Product Review: Cosco Flat Fold High Chair - a Surpise Value

With all the co-pays and other costs adding up, as well as the thought of saving for college, my spending behavior has been quite parsimonious of late.  That's a fancy way or saying frugal, which is a fancy way of saying cheap or unwilling to spend money.

Once my son Clark was old enough for solids, I knew I would need a high chair, eventually.  However, I tried to fight it.  First, I tried feeding him in his Bumbo Baby Seat.  He would lean forward, instead of sitting up and back when eating.  So that didn't work.  I then tried feeding him in his child seat (not car seat).  Things went a little better, but I still felt I needed a tool designed for the job.  I needed a high chair but didn't want too spend much money on one.

I went to BRU, and thought I was looking at prices for thrones, instead of plastic chairs with trays designed for feeding babies.  Prices ranged from about $75 to $200.  Frustrated, I visited America's favorite big box store (it's also the most hated).  They carried many of the same models as BRU, maybe a little cheaper.  There was one that caught my eye, well, its price did. $30 (regular price) for a model from Cosco, not to be confused with Costco.

I don't think said big box store was too proud to offer this model, because the display model was hidden behind the others.  I took the effort to fight my way back there and pulled it out, placing it on the ground.  I compared it to the other models on display and my impression was that it did not feel sturdy, and not something I would feel safe putting my child in.  The construction felt like someone had repurposed an ironing board.

What I also noticed was that the store did not bother to complete the assembly.  No one had attached the corners to the legs like they had for all the others.  This might just make all the difference.  So, I bought it.  I thought if it felt unsafe or structurally unsound after I put it together, I'd return it.

Upon unboxing the product, I realized how lazy they had been at the big box store.  The chair folds out and comes completely assembled except for the aforementioned leg corners.  So, I attached them with the provided screws, then placed the finished product where I planned to use it. I inspected the high chair, even shook it a little.  I was surprised, it was now rather sturdy and quite nice.  The fold-ability and space savings were an added bonus.   I may have found the best value in the high chair aisle.

Pros:

• Price.  The Cosco model was half the price of the entry-level models by other manufacturers.
• Space saving.  This high chair can fold up out of the way if you are worried about space.
• Easy to clean.
• Easy assembly.

Cons:

• No frils.  A basic mode:  no bells, no whistles, but it gets the job done.
• Selection. Your choices are brown and beige or brown and beige.
• Durability.  I'm not sure how well this chair would handle traveling, rough use or additional children.

Summary:

If you need a quality, though basic, high chair for a good price, you may want to give the Flat Fold model from Cosco a chance.  You could pay a lot more, and get a high chair that is only marginally better, but it probably still doesn't offer the ability to fold up.

         - Clark's Dad