Anka High Chair Review

While we’re talking eating and babies, we obviously need to talk high chair. I had the great and very generous opportunity to review the Anka High Chair by Svan and I.Am.In.Love. The Anka High Chair is a convertible high chair that is suitable for children from 6 months until 5 years old that sits right up to the dining table! This is clearly more than your average high chair.

About Anka, from the website:

For parents with an eye for style as well as value, Anka by Svan® offers the perfect furnishings for babies and young children. A natural outgrowth of Swedish style pioneer Svan, Anka shares the same commitment to functionality, safety and design. With a clever blend of innovation and simplicity, Anka represents a clean and timeless look with a more economical price tag.

Most of my favorite features of the Anka High Chair are covered in the video, but here are some more details.

Easy Assembly
Let’s start at the beginning, when the box arrived I was initially thrilled and wanted to rip it open and get started. But, I was intimidated by the idea of putting it together with the kids awake and without my husband. Um, yea, that was silly. It was super easy to assemble and, literally, took 10 minutes from start to finish. Even though it was simple to put together, it is VERY solid and sturdy.

Convertible High Chair
The Anka High Chair is appropriate for use with kids as young as 6 months old. Babies are restrained with a 3-point harness and kept safe and supported with a wooden safety guard that goes between the legs. As babies grow, the safety guard can be removed and the foot rest can be lowered to accomodate children up to 5 years old or 50 pounds. The leg rest provides ergonomic support for little ones allowing them to focus on learning to eat rather than learning to sit. I just love the idea that we will literally be using this chair for years.

Simple to Clean
The high chair is easy to clean. Simply wipe the wood with a damp cloth. The plastic tray cover can be removed and is dishwasher safe. The seat cushion can be removed and is machine washable. We put the easy to clean factor to the test after an event I like to call “The Banana Experiment of 2009.” Baby Girl was super fussy at dinner so I decided to put some mashed banana directly on the high chair tray for her to “feed herself.” Clearly, at 6 months old, she was incapable of feeding herself and, instead, played, smooshed and smeared banana all over the high chair. The Anka High Chair survived – we just put the tray in the dishwasher, the cushion in the washing machine and wiped it down and we were good to go.

Looks Great
Really, I love the way the Anka High Chair looks. It has modern lines without being cold. It is a wooden high chair without being old fashioned. It’s available in three finishes: espresso, honey and natural. In addition to looking great, the chair is safe and environmentally-friendly. It’s made of sustainable wood and phthalate-free and bisphenol-A free plastic.

Folds for Storage
Another great feature of the Anka High Chair is that it folds for compact storage. The tray hangs securely on the back of the chair.

To Buy… This is a GREAT high chair. We honestly LOVE it. Baby Girl is comfortable and happy. I think the chair looks great and is very well made. It’s a great investment for long term use, and hey, you’ll be feeding your kid for a long time so it’s worth it to buy a good high chair.

Or Not to Buy… The only improvement I can imagine to the Anka High Chair is to make it easier to switch between the high chair and the booster seat setting. It’s not difficult, but it does take some unscrewing and fiddling and I’d love to be able to it for Toddler Boy, too. (Which even as I write I realize is kind of silly because only one child can use it at the table at a time. Maybe I just like this idea because this chair looks so much better than Toddler Boy’s current booster!)

Shop! For more information about the Anka High Chair including at cool interactive demo, check out http://www.ankababy.com/. The Anka High Chair retails for $179. You can search for a local retailer or purchase online.