High Chair Review : Svan High Chair

I am on a very strict budget when it comes to baby supplies but I have to tell you, we have gone through three highchairs at this point. If I had only known this chair even existed when I was making my baby registry I would have given up half of the items on my list to buy just this one. (actually if I had known half of the products I review had existed I would have had a VERY diffrent registry list)

The price tag on this highchair is nothing to laugh about but before it scares you away I'll tell you from a mom that watches all her pennies, believe me its TOTALLY worth it. The Svan High Chair starts at $199.95 for the youth chair (no infant/tray attachment) or $249-250 for the full high chair (tray/infant attachment included). With that said keep reading.

The Svan Chair is in a totally unique class of high chairs. It has a tiny footprint so those of you, like myself, that live in small spaces will appreciate the space saving design. Don't let the size fool you, this chair is fully adjustable and convertible so it goes all the way from an infant high chair to a chair for a full grown adult to sit in (up to 300lbs!)!

It starts (with the infant kit) as a traditional high chair with tray. Unlike other traditional high chairs it has a fully adjustable seat and foot rest so your child will learn to sit in correct posture from the start. It does not have a recline feature so I would hold out using it until your child can hold his/her head up unassisted.

Once your baby has moved past the tray stage or even before you can remove the tray and pull them right up to the table. Connor likes to eat with his tray and when his grandparents are in town we pull the entire high chair up against the table and let him eat like a big boy. He LOVES being able to interact with the "adults". As your child grows with a small amount of adjustment (there is a monkey wrench involved) you can widen the seat base and move the foot rest.

As your child grows, or if you need extra seating for a family function/party, remove the entire infant seat and flip around the foot rest and you have an "adult" chair. Hopefully this will be Connor's desk chair when he gets old enough. Ideally you could keep this chair in perpetual use from your own kids all the way to your grandkids and beyond. Now you see why I say $250 is not too much to spend on this chair?

A few things I have found after using this chair for two weeks :

• The tray is small, this is kind of a two way street.. I love the footprint of the chair and to make the tray bigger you would need to do the same to the width of the chair. Though this is a small drawback its worth it in the bigger picture.
• To adjust the chair you must use a monkey wrench. This is more of an inconvenience vrs a real drawback. (Please note that unless you plan on using this chair for multiple sized babies you would only need to adjust it once or twice a year)
  
• The width of the infant guard is not built for "gigantic" babies. If you have a super super chunk I would find a local store that sells this chair and "test" it out before you purchase it. Though it seems a bit narrow to me, Svan assures me that it will fit children up to three.
  
• The tray seems a little wobbly when its attached.. It appears to be but after much testing Connor has yet to find a way to get it off. If it did fall off Connor would be in no danger of falling as well as the infant guard would keep him secure.
• I just want to note.. Svan has the best customer service you can imagine. If you have any problems with your chair there is an 800 number and someone is always willing to help!
• Having a highchair that adjusts from baby to adult is priceless. I already have a spot picked out for it once Connor is done with it. (Its going to be my work desk chair, so it will get many years of use paying bills, doing homework, and art projects!)
  

Its by far my favorite baby gadget to date!!! Really most of the drawbacks are minor if that, the chair itself is amazing and well worth every parents consideration. The chair is much much smaller that it appears in the pictures which is great for compact spaces but if you really desire a large high chair go visit one before you buy.

The Svan High Chair comes in several finishes to appeal to any decor. The seat cushions also come in lots of shades. My chair is a natural w/ a brown pad. If I would have purchased this chair myself I would have gone with espresso w/ a lime or blue pad.

If I could do my registry all over again, I would have put the entire line of Svan products on it. Check out the Svan Bouncer and the Svan Scooter. We certainly wish we had both! Connor still uses his bouncer daily and believe me its not even remotely that nice!

We made a video of Connor using his Svan Chair :

This video was made with a Flip Ultra Camcorder!

You can purchase your own Svan High Chair on Amazon!