Brands love to justify a $400 price tag on a piece of molded plastic by claiming it "grows with them." They promise that the high chair transforms into a toddler booster, which transforms into a desk chair they can take to college. It is almost always a terrible investment.
The Jack of All Trades is a Master of None
When you buy a 6-in-1 piece of baby gear, you are getting something that is mediocre at six different things instead of excellent at one. A $400 convertible high chair is incredibly heavy, impossible to clean, and takes up half your kitchen. You know what else functions as a chair for a 12-year-old? A regular chair.
Kids Destroy Everything
The fatal flaw in "future-proofing" your baby gear is underestimating how much damage a toddler can do. By the time your child is old enough to use "Stage 4" of that convertible stroller or high chair, it will be covered in permanently ground-in sweet potato, the straps will be frayed, and you will hate looking at it.
The Fix
Buy exactly what you need for the stage you are in. When you use our free baby budget calculator, you'll see that buying a cheap, wipeable $20 high chair now, and a regular $30 booster seat in two years is drastically cheaper than prepaying for a teenager's furniture today.