Buying antique baby furniture is definitely more complicated than buying regular vaguely furniture which you can find just about anywhere. However, if you want something that goes with your home and has a tasteful and elegant design, then you are going to need to look a little harder.
However, as it is when it comes to buying anything, these days, the Internet can be extremely helpful. You will need to take care to make sure the safety standards are up to scratch, and the you buy practical and easy to maintain goods.

You may want to go for mock-up antiques, but there are many options available to you. You can find specialist shops on the Internet which sell everything you need, but you may need to wait a while for delivery.
However, getting prepared for your new arrival does require a lot of patience and time. You are going to need to take into account the fact that you are going to need to make not only modifications to your lifestyle, but also to your home itself. Furniture is of course a part of this.

Certain antique baby furniture is stuff that is handed down through the family of generations. In many cases, there is nothing wrong with this, but you need to make sure that they’re still in good enough condition to be safe and practical enough to use properly on an everyday basis.

For those on a tighter budget if not have any of these heirlooms, you may want to consider going to local auctions for finding second-hand stores. However, this can be risking so you need to make sure you do this very carefully and make sure that you buy the safest and most practical products you can. However, if you don’t mind spending a bit more money under most circumstances, you may want to get reproductions.
Some of these reproductions can have very much like the real thing and can do very nicely in your home, looking classy and elegant while also being practical and safe. If you are buying older or second-hand things, then you will need to take safety very seriously.

However, this often requires just a degree of common sense. However, there are various things the you will need to look out for the might not have occurred to you before. For example, baby furniture which was painted a long time ago may well be painted with a paint which is based on lead. This can be quite hazardous, and if you are not sure about it, you may want to get some professional advice.

You will also want to make sure that any furniture you buy a sturdy us win your baby gets older, they may well try to climb it. You certainly don’t want to falling apart causing damage or injury.
Looking on the Internet or yield plenty of useful results and you can find entire shops dedicated entirely to antique baby furniture. You may need to wait some time for delivery, but you’ll get exactly what you need.

By Olivia Stanford

If you’re expecting a new child, you’re probably excited about looking at  the equipment you will need for your new arrival.  A high chair is one of those pieces of equipment.

Choosing the best high chair for your new baby can be very enjoyable — but also very frustrating.

Safety is probably one of the things that you’ll consider very seriously when choosing the best high chair for your new baby.  Nowadays, safety is a major concern for all manufacturers, obviously because of the litigious society we live in.

You, though, as a new mommy or daddy, are concerned with safety for another important reason:   you love your child and don’t want any harm to come to him or her.

So, how do you choose the best high chair for your new arrival?  Most modern highchairs meet reasonable safety regulations.   This means finding a new high chair is not going to be difficult, you’ll be able to find many that are safe for your child.

Use a level head and common sense, and decide for yourself.

If you choose to get an older highchair, you may have to be more careful in the safety department.

As a new parent, your life is going to get more hectic, there’s no getting around this fact!  One thing that can either help or hinder your hectic lifestyle could be your new baby’s high chair.  Simply put, some high chairs are just easier to use than others.

When looking for the best high chair for you and your family consider the ease-of-use.  You’ll be using this high chair many times every day, and if it’s frustrating to use — hard to clean, hard to remove the tray top, hard to place your baby in — you’ll be sorry you bought it and it won’t be the best highchair for you and your family, will it?

When choosing the best high chair for your new baby, consider that your baby will be sitting in it for many hours until he or she outgrows it.

If the high chair is not comfortable for your baby, this will definitely add to your frustration.  Ever noticed a baby sliding out of the chair because the seat is too slippery, or doesn’t hold the baby well?  Or perhaps the chair is uncomfortable for the baby and leaves pressure marks or other impressions.

Consider the comfort of your baby when looking at your new highchair.

Something that many people don’t consider when choosing the best high chair for their new family, is the possibility of leaving a legacy, or an heirloom.  There are some families who pass highchairs down from generation to generation.  If this is not a custom in your family, maybe you would like to start this tradition?

Of course, to begin  this custom probably a cheap, plastic high chair would not be the best choice for you.

Nowadays the sky is the limit when it comes to choosing the best high chair for your family.

There are custom highchair manufacturers who will build anything that you desire.  Short of that there are also very fine all-wood highchair manufacturers that make highchairs, styled from from classic to modern.

Things sure have changed from when we bought our first high chair!

You want your baby to be comfortable no matter what time of the day it is. So feeding time is no exception to this rule. And with the ease and comfort of high chair pads, you can have a happy baby that is comfortable during those eventful feeding times. One of the things that is great about these pads is that they come in a variety of designs. This enables you to design a unique looking high chair so that your baby can have a personality of its own.

Not only can you use these pads while you are at home. You can also use them when the family goes out to eat. If you have one of those stylish diaper bags that can hold just about everything. You should be in a good position to carry this around with you on those special occasions. Know that comfort is only a diaper bag away.

When you go shopping for your pads, one thing that you should look at is the ease of cleaning. You want to purchase something that is easy to clean and use to use. The less hassle there is in cleaning up after your young one, better off your life will be. Especially if you are a new parent and not used the hustle and bustle that children provide.

If you have problems deciding on a manufacturer of high chair pads take your search online to see what companies are offering. There are plenty of online retailers that offer interesting designs that can offer a versatile array of style. And if you want you might even want to purchase two so that you can switch up the look every now and then. Remember the purpose of these little pads are for the comfort of your baby. So you also want to ensure that whatever pad that you buy will fit into your high chair.

And if you are one those creative type people, you can think about making your own pad. The materials are easy to gather and you can turn this in to a nice little craft project.

High chair pads provide a good way to keep your baby’s bottom cushioned from the hard surfaces that most high chairs are made of. They come in a wide variety of designs and most importantly are easy to clean should the little one make a small mess. Simple, stylish, and comfort, what more can a parent want for you little one.

I was fortunate to be the recipient of an antique baby crib for my infant daughter.

It was a jenny lind-style crib, oak, with spindles and a side rail that raised and lowered.  I loved it!

The crib was a gift from my aunt, who had stored it away for years after my cousins grew out of it.  None of my cousins were interested in it, but I was thrilled to get it — it had held my dad and aunts when they were babies, and now it was going to be my baby’s.

Why was I so excited about this particular antique baby crib?  Remember, it had held my dad as a baby.  My grandmother had placed her sleeping children into it at night.  I could picture her rocking her baby to sleep, and then laying the sleeping child in the crib.  That connection to family was very precious to me.  It made me feel that I was reaching out to my grandmother, long dead now.  I felt that I was somehow closer to her, and to my heritage.

The antique baby crib also had practical advantages for me.  I didn’t have to buy a new crib (have you seen the prices they get for cribs these days?!?)  It was tried and true so I knew it was safe.  It was a lovely deep walnut color, just beautiful.

I decided to refinish the crib.  The color was lovely, but the finish was scratched and scraped up from storage and age.  I found a local refinishing company in the phone book and transported the crib to them, all metal and hardware removed.  They were able to “dip” the crib pieces into a stripping solvent which removed the varnish, leaving the crib clean and fresh, ready to have a new non-toxic finish applied.

My daughter napped, slept, played and grew in that antique baby crib, enjoying it for two years, until her brother came along and moved her out of it.  The good news is that the crib stood up to my son’s rough-and-tumble childhood also, until his brother arrived to move him onto his “big boy bed” as well.
Do modern-day cribs handle this type of use?  I would venture to say that most present day baby beds don’t have the staying-power of those old-time cribs.  One hundred years ago, furniture was made to last a long time.  These days you’re lucky if you can get a few years out of a piece of baby furniture before it falls apart or gets sold at a garage sale.

If you’re lucky enough to have or receive an antique baby crib of your own, congratulations!  An antique crib can be a wonderful part of your family’s personal history, a heart-warming connection with your past.

To follow are two  reviews of a Chicco High Chair.  It is the Chicco Polly Double Pad Model. This seem to be a very well built and easy to use modern baby highchair.  If  function and reliability are what you are looking for in a high chair the Chicco High Chair may be just what you are looking for.
Take a few minutes to read the reviews and then decide for yourself if this may be right for you and your precious little one.

Review 1

I was going to buy a wooden high chair for my baby, but after seeing one in person, decided on this one instead. I am SO glad I did! I can’t rave enough about this high chair. Here are all the things I love about the chair:

1. Two chair covers! One can get thrown in the wash and still have a pad on the chair. I don’t have to rush to clean it. However, unless it’s a real mess, it is easy enough to clean with a cloth. Nice cushioning, too. My baby is comfy in it.

2. Removable tray liners! The high chair comes with 2 removable tray liners. I’ve never had to use both, but I guess if I didn’t have a chance to wash the one before needing it again, it would be handy. I like that I can remove the whole thing and walk it to the trash can and then the sink. It’s fantastic and easy to clean!

3. The tray has holders for storage on the back legs of the chair. I always put the tray on those holders when my baby is not in the chair. This makes it so easy to put my baby in, strap her in, and then grab the tray to put on. (one other reviewer didn’t use this storage spot and noted it was difficult to remove the tray with the baby in her arms.) Storing it here eliminates this problem.

4. The leg separator is attached to the bottom of the tray instead of the seat. I love this feature. I don’t have to worry about getting her legs around that thing while she is squirming in my arms. Instead, once she is strapped in I can worry about it. Plus, this means the chair will literally grow with her. When she is big enough and doesn’t need this feature, it converts to a regular chair at the table.

5. Height adjustment is great. Without the tray on, she can sit at the table like a big girl. She thinks that is great! Adjustable foot rest also grows with her.

6. There are brakes on each wheel. So it is easy to roll everywhere and then keep it secure when baby is in it.

7. It has multiple reclining positions which are easy to adjust.

8. It folds up easily.

9. This nice green color isn’t like all the loud, colorful baby products you find. It fits nicely with our decor and doesn’t scream ‘baby in the house’! (though there are other color options like that if you like the colorful products).
As you can see, I absolutely love this product and without a doubt think it was worth every penny. I’m so glad I spent the money and didn’t settle for a cheaper product!

Review 2

After much research on highchairs and reading lots of reviews, I purchased this highchair for my 6-month-old baby girl. The pattern is adorable and everyone comments on how cute it is. The pink dots on it are pretty bright, though, so just be aware of this if you choose this pattern for a boy
Although there are a few cons to this highchair, I would highly recommend it to anyone!!

Top Pros:

-Very roomy and leaves lots of room to grow for my baby, even though she is in 90th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight for her age.

-Super easy assembly and super easy to recline one-handed. Baby can sit upright or recline very far back. Adjustable footrest is nice.

-Height adjustment goes up or down to match any table height.

-Wheels are handy to wheel my baby around kitchen or dining room if I need to grab something and want to take her with me, and wheels can easily be locked.

-Double padded seat for extra comfort. Seat pads and straps can be easily wiped down or removed for cleaning.

-5 point harness was great before my baby could sit unassisted, but is easily converted to 3-point harness which my 7-month old is more comfortable with. Even though the t-bar is connected to the tray, my baby is very safe and secure with harness in highchair with or without the tray attached. 2 harness slots for adjustment as baby grows.

-tray comes with 2 removable BPA FREE trays (I read that Fisher Price trays may still contain BPA) which can be easily washed in sink. Recessed area for baby food jar or cup. Tray sits on pegs in back of highchair for easy storage.(I love this feature!)

CONS:

-vinyl material doesn’t breathe so I have to make sure my baby has a onesie on or else she will stick to pad and become sweaty (We live in a very hot area so this may not be an issue in cooler climates) If I purchased this highchair again I might go with the fabric option, but I’m not sure how well the fabric cleans up.

-Tray is a little tricky to align with arms but once you get the hang of it ,it’s not a big problem. The tray release button is easy to press one-handed.

-Not sure if this was a problem with Amazon or Chicco, but it was advertised in product description as having shoulder strap pads and didn’t come with them. I contacted Amazon and they sent me a replacement highchair at no charge (they couldn’t replace the pads by themselves) but the replacement was missing them also. This is not really a big deal because the straps are fine without them, but they should be removed from the product description if they no longer come with them.

-Removable plastic tray covers are dishwasher safe but are too large to fit in dishwasher! How random is that. On the other hand this goes to show how roomy and large tray is, though.
Even though it has a few small flaws, this highchair is awesome and I can see it lasting us through the next few years. It’s definitely worth the extra 20 or 30 bucks to choose this over a Graco or Fisher Price. We’re so happy with it that we just purchased a Chicco Liteway Stroller, and will purchase a Chicco car seat for next baby

We hope that these reviews of the Chicco High Chairs were of some help to you.  Please feel free to contribute your comments here for others to benefit from.

For centuries, highchairs have been made out of wood.
Now we see high chairs made out of cheap plastic and inexpensive  metal.  I love a good wood high chair.  Nowadays there are so many options for wood highchairs, it can be hard to choose.
Of course, we’ve all seen the wood high chairs at restaurants, functional, but not necessarily stylish, and sometimes not even good-looking!  Are there other options your family can choose if they want an attractive wood highchair?

Yes, there are!

What are the advantages of wood over other materials for high chairs?  Well for one thing, wood highchairs generally last for a long, long time.

Another advantage to a wood high chair is that it’s a nice looking piece of furniture.  Wood  just has the feeling of timelessness.  A plastic highchair feels like a throwaway piece of baby equipment, something used for a few months and then sold for $5 at a garage sale.

A wood high chair is something that you and your baby can be proud of.
There are so many styles of wood highchair that you can find something that will fit with any decor.  There are nice press back highchairs, bow back highchairs, and many other designs that have been popular over the years.
Many years ago my wife and I attended a family farm auction.  One of the furniture pieces was a 100-year-old bow back highchair.  It was beautiful!  It was oak, nicked and weathered from decades of use.  We struck up a conversation with the farmer’s wife (they were selling the farm and retiring), who provided much of the history of the high chair.  She told us it had held and fed her 5 children and her 11 grandchildren, as well as herself as a baby!  We bought it and have used it for years.  Now, when our young grandchildren come to visit, we have the perfect high chair to help them learn to handle spoon and plate.

Can you imagine a current plastic high chair lasting more than 100 years?

If an old-style wood highchair is not in keeping with your style, there are many manufacturers who are making modern wood highchairs.  Remember, wood is timeless, and the beauty of wood fits in with almost any interior design.  There are many and varied styles, from the simple and minimalist Frank Lloyd Wright-type versions, to some that look like they arrived straight from Star Trek!

If you decide to get a wood highchair, it’s quite possible that this chair could be passed down for generations.  Would your son or daughter like to have the high chair that he or she was raised in?  Would they like to sit their son or daughter in the chair that brings back happy memories for them?  That kind of tradition is priceless, drawing us closer to our own personal history.