Graco Contempo
Safety 1st Vineland
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.
In fact, the Vineland is comfortable enough to store without folding, as it doesn't take up a lot of space. Its modest size is a good fit even in a small apartment kitchen.
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 tray is dishwasher safe, so in theory, you can wash it with your other dishes, saving time. In practice, the way the chair's trays snap on to the chair and on top of each other, makes it harder to clean than you would expect.
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 food tray has four adjustments and a guard that will not allow a child to put his feet into the tray's adjustment handle. This ensures that your baby will not accidently remove the tray while eating.
The food tray fits well on the chair, and can be adjusted so it is closer or further away from the baby. It is usually quite easy to pull out for cleaning, but doing it single-handedly - while holding your baby - may prove a little difficult.
The three-point harness is confusing for some parents, and may seem low quality. These seem to be isolated incidents and not a recurring issue with the chair.
The seat pad is a little on the thin side, and some parents commented that it could be a little thicker. However, you need to remember that this is a chair for baby, and the thin cushion is probably enough. The seat is attached with velcros, and is easily removable for cleaning.
The Vineland's base is not much broader than its top, meaning that there is ample leg room around it for when you need to put your baby in or take her out of the chair. You don't have to stoop to do it like with some of the other high chairs.
Ease of Set-up
While this is a very sturdy high chair, it is still a breeze to set up. You will usually need 5 to 10 minutes to assemble the chair, and most buyers report that they had no problem whatsoever with it.
The only problem you may encounter with the Vineland's set up is a slight wobble to the chair after assembly is complete. Watch out for this as you put it together and you'll be fine.
Entertainment for Baby
Style
When you first lay your eyes on the Vineland it looks a little too bulky. This feeling goes away once you get used to the high chair. When you start using it, you'll find that when it's pulled up towards the table, it is like any other chair - only more sturdy.
The Vineland is not perfect in terms of style. Like many types of wooden furniture, the high chair's wood is soft and may scratch easily. Additionally, some buyers complained that the chair's colors are not exactly as asvertised. The seat pad and removable tray are neutral cream color,unlike in some of the photos.
Graco Contempo
Safety 1st Vineland
Graco Contempo
based on 121 customer reviews
Feel factor: 12
Mostly pleased
(Score 4/5)
This is our second highchair for our third child. I despised our other chair, the Graco Harmony High Chair. I really like the Contempo chair.
What I like:
1) The print blends nicely with our kitchen decor.
2) I love that there are two chair pads and I can wash them on gentle cycle in cold water and air dry. They come out beautifully. Being able to take the pad off allows for me to clean in all the underside nooks and crannies where things like cheerios hide. Another review I read said that it is hard to clean but I disagree. Taking the pads off is not intuitive but when the directions are followed to a T it is surprisingly easy. We lost our instruction manual but I was able to print a new one from the GRACO webpage so I can refresh my memory if I need to.
3) This really does fold fairly flat - much needed for our small space. We were even able to fold it and put it in our van and take it to our in-laws for the holidays last year.
4) We can pull this chair right up to our kitchen table when the tray isn't attached and our little guy loves being at the table with everybody.
5) There have been complaints about the straps. I haven't had problems with the straps - they've been fine.
What I didn't like:
1) Our baby's arm kept getting caught between the chair and the top of the leg rests. He was never hurt - it just startled both of us! There are other reviews describing this same problem. We resolved it my rolling up a receiving blanket and putting it in the space. Now that he is bigger - just turned one - it is no longer an issue for him. However, it should not have been an issue at all in the first place. This issue is why I gave the chair four stars instead of five. If Graco could fix this design flaw this would be an outstanding high chair.
Posted on: 2010-07-19
By mom23
Good product, just make sure they have cloths
(Score 4/5)
Great chair. easy to move around and setup. the only issue i have had so far is that my son had some scratches from not wearing cloths and being in the chair. the scratches were very monior. after more use the scratches stopped. and can now be in the chair without getting scratched.
Posted on: 2010-07-06
By Patrick D. Nelson
Awesome Highchair!!
(Score 5/5)
I bought this highchair because my Costco folding highchair tray didn't slide close enough to my baby. I absolutely love this high chair. I have a space issue in my house so I am able to fold it up and store it when I am done. I also love the different reclines and heights the seat allows!
Posted on: 2010-06-16
By B. Clough
Clean up is a total pain!!!
(Score 3/5)
I am very frustrated with this product. It looks great and has nice features but is a COMPLETE PAIN to clean. It takes me twice as long to clean up than to feed my son...and almost all of this time is cleaning up the high chair. The plastic has too many crevices that trap food...most of which don't seem to serve a purpose; the safety harness straps are textured and this also traps food as do the buckle and size adjustment brackets on the straps; finally, the metal and plastic stand has a number of areas where food gets lodged. The fabric seat you can wipe clean, but you have to take a damp sponge to it every time and then plan on washing it every week or so. I get so irritated every day that I use this product and wish that I had never bought it. It's as if GRACO never tested this product - unbelievable!!
Posted on: 2010-06-08
By H. Benfield
Deserves more than 5 stars!
(Score 5/5)
This high chair is amazing. Love the two trays, when one is dirty you just lift it off and another clean one is underneath. Unlike other reviews, I don't have any issues with staining, or with the tray 'catching' on things. I have the Kasbah brown pattern, we just wipe it down with a Clorox wipe after feeding. Folds very flat, which very few folding chairs actually do. I have been using this chair for almost a year with my 100%+ percentile little girl who eats like a grown man, never had a single issue related to size or ability to clean. Would give it more stars if I could.
Posted on: 2010-05-17
By J. Hartwig
Safety 1st Vineland
based on 32 customer reviews
Feel factor: 10
High chair isn't safe.
(Score 1/5)
My son was sitting in this high chair and banged his head on the tray as he fell asleep. He hit his head so hard that the hospital accused me of child abuse. DO NOT BUY THIS HIGH CHAIR if your children fall asleep after eating.
Posted on: 2010-05-23
By Carol Hunt
Nice High chair
(Score 4/5)
This high chair is very beautiful and not too difficult to clean. I got tired of washing the cover so I have him just sitting on the wood. It's a little uncomfortable I'm sure, but he doesn't seem to mind. Overall, this is a great high chair and I highly recommend it.
Posted on: 2010-01-30
By Christy Elam
Would recommened
(Score 5/5)
Bought this as a gift and she loves it still uses it today, 2years later.
Posted on: 2009-08-02
By Ashley Cheramie
Perfect
(Score 5/5)
Really easy to assemble, great price and good quality, I have to say I am quite impressed. I love it. Not to mention it goes well with my house!
However, it is more of a cherrywood color.Definately reccomend it. No sense in spending 150-200 on 'brand name' sort-o speak.
Posted on: 2009-07-10
By Crystal Anderson
Best Real Wood High Chair
(Score 5/5)
We are very satisfied with this high chair. I shopped around a lot and almost settled for a plastic high chair until I found this one. DH assembled it in less than 10 minutes. It is very sturdy, easy to put baby in and out, tray truly moves with one hand, and top tray pops out for easy cleaning. I am so glad we found this chair and didn't settle!
Posted on: 2009-07-06
By C. Briceno

