Eddie Bauer Classic 3-in-1 high chairWeb site: djgusa.com

Eddie Bauer offers a mash-up here: a hybrid wood chair with plastic tray. Yep, in the category of “everything old is new again,” the Eddie Bauer Classic 3-in-1 high chair ($125-$140) combines the look of wood with the convenience of plastic.

So, what are the trade-offs? Well, you can forget about many of the features you’ll find in plastic chairs—Eddie Bauer’s chair lacks wheels, height adjustments, seat recline and more.

Reader feedback on this chair has turned sharply negative since it first debuted. Originally, the Eddie Bauer wood high chair had a full pad that covered the entire seat; subsequently, the pad design changed to a smaller size, showing more wood. We speculated in the last edition this would make it harder to clean (more food would get on the wood) and we were right—the negative reviews shot up after the design change.

“It’s pretty out of the box, but impossible to keep that way,” said one reader, who summed up the frustrations of many parents. Food sticks to the dark wood finish, the slats on the side of the seat, just about anywhere—and it is impossible to clean. The finish also comes off, say others, indicating Cosco cut some corners here. Most worrisome are recent quality complaints that include screws that fall out; misaligned screw holes, and other woes.

Bottom line: the Eddie Bauer wood high chair is not recommended. We will withhold our rating on the Multi Stage until we get more feedback. Rating: F