High Chairs
When a baby or toddler is learning to eat, things can get messy and tempers can flare. A good quality high-chair that can be operated with one hand (a fussy baby in the other) is essential.
In my experience, the PegPerego Prima Pappa High Chair is the only way to go! No doubt about it.
We used ours for over 4 years, and then gave it to a friend who is still using it. It's very solid, and durable. The padded PVC seat has a full lap-and-shoulder harness, and a simple mechanism adjusts the height, from about 24 inches at the seat down to just 12 inches so it can be used from ages 4 months to 3 years. Most of all, it's easy to use and easy to clean. You can remove the tray and simply put it in sink. When things got really dirty we used to remove the seating cover, and then take it outside and spray it down with a hose!
The Peg Perego chairs are also easy to fold up (once you know how!), and can be put in the car trunk or checked in luggage for a long trip.
Comparison Shop Peg Perego High Chairs
High Chairs
When a baby or toddler is learning to eat, things can get messy and tempers can flare. A good quality high-chair that can be operated with one hand (a fussy baby in the other) is essential.
In my experience, the PegPerego Prima Pappa High Chair is the only way to go! No doubt about it.
We used ours for over 4 years, and then gave it to a friend who is still using it. It's very solid, and durable. The padded PVC seat has a full lap-and-shoulder harness, and a simple mechanism adjusts the height, from about 24 inches at the seat down to just 12 inches so it can be used from ages 4 months to 3 years. Most of all, it's easy to use and easy to clean. You can remove the tray and simply put it in sink. When things got really dirty we used to remove the seating cover, and then take it outside and spray it down with a hose!
The Peg Perego chairs are also easy to fold up (once you know how!), and can be put in the car trunk or checked in luggage for a long trip.
Comparison Shop Peg Perego High Chairs
Baby Safety Gates
Baby safety gates help keep infants and toddlers away from stairs and unsafe areas. We've used a couple of different baby safety gates with success. You need to consider where the gate will go, how wide it needs to span and how the gate will be secured. For a child safety gate that will be in place for a while, it's best to secure it to solid walls with real hardware. Older safety gates that depend on tension to stay in place have been shown to be not as safe.
We've had this Beechwood baby safety gate by KidCo
in our house at the top of the stairs for 3 years, and it's seen a lot of use and held up well. It's easy to use,
and even though our children are bigger now and can open it and close it themselves, we leave it up.
It can span up to 43 inches and is adjustable. It has 4 plastic mounts that require drilling holes in your wall or stair post. You need a strong mounting point, to support the gate, so check to make sure that there is a stud, or solid wood to fasten the gate mounts to.
Changing Table
This changing table has stood up extremely well for the last 5 years. It originally cost over $450, and seemed expensive at the time, but it was worth it.
It's well worth it to spend a little more certain baby furniture, including bed sets, changing tables and cribs.
Quality furniture lasts longer, is safer and has little features that make the difference when dealing with an infant.
Baby Cribs
Everyone wants a good looking baby crib that fits well in the baby's nursery. The things to consider beyond the style and the wood finish include:
- Ease of access -- how hard is it slide the side up and down?
- Wheels - do you ever want to move it around?
- If you have hardwood floors, will it stay put?
- Storage - it's very nice to have a drawer on the bottom
- Adjustable - how much can the mattress height be adjusted?
- Size - will it fit in your room?
You can probably save money by ordering a crib on a website, however, we'd advise checking them out in person first. If you have a friend who has a crib you like, try it out - see how easy or difficult it is to slide the side up and down. Also see how the size feels to you.
As your baby gets older, you need to watch for safety even more, since 6 month olds may be able to stand up in the crib and shake it around. You also need to make sure it's deep enough so no one can climb and fall out.
Comparison Shop for Cribs
Dreamtime Baby
has cribs and a great selection of bedding.
BabyUniverse - Lauren Crib
A contemporary favorite with lovely tulip profile and arched details in four finishes.
Rocking Chair
I used to sit in a rocking chair and count to 400, one rock at a time, to put our first child to sleep. It was the only way that our baby would go to sleep at night, and it was a phase that lasted 3 months! So you can see how useful a comfortable rocking chair or glider is to a new parent.
There are two ways to go when considering a rocking chair. For the nursery, it makes sense to look at a glider. These are stable, comfortable chairs that have more of a sliding motion. One advantage of a glider is that they will stay in the same place, no matter how much rocking is done. Rocking chairs will often creep backwards as you rock in them, meaning you have to scoot forward every so often so you don't bump into other furniture or the wall.
On the other hand, rocking chairs end up being used longer, since they fit in better with living room or family room decor. Gliders are not usually going to look as good or as appropriate as a real rocking chair. So it's worth considering a regular rocking chair from a furniture outlet or catalog since it will have long term value.
Comparison Shop for Rocking Chairs and Gliders
ABaby.com has a selection of gliders and rocking chairs ranging in price from $100 - $700.
Glider Rocker Rocking Chair
Baby Universe: Traditional Glider
With its gently rounded back and spindled arms, the Traditional Glider offers a classic look without compromising the pure comfort and quality for which Dutailier Gliders are known. Available in 4 wood finishes and 8 fabric cushions.
Dreamtime Baby carries Dutailier gliders and rockers.
Dutailier Glider Rocker Round Back 118 Series
