In a nutshell

A brilliantly designed product that makes eating with your children easy and hassle free. But the size and depth of the seat may not suit everyone.

Pros

  • Easy to fold out, easy to store, detachable seat cover, safe, durable

Cons

  • A little deep for smaller babies, may be too tight a fit for older/bigger toddlers, plastic tray doesn't stay in place, expensive

The Phil and Teds lobster is a highly portable alternative to a highchair. This clamp-on seat pops up ready for use and folds down into a bag. Designed to clamp onto a range of everyday surfaces, it’s a useful addition to your kiddy kit bag but bigger children might find it a squeeze.

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When I first saw the Phil and Teds metoo clamp-on seat in a high-street noodle bar I cooed in delight. I rushed out to buy one and it has served me very well over the past year – with a kitchen the size of a rabbit hutch we have little room for a standard highchair. So, when the lobster arrived to coincide with my second baby’s first weaning attempts, I was a happy mummy.

You can buy the Lobster on the Phil & Teds, Amazon or Peppermint websites.

The Phil and Teds lobster features a brushed stainless steel frame and 5-point harness with padded shoulder straps. Like most Phil and Teds products the seat fabric is easy to clean. The seat slides off the frame and can be hand washed.

Twist-on, twist-off clamps attach the Phil and Teds lobster to your chosen table or surface – the minimum thickness it can clamp to is 20mm, and the maximum is 95mm. A plastic food tray slides onto the front of the lobster.

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To detach the lobster from the table, you twist the clamps and just take it off.

The Phil and Teds lobster naturally folds inwards, making it compact enough to slide back into the storage bag.

The lobster complies with European Safety Law ECE R44/04 and is suitable for children from 6 months to around 3 years, or 15kg.

What we love

The Phil and Teds lobster is the equivalent of the pop-up tent. You really can open the bag, give it a shake and attach it to a table in seconds. This alone makes it a brilliant product.

I was glad to see that the lobster’s seat slides off the frame and can be hand washed. A major flaw of the Phil and Teds metoo is that the seat doesn’t detach. Cleaning it therefore consists of dipping the whole thing into a bowl of soapy water, which starts to play havoc with the clamps. Thankfully, Phil and Teds seems to have recognised this and addressed the problem.

The frame is wide and feels durable, which adds to the feeling of this being a safe and secure product. The clamps are also heavy duty so there’s no doubt that the seat is going to stay in place.

I like the thick padding of the shoulder pads, which alongside the 5-point harness, mean that little shoulders are kept in place. And the wipe-clean tray will allay any fears of children eating off dirty tables.

What to watch out for

My first child, Minnie, 2, lives up to her name – she is not the largest of toddlers. Despite this, getting her into the lobster was a bit of a squeeze. The seat is not very deep, which means she has little room to wriggle and bigger children could have a problem. On the flip side, other mums have commented that smaller babies sit low down in the seat and may need boosting up.

While the food tray is a good idea, sliding it under the clamps is a bit fiddly and it’s easy for Minnie to pop it out.

At £70 some people may view the Phil and Teds lobster as expensive for what seems such a small product. However, I’m not inclined to agree.

Getting the lobster back into the bag takes a bit of effort.

Who is the Phil and Teds lobster best for?

Parents on the move who like their little ones to dine at the table.

MadeForMums verdict

The Phil and Teds lobster is a fabulous product with very few flaws. It’s a compact, lightweight feeding solution for smaller households, which also makes eating out with children easy. However, it might not last until your child is 3.

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Product Specifications

Product
BrandPhil & Teds
Modellobster
Price£70.00
Suitable for
Child age (approx)6 months to 3 years
Dimensions & Weight
DimensionsH:28cm W:30cm D:25cm
Dimensions (folded)H:8cm W:37cm D:35cm
Features
Made fromAluminium, polyster
Features
  • Wipe clean fabric
  • Removable seat (can be hand washed)
  • Attachable plastic tray
  • Carry bag
  • 5-Point harness
  • Padded shoulder straps
  • Twist-on/twist-off clamps
  • One-fold set-up
Accessories
Accessories includedPlastic food tray, carry bag
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