Web site: oxotot.com
Kitchen gadget maker OXO’s first high chair, the Sprout, strikes an über modem pose, with its wooden legs and plastic seat. We liked the overall design, two height positions, adjustable footrest and more. But for $250 (a $50 price increase, by the way), we’d expect to see a dishwasher-safe insert tray (not here), compact fold (the Sprout doesn’t fold) and reclining seat (again, missing). The Sprout comes in two base colors—a light birch and dark walnut—with two new colors coming out in 2016: gray and navy. Pad colors include orange, taupe, green, pink, navy and gray.
The Sprout garners mostly positive reviews, with folks liking the chair’s small footprint and easy assembly. Unfortunately, the pads are surface clean only and more than one parent noted that water can easily get trapped in the tray when cleaning. This then rusts out the springs that are part of the tray’s attachment mechanism. Mold is another by-product of water in the tray.
Other folks said this chair (especially the straps and Velcro) is hard to keep clean and stains easily. Several complained about the durability of the seat pad. The OXO Tot seems to fall into that classic trap with high chairs: it looks pretty, but in real life, the usage experience falls short . . . that might be somewhat forgivable at $100, but not at $250.
OXO Tot also offers a lower-price chair, the $120 Seedling High Chair. This all-plastic chair features five height adjustments, a safety bar attached to the chair, dishwasher safe tray, one-hand adjustments, reclining seat (three positions) and even machine washable cushions. Parents seem to like the chair’s light weight and maneuverability. Other pluses: easy cleanability and one hand tray release.
The OXO Tot Seedling chair has three reclines and five height options.
The Seedling gets mostly positive reviews from our readers. They love the ease of assembly and the smooth wheels. Cleanability is another plus. Negatives: the seat has a huge footprint, so it takes up a lot of space—plus the Seedling doesn’t fold. Other people complained that the seat doesn’t sit completely upright when in the top position. Despite these negatives, the Seedling gets better marks overall than the Sprout.
FYI: OXO Tot also makes a kitchen booster seat, the Perch, for $30. Most parents are happy with it.
Rating: B-
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