Stokke Steps is a transformable children’s highchair that serves as a base for a baby bouncer and additional accessories. The product offers good padding and support, is comfortable and adapts as your child grows. The bouncer attaches to the highchair and although it has been created with toddlers in mind, the design allows a newborn to be with you at the dining table during meal times.
The tray is big – with lots of space to play and mess, and can be removed to allow your child to sit up next to the table, flush against it – a good idea! Although the chair cannot collapse, the bouncer collapses flat, which is great for storing. The covers are removable and the greige fabric colour is very trendy. The toy bar is a nice idea but is too low (the toys dangle in baby’s face) and not sufficiently secure. A wooden version of the chair would be preferable to the mostly-plastic design favoured by Stokke, which would make an already innovative product even better value for money.
Stokke Steps is a product designed with the modern mum in mind. The multifunctional bouncer-cum-highchair is highly efficient and super stylish. It assembles quickly and easily, is durable and does not look out of place in a home living area. The product’s best feature is that a newborn can be positioned in the chair, which means that babies can join in on family dinners from birth, and the chair will last until school-going age. Growing with your child, Sokke Steps is certainly an investment, which is why it costs a bit more than one might usually pay for such a product. The chair offers good support and is comfortable but the toy bar is not secure and the bouncer is a little too vertical. The straps are also awkward – rough with uneven stitching; there is definitely room for improvement in this regard. Otherwise, a clever, well-made product.
Tested by mum Heidi Short for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This set is beautiful. I love how it matches my home and how easy it is to clean. The interchangeable parts are very useful and well designed. They don't take up more space then necessary, the whole system is just the right size. It's very durable and still looks like new.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The pieces snap together easily and I can use the pieces together as well as separately. I can have my toddler in the highchair while the baby is in the bouncer. I love how the plastic of the chair is so easy to clean without little corners for food to get stuck. And I can lift the whole seat out of the base to wash it at the sink when it's really dirty.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The price! I really enjoyed using this system, but I don't think I would spend so much on it.
Tested by dad Tom Hillier for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This is a wonderful product. Firstly the design which is so well thought out. The different elements fit together with ease. Everything is child friendly, even the legs being smooth without screws on the side make it look and feel smart and polished. A very simple design and beautifully put together. The material used is easily cleanable, and the surface is smooth and sleek. The bouncer chair bounces to a good degree although does require a little effort. The legs stick out quite far, and the seat height isn't adjustable but this wasn't a problem. Being able to adjust the the foot step is great. My eldest loved sitting in it s a normal chair although i did have to give her a cushion. It isn't easily transportable as the legs stick out quite far but it is relatively light. Top marks for design, build, ease of use and hygiene. A lovely long-lasting product, and if parents have the money to spend then i would definitely recommend this product.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The different parts fit together so easily, and the buttons click easily into place. The surface cleans beautifully and hasn't kept any marks on it. Being able to remove the parts easily and wash them is what you need as a mum. I love that your baby can sit with you at the table, at your level and join in the action. This is really useful in early stages when babies are not in a routine and still awake with you in the evening! Being able to easily add the baby seat section, or use it as a toddler chair so without any effort at all is perfect and makes life so much easier. You have everything covered with entire unit. Also being able to fold the bouncer flat made it easily transportable which makes life so much easier.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The bouncer takes a bit of effort to bounce. My old bouncer had a vibrate on it which was really useful in getting our baby to sleep but I know a lot of chairs don't have this. Also you then have to have a big battery box which would get in the way. I have to mention the price as this is an expensive item, and most parents don't have that kind of money to spend out on items, however it is a quality product, and one that will last for years and years, through all the stages, so you will get your moneys worth, just a big outlay initially. Also I'm not so keen on the cushions. I think they take away from the design as the colours don't feel as modern. The white and wood of the unit looks really fresh and stylistic, but the colour of the cushions don't feel in keeping with the contemporary look. More modern colours for the cushions would improve it.
Tested by dad Martin Short for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow dad?
I love the way this product looks in our home. The highchair is so clean and simple looking, it fits in with the furniture in our home without making the place look like a nursery. The surfaces are so easy to clean and thee am very few little corners and areas where dried food can collect. The different parts are very easy to assemble, even thought a couple of screws that need to be tightened are a bit tough, and I love that the straps on the highchair can be removed for washing. Being able to clip the bouncy seat onto the top of the chair is great as I want my baby high up but don't like to put the bouncy chair on the table. This solves that problem and is wonderful.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
Just having the bouncy seat up high makes such a difference. It means that I can engage with him far more easily and I feel that it's cleaner and better to have him near me. It certainly saves numerous back aches throughout the day and I can easily in lip the seat with him in it and put it down for bouncing when he starts to get sleepy. The highchair is very easy to keep clean so even when he has just been eating I don't feel it looks disgusting if anyone pops in. From trying to move the step up once it took a bit of work but I guess I'm only going to be doing that a couple of times.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
It would be wonderful if the chair could collapse down smaller so we could take it to other people's homes when we travel, but if it wasn't so great I would not even be thinking of this. The only area where feood was tough to clean is the front slot for the chair back on the highchair, that spot is a bit of a trap and tough to get completely clean. It's a bit expensive but if I find myself really using this all the time for years and it still looks good after a couple of kids then it's worth it.
Product Information
Stokke Steps