Like strollers, I thought the perfect high chair didn’t exist. We tried a couple of those chunky plastic versions – you know, the kind with the puffy vinyl-covered padding that appear as supportive as a newborn’s car seat and collect crumbs better than high-pile carpet. They had five-point harnesses. They reclined. They had toys that fit directly on the tray. And – oh my word – they took up about half the kitchen.
I hated every single one of them.
I returned each one, feeling a bit more deflated each time. Would my kid be relegated to the “in-the-meantime” booster seat we’d been using until he was old enough to sit in a big-boy chair? I really didn’t want one of those fabric tie-up things that have your kid in an adult-sized chair; I wanted The K Man to be seated up high with us and to be able to eat without a tray, right at the table. Yeah – like part of our family (imagine that!).
And, you don’t need any of that fancy stuff. Your baby shouldn’t be sitting in a high chair, eating solids, until she can sit up by herself anyway, so all that extra support isn’t necessary. And why the heck do you need to recline your baby at the table? It’s downright dangerous to let a baby eat who’s even a little reclined – it prevents their natural ability to gag food out. Or maybe she’s sleepy? Then put her to bed; don’t let her sleep at the table.
So we started looking north of the $200 mark that we’d been spending. We looked at the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the many copycat versions of it, but they were too small for my big boy who was – until well into his second year – quite a pudge. We considered the AGE HiLo and came very close to buying it, convinced that we really would get our $300 worth, until a friend asked if we’d looked at the IKEA Antilop high chair.
I had my doubts about quality and stability because of its price, but we left IKEA with a chair and a tray – for $25. The K Man, a few months shy of four years old, still sits in that chair so happily that we bought a second one (on Craigslist for $10) when it was time for Miss Q to start enjoying meals with the family.
THE GOOD
It’s so inexpensive! Even for families on the tightest budgets, this high chair is totally affordable. And it lasts – our first one still looks brand new. The Antilop‘s overall footprint is quite small, and the style is modern and sleek. It fits perfectly with our contemporary decor.
The tray is detachable, so we keep our kids pulled right up to the table (a perfect fit) for every meal and snack; we use the trays if we have company over and eat in the dining room, which is pub height and too high to accommodate a high chair, or if we take them outside in the summer to eat on the patio.
Because the entire seat is one single piece of plastic, it’s super-easy to clean. In fact, we’ve been known to take it into the backyard for a good hosing off. I keep a bottle of vinegar water in the pantry and it works like magic. Of course, if you buy the white ones (which is what we have), you want to get to spills like spaghetti sauce right away because it will leave an orange tinge if left too long.
THE GAFFE
The legs stick out just far enough that inevitably some adult walking by trips over them. Like, every day. It’s comical, actually. We should really start taking bets on who it’s going to be from day to day. Somehow, the kids never fall prey to the Antilop’s ninja-like legs.
The harness is a joke. It’s a single buckle and The K Man had the “unlocking” down by the time he was a year old. It’s a good thing I don’t birth climbers, or this high chair might not work.
THE GEARS
4.5/5 (just short of perfection, a three-point harness would earn this full marks)
BREAKING NEWS – RECALL NOTICE!
Are you in love with your high chair? What are you using?
Becky P. says
Hi! I’d like to keep the trays on these all the time and buy two. Are they stackable if the trays are on?
Mommy Gearest says
Yes! They are stackable. We had two and did stack them when we put them into storage.
François says
Hello Andrea, and congrats for your blog! I am totally in love with our new Antilop high chair, makes my life so much easier! Could you please share your vinegar water recipe? Thanks!!
Mommy Gearest says
Hi Francois! Isn’t it awesome?! I use 1 part vinegar to about 2.5-3 parts water. 🙂
François says
Thank you os much Andrea! Would you recommend rincing afterwards, or wiping is enough?
Mommy Gearest says
Wiping is enough for sure!
Lindsay Clark says
Can the high chairs stack? I’m interested in purchasing several for my home daycare, but only if I can stack them for storage!
Mommy Gearest says
They do stack…very well! But only with the trays off. Go for it!
Megan says
Best $25 I ever spent! I love this high chair. It’s so easy to clean, my son is comfortable in it, and it’s by far the cheapest option on the market. Our daycare centre uses this high chair, and every single restaurant we visited in Europe earlier this year also used this high chair. If it’s durable enough for commercial use, it’s durable enough for us!
crystal says
safety?
hi! great post! i am looking into getting the antilop for my six month old, but i was nervous about safety…e.g. the chair tipping over with the child in it…not necessarily an adult knocking it over. it just doesn’t seem as sturdy as some of the other more “bulky” high chairs. have any of you had any issues with this?
Mommy Gearest says
We’ve been using the IKEA Antilop high chairs for 4.5 years; we have one for each child… they’ve been between 6 months old (about 20-25 lbs) and my 5 year old (50 lbs) can still fit in there and we have NEVER had a tipping issue. They are really rather amazing…and considering the cost, not sure they can be beat in the high chair category.
Diedre says
Hi, we’re looking at buying an antolop high chair, but we have limited space and this would only work for us if the legs are easy to remove and re-attach regularly. Do you think this chair would work for us?
Mommy Gearest says
Hi! Well, it depends…I have one that’s easy and one that’s challenging for whatever reason. But my strong hubby doesn’t seem to have a problem. If you have limited space and need to fold every day, you might also want to look at the bloom nano: http://www.canadianfamily.ca/kids/baby/review-5-best-high-chairs/slide/bloom-nano/
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Mommy Gearest says
Wow – this looks really neat! Good luck raising money.
IndieBib (@IndieBib) says
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Mommy Gearest says
Awesome!
Mommy Gearest says
Kristy – the tray does make less noise over time. It gets easier and easier to put in AND pull out. Or maybe you just stop noticing…
Mommy Gearest says
Thanks for your comment, Karina – what a good point. Though The K Man suffered from a bit of reflux, it was obviously pretty minor because he never had issues in the high chair. I so appreciate you pointing this out for other moms, especially those with undiagnosed reflux. 🙂
Karina says
just a note on why some babes might need a reclining seat…reflux. it’s why we had to get one. anything upright crunched her tummy too much and she’d throw up and be in pain. just so you know!
Kristy says
I am in love with my Antilop!!! I seriously don’t know why anyone buys anything besides this high chair. We have a tiny house with zero space for stuff like high chairs so this slides under the counter beside our one stool at our breakfast bar thingy in our kitchen. I also take it on the deck sometimes and dump a bucket of water over it to clean it. Love how easy it is to take apart (could actually bring it somewhere else if need be). The only downside I’d add to your list is that the tray is crazy hard to get off. Every time I take it off it sounds like I’ve broken it, but other than that LOVE!! I’ve sometimes wondered about others like the Tripp Trapp so now I feel better that you’ve tried a bunch and still liked the Antilop best. Seriously has to be one of the best things Ikea’s ever made.