Design
The Messina Hi Lo is a traditional style of high chair with a large padded seat and sturdy aluminium frame. It comes in sand, charcoal and silver.
It is well made from quality components.
Features
The Messina Hi Lo has tons of smart features including a six position adjustable seat with a 3 level recline, padded seat unit with reversible infant insert, adjustable 5 point harness, adjustable foot rest, lockable casters and an under seat basket.
Performance
I don't know why I was surprised that I had to assemble the Messina Hi Lo, it is on the larger size for a high chair. I was mildly put out, particularly with the small pictures in the instructions ... until I found Jackie from Britax.
With a little help from Jackie's assembly video I had my high chair assembled in no time.
Once assembled it's easy to see the Messina Hi Lo is built for function. Most of its features are red so you know exactly what to push or pull to adjust the seat and fold the chair.
The seat unit has six positions up and down frame so you can adjust the seat to comfortably feed your baby from a chair, couch or seat them at the family table. It also reclines to 3 positions and has an adjustable foot rest to comfortably accommodate a younger child. The Messina Hi Lo is a great option for your baby to recline and feed from a bottle.
The tray size is large, you'll have no problems fitting a standard sized plate on it. The walls are high to prevent food, and more importantly, the plate hitting the ground. I also like the detachable top tray which means you can just remove a tray of mess when you need to and continue feeding.
The design of the seat padding is quite smart. The reversible seat liner (terry on one side, vinyl on the other) makes a comfy place for a smaller baby to eat, remove it and you've got a great sized seat for a child up to 3 years old.
However, this is a well padded seat which means food can get lost in the crevices. The good news is that the seat unit is reasonably easy to remove and is fully machine washable. I like how you can remove and wash the safety harness as well.
The Messina Hi Lo has some of my favourite features in a high chair. A removable crotch bar attached to the tray means you get the extra safety feature for your infant but are able to remove it when your older toddler outgrows it. The tray has 3 positions which means you can adjust it to accommodate the size of your child and the minimised gap between your child and the tray prevents food falling on their lap. Finally I like the storage basket underneath, its handy to store bibs and toys in.
The fold has 4 steps and the fold size is quite large. You can fit it into your car if you're off to visit family but you won't want to do it too often. However I do really like the way you can hang the tray on the frame of the Messina Hi Lo when its folded.
The castors make for a smooth ride and should be locked when you are feeding. They are plastic and won't mark your floor.
Drawbacks
The Messina Hi Lo High Chair is large and you need a relatively large space to accommodate it. You won't fit it at the table if you have a smaller dining space.
As I've already mentioned the seat unit has crevices in which food can get lost. It's the drawback of having a comfortable padded seat. However, the tray is quite large and will go some way to preventing food dropping. We'll ask our tester family to report on how they find it.
Finally you can't pop the tray in the dishwasher. It doesn't really matter if it's dishwasher proof or not, you'd have to have a big dishwasher to fit it in. A simple wipe down with a cloth should keep it in good order.
Conclusion
It's easy to see why the Messina Hi Lo High Chair is a parent's favourite. It doesn't really ring my bell from an aesthetic perspective but when it comes to function you can't beat it ... and let's face it when you've got a small person attempting to feed themselves function rates big time.
It's regularly on special at the larger baby retailers and online. It's worth hunting about (or keeping an eye open for our sales listings) to find the best price.
About Steelcraft
Steelcraft is an Australian icon and has been making nursery products for more than 60 years. Britax, a European company, own Steelcraft and are well known for their car seats, baby gear, and prams.
