Our son started to really enjoy sitting up when he was about 2.5 months old and so we started looking for a booster chair that could do double duty as a "high chair" when the time came and a place for him to safely practice his sitting skills until then. Like most people, we were torn between the Bumbo and the Bebepod so when our neighbor offered to loan us their Bumbo after we'd already ordered the Bebepod, we got the chance to do a side-by-side comparison and we found that, while the Bumbo probably provides better support for those first few weeks of sitting up, the Bebepod seems to have more staying power. Our son is on the long and lean side but even so, with a cloth diaper and long pants on, the fit in the Bumbo is getting snug at 5 months. The Bebepod I can foresee us using for quite a few more months.
Pros:
Our son hasn't started solids yet but we like using the BebePod to include him in our mealtimes. We either sit his chair on top of the table (within reach of us should he topple over somehow but it seems very, very unlikely) or we put the chair on top of a bar chair we have with a nice high back on it. We love that we can all have a meal together even if we are eating food and he's just "eating" his toys and his hands.
The fit is great. At about 3.5 months this chair probably did not provide quite as much support for our son as the Bumbo but these days its plenty. He enjoys sitting in this chair.
The included toy is one of our son's favorites! It can keep him entertained for an entire meal.
While we haven't started solids quite yet, this chair will be our "high chair" at least until our son outgrows it, which is great for saving space in our small apartment. If we really wanted to, we could even take it out to restaurants with us, but we haven't thus far.
Cons:
While I suppose a kid could sit safely in this chair, as long as its strapped tightly to a dining room chair, I would be nervous to leave the room for more than about 30 seconds. For us, this isn't a big issue (see: small apartment) but it's probably best to be close by at all times when your kid is in this chair, especially if they are squirmy like our son
Putting on the tray attachment is a bit of a pain until you get used to it and there is no way to get the baby into the chair without taking off the tray. Now, I can do it with one hand, but at first it just took a few extra seconds each time.
This isn't a con for us but it might be for you: the included toy does not stay in the slot on the tray, at least not if you have a baby who wants to really play with it! :) We don't mind at all but if you were hoping to avoid the diving-under-the-table-a-dozen-times-to-retrieve-the-toy game, this is not going to be your saving grace.
Bottom Line: More useful in the long-term than a Bumbo but you will probably still need to buy a "real" high chair by the time your kid turns one. Until then, this is a wonderful and very useful product for helping a baby learn to sit up and getting to spend some quality face-time together while still being able to enjoy eating your dinner with two hands.
I debated buying this seat b/c I have bought a few baby items I thought I had to have then weren't that great and I thought this might be the same way. Everyone I know who has a baby around my son's age has a bumbo so finally I did some research and everything pointed to this being a better choice than bumbo...better price, leg openings bigger(my son has thunder thighs), a tray included, a placemat included, a toy included and a more fun color! I was not disappointed. My son loves the new perspective of sitting up on his own other people I know seem to use theirs on the floor but I keep mine snapped onto our dining room table so while we're eating dinner we put him in and he feels like he's a part of the family playing with his toys while we eat. Great buy!
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My baby is very comfortable in this seat and it enables her to join us at mealtimes. We keep it strapped to a regular kitchen chair, sometimes I take it off so she can sit in it on the floor nearby while I give her older sister a bath or something. It has become difficult to use it for eating, though. The food tray does not stay on, when her hands are sticky all she wants to do is use them to lift it off. I ended up taping the food tray down so she can use itends up I'd rather do without the fancy toy and have a solid tray just for eating. Also, the decorative pattern on the food tray COMES OFF when you wash it and once the color was even getting on her food. This seems very unsafe to me. I ended up scrubbing it hard one day to take all the remaining color off on purpose, it is such a shame because the watermelon picture was very charming. The color should not bleed off so easy like that. Also, the plastic piece that connects the tray on the bottom is awkward to use and ours just broke. You can get a replacement piece if you call the manufacturer, but I'd rather they figure out how to make an attachment system that works better.
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We purchased this product for our grandson. It has a double set of straps for securing to chairs or other appropriate locations. In addition it can be placed directly on the floor. The purpose is to help with the balance of sitting up and to stabilize the infant. It works very well in that category. The tray is very helpful but this seat can be used without it. Our little one now weighs 18 pounds and is just beginning to outgrow the use of the tray, however; this is the one negative comment I'd have on this product. He does have chubby legs, but I think additional room in this area of the product would help. That is the one mark down I gave it on the rating. It is sturdy and easy to use.
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This seat fits a bigger baby, and he seems much more comfortable in it. He weighs 20lbs at 6 months and could still fit in this one!
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I purchased 2 of these because i liked the stackable idea and also because these containers could be used for other things than just formula. My husband was a little hesitant that i spent $17 on each one, but i wanted to give it a try and now he recommends them to friends at work!
