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The sub-£30 portable pew has Joe Wicks’ stamp of approval... but here’s what we thought
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Wearing baby can mean less crying, bond development and improved cognitive and social development
Just when you thought you had seen and heard of every baby gadget under the sun, along comes another claiming to make your life easier. However, unlike most infant paraphernalia, this solution solver is under £30.
Described as a “wearable highchair”, LapBaby allows parents to maintain close contact with their baby via a velcro waist belt – freeing up hands for eating, work or play.
There are many benefits to baby wearing, including less crying, bond development and improved cognitive and social development. And while carriers are great while on the move, they can be cumbersome and restrictive when seated, or if your baby is awake and alert.
To see if this new bit of kit is worth adding to our changing bag, we put it to the test. We reviewed this wearable highchair with an 18-week old baby, in various settings including restaurants, bars and at our desk. We were looking to see how easy it was to use, and if it could securely keep our baby in place, unaided.
Could it really allow us to eat lunch or reply to emails, without the guilt of putting our baby down, or wrangling them one-handed? Here’s the result...
Suitable from around three months of age, or as soon as your baby can support their own head, the soft waist belt can be easily adjusted to fit both wearer and baby, and is lightweight and compact. Free from harmful chemicals and allergens, it arrived in its own slim zip bag, ideal for stashing under the pushchair or adding to the changing bag.
Nifty extras include an attachment for securing their favourite dummy, toy or teether; and a wipe-proof detachable lap cloth to protect your clothes from spillages.
Read more: 9 best baby monitors for peace of mind
As far as aesthetics go, the simple light grey design is nice and discreet, blending into the background; while the cloth features a more stimulating baby-friendly animal design.
It’s super easy to set-up — the wearer sits down, wraps the main belt around their waist, and secures with a big clip. Next up, pop the baby on the lap, wrap the front velcro flap around them, which secures their torso and leaves their arms free. There’s also a smaller buckle for extra peace of mind. It took less than 30 seconds and we were ready to roll.
It took a second to believe we could really, truly use both hands. However there was no denying our baby felt completely secure, leaving us confident to eat a burger, reply to emails, and even write this review.
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Unlike a traditional baby sling, which can put strain on your back, hips, and stomach, this provided more freedom of movement for both the baby and the caregiver and felt much more comfortable.
The downside is, it can only be worn while sitting, so if the doorbell suddenly summons you, or you need to attend to a toddler, you’ll need to unfasten. That said, it’s quick and easy to do so.
For restaurant visits, this wearable highchair is excellent. Its simplicity and portability makes it a no-brainer for new parents, and addresses the awkward in-between stage when the baby is too small for a highchair, but too alert and wriggly for you to leave in a pram. Importantly, it kept our little one much more secure than one hand ever could, and left us free to get on with the important work of eating lunch.
We loved how it included our nosy little one at meal times, getting them used to the table, months before we started baby weaning (one of the reasons Joe Wicks is said to be a fan). It also meant we didn’t need to worry about whether a restaurant would have space for a highchair, we just turned up and created our own without any fuss.
We can foresee the light-colored fabric getting grubby quickly, and although it’s great for short periods of time, our baby got bored unless we were interacting with her, so don’t expect to be able to do a full day’s work with your little one in tow.
For the latest discounts on baby tech and essentials, try the links below:
From sling to backpack styles, we’ve found the best baby carriers that are comfy and safe for your little bundle
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