Customer Reviews

Svan High Chair in Rich Cherry

5 star:		(49)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I bought this chair for my 6 month old and the stokke chair for my toddler. While I do like both chairs, they are so much better than the stupid bulky plastic highchairs, and I kinda like the swan better for it's curved look, the stokke is a better chair.

The problem is the crevices that are created by the way the chair is put together: they are IMPOSSIBLE to clean. The stokke has no such crevices. The other problem is the sturdiness. The swan has a single stem that supports the seat in the center, while the stokke seat is supported on either side of the seat. We just removed the highchair 'cage' part of the chair and I was using it the same way I use the stokke. I don't know if the seat actually can support adult weight but it certainly doesn't feel like it can. There was ominous creaking and swaying. The stokke feels like a chair and I never hesitate to plop down in it.

Those are my major complaints-- but my youngest does now seem to prefer the stokke because she can very easily climb into it due to its wide seat bases. There is one problem with the stokke-- the base of the legs, which extend parallel to the floor do stick out enough to trip my husband every time if the chair is in a path. I would recommend both chairs but I wanted people to know the ups and downs I had discovered.

If what you are looking for in a high chair is a piece of furniture that will fit in with the rest of your dining room or kitchen instead of another plastic monster lurking about your house, the Svan may be the chair for you. However I have found that I wish it were a little more practical at times.

PROS:
1. Beautiful. Almost everyone who sees this chair in my house comments on it.
2. Adjustible. We started using this chair when my daughter was a little over 5 months and now at 13 months it still fits her perfectly. I have noticed when we have used some other highchairs that she often seems to be sitting down in a hole and the tray is often too high for her, and she is very tall for her age already. This is not the case with the Svan.
3. Small Footprint but Sturdy. I like that the chair is narrow enough that I can slide it in just about anywhere. It is also lightweight enough for me to move it around fairly easily. However even being narrow and fairly lightweight it is in fact quite stable - my daughter grabs the front of the tray and tries to rock it back and forth but it never moves.

CONS:
1. Small Tray. At first I didn't notice this, but now that my daughter is more actively involved in her meals, I really wish the tray were both wider and deeper. I know nothing would keep her from throwing her food over the edge when she is determined to do that, but I can't even leave her sippy cup on the tray while she is eating because she accidentally knocks it off with her elbows.
2. Difficult Plastic Tray. I have to say I am very greatful for the plastic tray - I don't know how anyone used this chair before the tray came with it. However it snaps over the wooden tray very tightly, which I guess is both a pro and con. It definitely protects the wooden tray beneath, but I have caught my fingernails (which are very short) and fingertips numerous times trying to open the wrap-around hooks on the sides that keep the plastic tray secure. I guess this is just a minor inconvenience, but since I remove the tray at least daily for cleaning it annoys me sometimes.
3. Difficult to clean. I bought the fabric cushion along with the chair, but with or without it there are a couple crevices (actually, one specifically) in the seat that are difficult to clean. Whenever I get around to a "deep clean" of the chair, which always involves a vacuum for the crevices, I find various dried veggies and pasta and other unidentifiable items.
4. Not mobile. The chair neither folds nor rolls. For the most part this is of no consequence, although I have scratched my wood floors a couple times dragging it around instead of picking it up all the way. Obviously this is a result of me being lazy rather than a flaw in the chair itself, but it is something to consider if you are comparing with another type of chair that has wheels.

I think these are the major things I've noticed since I've been using this chair. Overall, I do not regret spending the money on it, but I think if I find myself ever needing another high chair I will probably look around at other options.

We love this high chair! We have a small kitchen/dining room with a round wooden table. I couldn't face getting a cheap-looking metal-and-plastic monstrosity to clutter up the place and be in the way all the time. Thank heavens we found the Svan! To address others' criticisms: We didn't find it very hard to assemble. We've found it very sturdy. And the straps work just like any other straps; you tighten them by pulling the strap through a buckle. They hold our little Houdini in very well! The tray -- in fact, the whole chair, which is all smooth solid wood -- is very easy to clean. We wipe it down with a damp paper towel after our child eats, and it's done.

Our 7-month-old LOVES this chair and can sit in it contentedly for hours. He finds it very comfortable, especially with the cushion added (adjusting the footrest so he can rest his feet there helped). The chair pushes under our table like a grownup chair does, and he loves sitting with us at the table at mealtimes and being near eye level where he can "converse" with us. (We believe in kids eating with the family, and we're happy that we can start him early.) And we love the fact that this chair is beautiful, graceful, stable and safe, and doesn't offend the grown-ups' sensibilities.

The Svan is a smidge more expensive than some of the junky-looking plastic high chairs, but it can be converted to a classy-looking toddler seat and continue being reconfigured until the child is ready to move to a grown-up chair. Honestly, I can't imagine why anyone would bother with any of those other crevice-filled, wobbly, food-accumulating monstrosities that make your dining room look like a cheap playpen. Get the Svan!

(Oh, and if you're tempted by another model that has built-in toys or "entertainment," here's a hint: We tied some soft toys to the top part of the chair with ribbons so he can toss them overboard and "retrieve" them, and he loves it. Plus, we can change the toys when he's bored with them.)

UPDATE, 5 YEARS LATER...

My 5-year-old still sits in this chair at the head of the table. The tray and the straps have long since been detached and put in storage, and the chair has undergone numerous adjustments. But my boy still likes sitting on his Svan throne, and we still like having him at eye level. I have to say that some of the hardware worked itself loose over time, and somehow got lost. However, when the chair got wobbly from the missing hardware, I Googled around a bit and found a US Svan distributor who sells loose hardware. I bought a complete replacement set for $8, and individual pieces are cheaper than that. The chair still looks good -- the finish is still intact and cleans easily with a microfiber cloth or a soapy sponge. I still highly recommend this chair for its looks, durability, and adjustability.

This is a great chair! My 2 1/2 yr old son loves it and meal times are no longer battles trying to get him into his chair. He can climb in and out by himself and we have no fears of it tipping over since it's built so well. He has been using it for 7 months and I love how it grows with him. My husband and I love the fact he can sit at the table and eat with us. It is also easy to adjust (the footrest and seat depth easily adjust to your growing child) and easy to clean. I had a plastic chair and it was horrible. Food was stuck in every crevice and forget being able to get it out. The Svan chair is also smaller than the plastic chairs. The other thing I really like is my son can sit upright instead of leaning back in the plastic chairs, which caused huge messes. I have also had lots of compliments on the "look" since it's more like furniture. We definitely plan on purchasing another one when our newborn is ready for a highchair.

I am just baffled by all the positive reviews of this chair. I, too, was enticed by its sleek look and wooden frame, but less than practical it has become for us. We decided to bite the bullet and make this hefty purchase for the main reasons being it was wooden (not a plasticky monstrosity), and it was the perfect size for our tiny kitchen. After buying the seat AND the infant accessory we put it together and were all set. Within a few months the wood snapped on the base and we were on our own to fix it. Fortunately my husband is handy and was able to fashion some type of bracket to hold the high chair together. Yes indeed, it is perfect for holding a squirmy child, but wait until your kid learns to make a mess with food. I noticed most of the reviews on here were from parents with infants, not yet messy self feeders. The main drawback of having a wooden tray is it's ridiculous to clean. Food particles are permently etched into the grooves of the tray and the foot rest. Regardless of how much I scrubbed I could never get it clean. The finish on our tray has peeled off from trying to clean it, which leads me to believe its just not liquid friendly. On top of that the tray tended to sag and after 1 year of use was almost useless. All of this is just normal wear and tear. Unfortunatley for us, its more tear than actual wear. Now that our second is on the way, we are considering just buying a large plastic high chair, something that will endure abuse and actually clean!

We really love the Svan chair and have two of them for our 3 1/2 and 2 year old children. They love climbing in and our of the chair and getting to sit at the table easily with Mom and Dad. I like that I can strap them in with a seatbelt to discourage them wandering around the room while they eat.

I have found the chair to be extremely easy to clean. About once a month (if I remember!!), I will loosen the bolts and move the seat to vacuum the small amount of crumbs that are hard to reach with just a wipe of a wet washcloth. This is much easier than I found the Peg Perego high chair which always had tons of food in hard to reach crevices that I finally felt was unsanitary (and we were pretty meticulous about cleaning after each meal.)

I agree that they tray is a bit small, but I figured food would wind up on the floor regardless!

The size of the chair is wonderful and totally fits into our table.

My only problem has been with a seat cushion that did not hold up as well in the wash. But, our other seat cushion is even older and still in great shape. AND, the chair has a great warrantee program so the cushion was replaced free of charge.

I have received so many compliments on the chair from friends and family, and have encouraged many new purchases.

The lifespan of the chair is also a great feature...you don't have to pack it up and store it just because a child outgrows a traditional high chair.

I debated for a long time over whether to go with the standard plastic high chair, or splurge for a Svan. Several things tipped me to the side of the Svan.

The main thing I like about this chair is that I don't have to throw it away after a year or so. My son can take this chair to college if he wants, as it adjusts in size and I think it can hold up to 175 pounds. I love this adjustability...in fact, we've already lowered the foot rest by an inch to make him more comfortable.

I also like the fact that it is quality wood furniture, and that it slides up to the table. I can imagine how nice it will be once my son is older to be able to let him work on art projects and homework at the table in his own chair that is sized for him, and we won't have to get him a booster seat or sit him on phone books!

The phthalate-free plastic tray cover is great, as it allows me to give him messy finger food (he's 11 months old now) and it's easy to clean. I also purchased the cushions which I wash every 2-3 weeks.

I purchased this chair when my son was 6 months old, and I found that it is not only a great place for him to eat, but it's also a great place for him to sit safely while I'm doing housework or making dinner. He can sit and play with his toys and still be able to see me and feel like he's part of the family.

Unlike the first reviewer, I don't have any trouble getting my squirmy little guy into the chair. I always put him in from the back, and even when he's hungry it doesn't take long to get him strapped in.

Update: My son is now 3 1/2 years old, and still uses his chair. The tray & infant kit come off easily, and it's easily adjusted to fit him. I recently purchased a 2nd Svan chair for my 6 month old baby girl, and I still love it!

We bought this chair after my daughter decided she had had enough of her booster seat. What a great choice. She is 15 mos and loves sitting at the table with us. My brother also has one and his 2 1/2 year old sits comfortably at the head of the table. I would not recommend this chair for a baby that can't sit up on his/her own. Even with the cushions, I won't feel comfortable putting a younger baby in it, not to mention the tray isn't as easy to clean as a plastic one (can't throw it in the dishwasher). Otherwise, I love this chair and would recommend it to anyone who doesn't like the bulky plastic chairs.

I disagree with the other reviewer. This is an awesome highchair. We bought it when my daughter was 6 months old. There is assembly required, but, almost every toy we buy requires assembly. I don't think it was any harder than any toy. One thing I love about the high chair is the size. It is compact, which is good not only for your living area, but, fits a small infant. I realized how great this was after visiting my sister and using a standard plastic chair. It swallowed her up and she barely could see over the tray. The Svan was so much better.

My daughter is now 2 and we never had any problems getting in and out of the chair. We converted it to a toddler chair when she got big enough to climb out. Now she sits at the table with us. The platform is also big enough for her to use the chair to stand up at the counters (she helps wash dishes for fun!)

We just had our second child and will be buying another Svan chair for him. It is pricer than other plastic chairs, but, you will be using it for years. I couldn't imagine any other highchair.

We purchased this high chair when our daughter was approximately 6 months old, and she is now a year old. This is a terrific high chair. I like the fact that we will be using this for a long time, as it can convert to a toddler chair. It goes well with our kitchen furniture. It can easily be pulled up to your kitchen table if you do not want to use the tray and have the child sit at the table with the rest of the family, just be sure to buckle him/her in. My only complaint, like someone has already mentioned, is that there are a couple of tight crevices in which crumbs can get into that are impossible to clean. You will basically have to take the chair apart (unscrew some nuts and bolts) if you really want to get into those crevices. That is the ONLY negative about the chair. All other areas are very easy to clean. My daughter really likes the chair.