Introducing Solid Food: Safety 1st Easy Care Swing Tray Booster Seat Review

When the ReigningPrincess turned 4 months, I’ve already started researching for stuff re: introducing solids – the best first food to introduce, how to prepare the baby’s food and whether to get a high chair or a booster chair or ditch that and let her sit on our lap. Hihi!

I’ve been reading a lot of positive reviews on the Ikea Antilop High Chair. It’s one of the most recommended high chair in the mummy world. Easy to clean and relatively cheap. Now I know why it’s a favorite.

But I live in a small 2 storey house with the rest of my family. The baby has a crib and a bouncer already. Our house is getting too small for us. So a high chair is no longer an option. Wala na talaga akong paglalagyan ng high chair, I swear!

But I know I needed a chair for the baby, with a tray and a safety harness so I could feed her properly even if I’m alone. I’ve also read somewhere that it’s a good training for the baby. It helps develop the habit of sitting while eating instead of running around with a chicken joy on one hand. I am also hoping that the tray could help reduce the kalat if ever. So yeah! I know I needed a chair.

My next option is the Bumbo Seat with Tray. Another sikat baby item. I saw one in Mothercare but its too tight on Skye’s pata. :( Sayang because it looks safe talaga. But it’s expensive (around Php 4000!!!) and too small. I don’t think the baby could use it long. Another thing, I can’t put it on the dining chair. Amfanget naman kung nasa ibabaw ng table kumakain ang bagets. Lechon lang ang peg! So erase Bumbo Seat.

And then we saw Chicco Foldable Booster Seat. Original price is around Php 3300 but it’s on sale that time - 20% off. It’ll be around Php 2600 only. Pwede na right? Plus I tried it on Skye and she seemed to like it. It has safety cushions. An adjustable tray. Safety harness. It can be attached to a regular dining chair. And made of rubber plastic so its easy to clean according to the saleslady. I was actually about to buy it already but the ReigningTatay says we should try to look for other options. Namahalan padin siguro sa Php 2600!!

I am so glad I listened to the ReigningTatay because a couple of kembot away from the Chicco store, we found this:

Safety 1st Easy Care Swing Tray Booster Seat (Php 1800++).

Skye tried it and she loved it more than the Chicco. I was just a bit skeptical because of the lack of cushion but it’s made of rubber plastic so it’s still safe. Not too matigas for the baby. Another thing is that it’s not foldable. Paano na ang storage issue ko? But it’s actually not too bulky. Although we can’t bring this with us pag umaalis kami kasi nga hindi foldable unlike the Chicco one which we could bring like a normal bag once folded. Pero parang mas gusto ni Tatay yung idea na hindi “bringable” ang booster seat. Sya kasi taga-dala. Dami dami daw bitbit. But kasi naman, aminin nyo, yung ibang high chair sa mga fastfood ang dugyot! :( Kaya gusto ko sana yung madadala namin pag umaalis.

But anyway, despite those cons, we still opted for this one because:

(1) Skye looked more comfortable in it! As in she was able to properly seat without support. And she could move about without issue. The same level of comfort on the Bumbo Seat. On the Chicco kasi, it looked a bit big on her and the sides are too low, so mas nalalaglag sya. This one have higher sides so she could lean and still is very much protected.

(2) Hello?! It’s super cheap! I was even able to bully the saleslady to give us a 10% off. Tumawad talaga ako sa mall. Harhar! Sayang nga kasi 20% off daw yun dati. Yun nga lang old stocks yung naka 20% off. Hindi ko talaga masikmura gumastos ng sobrang mahal especially if I can find another one of the same quality on a much lower price. Plus, some items are more expensive because it has some extra features. Let’s ask ourselves first if we can live without those extra features.

(3) Super easy to clean! Because it doesn’t have cushions and too much folds, it is actually easier to clean. Less prone din sa mga singit singit na dumi.

(4) I can attach it to any regular dining chair! We could allow Skye to join us on meal time without any problem and without worry.

(5) It’s Safety 1st, a trusted brand. I am very particular with my baby’s safety. Yes, I am a prudent mum but I won’t mind spending extra if that’ll ensure the safety of my baby. Kaya nga hindi ko naging option ang mga high chair sa tabi tabi. Coz those didn’t pass the safety standards. Yes, I am kuripot pero hindi kinukuriputan ang safety ng bata. And knowing that Safety 1st is actually a trusted brand for baby stuff, I am confident that I’ll get my money’s worth.

(6) She could use it until she’s 3! Yep, the chair is spacious enough to accomodate a toddler. I tried to make Sapsap (my 2.5 year old nephew) seat on it and kasya sya.

 

I love it so much actually that I use the booster seat sans the tray as Skye’s chair when we play or when it’s tv time. Bet na bet nya yung nakaupo sya sa booster seat nya sa ibabaw ng kama while watching Doc McStuffins or BabyTV. I think it also helped in training her to seat down. Ngayon kasi, kaya na nya sarili nya. Kaya na nya mag-balance while seating. Ang kyot!

I guess just have to find another solution to my “public high chair dilemma”. Although hindi pa naman sumasali ang bagets sa eating time sa labas. Most of the time, bagsak sya pag dining time na namin ni Tatay. :) Pero soon she’ll have to join us and I want to be prepared. Mummies, any tips? Aside from magdala ako ng baby wipes at alcohol at paliguan ang high chair bago paupuin ang anak ko. :) Promise kasi talaga madalas dirty yung high chair eh. :(

Milestones Parenting Tip