Review: Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair

Courtesy Stokke

There’s nothing better than sitting down to a family meal and having everyone — including baby — at the table. From its classic ergonomic design to the cool colors, the Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair ($250) brings your little one front and center from birth.

Want to learn more? Check out our review below:

Things We Like:

Easy to set up, the Tripp Trapp can be adjusted as your little one grows (though you do have to use a screwdriver) well past the toddler stage. There’s even a Newborn Set that allows you to have a child as young as a day old at the table.

The harness is simple to use and we love the gorgeous cushion sets that are available. We can attest that they’re a breeze to attach and remove and they wash up incredibly well. Stokke has also created a number of other smart accessories (including the Baby Set and Table Top ), which can make your tot’s dining experience even better.

Even cooler? Unlike other baby products that can be eyesores in a well-designed space, the chic chair blends well into any décor. And, of course, we love that mini feet have somewhere to rest and aren’t just left dangling uncomfortably as they are in so many other high chairs.

Things We Didn’t Like:

This is one of those products we just love to pieces — literally, there isn’t a thing not to like. The only limiting factor, though, is the cost. Not everyone can afford to splurge on this seat. However, if you consider the long-term investment value — the chair can actually be used as a desk chair by an adult — it may make the price a little more doable for some.

Also, while we absolutely love the newborn set, the baby set, the tray, the cushions, etc., they aren’t necessities. Purchasing just the chair alone will still get you incredible mileage without all of the excess costs.

Moms & Babies Rating:

This is one of those baby gear items that pays for itself again and again. While expensive, the Tripp Trapp will last for years, taking a child from babyhood into adulthood. You can even hand it down from generation to generation. Plus, Stokke continues to improve the design, creating the ultimate high chair for discerning parents.

– Stephanie Slate

Comments

Too funny, my friend has that high chair but it is a family heirloom!

Don’t be fooled this is not a new design it is an old style revamped!!

- Meela on February 14th, 2012

Ha yeah, we had these when i was a kid. i think at the time they were from ikea and pretty cheap. nothing new but a cool design and can be used for a surprisingly long time.

- JM on February 14th, 2012

Best high chair ever! Other nice thing about it is that it is a space saver. Other high chairs take up a lot more space in the room.

- Misty Davis on February 14th, 2012

What adult would want to use that for a desk chair ? It looks uncomfortable, unless you are a super skinny minnie

- megan on February 14th, 2012

Have bought a red one for our daughter and it is great. Fits at the table perfectly and we dont have to pack it away or put it in the corner when we’re done. We have the baby seat attached and love that this chair is one of her baby things that we wont have to get rid of, its hers to keep and use for years to come.

- Peta on February 14th, 2012

I got 4 of those and love them

- candykane on February 14th, 2012

I disagree with this review. We have this for my 10 month old and thus far it has not lived up to the hype.

1. The straps that attach to the babyseat insert do not attach without removing the whole seat, so they are very impractical to clean. When you’re feeding a squirming baby messy solids, those straps get filthy fast, and they are so hard to get clean. So far the best thing I have tried is to just wipe them down with a wipe after every meal, and that is not very effective.

2. The harness buckle is VERY difficult to unhook sometimes. My older nanny often cannot squeeze it hard enough to get the baby out, and I struggle with it every now and then too – and it’s even worse to try and unhook it if it’s dirty at all.

In the end, I wish we had gotten a high chair with a detachable tray. That would make clean up much easier!!

On the up side, the color does match our kitchen table and chairs perfectly.

- Courtney on February 14th, 2012

Kids I babysit have those chairs. They’ve been around for ages and IKEA have them for a lesser price. If you want different colours it’s easier to just re-paint them. My friend painted her son’s chair blue. They are really practical and the look great.

- Linny on February 15th, 2012

we adore our stokke. friends own 20-30 year-old heirloom stokkes, they last forever and so are definitely worth their high price. there are several cheaper copies on the market but none is as good. it’s massive wood and unbreakable and it won’t trip over. what we also like is that our son can climb on his.

- denise on February 15th, 2012

I absolutely agree with Courtney’s assessment above, particularly about cleaning the straps. My straps were so dirty that I ended up carefully cutting them off in order to run them through the dishwasher (I was able to reattach them with a small screw). Even with those two down sides, though, I still love it.

And I got mine at a garage sale for $15…definitely look for them there or on craigslist.

- leepert on February 15th, 2012

Don’t be fooled by this high chair. I used one for my son and loved it up until the point when he was able to flip the high chair. This chair allows an older baby to get their legs pushed up against the table and get leverage to flip the chair backwards. My son ended up flat on the ground and I was only 3 feet away. Do NOT buy this high chair.

- Sparky Diaz on February 15th, 2012

I adore this chair and have 2 of them for my toddlers. Not only does it look great in my kitchen, my kids are not squirmy and restless due to the chair’s ergonomics.

- Meri on February 15th, 2012

I used the tripp trapp as a child and have had to buy a second one since my oldest child wouldnt give his/mine up once his little sister came around. This is the best high chair on the market hands down!

- Meri on February 15th, 2012

This chair is awesome. My daughter has used it comfortably since she was 5 1/2 months and she loves being at the table with us. Family meal time is important to me and I honestly believe she eats healthier food and has started talking quicker because of the time we have spent together sharing food and conversation at the table together. She actually sits and enjoys meal time. You cannot even tell it is a highchair when it is pulled up to the table – it looks so nice and matches our table. This is the only baby product besides my stroller that has lasted me long enough to say it is 100% worth the investment and I love that it so well built. A++ and LOVE.

- Emily Fraser on February 15th, 2012

We have a Walnut Tripp Trapp for our little girl, and I can say that she loves it and so do we. Dinner, is much more a family affair since she can sit with us at the table. The quality is amazing, and I am sure it will last for many decades. A++

- Meri on February 15th, 2012

That is so wrong when vendors submit fake reviews. It reflects poorly on them and makes me even less likely to buy from them:

“I adore this chair and have 2 of them for my toddlers. Not only does it look great in my kitchen, my kids are not squirmy and restless due to the chair’s ergonomics.
- Meri on February 15th, 2012″

“I used the tripp trapp as a child and have had to buy a second one since my oldest child wouldnt give his/mine up once his little sister came around. This is the best high chair on the market hands down!
- Meri on February 15th, 2012″

“This chair is awesome. My daughter has used it comfortably since she was 5 1/2 months and she loves being at the table with us. Family meal time is important to me and I honestly believe she eats healthier food and has started talking quicker because of the time we have spent together sharing food and conversation at the table together. She actually sits and enjoys meal time. You cannot even tell it is a highchair when it is pulled up to the table – it looks so nice and matches our table. This is the only baby product besides my stroller that has lasted me long enough to say it is 100% worth the investment and I love that it so well built. A++ and LOVE.
- Emily Fraser on February 15th, 2012″

“We have a Walnut Tripp Trapp for our little girl, and I can say that she loves it and so do we. Dinner, is much more a family affair since she can sit with us at the table. The quality is amazing, and I am sure it will last for many decades. A++
- Meri on February 15th, 2012″

- Megan on February 15th, 2012

Ha ha. Started talking quicker because of a high chair. This chair also cures cancer and promotes world peace.

I actually do own this chair and while I love it for its longevity and compact design, I completely agree with Courtney. The straps cannot be cleaned easily, which is crazy since it’s a high chair for babies, toddlers, etc. who are not generally neat eaters.

And I’ve also experienced the same thing as Sparkly. When my boys got old enough, they could push themselves off from table and maneuver around by moving their bodies (don’t know if his makes sense). I just put their chairs on the side of a table that is near a wall…

One more thing, the colored chairs take a beating after awhile, showing the wood underneath the paint.

I’d buy the chair again. But it isn’t some kind of magical purchase.

- Grace2 on February 15th, 2012

I love those chair, I grew up with them too (I’m from Norway, where the tripp trapp chair is from) and I’m sure that when I have kids I’ll get at least one of those. IKEA might have them too, but they aren’t from IKEA. I really love the other Stokke products, like the stroller and the bed

- Emily on February 16th, 2012

I don’t know anything about the straps, but I can tell you this – and no, I’m not being payed for writing this comment.
I was born and raised in Sweden, the Stokke chairs are Scandinavian in case you were wondering, and my sister and I had Stokke chairs growing up. I know mine was around when I was learning to stand up, holding onto various furniture around the house, because I’ve got an adorable picture of myself standing right next to my black Stokke. My younger sis and I used them for years and I have only fond memories of them, they’re great! I’m definitely going to buy a Stokke high chair for my (future) children because, well – they worked perfectly fine for me and my sister and besides, there ain’t no person in the entire world who’ll be able to convince me that those ugly cheapo high chairs from IKEA are safer and better. No way!

So here’s a strong recommendation for this chair from a 23-year-old who loved sitting by the dinner table in her Stokke chair as a child and has only the fondest memories possible from those years.

- natalie on February 16th, 2012

Since when does liking a product automatically make a review fake? These chairs are heirlooms here in Europe and have been respected longer than many other companies have been around.

Having worked with children for over a decade, I’ll also say that pushing away from the table/flipping the chair is more a discipline issue than a product issue. Well-behaved kids and babies sit still during mealtimes.

When I worked as a nanny, the same children who wouldn’t behave at dinner with their parents were fine when it was just me.

Too many people think you have to wait until a child’s two or three to discipline their child. And before anyone takes this the wrong way, I DO NOT support corporal punishment.

- SMiaVS on February 18th, 2012

Wow, Meri is a busy reviewer… lol.

We have a TrippTrapp that we bought when our daughter was 2 because she was not sitting nicely in a booster at the table, due to her legs dangling. We were very happy with it.

Now we are using it with a baby I’m not so thrilled, but still happy. I had to borrow another highchair to use until my baby was 7 months old because even though he wasn’t eating with us we wanted him at the table and he could not sit safely in the Tripp Trapp even with the baby set.

The straps don’t come off but mine are barely dirty – he wears a large plastic coverup with arms when he eats messy food. If they were really dirty you could always fill a container with soapy water, set it on the seat of the Tripp Trapp and dangle the straps into it until they were clean…

And the people who say babies can tip them – the newer ones have extenders off the back of the legs so that can’t happen.

I’m happy with mine and would buy again.

- Stelly on February 21st, 2012