Roamwild AirTushi Travel Highchair review

The Airtushi is their debut product in the parenting market and it has received a fair amount of press since it was released back in 2015.

It’s joined an area where there is no shortage of choice for parents, going up against other well-known booster seats like the Tomy 3-in-1 booster seat (£24), YummiGo Feed and Go booster and storage case (£32), Munchkin Travel Booster Seat (£19.99), Mamas & Papas Baby Snug (£32.99) and Chicco Pocket Snack (£20).

What is a Airtushi inflatable highchair?

It’s simply a plastic, blow-up booster seat that children from 6 months to 15kg or around 3-years-old can sit in. It has a harness, for safety and four straps and two buckles to secure it to a chair. When I first heard of the Airtushi I thought it sounded quirky and quite fun, so was eager to give it a go.

I tested it with my little boy who is 15 months and well known for putting high chairs and seating through their paces as he has always been a bit of a wriggler.

How easy is it to inflate?

As far as blowing things up with your mouth, it wasn’t that bad, although I felt a bit light headed after and a bit silly doing it in public.

I also I blew it us as much as I could, I didn't feel it was inflated enough and it certainly didn’t look like any of the Airtushi product pictures (see the pic above).

I would have expected it to have slightly firmer structure, and didn't look as robust as I thought it might.

What about deflating?

The double valve system means that it’s easy to deflate when you want to, and here’s the pinch, it can also deflate a bit when you don’t want it to. It goes down, not by much, but it’s noticeable, particularly with a bigger child.

Here’s a tip; make sure the deflate valves are shut securely before you try and inflate the Airtushi or you will get nowhere. A bit like my other half when he tried!

How is the Airtushi when out and about?

I liked the fact that the Airtushi came in a little travel pouch and with puncture repair patches just in case.

I found that in most of the situations I used it, my little boy was at the perfect height to the table, which was good at meal times as he is a very independent eater, so I didn't miss having a highchair tray to hand.

However, my little boy thought the seat was hilarious because it was inflatable and constantly bounced when sitting in it as he saw it as a toy, which wasn't great.

When he wasn't bouncing he was leaning on the sides, and squeezing it, I can see this possibly shortening the lifespan of the Airtushi!

Saying that, he did seem comfortable in it.

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What about the chair harness?

I found the 3-point harness not secure enough. It would loosen easily with every move my son would make, so I was constantly tightening it and keeping an eye on him.

Can the AirTushi inflatable travel highchair be used on a plane?

That’s a tricky question. While Oakthrift says on its website it’s “designed to be used with a plane seat,” it’s not FAA approved.

In fact it can only be used when the seat belt sign is off. So for take offs and landings little ones still have to either sit on your lap or on the plane chair. I would say the Airtushi is not worth the effort on such short flights.

For long haul flights, maybe, but I feel there are other portable booster seats on the market that could do just as well if you wanted to use one, and you wouldn’t have to spend time blowing them up.

Can it be used in a car?

No, it’s not recommended to be used in a car by anyone.

Is there any situation you wouldn’t recommend using this chair?

I would definitely NOT use it on a camping chair as suggest on the packaging as it would just tip over, especially with a larger more active child in it!

What age child would you recommend the seat for?

It says it is suitable from 6 months to 3 years. I don't think it offers the support for a 6-month-old and my 3 year old would not even entertain sitting in it, no matter how hard I tried to persuade her.

It’s best for babies around 11 months up until around 2, in my opinion, which doesn’t give it a long life span at all.

How is storing the Airtushi?

It can be a bit of a faff to put away once finished, a bit like any inflatable item, so make sure you deflate it as much as possible before putting it back into its pouch, as it can be a bit of a squeeze!

What’s in the box?

• Airtushi
• Travel Pouch
• Puncture repair patches
• Instructions

I was disappointed to find, on unfolding, that the plastic of the Airtushi look stained/dirty in places, but this must be due to the manufacturing process, still if I was paying the RRP of £20.99 I would not be happy!

MadeForMums verdict:

I didn't feel the Airtushi offered the support, security or value for money as when compared to other travel boosters/high chairs I have used. It also didn’t match them in design or comfort.

While it is compact and can be deflated, I find this to be a novelty factor and don’t think it’s worth the £20.99 price tag.

However, we're all about choice here at MadeForMums and so, if you'd like to buy the Airtushi, when you can get it here.

If you liked reading about this booster seat, check out these...

• Totseat Travel Highchair
• Mamas & Papas Baby Bud Booster seat