I may be a little removed from the daily struggles of early motherhood—my kids are now 6 and 12—but I remember every amazing gift someone gave me at both of my baby showers. Adorable baby clothes are, well, adorable, and always appreciated, and stuffed animals and books are sweet gifts for babies to discover as they grow. But for me, the best gifts I received were those that were practical and tried and testedwhich was given to me with a knowing smile and a warm embrace from someone who had been there before me.
When I think back to those gifts, the Inglesina Fast Table Chair is at the top of the list. (In fact, I’m now the one who gives it to friends when they have babies!) For nearly two years (for both kids, so four years total), it was a staple on our dinner table and in every restaurant we went to as a family. So it’s no surprise that the Inglesina Fast Table Chair is also one of the parent-selected winners of the 2024 Cubby Nursery Awards! Here’s why I loved it so much.
What to look for in a booster seat or high chair
When looking for the right dining chair solution for babies, there are a few things to consider.
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It must be easy to use. When my children were young, I sometimes felt like I needed a PhD to put together all the seats, swings, gadgets and accessories that accumulate around the youngest of humans. I wanted to find a high chair or booster seat that was easy to use and would avoid unnecessary frustration at mealtimes.
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It should be stylish. I have to admit that I prefer things that are aesthetically pleasing to both my daughters and I. Some baby gadgets are too focused on primary colors and friendly-looking hippos, but I wanted a high chair or booster seat that looked good enough to display in my dining room 24/7.
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It must be easy to clean. Mealtimes with babies and toddlers are basically just an exercise in waiting to see what needs a thorough scrubbing. I needed something that was easy to clean at home or on the go.
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Portability is a business-critical bonus. Although I used a traditional high chair at home, I wanted to find an alternative that we could take to restaurants and friends’ houses. While it’s true that restaurants usually have booster seats or high chairs available, some don’t and others are kind of gross or bulky and annoying. I was looking for something chic that we could use anywhere, whether it was a restaurant, a small sidewalk cafe, or a friend’s house.
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And of course it has to be safeEverything in my baby’s world had to be thoroughly tested for safety, and booster seats or high chairs are no exception.
My review of the Inglesina Fast Table Chair
The booster seat I tested
Inglesina Fast Table Chair
Pottery Barn Kids
89$
Buy now
The Inglesina Fast Table Chair met all my needs and looked good doing it. I used this chair for my children, now 12 and 6, from the age of 6 months to about 2 years, and when they were done with it, it was still in good enough condition to pass on to a new family.
What I really loved
Here are a few things I really liked about the Inglesina Fast Table Chair:
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The operation was simple: What I liked most was how easy it is to use. The simple design is made to attach to tables ranging from 0.8 to 3.35 inches thick, and everything is either padded or rubberized so I never had to worry about scratching anyone’s table. I simply slid the chair into place and used the vise-like grippers to hold it firmly in place. All in all, it took about a minute to set up.
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It was so great for restaurants: I also loved having this chair with me when we went to a cool, trendy restaurant that wasn’t exactly geared toward younger guests. I’ve worked in restaurants for over a decade and I know not everyone likes seeing little kids walk through the door, but I believe people never learn to be considerate unless they’re taught and modeled that behavior from a young age. So, for us, taking our kids to the restaurant was non-negotiable. The Fast Chair allowed us to blend in seamlessly with virtually any restaurant without servers and guests needing a clunky high chair to navigate.
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It was very stable: Before using the Inglesina Fast Chair when my first child was an infant, I wondered if it would really work – would she sit upright safely in this chair while eating? I was pleasantly surprised that this chair kept both children safely in place during mealtimes, making the experience less stressful and a little more orderly.
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Cleaning was pretty easy: And speaking of cleanliness, the Fast Chair was pretty easy to clean. Usually, all I needed to do was wipe down the polyester fabric. About once a month (or rather, quarterly), I would completely remove the cover from the chair, wash it thoroughly by hand, and let it air dry before putting it back in its place.
Inglesina Fast Table Chair
Pottery Barn Kids
89$
Buy now
What I didn’t like
Although the Inglesina Fast Chair was relatively easy to clean, especially with small stains that I was able to catch immediately, if I could make one change, it would be to Easieri.e. I would choose a cover that is machine washable. However, I did have a few problems with food getting stuck in the cracks of the chair and this was harder to fix with a wet cloth so I had to take the chair apart and wash it by hand, leaving us without a chair for at least a couple of hours while the fabric dried. And while I loved the solid black fabric on our Fast Chair, I wonder if a patterned fabric (which didn’t exist back then) would help hide stains better.
Buy it: Inglesina Fast Table Chair, $79-89 from Pottery Barn Kids
See all the 2024 Cubby Nursery Award winners here!
This post originally appeared on The Cubby. See it there: The Most Awesome Gift I Got at My Baby Shower (I’ll Never Forget It)
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