Customer Reviews

Graco Classic Wood Highchair with Seat Pad, Butter Pecan

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this high chair (x2) for my 10-month old twins after becoming totally frustrated with our new Chicco high chairs (too large and a nightmare to clean!) This high chair is so beautiful and classic--it looks like an heirloom piece! The construction is sturdy and assembly was pretty easy--30 minutes for each chair. The best part of the chair, apart from the classy appearance, is the clear plastic tray cover--it fits completely over the tray, with no tight grooves to make cleaning difficult. It fits easily in the sink (I haven't tried it in the dishwasher yet.) I also like the nice, cloth chair pad--it seems comfortable for the babies and washes perfectly in the washing machine--comes out looking new. The chair is a nice size--it doesn't take up too much room--and is easy to move, even through doorways. My two girls seem to enjoy the chairs--I like that they are sitting upright(our last chairs reclined slightly in the highest position.) The fact that it converts to a toddler chair was also a big selling point. This chair would be a bargain at twice the price!

This is a very nice looking high chair and is a nice alternative to the typical plastic chairs that I think are awful looking. The construction seems fairly sturdy, and the assembly was pretty easy with easy-to-follow instructions. It seems comfortable enough, and the two-part snack tray easily snaps on and off and is adjustable.

There are a couple of important shortcomings that reduce its functionality significantly.
-- There is a wooden bar that comes down between the child's legs that is permanently attached to the snack tray. The bar is positioned so that there is only limited space between the bar and the back of the chair. We have a big baby for her age, and at six months old we are already starting to wonder how long she will fit in the chair with this bar in place. Graco could have EASILY designed this bar to be adjustable so that it could be moved back as the baby grew, but they didn't. Not only that, but they made it very difficult to remove, by not only gluing covers over the heads of the screws which attach it, but also additionally using glue to attach the bar itself. Other reviewers have mentioned just removing it (which we plan to do later), but it seems like a tricky job.
-- My second main complaint is that it is described as being usable for a toddler at a regular table when the snack tray is removed. This chair's height is not adjustable, and there is no way that it could be used as a chair at a regular table. The seat bottom is about 2 inches below the level of our kitchen table! A toddler would have to do a lot of leaning over to use it like that! It could be used at a counter or breakfast bar, but not at a regular table. It's fine that it is not adjustable, but the manufacturer's description is misleading on this point.
-- I also agree the warning label is ugly and permanently attached. They could have either made the label removable or put it somewhere a little less visible. For such an other beautiful chair, it is an eyesore.

After going through a couple of plastic high chairs with my first three kids, I really wanted a good quality wood high chair for Baby #4. So far I'm very satisfied with this one. It was fairly simple to assemble and seems sturdy and well made. I hope to be able to pass this down for my grandchildren to use someday!

Having raised our children with cheap plastic high chairs I wanted something better for my grandsons, 6 and 8 months, so ordered two of these chairs. They arrived promptly, in a box that showed that I was obviously in for a bout of assembly.

As an experienced parent and grandparent, I have learned to be wary of "some assembly required." These chairs were a delightful exception to the norm. The directions were clear and easy to follow. The few small parts needed were not just thrown into a plastic bag, but were shrink wrapped onto a cardboard backing with clear identifications. Both the tools required (a small hex wrench and an Allen wrench) were included, though having a socket wrench will make assembly go faster. All the parts lined up exactly, avoiding the usual trek to the shop to drill a needed hole or adjust a wayward fastener.

The design is intelligent and the construction excellent, all solid wood or quality plywood, with not a speck of particleboard in sight. The parts were beautifully packed with plenty of padding and protection. While one reviewer was concerned about cleaning the cover, it now comes with a stain resistant cover which cleans easily.

Overall, this is a solid, excellently made high chair which is well worth the premium price over the cheaper alternatives.

My wife and I purchased this chair for our 4th child. During assembly I found that one of the tapped inserts for the screws on the bottom of the chair assemble was not tapped. This prevented me from being able to fasten the 2nd screw holding the chair to the legs and base.

In any event the store replaced the chair. What I wanted to comment on were my impressions of the chair.

1. I like wood high chairs. They are sturdier and have much more pleasing appeal than plastic.

2. I like the seat pad, but I do not like stain resistant chemicals on anything that comes in direct contact with my children. I was disappointed that the chair pad has this coating. I would have paid $20-$30 more for an organic cotton chair pad or just one without this coating material.

3. The plastic tray guides concern me about long term durability. I prefer metal.

4. The warning label that runs the entire length of the chair leg is very distracting visually. This label should be removable, but it is not. It really mars an otherwise nice looking chair.

5. The wood piece in the middle of the seat between the child's legs needs to be redesigned or removed. This piece is too tight against my child. Ideally this piece should be adjustable or at least removable without requiring a drill. I am able to remove it by drilling out the covers glued on top of the screws, but this should not be so difficult.

6. Poplar wood. I am not a big fan of soft woods for furniture. They tend to get scratched and dented quite easily. I would happily pay $150-$175 or more for one made out of solid oak or another hard wood.

7. Waste Packaging. There was a LOT of waste packaging. Most of it was non-recyclable polystyrene. It would be much more ecologically responsible to pack the components in corrugated cardboard and other recyclable materials.

Overall I am pretty happy with the new Graco wood high chair, but I think the issues I identified can be easily resolved. I did a lot of research on wood high chairs before purchasing the Graco. We used online feedback and reviews from both Amazon.com and babiesrus.com to make our decision to purchase the chair.

My wife and I both wanted a chair that would last, be study and reliable and also match the rest of our wood furniture. In the sub $175 market Graco had the best offering, but there are areas to improve.

I bought this chair when my son was 5 months, he's now 10 months. Like other reviewers, I love how classy it looks. I find the pad and tray cover really easy to clean, and it's comfortable and sturdy. I would totally give it 5 stars except for 2 things.

Two downsides: at 6 months, my son figured out how to take off the plastic tray cover by tugging on the cupholder. He generally pulls it off and throws the whole thing on the floor. I've solved this problem by putting a little oil on the inside of the cupholder, making it too slippery for him to grab onto. But before we figured that out, we used it a lot without the plastic tray and just washed the wooden tray by hand (which you have to do sometimes anyways because baby food gets everywhere). But maybe because of this, the edge of the tray that's farthest from the baby started to crack on ours.

Once I noticed the crack, I called Graco and they immediately agreed to send us a replacement tray without asking me to send in the old one or anything. And when the box arrived today, they had sent TWO new trays, not just one. I'm not sure whether this was an accident or they were just covering all their bases, but I appreciate it regardless!

I had put the Graco Classic Wood High Chair (Cappucino) on my shower "wish list" & received it. I didn't do any reviews on other high chairs prior to picking out the high chair. When I saw it in the store I was drawn to it because it wasn't bulky, looked simple, had the pull off tray, and something that looked like I could use from kid-to-kid.

After using it for several months I can say that I am 100% happy with it. My daughter fits perfect in the seat, its simple to clean, the fabric is washable, etc. I LOVE IT!

I had to mark it down to a four star b/c the ring on the bottom cracked (prior to us even using it). I was disappointed and contacted the Graco about it. They sent me an email w/ a REAL apology (which is so unheard of this day in age) and sent me a replacement part for FREE and was here within a week! Talk about GREAT customer service.

My mother-in-law bought us this highchair for our baby that is due in October 2008. I haven't used this highchair yet myself, but have had friends with little ones over for meals and have even leant it out for a week to some friends with a one year old that were visiting in town. Everyone is raving about how much they like it. Not only does it look great and blend in with most decors, my friends say they like how easy it is to use. One friend commented on how much she likes that you can take the tray off and still have the baby in the chair secured by the wooden piece that goes through their legs. The plastic tray insert is easy to clean and the chair seems really sturdy.

I am excited that it has passed the baby-use test and love how it looks in our dinning room. I really wanted to avoid those big, bulky plastic highchairs you see everywhere. I highly recommend this one!

UPDATE: My baby is now 7 months old and has been using this chair for two months. She seems really comfortable in it. I appreciate more than ever that the cushions are easy to clean and that the tray is easy to slide on and off with one hand while holding a baby in the other arm. I still give it five stars!!

It's a very nice looking wooden highchair and sturdy. It doesn't take up an excess of room and is very easy to put together. There's few aspects I wish were different. One is being able to take of the tray with one hand, but that might not be compatible with a wooden high chair unless it has a plastic tray. Also I think it would be nice if the back was angled back or reclined back a little. Not adjustable, just make it a little more relaxed instead of a rigid 90 degree sitting postion. I really think about it when I give my little girl a drink. It makes it a little difficult to dump her head back comfortably. Lastly, the bar between the legs is curved in way too far. It works alright, but when you buckle your baby in the clasp is tight against the post and scratches it up. It's working great for me and as far as I can tell my daughter likes it. If you're considering a wooden high chair I would leave it a possibility.

This highchair was exactly what I wanted. I did not want another all plastic baby chair. I wanted a chair that would look great in the kitchen and dining room. I also wanted a chair that could be used by my daughter as a toddler and beyond. This chair is beautiful. It is extremely sturdy and comfortable for my daughter who is 8 months old. It was easy to assemble (by her daddy) and feels as if it will last for years. There is no doubt my daughter will be able to use this highchair for her children in the future. The plastic cover on the tray was a brilliant idea. I could not be happier with this purchase. Well worth the money.