Somewhere between the ages of twenty months and two years, my son decided that shoving smushed-up green peas and sticky banana goo into the vinyl crevices of our high chair was his favorite form of personal expression. We used the Chicco Polly, which served us well for more than a year, but as soon as I began finding unidentifiable remnants of dinners past on a too-regular basis, I realized I was either going to have to become more diligent about using my fingernails to remove the gunge in the cracks of the chair after every meal or perhaps we should look for a different solution.
I was attracted to the Mutsy EasyGrow because of its apparent versatility and modern look. I also considered the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Boon Flair. Mutsy is a European stroller manufacturer that has recently branched out to the high chair market. The Easy Grow is designed to grow with babies from infancy through school-age, with removable insterts and straps and an adjustable seat and foot bar.
My child was 22 months old when we pulled our Easy Grow up to the table. Assembly was fairly simple, especially if you’re used to following IKEA-type picture instructions. The chair comes with a foam-like insert and shoulder/waist straps for younger children and an interchangeable eating tray and safety bar. We experimented with all the different pieces since my son was just at the top edge of the size recommendations for the infant insert.
The Good:
The EasyGrow is just as cool and sleek as its photos suggest. It comes in an array of different colors, and while ours is one of the most neutral choices (grey), it still feels like an interesting addition to our kitchen. The lightweight but sturdy chair easily pulls up to our dining table without using a great deal of space in our compact eating area. That’s a big improvement from the high chair which seemed like it was always in the way. And, though there are definitely a few places where smushed-up peas can get caught, the plastic and metal pieces are easy to wipe off, especially compared to the many creases, nooks and crannies of the high chair. My son is comfortable in the EasyGrow; its seat and footrest are adjustable so even his long torso and short legs fit just fine, and I can see that we’ll be able to move the components so he’ll be able to use the chair for a long time to come (the marketing materials say up to 12 years old).
The Bad:
When I first strapped him in using the infant insert, straps and dining tray, I realized how awkward the setup was. The straps don’t work in an intuitive fashion and, in perhaps the most frustrating feature, inserting the dining tray or safety bar between the child’s legs and under the infant insert is a real pain. It’s also awkward to reverse the process and get the kid out of the chair. After we realized he was big enough to do without the foam insert and straps, things got less complicated, but the process of sliding the safety bar up the chair to get him in and out, not to mention fiddling with the mechanism that keeps bar in place while he’s eating, is still annoying. And while this is marketed as an all-ages high chair, I’m not sure I would have felt comfortable with the back support and safety features it provides for a wobbly infant.
Overall:
The Mutsy EasyGrow is a nice step up from a traditional high chair and an attractive addition to a modern kitchen. It’s a good choice for toddlers and older children who like to have their own chairs at the big people’s table. The price ($188-$195 on Amazon) is competitive with similarly-marketed chairs like the Boon Flair ($189) and the Stokke Tripp Trapp ($249). While its smoothness-of-use could use some improvements, its easy-to-clean surfaces, solid construction, and adjustable height mean it will be useful for several years.
Mutsy products are available through online and brick-and-mortar retailers all over the world - check your section of their website for specifics. In addition, Goore’s online store is offering an exclusive discount for Mamas Worldwide readers - receive 10% off the purchase of any Mutsy products by entering code MWMU10 at checkout.
Stay tuned for another Mutsy product review and giveaway later this week.
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