The primary advantages of a wooden high chair might include appearance and durability. Wooden high chairs also tend to be easier to clean than plastic high chairs, and they can usually last for many years before they need to be replaced. Many people buy high chairs made of wood instead of plastic because they believe the wooden chairs are much more attractive and classic looking. Even though there are several advantages to buying a wooden high chair rather than a plastic one, it is important to keep safety in mind. Wooden high chairs should not be used for children unless they meet all the safety standards currently in place for high chairs, and many antique wooden high chairs probably do not meet these standards because they tend to change as the years progress.
While there are many high-quality plastic high chairs, many of them likely will not last long enough to be passed down through several family members. Plastic is also fairly hard to keep clean and may develop stains that are impossible to get out. A wooden high chair will usually last for several years and is typically not hard to clean at all. There are many parents who feel much safer placing their children in wooden high chairs versus a plastic chairs because the wooden chairs tend to be much sturdier, which may be due to the fact that they are heavier and often handmade, which means construction might be superior.
Many restaurants purchase wooden high chairs rather than plastic ones because they tend to hold up well, and this is important in restaurants because the chairs get lots of use. Replacing high chairs frequently would not be cost effective for a restaurant, and this is why wooden high chairs are usually seen more often in restaurants than plastic chairs. It is also not uncommon for family members to hang on to wooden high chairs for many years, and in some cases parents are able to use the same wooden chairs for their children that they used themselves when they were babies.
One of the main drawbacks of wooden high chairs is that they do tend to be slightly more expensive than plastic high chairs, but this is typically because they are often of better quality and might be built to last. Some people decide to look for wooden high chairs at antique stores to use for their children, but caution should be exercised when doing this. Many very old wooden high chairs are unsafe to use and might be missing important straps and latches that are now required by law on new high chairs. In general, it is probably better to purchase an antique wooden high chair for collection purposes rather than to purchase one for a child to use.
