Graco Contempo
Fisher Price Rainforest
Ease of Storage
It is very compact, stands upright on its own (no need to lay against a wall), and fits where other highchairs don't.
According to reviews it folds remarkably flat and when folded, can easily fit in a pantry or broom closet of even be slid next to the fridge.
There is a storage option on the back of the highchair for the tray & the clip-on toy, but according to reviews this isn't very practical because the toy sticks out.
Ease of Clean
According to reviews, the removable seat pad is easily wiped clean and can be machine-washed separately.
Some parents commented that it is a bit difficult to get the cover off for washing and to put it back on again. Also, the extra seat cover provided is fabric, rather than vinyl.
Food can sometimes get caught between the trays, which means the base tray needs to be wiped-clean because it doesn't fit in standard dishwashers. The straps are not removable and cannot be washed in a dishwasher or washing machine, just wiped clean.
The removable vinyl seat cover can be wiped off very easily, and some people have even tossed it in the washing machine.
Some reviewers mentioned that since the piping and frills on the seat are fabric they cannot be wiped off as well as the vinyl seat, and need to be washed.
Tomato sauce leaves stains on the vinyl, and some parents had problems with food and liquids getting into the seams and creases of the seat and under the seat cushion, and then cannot be washed.
The tray insert is dishwasher safe, but sometimes food gets all over the rest of the tray, which cannot go in the dishwasher and has to be wiped clean.
The straps are easy to release and are dishwasher-safe. The toy is also dishwasher-safe, although some parents mentioned that it doesn't fit in a standard dishwasher and has to be washed by hand.
Ease of Use
The 6 height levels allow you to have your baby at table height or at your level. The easy to use recline provides body support for infants and a comfortable position for feeding or an after-meal bottle or nap. There is also a soft infant head support, for extra comfort.
The double tray is an advantage. You can use both the snap-on top tray and the bottom one. The 5-point harness is also very easy to use and designed for quick removal of the baby when the harness is unsnapped.
There are excellent reviews from parents on the recline feature, the height adjustment mechanism, and the overall ease of use of the Graco Contempo. According to reviews the wheels are easy to roll, although may be squeaky sometimes. Very few reviews mentioned any problem with the castors (wheels) locking system. Some reviewers mentioned that it may be too easy for toddlers to pull up the top tray and spill food. Also the un-adjustable footrest is not very functional.
The various height levels mean that you can bring the baby to table height when having a family dinner, lower her down to near-floor level when watching TV or having a snack, and other height levels in between to suit your needs.
The back recline can support infants who still cannot sit very well on their own, especially with the extra newborn pillow provided with the chair. The seat recline is also used by parents to put child in a more relaxed position for drinking their bottle or having a nap. Reviews from parents say that the back recline and height adjustments systems are easy, intuitive and work well. There have been some negative reviews from parents on the Fisher-Price Rainforest's performance. Many reviewers have reported on having had problems with the wheels (castors) brakes system, which makes them lock down randomly with even the slightest touch - something that can be rather annoying when you move the chair around.
Some people also mentioned that the tray was a bit loose and it was too easy for toddlers to unlatch the tray themselves, and knock it to the floor. The cup holder sections on the tray are too far away and may be hard to reach for younger or smaller babies. Another point mentioned by reviewers is that the footrest is not adjustable, and therefore not very useful.
Ease of Set-up
Entertainment for Baby
Style
Graco Contempo
Fisher Price Rainforest
Graco Contempo
based on 125 customer reviews
Feel factor: 20
Thank you graco
(Score 4/5)
These highchairs are fabulous. I have twins so I had to buy two highchairs. These were not super expensive and they are easy to clean easy to store and fold easily. I can't say enough great things about the pattern as well. A great purchase.
Posted on: 2010-08-30
By Chelsea
Great highchair
(Score 5/5)
We love this highchair. Its very comfortable, SUCH a beautiful design for boy or girl, and easy to wash. My only bad thing to say is that the dishwasher safe tray NEVER fits in the dishwasher..its huge and it doesn't fit right in any dishwasher so if you are looking for a highchair with a easy dishwasher safe tray, probably not the best one. But this chair makes up for it : )
Posted on: 2010-08-28
By Bs Mom
It's fine. but has no extra cover
(Score 3/5)
I bought this high chair because it was the #1 recommended by consumer reports. I like it fine, but it is hard to clean and mine did NOT come with an extra covers as some other reviewers apparently did. I wish I had that extra cover because it does get dirty and needs to be washed regularly. I have a 9 month old and our high chair cover is stained and I am not impressed by how it has held up from being washed -on delicate cycle. I have looked online and as far as I can tell I can't even purchase another cover separately. it also has some crevices on the corners that the removable tray does not cover that get food trapped in them. as far as I can tell they are purely decorative and a little tricky to clean. It does fold nice and flat.
UPDATE: I did obtain an extra cover by calling Graco customer service, but it is a different color. I was surprised when the extra cover was vinyl coated, I wasn't expecting that. But I think I like it better. My advice for others purchasing this high chair would be to check babies R us for discontinued styles for half price, then if you want the machine washable cover make sure it comes with an extra one -some styles do and some don't, so why pay the same price for one without the extra cover? -or get the vinyl coated one.
Posted on: 2010-08-18
By Annie
Very good, but not perfect.
(Score 4/5)
My wife and I read reviews for months on seemingly every new baby piece of equipment available, prior to having our son. We were and are happy with our selection in this highchair, it's living up to its impressive reviews. Although are son is only 4 months old and we haven't started the serious foods and major clean ups, which seems to be the focus of the majority of negative feedback for this chair. No problems with the space it takes when opened, love how well it packs away, and the adjustable seat is a nice feature for the high dining table and low sofa. Needless to say it's early, and the review may change as our son grows and the demands for this chair change. One thing that has come to our attention is the area of the chair behind the tray and at the top, near the hinges. His arms get stuck! (Not Good) design flaw. Thought I had all the safety angles covered. Didn't see this one coming. Watching with a really skeptical eye now. If I become any more uncomfortable with this....c-ya bye!
Posted on: 2010-08-12
By Kim
Great Highchair!
(Score 5/5)
I did a lot of research before purchasing this item. The fabric is really surprisingly easy to clean and is also machine washable. The Rittenhouse model does not come with an extra cover, but they are available in a different pattern from Graco. My favorite feature is that it collapses very thin and can be stored near a wall in my dining room without taking up a lot of space. However, you do need 2 hands to open and collapse this highchair. I always set it up before I pick up my son. The extra tray cover does fit in my dishwasher. The 5-point harness is easy to put on and can be easily converted to a 3-point harness. The harness easily comes off with the press of the button. It's nice to know that if my son starts choking, I can quickly get him out. The T-bar is attached to the small tray, which cannot be removed (this is what the top tray attaches to). I like that it's attached so that my son cannot slip out of the bottom. This was an important safety feature for me.
There are 2 spots located on the tray to attach the Grace Mix n Match toys, which are super hard to find. I ordered the zebra and giraffe toys and my son loves them. The only complaint is that the zebra's feet are too big, which prevents the detachable tray from attaching. But, this has nothing to do with the actual highchair.
All in all, this is a great highchair and I would recommend it to my friends!
Posted on: 2010-08-10
By Anua
Helpful index: 100%
Fisher Price Rainforest
based on 228 customer reviews
Feel factor: 28
Love this high chair
(Score 5/5)
We love, love, love this high chair. This is by far one of the best purchases we have made. I researched highchairs quite extensively before this purchase and even when I bought this highchair was not sure that I had made the right decision (not being able to see it in any store). Now that we have this chair I am convinced that we made the best decision!! Our daughter loves the toy and I love that I can get her bottle and food ready while she is happily entertained. That alone is worth its weight in gold. The head support is made of fabric so she is very comfortable and her head does not get sweaty (a big plus). It is very easy to wipe down with a cloth and the straps are easily removable and wash well in the washing machine. My parents purchased the Chicco (one of the other chairs I had been considering) for use at their home. It is a good highchair however I vastly prefer the Fisher-Price. The Fisher-Price chair will allow her to sit fully upright; in the Chicco in the most upright position she is still slightly reclined. The tray is lower on her torso with the Fisher-Price making it easier for her to reach items on her tray. Also her head gets very sweaty in the Chicco, which she does not like. Another advantage of the Fisher-Price is that the t-bar is part of the chair not on the bottom of the tray...so much easier to handle. The only negative about the Fisher-Price is that is does not recline back as far as I would like (The Chicco has a better reclining feature.) (A small negative in my mind. ) This highchair is much less expensive than most of the other products on the market which is one of the reasons I thought that it might not be as good. Boy was I wrong. In hindsight I do not know why I wasted so much time and energy making this decision as this was a no-brainer.
Posted on: 2010-08-31
By TRK
great high chair
(Score 5/5)
A great high chair: very comfortable for my daughter and easy to clean for me. The toys that come with it are also cool: the tiger is attached on a little cable so that it doesn't fall on the floor when my daughter plays with it and the tree-like toy with sounds and music keeps my daughter occupied. The great thing is that both toys can be used without the high chair, too.
Posted on: 2010-08-25
By Gosia
great high chair
(Score 5/5)
We've had this high chair for about a month now. It was pretty easy to put together and is very sturdy. Our baby (he's 6.5 months) loves it. He loves playing with the two toys that come with the chair. The seat cushion is nicely padded and he seems comfortable. I am hopeful it will hold up to lots of use!
Posted on: 2010-08-20
By M. Beck
Fun, Nice and Easy high chair
(Score 4/5)
This high chair is great. Very colorful and fun for our son. He loves the toy tray toy that is attached and the removable tray toy that has songs and whirly toys. It was easy to assemble and has a removable tray. Very easy to clean. One handed operation of tray removable makes feeding times easy. The seat cover is easy to wash and very comfy.
Posted on: 2010-08-19
By Diane
Disappointed
(Score 2/5)
I purchased this high chair months ago and now my grandson is almost one year old and has outgrown it
due to the center post being unmovable. And now I have read the review that says the vinyl is toxic to boot.
Good grief. I would not recommend this chair at all for those reasons.
Posted on: 2010-08-08
By Deborah C. Morrow
