As a parent, you have probably become resigned to large baby items taking over your house, both in terms of space and aesthetics. So, imagine how excited I was to discover the Nuna ZAAZ, a high chair with a small footprint (17.7” wide x 22.8” deep), a modern, sophisticated look and evolving functionality that will serve your child for years to come.
The first thing you’ll notice about the ZAAZ is that it looks nothing like your traditional high chair. My particular model sports a clean, white plastic seat covered by a gray foam cushion that is tastefully decorated with a modern and minimal design of lines and circles – something you’d expect to see more in an art gallery than on a baby product. All this sits atop sleek aluminum legs.
While the seat is not for the youngest of children since it does not recline, it will grow with your child from the point that they can sit upright (approximately 6 months) until adulthood, holding a maximum of 220 pounds. Start with a 5-point harness and then transition to a 3-point harness, eventually doing away with the harness altogether. The seat can be used independently with its own tray, but one of the parts we love best is that this tray can eventually be removed and the seat lowered so that you can pull your child right up to your dining table. Not only does this make your child feel more included in the meal, but it is also a huge benefit if you don’t have a lot of space around your table.
The seat is easy to clean since the seat cushion is one solid piece with no crevices or sharp angles in which crumbs can hide. In addition, you can pull the cushion up easily to wipe the seat down. The only place that food can slip into is where the crotch buckle attaches to the bottom of the seat. You can remove this piece with the key provided, but this key is small and easily be lost – which happened quickly in my house with a toddler who couldn’t resist the curious plastic piece that came with the chair. My recommendation is to put this piece somewhere safe as soon as you take it out of the box. Unfortunately, the seat doesn’t come with a convenient place to store the key – my one major gripe with the product.
Overall, I love this high chair for how little space it takes up, how great it looks, how easy it is to clean and how long it will be useful. It’s on the pricier side of high chairs at about $249.99, but definitely worth a look if you’re interested in a product that beats the stereotypes of what a high chair is supposed to be and is not only a great chair for your child but also your whole family.
Here’s the rundown of Pros and Cons:
Pros:
– Without the tray, the ZAAZ can be pushed right up to the table making for a more unified family meal and adding a great benefit for compact dining spaces.
– Modern look with pattern and colors that blend well with adult décor.
– Seat cushion can be wiped down and fully removed for easy cleaning.
– Tray is dishwasher safe.
– As a non-folding high chair, the ZAAZ feels very sturdy and safe
– Grows with your child from a high chair with 5-point harness and tray to a seat with 3-point harness to a height-adjustable chair that can be pulled right up to the table.
– Clever lever in the footrest makes it easy to adjust the seat up and down with minimal effort.
Cons:
– Belt is a little harder to fasten than other high chairs, sliding into the top of the crotch belt versus the sides.
– Arm bar (the part that the tray sits atop) can be tricky to get correctly into place, as the crotch bar needs to be navigated around the crotch belt to snap into place and must be fully inserted into the side slots for the tray to sit correctly. If the arm bar and tray don’t sit correctly, they can become jammed into place and difficult to remove. However, with a little practice, this becomes pretty easy to do.
– Key for removing harness restraint is a small, separate piece that is easily lost.
– Doesn’t recline, so this seat is not for the youngest of eaters. However, it should last your child through her high chair years and can even accommodate adults with a weight limit of 220 pounds.
The ZAAZ is a product of Dutch company Nuna. Check out www.nuna.eu/USA/zaaz to find a retailer near you.
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