I get asked more about my high chair than anything else on Instagram these days. Oh how times have changed! It used to be all nail polish colors and outfit advice. Since high chairs are kind of a big purchase and there is so much conflicting advice out there, I thought I’d write a full review of our Oxo Tot Sprout high chair.
When we registered for my baby shower, for some reason a high chair wasn’t on my brain. The idea of my baby eating solids felt so far away. Then I blinked and she needed a place to eat. My grandmother wanted to buy her a high chair for Christmas which ended up being perfect timing so I started doing research.
Based on everything I read and advice from friends and followers, the Stokke Tripp Trapp was our first choice. It was pricey but so many people loved it and it looked so cute that we were sold. Then one friend told me that in her infant CPR class, she learned that it was hard to get babies out of if they’re choking. I have no idea how true that is and I know a ton of people who have and love it, but I couldn’t get the thought out of my head and knew it would haunt me forever if we went that route.
So I went with the second most highly recommended chair: The Oxo Tot Sprout, which we got in white and navy because it matches our kitchen decor perfectly. So far we love it, but it has some downfalls too. I hope these pros and cons help you make your decision!
Pros:
Design: I just love the way this chair looks. It’s so clean and cute and fits into our kitchen without looking too baby-like. I realize this might seem like a shallow reason to love a high chair but it’s pretty front and center in our house so the design was really important to me. I love how you can customize both the wood and the cushion color to make it exactly what you want.
Easy to maneuver: When I’m holding Amalia in one arm and want to put her in the chair, it’s easy to pull the tray off with one hand and get her in. The straps are easy to use too so that whole process is zero stress.
Light: The chair itself is light which makes it easy to move around the kitchen depending on where I want her to be.
Grows with your baby: You can start using it at 5-6 months and it grows with your baby until she’s 5 years old by removing the tray and straps which is super cool.
Cons:
Potential Mold: I’ve read a lot of reviews that say if you submerge the tray in water, it gets mold inside of it which is so disgusting and unsafe for the baby. To work around this, I use the Honest Baby Multi-Surface spray and that works like a charm. I use the same spray on the cushions too. Obviously if the mold appears, we’ll contact the company and return it but so far we haven’t had any problems and we’ve been using it for two months daily.
No suction: This is my biggest issue with the chair, but toys and plates with suctions don’t stick to the tray. If anyone has the Sprout and has figured out a work-around, please let me know! It’s such a pain now that she’s throwing around her toys constantly.
Despite it’s issues, I still like the Oxo Tot Sprout because of how easy it is to get her in and out of it and the way it looks. If I had to choose all over again, I might go with a different one because of the suction issue. I’ve heard great things about the Four Moms chair but it has suction issues too although you can buy special plates that stick to it. I’m not sure if there’s a perfect answer to the great high chair debate!
If you have the Oxo Sprout, I’d love to know your thoughts on it or if you love another one, share the reasons why below!
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Disclaimer: I’m having an issue with my comments right now so I copy and pasted all of the comments previously left on this post which is why it looks like they’re all from me!
The Great Highchair Debate… this was maybe the only thing that my husband and I really butted heads over when registering for baby stuff before our daughter was born last year. We looked at the Stokke, the Oxo, and a whole bunch of “plastic monsters” before finally going with the Summer Infant Bentwood. I am so happy with this decision. It is wooden (this was a big deal for me), has a plastic tray, with a top part that pops off for very easy cleaning, and removable cushions (machine-washable and comes with 2 sets). Plus, it folds for easy storage, the tray comes on/off with one hand, and it’s suitable for newborn to toddler (the seat moves up and down and reclines and there’s an infant insert), so our daughter was able to “join us at the table” long before she was actually eating. We don’t have any suction things so I can’t speak to that issue, but overall I absolutely love this highchair (like you, Julia, I never thought I’d being saying this not that long ago!). We have been using it daily and have no issues keeping it clean. Another bonus: it’s only about $150, which is much cheaper than Stokke and Oxo.
Side note: now that my daughter is eating solids mealtime can be super messy – thank goodness we have a dog!!! He sits next to the highchair patiently waiting for food to drop and for cleanup time. It’s adorable.
I love everything we’ve ever bought from Summer Infant, and I didn’t even think to look there which is crazy. Now I wish I had known! Side note we just got the Summer Infant bath and love it.
Boots also sits next to Amalia during meal time and it’s adorable. This age is so fun!
We have the Oxo tot Sprout as well! I felt the lack of suction was totally disappointing when she was little 5-8 months for toys but overall we are very happy with the chair. As she’s gotten older I’ve been trying so many different bowls and plates as we introduce solids. She’s 10 months now, eating all different foods and we have found the Avanchy bowls and plates to work pretty well!! If she pulls hard enough they do come up, but they are very solid and generally suction on the tray for the whole meal!
We used the oxo and it was great — small, stylish, easy for cleaning messes. Then we bought the Tripp Trapp for our toddler and he easily climbs up into it and uses our table as the eating surface. Again, it’s super easy to clean, doesn’t take up much room and blends in nicely with our furniture. From what I remember, I think my son outgrew the OXO — as in he physicslly got a little large to sit in it. You might consider getting the Tripp Trapp as she grows! I figured I’d use them both again if I was lucky enough to have a second babe
I agree!!!! Only because I realized I really wanted the Tripp Trapp once kid #2 outgrew the Sprout and we knew we weren’t likely to have more kids so decided it wasn’t worth the cost. But my in-laws have it and I love it for toddlers. (They won’t let me steal it either, haha)
That’s a good tip. I might end up buying a second one but we’ll see how it goes with the OXO for now! And love the expzfun mats, so cute.
Also love the Avanchy plates and bowls! I find that the plates stay put much better in general than the bowls.
I love the look of the Oxo chair but was really worried about the mold issue – it’s crazy that they haven’t fixed that given I’ve heard about it for quite some time! We ended up getting a Tripp Trapp and LOVE it. Super easy to clean, pulls right up to the table nicely, and the seat and foot rest are adjustable so it will grow with my daughter for years. I haven’t had any trouble getting her out of it (though luckily haven’t had an emergency choking situation).
Also want to add that we got an IKEA chair for my parents’ house and for $20 it’s pretty amazing. The legs snap off easily for storage or travel, and we actually just got another one to bring on road trips.
I’m definitely going to try Avanchy because I can foresee this being a huge problem!
http://www.ezpzfun.com Oh and just grab some of these for eating! They’re awesome.
My baby rips these off with ease since about 6 months lol 🙁
I’m definitely going to try Avanchy because I can foresee this being a huge problem!
We have the $20 Antilop high chair from Ikea. LOVE IT! For $20, it’s super easy to clean, store, and it gets the job done. We chose to invest more money into our car seat and stroller (Uppababy).
I recall being one of those people asking you about Amalia’s high chair lol. I was stuck between the Stokke and the Sprout. We went with the Sprout and have been loving it for the past 2 months. I came back to this post to see if anyone recommended suction bowls/plates for it. I’ve always envisioned April using the EZPZ’s but if they don’t suction, is it worth is? What have you been using thus far? Thanks! 🙂
So glad that you like it! We’ve actually just been having Amalia eat directly off of the tray and then wiping that down. OXO is apparently coming out with a plate that will suction so I’m keeping an eye out for that too! Let me know if you find a good solution.
Did you ever find a suction that sticks?!
I did! The same brand (Oxo Tot) makes suction plates that work specifically with this high chair. They worked like a charm.
Hi, great review, THANK YOU!
I just have one question, please… I have a small home and need a high chair with as small a “footprint” as possible. Can you please tell me the measurements of the amount of floor space that this high chair takes up? THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Hi Julia,
Did you ever end up opening the inside of your highchair tray to see if it got mold unknowingly?
My kids are only 15 months apart in age so my son is still using his highchair and I don’t like his enough to buy it again. But the mold thing is freaking me out.
Also, looking back now, 2 years later, would you still buy this highchair?
I appreciate your honest opinions on all topics!
Thanks!!
We did! And never had the mold issue thank goodness. I really liked it but don’t know anything different. We will use it again when we have another kid if that helps!
How do you open up the tray to look for mold ?? Is there a special screwdriver you need?
Nope! You can use any screwdriver I believe.
I want to love this chair so much, but the footrest is useless! I’ve tried adjusting it as instructed and it has been too low and at too far back of an angle for every stage of my 21 month old’s life. It could have been a great chair. Also, hard to clean.