The Rest and Play Dine and Recline Highchair ticks a lot of boxes. It comes with very little assembly required, which is a huge relief to many of us! And I managed to work out all the instructions on my own without any confusion – not that usual!
With tray and seat cushion included in the £99 price tag, it’s not a cheap highchair but decent value for all it offers.
What we love
This is a stylish chair, although not of the super-modern design variety. It features lots of white plastic with a bright, fun, funky wipeable seat cushion (and strap covers).
It also has bright red, helpfully obvious, chunky buttons. These are easy to press or squeeze for adjusting the height to five different positions, reclining the seat to three positions, and moving the tray to three different distances from your baby’s tummy – a nice feature as your child grows. There’s also a wide seat and three different slots to click the removable footrest into, further increasing the range of ages this chair suits.
The tray is substantial, perhaps a little heavy, with two useful moulded areas for separating food and/or drink. It slots firmly and easily into place with a solid crotch bar, which is reassuringly safe and stabilising. It’s wide and easy-to-wipe with a removable dishwasher-proof insert.
Folding is a doddle - press the two easy-to-reach side buttons, lift armrest handles and flip up the rear leg until it clicks firmly into place. This is useful as it’s a large highchair and you’d probably want it folded when not in use.
This highchair feels very safe when in use – it doesn’t tip or rock despite various wriggly visitors. This is thanks to its wide, stable footprint and the 5-point safety harness, plus that substantial tray with solid crotch bar.
What to watch out for
This is not a good highchair for those with little space in their kitchen. With an large footprint, it can be quite an obstacle.
Although it claims to be freestanding when folded, I didn’t find it stable and had to lean it against something. It’s also probably not the right chair if you’re looking for something that doesn’t look like a highchair as your baby grows into a young child.
Although too wide for baby’s reach, the tray insert could be flipped out by inquisitive siblings. There’s a helpful place to hang the removable tray when the highchair’s folded, which is a thoughtful feature, but there’s nowhere to hang it or the additional safety bar if you don’t want to use it.
Who is the East Coast Nursery Rest and Play Dine and Recline Highchair best for?
Parents with space after a quality highchair suitable for a range of heights.
Although not the most stylish or innocuous highchair on the market, the East Coast Nursery Rest and Play Dine and Recline feels safe, comfortable and is easy to set up and fold away. It’s also easy keep clean. Be aware that it does have a wide footprint and although it claims to be freestanding when folded, it doesn't feel that stable like this.
