Stokke Handysitt review

I was sent the Stokke Handysitt portable child seat to try out with Elijah. Stokke is a brand I have always been curious about and intrigued with, but I have never actually bought any of its products.

The brand describes itself as innovative, integrated and human centered with products that “strengthen the bond between parent and child” in the best Scandinavian style.

What’s in the box?

• Stokke Handiest

Any additional extras?

• HandySitt cushion - £20
• HandySitt travel bag - £29
• Stokke HandySitt floor legs - £25

First impressions?

I opened the packaging to be met with the chair itself and very few fittings – just the back support and the screw fixings to adjust the hooked arms, which fit onto the back of your chair.

Out of the box the wooden seat looks very sleek and chic, definitely a good choice for style conscious parents!

How is assembling the seat?

The seat came with minimal packaging, which I liked – not so much rubbish to throw away – and a simple and easy to read instruction manual (no faff, very important!)

And installation could not have been simpler. It took a few minutes to figure everything out the first couple of times I used the Handysitt, but once you done it a couple of times, it becomes second nature.

The instruction manual is simple and easy to read and the chair itself needs very little constructing, which is a big bonus for me!

Apart from the back support, the only other appendages the chair comes with are the screws to fix the arms in place, once you have reached your desired height.

These are a bit stiff to use the first few times, but become easier once you have tried them out for a bit.

In terms of attaching the seat to my kitchen chair, all I have to do is slip the arms over the back of the chair and adjust the height of them. Once that’s done I simply secure the arms in place with the screws.

The seat also comes with a safety belt, which needs to be secured and fastened underneath the chair. It tightens very easily with a one-pull system. Simply pull on the strap until you feel it is at its most secure.

To finish installing, just push down the wooden seat until it snaps into place!

How comfortable is the HandySitt?

The chair, although it looks great, doesn’t look that comfy. I suppose I was used to Elijah’s regular cushioned highchair, however, -he Handysitt comes with a back support, which needs to be clipped on and automatically makes it appear more comfortable.

What do you think of the 5-point harness?

The 5-point safety harness is similar to the safety harness you would find in a car seat, and makes it very secure for baby. It is easy to adjust and simple to snap shut.

When I placed Elijah in the chair for the first time, I adjusted the straps to fit him, by slipping them over his shoulders and snapping them in place.

Although fully adjustable, I couldn’t help but note that the straps could do with being a little bit longer. Elijah is quite tall for his age and I am not sure that the straps will fit him all the way to 5-years-old!

However, it fits now with plenty of room, so I was happy…and so was he!

How do you find the chair when out and about?

I decided to road test the Handysitt for the first time at lunch. Normally, Elijah goes in his high chair and I sit opposite him to feed him. With the Handysitt, I pulled him right up to the table and I sat next to him. He loved it!

I really loved the way it allowed him to be included in the meal, and I sat and ate with him at the table, which made him very excited and happy.

The chair doesn’t come with a tray, which means little ones have to eat at the table. I probably would like the option of having a tray, however, I understand the merits of not having one, as it allows baby to be brought to the table and it makes putting him in and out very easy.

The seat fitted well onto my parent’s kitchen and dining room chairs and it also fitted snuggly onto the chairs at our local Italian and at my favourite coffee shop! Bonus!

Is it easy to transport?

Yes, it is, I took the chair to my parent’s house and also to a couple of restaurants, so I could test it out on other types of chairs.

The seat folds up so easily that it was no problem to lug around. It folds down flat, so I imagine if you were to take it on holiday, it would fit easily into a suitcase and at just 2.5kg it really isn’t that heavy.

If you want to carry it around easily, you would probably need to purchase the Travel Bag – this is one of the only drawbacks to the seat – the optional extras!

The bag can be bought separately and I imagine would be very useful for carting the seat around, but at a RRP of £29, it is probably not worth it, unless very necessary!

Is it easy to clean?

Yes, cleaning it was a bit of a joy compared to our regular high chair – just wipe the wood down and no little nooks and crannies for stray bits of food to get lost in.

Made For Mums verdict?

I really love the Stokke Handysitt, and so does Elijah! It looks stylish and folds away easily. It’s portable and Elijah seems to really enjoy it.

I think it is a great bonus that you are able to bring baby to the table, as they love being a part of the meal.

I have taken it to use on various chairs and so far have not had an issue fitting it and as we have used it a few times, Elijah has gotten used to it, so he now recognizes it as his chair.

However, it is quite expensive (RRP £65) and if you opt for the optional extras, such as the cushion, bags and hind legs, this chair could end up costing you well over £120, but the choice is down to preference.