The First Years Newborn to Toddler Booster Seat Review

Booster Seat by The First Years

Do you have a baby? Well, then you know that a highchair will be in your future. Did you know that a portable highchair could be just as useful as the main highchair in your home? If you already know that, than you're one step ahead of me. I didn't realize it until we took a long weekend away when our son was 7-months old. By then, he was adept at eating in the big-boy highchair, so feeding him in his car seat was problematic, to say the least. I won't go into the messy details, suffice to say, the following week I picked up the Portable 3-in-1 Booster Seat by The First Years.

Pros
Initially, I was pleased with the seat. It's easy to clean, and to maintain. There's a lip around the edge of the tray so spills can be mopped up before baby hands start splattering liquids everywhere. Food gets caught between the crevices a bit more than in the main highchair, but that's due to it's design for portable use. It's collapsible, and can be completely disassembled for dishwashing, or for a suitcase. To clean, I found warm water and a cloth usually do the trick, but a garden hose works well for big messes. I've run the seat through the dishwasher for deep cleaning. It takes up the entire bottom rack of the dishwasher, thus it's not apart of my cleaning regimen. Smaller dishwashers such as those found in apartments may not house the entire seat in one cleaning. It comes out looking like new, but water can become trapped in the hollow forms. Just squeeze it out... it's not a major concern.

The gold tray masks stains, and the chair is dark in color, as a result, our seat looks fresh after 3-years of use. The assembly is straightforward, that is, once you master the octopus-like belts. The belts are color-coded, so it's not confusing, it's just strappy. The safety straps are white, while the restraints are blue. One straps goes around the back of the chair, while the other goes underneath the chair. The restraints go over the waist and through the crotch like a T-support. Once fastened, the seat is quite safe and secure. The booster fastened to EVERY full-sized chair that I've encountered, which is many.

The Portable 3-in-1 Booster Seat is convenient for travel, when eating out, and when eating in baby-less homes. It collapses easily. All you do is remove the tray, fold the back down, and fasten the belts. In addition, a handle is included for convenient carrying. It measures 14" x 14" x 7" when collapsed, which is small enough to fit in most stroller baskets. This seat has outlived the main highchair in our home. It resided in my car for about a year and a half; therefore, it was always on hand. Why the 3-star rating then?

Cons
When my son was 10-months old, he pushed the tray off with his feet. The seat was strapped onto one of my kitchen chairs, and my son was strapped into the seat. The force of my son kicking the tray off caused the chair, and my son to fall forward. He fell flat on his face because the tray was no longer there to protect him. Fortunately, the chair was sitting on carpet, so the fall did not harm him. It did terrify both of us though, so I put the seat away. Subsequently, the seat was ONLY used when I could sit on the floor and face my son. Clearly, this wasn't convenient for eating out, thus, we retired the tray, and the portable highchair became the portable booster seat. If a 10-month old has the strength to push the tray off the seat, then it's poorly designed.

When my son grew out of the big-boy highchair, the portable booster became the full-time seat in our home. In fact, he's still using the booster. Although, not for long, as he's nearly hit the maximum weight limit of 40-pounds. Actually, I would be surprised if the average 35-pound child were able to use this booster seat at all. It's not exactly generous in the hinny area. My son's inherited his father's stature, 6' 7" tall, so no matter how much he eats, he's still a slender boy. I wish the straps were longer too. Now that Will's 3-years old, the straps are close fitting. In truth, the seat doesn't appear to be very comfortable either. It's made of hard plastic; therefore, it's not something I'd be eager to sit on. My son's never complained...that's my presumption though.