'll be glad to know that it's removable...which is something that I didn't immediately realize. Now that I’ve gotten it figured out, I remove the tray and throw it in the dishwasher when it's dirty. Make sure the tray is put on correctly when you replace it, though. If you aren't careful about this, it will wobble.
- If you have the cushions, you can throw them in the washing machine to keep them clean.
Dupes to consider
If you just can't stomach the price tag of the Tripp Trapp but you like its features, the below high chairs are similar in that they are wooden and have a lot of different height settings:
- Keekaroo Right Height High Chair: $230 for the option with the infant insert, which includes a tray
- Abiie Beyond Junior Wooden High Chair with Tray: $222
- hauck Alpha+ Grow Along Adjustable Wooden Highchair Seat, $109
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