Web site: BloomBaby.com
Bloom’s Fresco Chrome is another entrant in the space-age, Jetsons-style high chair category. It’s egg-shaped, seamless seat and circular base echo the Boon Flair with one big exception: the Bloom Fresco can recline, making it suitable for infants. The Fresco comes with micro-suede seat upholstery (in 14 colors) and pneumatic-assist height adjustment. You can also choose from three frame colors: black, white and mercury. But the price? $445 to $550 is way too high, in our opinion. Hold onto you wallet, they also offer a “special edition” rose gold color for a mere $750.
Bloom has added the Fresco Chrome Giro to their line up. With the same features plus funky color combinations (see photo at right, for example), this chair is supposed to sell for $350, much less than the regular Fresco Chrome (starts at $480). However, that’s not the going price at the time of this writing. Most are selling for $550 (except the black model pictured, which is on Amazon for $385). Not sure what’s up with that–we would have been happy to see a Bloom Fresco for “only” $350.
Feedback on the Bloom Fresco has been mixed. For every fan who loves the chair’s Jetsons’ look and function, others say it just isn’t worth the money (the chair is very heavy, making it hard to move; assembly is a challenge; the color fades after a year or two, etc). Quality is a major complaint area: one reader said the chair’s lift feature worked well for a week . . . and then broke. The Bloom Fresco is also so hard to clean, some parents have just given up and junked the chair.
Bloom has a second high chair model: the Nano, which is tagged as an “iconic minimalist” model with a flat fold and “micro leather” seat in six colors. Price: $150—that’s about three times the price of other simple high chairs that don’t recline, lack wheels and fold up flat. In the past year, Bloom modified the Nano so it has a smaller footprint.
Feedback on the Nano is similar to the Fresco: for every parent who likes the Nano, we found another who knocked its difficulty to clean and fold.
As a result of the mixed feedback on this brand, we’ve decided not to recommend Bloom’s high chairs. Prices are too high and the quality is too low. Yes, these chairs are cool to look at, but that’s about it. Rating: D