If you haven't heard about Sirch's Henry high chair, the German-born, molded birch ply Ode To Cheerio-Eating Joy, it's probably because you're not reading Naomi's blog enough. She picked up on it even without attending ICFF, while legions of designbloggers on the scene totally missed it.
Also, you OG Shakespeare types were surely none too happy with one of the Bard's soliloquies from Henry IV pressed into service for a high chair.
Well, I've learned my lesson. I'll just point out Sirch's new, slightly less-expensive Alfons chair, which Susanne from Kidsmodern spotted at the Tendence design show in Frankfurt. Alfons has a removable upper backrest and front support bar, so it can adapt as a kid grows older. There's no tray and no seat pad.
No official word on the material, but it looks like painted birch on enameled metal legs. As for pricing, I'm pretty sure it falls somewhere between the Henry and the other sweet, all-white high chair, the $18 Ikea Antilop.
See the Alfons and a bunch of other cool stuff at Kidsmodern's report, Best of Tendence 07 [kidsmodern.com]
Previously: Dost Thou So Hunger For This Sirch Ply High Chair? Yea, My Liege
Funny, my first thought looking at it was "it's almost as nice as the Antilop"...
By the way, I should do a long term update on that chair... the kid insists on sitting in a "big girl chair" now at 2 and 7 months but until the Antilop served us well for over two years; I'd recommend one to anybody. They really are about the best high chair I've ever found; a nice balance of design, compactness, and functionality. I'd be really surprised if anyone could come up with an argument for any other chair that would convince me I made a mistake buying it...
[here, here. We love that thing. it's really mind-blowing to imagine how good it is AND how cheap. -ed.]
I expect to see that thing in an industrial design museum in 30 years... maybe I should go buy a second one and keep it in the original plastic! (I may have to buy another one anyway if we have another child someday; I've been thinking about sending the current one back across the rockies to my parents place for my sister's new kid to use there, a plan wholeheartedly endorsed by my daughter, as we use threats of putting her in the high chair when she refuses to sit down for a meal.)
Echoing Cam on the fantasticness of the Antilop - twins Chang and Eng had reflux for like 8 centuries (or was it just 8 months?), and we would hose them off on the front lawn after every meal (and yes, you can just FEEL the property values rising in my hood!) Couldn't do that with those over-stuffed Precious Moments monstroid-thingies at the babymegamart. I also liked that they could stack (having 2) and also disassemble easily for trips.
I also wonder if I should have hung onto them as mementos of cool babyhood. I still have Little Mary Sunshine's Phillipe Stark potty (and pop up playhouse and tunnel). All have survived Chang and Eng, and nothing beats the coolness of that little bowler hat potty.