Ever since I laid eyes on Küster’s collection of “beautiful and useful products for children”, I’ve been a huge fan, so of course when we were offered the opportunity to ‘borrow’ their K1 highchair for a few weeks, we jumped at the chance.
Testers: Moi, the boyf, and the bambino, who was 19 months at the time.
The Concept: Featuring a curved seat made from high quality wood with chrome legs and support, the Küster K1 is designed to last from 6 months through to 6 years. The curves of the seat encourage correct posture, it has an easy to adjust footrest, adjustable legs that stabilise the chair on uneven surfaces, a storage basket, and washable and removable 5-point harness.
Setup: Küster raise the highchair stakes by it being predominantly made of wood, yet minimal assembly. It is literally a case of pull it out the box, unfold, and fasten in place, so you can be using it moments after it arrives – complete doddle.
Appearance: I’m someone who normally likes my highchairs on the minimalist side so the K1 is a totally different concept for me. The design is offbeat and unusual, with a hint of space age vibe and it’s definitely aimed at design lovers. Whilst this highchair has a bigger footprint than our Svan highchair, it’s not too large and isn’t bulky when folded down. They’re available in four colours with five cushion packs to choose from, each with a retro vibe.
In use: I have to start off by saying that the boyf who can be a bit scoffy about things was very enamoured with the K1. The bambino loved it and did seem enthralled by having more space to spread her arms over. Whilst we’re very much of the ‘highchairs are for eating in’ mould, it was quite nice to watch her drawing on A4 sheets singing away to herself in it.
The table is a really good size with a plastic piece that can be unclipped for the area of the table that will take the most beating from food. There are zero nooks for dirt to get trapped in so this is an incredibly easy chair to keep clean. It folds down without much fuss although admittedly, it looks so good, you don’t feel inclined to ‘hide’ it away.
It’s really easy to adjust the footrest – literally slot in and out and it was quite handy to have the storage basket on the back. Despite its sturdiness, it’s not difficult to move around and you can always fold it down to move it from one room to another.
Any negatives?: It’s a minor but if you’re short on space, you may not like the footprint of this chair, although it has simple, unbulky fold. If you love the look but not the dimensions, you can always get their K2 which is perfect for smaller spaces or the minimalist you.
Price: RRP £135 and the cushion is £15 or if you purchase the cushion/booster pack it’s £30. This is at the upper end of the mid priced highchair bracket although far from being the most expensive. Keeping in mind quality, life span, and it’s features, this is good value.
Overall: Küster have come up with an unusual, yet beautiful, high quality design that has excellent style and practicality credentials, harnessing features that get lost in more minimalist designs without getting bulky.
Verdict: 4.5/5
Update April 2013 – no current UK stockists
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