Eddie Bauer Natural Wood High Chair Review

Eddie Bauer's wooden high chair seemed like the perfect choice for my new family. It looked more like quality dining room furniture than baby gear, and the $110 price tag seemed just right. The small footprint didn't eat too much of my kitchen's limited floorspace, and I thought the dishwasher safe tray and removable cushion would make the chair easy to keep clean. Although it lacked many of the features that come standard on plastic high chairs, such as caster-wheels, a recline, and toys, I am minimalist by nature and didn't think I needed those extras.

However, my six-month-old daughter's first meals changed my mind quickly. The T-strap harness was cumbersome to use around her floppy little body, which would probably have been more comfortably accommodated by a reclining chair. While the tray and cushion were easy to clean in the dishwasher and washing machine, the job hardly ended with the removal of those items. Bits of pureed veggies got lodged in all the numerous nooks and crannies, causing me to long for a solid, plastic, bucket seat like the Baby Trend and Peg Perego high chairs have. Also, dishwasher-safe high chair trays are overrated. Unless the dishwasher runs three to six times per day, that tray will almost always get washed by hand.

Although relatively small, the high chair is not roll-able or collapsible. Using it as a portable baby trap is not as good an option as it is with other models, and the only way to store it is to take it apart.

If your motive in choosing this high chair is to have something that won't take up too much room or be an eyesore, I suggest a small booster seat or hook-on chair instead. This is nothing but a restaurant-style chair with a tray, a thin pad, and a very difficult to use harness.