Fisher-Price Space Saver High Chair Review

I got the Fisher Price Space Saver High Chair when I had my first child in 2006. Since then the design has not changed much. I now have an 8 month old baby that we will use this same high chair for. I recently saw one with a different colored cushion on it but other than that it had all the same features. I thought it would be great since we have a small house to not have an extra piece of furniture sitting around, so I opted for the space saver high chair in lieu of a full size model.

For starters the Space Saver says it has a recline feature on it, however I never found that to be terribly helpful because if it is strapped onto a chair with a back, you really can't recline it anyway. So if that is something that is important to you (it never was for me really) then you may not like this high chair.

When the high chair is strapped onto a regular chair, the chair does not push up to the table as close as other chairs, so it still takes up more space than a regular chair. Granted, I don't have to have an extra chair sitting around but having one of my regular ones out in the room isn't much better.

Many traditionally styled high chairs have an adjustable height to them, so that you can raise and lower the seat to your desired height. The Space Saver high chair does not have that feature as it is strapped onto any chair you choose to put it on. That is not really much of a problem, because if it is strapped to a chair that you would normally sit in at that table, it puts the baby at the right height. I suppose if you had to put in a chair that did not go with your table though, it may be more difficult to achieve the right height.

I found that it is very difficult to get the straps placed right and to adjust them. Many times I don't use the harness straps at all and rely on the tray to hold the baby in. The other problem that the straps cause is that you have to know how to get them put in and out properly to remove the cusions for cleaning. This is a huge hassle. I just pull the padding up and clean under it as best I can but it is rather difficult to get it cleaned easily due to the way it is put together. In fact I just had to dismantle the entire high chair and clean it with bleach because I found things under there that had gotten missed in the past. I put the padding and straps in the washing machine and I hope that it gets cleaned well in there. I don't know if I am supposed to put the pad in there or not but I figured I would take my chances rather than have it so filthy.

One nice thing about this high chair is that it is not full sized so if you need to take it with you to Grandma's house out of town or something that is doable. It does not fold up any smaller than it is on the chair, but since there are no legs of its own it is still a lot smaller than a full size high chair. 

My kids have never fought sitting in the high chair so I don't have to worry about them not liking it or anything like that. However, my kids don't really balk at any kind of high chair I put them in so I guess maybe they just aren't that picky. As long as they are eating they seem to be pretty happy.

One other thing I don't care for is the buckles that secure the high chair to the full size chair that you put it on. Some chairs have curved backs or oddly shaped seats and this does not fit snugly onto those kind of chairs. Our seats are narrower where the back meets the seat and wider where a person's legs are. This seems to be a fairly common way for seats to be shaped. However, if the seat is not square it is hard to get a good tight fit onto the chair. I have also had the buckles slip out and come undone which is a scary thought when your child is strapped into it. 

My mother in law has a full size high chair at her house that she purchased when we had our first child. Because of this we have never had to take the Space Saver high chair with us anywhere. My own mother lives a few miles away and also has a full size high chair at her house. Although the idea of not having a high chair sitting in your way is a good idea, the reality of it is not quite so great. For instance, if we have company we need all four chairs that go with our table, which means the high chair has to be removed and put...where? I mostly wish that I had thought of these things a little closer but of course with a first baby I didn't know what I would want or need nearly as well as I do looking back. If you truly do not have room for a full size high chair, this is an effective way to get your child to the table. However, if you have the space or think you will need your dining chairs for grown ups anytime soon, spring for a full size high chair.