What we love
The Valencia is sturdy, well-built and feels like very good value for money. The wooden food tray is a good size and gives little ones plenty of space to push food around. The tray can be used in front, or can be swung over the top to hang down the back when not needed, for example if you want to push the chair up against a table so baby can eat with adults. They are still safely in the chair as the straps keep them from slipping.
Unfortunately there is no height adjustment facility but for us this has not been a major problem as the tables we’ve used it against have luckily all been the same height. It doesn’t recline either, but again this has not been an issue as baby doesn’t need to recline when eating. Price wise, this compares well to other wooden highchairs, and is even cheaper than many plastic models. It is easy to fold flat and store away, although this does involve removing the padded insert every time which can get a little infuriating! The padded insert comes separately priced at £12.99 and there are a few different styles to choose from, including ‘Alphabet’. This padding makes the chair easier to wash as it’s wipe-clean, and also makes it much more comfy for baby.
What to watch out for
The straps, I found, are one of the major problems with this highchair. While most of the chair itself, being wood, is easy to clean, the straps are a real struggle and lots of old, thrown about food can easily get missed. The problem is that they’re made from a tightly woven fabric which makes it near impossible to clean them properly. If any food becomes ingrained, you really need to remove the straps and wash them separately - which you’d think would be relatively simple! In fact, to do this you need to unscrew them as there is no other way to detach them. This is probably to make sure they are secure, but a way to hook them on and off would make life much easier. One more thing about the straps – they are fairly complicated to use to start with, although once you get the hang of them, they’re fine.
You do need to purchase a padded insert for the highchair too, otherwise it’s very hard for baby to sit in, although once this is inserted you do have to be careful about bits of food slipping down and getting lodged between the insert and the wooden chair.
The fact that there is no height adjustment facility may also be a problem for families with different table heights. Oh, and one more thing, don’t attempt to move the tray once baby is already in the chair as it will hit them in the head!
Who is the Mothercare Valencia highchair best for?
Tidy mums who want a highchair they can easily fold away and aren’t bothered by scrubbing the straps
Price wise, this compares well to other wooden highchairs, and is even cheaper than many plastic models but cleaning the straps can be frustrating.
