We’ve been using the Mamas and Papas Baby Bud this week which is their new dining booster chair suitable from age 6 months to 3 years. I wasn’t sure that we needed it but I was asked to review it and actually, now that I have, I won’t be using anything else for a while! It’s proved to be a really good item and both the children are getting use from it!

When Jimmy started weaning we used a chair which is meant to be a seating aid for babies who can’t sit unaided yet. That chair has a tray so Jimmy has always eaten his meals in it and it’s been handy because it’s easy to get out and put away again. The problem now is that he’s a bit bigger and although he does fit in it he just doesn’t want to sit in it for some reason and can also climb out of it himself as it has no straps which is a real problem. I’ve had to get the high chair out which in our flat is a real pain in the bum as I don’t have the space to leave it up all the time and it’s really irritating putting it away after each meal. Sitting on a chair with a booster is so much easier so I was interested to see how the Baby Bud would compare.

We’ve tried booster seats before but this one is quite different and fits our chairs (which are folding ones as we have a fold up table that they slot into for compact storing) really well unlike a lot of booster seats! Putting the seat together by the way was super simple! I didn’t even look at the instructions so self-explanatory was it! It took about 5 minutes to click each leg in and that was it! Working out how to use it was just as easy. It has straps to go underneath a chair and around the back and the tray just slots on and can be adjusted in three different places as the baby grows. It also has a lock so that once you slide the tray on, the baby can’t slide it back off again! All the straps, including the harness, are adjustable to ensure they tightly fit around the chair and snuggly sit around the baby.

Clicking the legs in was very easy!

Once together, which takes minutes, it’s easy to see how it is to be used!

There is a lock each side of the tray to ensure it stays in place!

Fitting the seat to my chairs, which can be tricky due to being folding ones, was very easy and worked well!

The best things about it for me are the fact that the tray slides on and off and the harness has two sides which click into a middle section and to release it you just press one button – Very easy to use!

The harness fastens easily and can be adjusted!

The tray slots on in one of three positions depending on the size of the baby and locks into place!

The chair is very cosy and comfy as the inner that the baby sits on is foamy and soft. This simply lifts up for cleaning and the whole ‘Baby Bud’ can be wiped clean. Because the straps are dark on this particular raspberry colour (also comes in teal and lime) it means it won’t look as grubby. Our high chair has cream straps – what a mistake! The straps wipe clean too by the way, the material is shiny and the food doesn’t really seem to stick to it.

At the end of a meal simply remove the tray, lift up the foam and wipe the whole thing clean!

All in all I think it’s a great little seat for us. It will fit on our chairs when we do get the table out and Jimmy or Florence can both use it which is great. Sitting on a booster upon a normal chair helps them feel part of the conversation and makes family meals much more enjoyable for them. Florence is three but quite little so even though she’s the upper age limit for the chair she’s nowhere near the 33lb upper weight limit! It’s great for her without the tray just to boost her up to table height and Jimmy can use it like that too or on a chair with the tray attached as a high chair! It has a handle at the back to carry it round and it’s light but I’m not sure we’d use it for travelling with as although not particularly big it’s certainly not going to fit under the buggy. We could take it in the car when we visit my Mum’s but I don’t think I’ll use it just for popping to the cafe. We do like it lots though and most importantly, Jimmy seems happy to eat in it. The lime green one comes with an activity tray which would be great for a younger baby just wanting to sit up and play!

The chair can be popped on a dining chair and used as a high chair with the tray! Florence at three still fits and the tray isn’t even on the loosest fitting!

Up to the table and it makes Florence just the right height!

They both really enjoy being up at the big table and the ‘Baby Bud’ is perfect!

Things I like about the ‘Baby Bud’ most are the harness which feels very safe, the comfort of the foam inner and the way it’s shaped around the legs and the fact that the tray easily slides on and off and can be used in three different places. I wouldn’t have chosen the raspberry colour if I’m honest, it seemed like the girlie option but actually I think it’s fine for a boy and I’m glad I have this colour now!

I was not paid to write this post but I was sent a Baby Bud in raspberry for the purpose of review.