Inglesina Fast

There was a time when if you perused the back seat of my truck, it would have contained fishing tackle and old Grateful Dead shows. Now, you’re more likely to find two car seats, Power Ranger Samurai DVDs, and wet wipes. We all have to grow up at some point, right? One piece of gear I’m constantly finding in the backseat nowadays is the Inglesina Fast Table Chair. I’m a big fan of seats that latch on to a table, and I’ve used several over the years, but this one has proven to be the one I like the most.

Now, I’m a guy, so I’m all about function. And this chair functions well. When it comes to on-the-go chairs, hook-ons are the way to go. They fold flat so they don’t take up much room, which is important when you’re already loaded down with other gear. The thing I appreciate most about this chair is I’ve yet to find a table I can’t latch it to. That can’t be said for chairs I’ve used in the past. The Fast chair fits on most any table, and it secures itself with two little handlebars that you simply twist to tighten. The thing I like about this is that the handles are thin (but sturdy), so even if the table has a narrow space to attach to, the chair always fits.

Another key feature for me is the harness. Do you ever feel like your baby gear has more complicated straps and latches than a backpack on an Everest expedition? I mean, really, I just want to plop my daughter down in the seat and buckle a couple of things and know she’s not going anywhere! This seat does just that. Put her in, snap two buckles, and she’s ready to eat.

Compared to other hook-on highchairs I’ve seen, this one has a a shallower seat. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Others can be so deep that baby is practically eye level with the table. But the Fast is deep enough that your child is safe and still sits him up high enough that he isn’t struggling to reach his puffs.

If you need somewhere to store spoons or a folded-up bib, there’s a pocket on the back of the chair. And you can remove the cover (which comes in a wide range of color options) and hand wash it when necessary. Maximum weight is 37 pounds, so this will be hanging around our house for quite awhile.

Like I said, this seat is all about good design and function. I’ve used several hook-on chairs in the past, and would find myself frustrated at friends’ homes or restaurants when I found the chair wouldn’t fit to the table. Thankfully, the Fast Table Chair has not let me down yet!

Price: $69
To buy: amazon.com