The Tripp Trapp® is an ingenious highchair designed by Peter Opsvik that revolutionised the children's chair category back in 1972 when it was first launched. It is designed to fit right up to the dining table, bringing the baby into the heart of the family, allowing them to learn and develop - in fact, this chair was designed primarily for his son to use for this very purpose. The intelligent, adjustable design allows freedom of movement with both depth and height adjustable seat and footplates. When adjusted correctly, the child is ensured a comfortable and ergonomic seating position at any age.
The Tripp Trapp® is most often used in the kitchen setting during the child's early years, but can also eventually be brought to their room to act as a desk chair once they're older. The Tripp Trapp® (as well as other Stokke® high chairs) are designed to be used with a table that has a height between 72-76 cm - it was not designed for counter-height surfaces exceeding 76 cm and no official accessories exist to enable this. The chair is designed to be used an indoor chair and should not be used outside, as outdoor usage can damage the chair. It's important to remember that the Tripp Trapp® is a wooden product and wood is an organic material which can react negatively to certain conditions, such as exposure to moisture.
The Tripp Trapp® has multiple optional accessories which either increase the comfort and practicality of the chair, or allow usage with babies until they are approximately 3 years old. That being said, the Tripp Trapp® chair can always be purchased without any accessories and used by anyone over the age of 3.
The Tripp Trapp® was originally available only in the color Natural, with colors only being introduced in 2003. It is possible that Stokke® will discontinue less popular colors and introduce new ones, to stay ahead of trends. We cannot guarantee that any color will remain available forever, other than Natural. This may be disappointing to those that are looking to purchase a second chair for a new child, but there is nothing we can offer in this case.
The Tripp Trapp® is primarily made of Beech wood, though Oak versions also exist at a higher price point. We've also launched a few limited edition colors in Ash wood. The The Tripp Trapp® is either painted or lacquered, using non-toxic waterborne solutions, to ensure that only the safest options are chosen.
For those interested in the difference between Beech and Oak:
Beech wood and its grain is generally more unpredictable and often wavy, but smooth – this grain pattern becomes more obvious when customers purchase a chair which includes a transparent color, where the grain of the wood is still visible. Beech chairs are often painted with a solid color, as the surface is much smoother compared to Oak. There are also a few transparent colors always in the Tripp Trapp® collection which also highlight the natural grain of Beech wood.
Oak wood, which is considered to be more premium than the Beech, also comes at a higher price point when compared to the Beech Tripp Trapp®. Our Oak collection mostly uses transparent colors so that the distinct qualities of Oak wood are more obvious to the naked eye. The grain of Oak is generally more consistent, with less variation. The solid wood of Oak can have a slightly textured surface, which is more apparent on the legs of the Tripp Trapp®, as the legs are made of solid wood and retain the original characteristics - it is the component which has the largest visual impact on the product. The textured surface of the Oak Tripp Trapp® is not a quality issue, though many customers do not know to expect a slightly textured surface on their Oak legs.
We use the so-called Nobel European Oak species; Quercus Robur, called Common/Pedunculate or European Oak and Quercus Petraea called sessile/Cornish/durmast Oak for Tripp Trapp®. This is not the American White-, or Red Oak even though White Oak is in appearance similar.
Natural and transparent colored Tripp Trapp® chairs should require additional consideration for customers that are open to the idea of purchasing another chair in the future. Purchasing two Natural colored Tripp Trapp® chairs can mean that they do not look much alike, as the shade of the wood is highly dependent on the individual tree’s characteristics that the chair is made of. We cannot guarantee that any two Natural chairs or other transparent colored chairs would look identical to each other, and this would not be considered as a product defect - there is nothing that Customer Service can do about this. Each chair with visible grain is unique with its own grain and shades.
Additionally, what users must understand is that Natural wood will change color over time with long term exposure to light. Each Natural chair which is sold will have never seen sunlight until it is opened and assembled by the user. It will be paler compared to how it will look after 3-6 months, as the chair "tans" with regular usage. This especially has an impact on potential spare parts, in case they are ever needed due to extreme wear-and-tear or otherwise. These brand new spare parts will also always look very pale compared to a chair which has been "tanning" for months, or even years. This is not a defect - this is simply a characteristic of wood. We do not sell "pre-tanned" spare parts. These parts will eventually begin to match the shade of original chair, but it will take time.