STOKKE Table Top

Comments about Table Top:

I first bought this placemat in 2009, when my daughter was 9 months old and was throwing her plate, cups and (cute plastic) placemats off the table during every single meal. This placemat did the trick, she can hardly move it (even I have a hard time sliding it off the table to clean underneath it).

I bought a second one as soon as my second child was born.

The kids (now 3 and almost 2) don't really throw their plates around anymore, but they still love to use the placemat, and I'm sure we will be using it for another 2 years or so.

They use it as a plate, they love the interchangeable pictures, and when drinks spill, the mess is contained.

Pros:
- durable, high quality;
- easy to clean
- kids love "their" placemat and often ask to change the picture
- keeps mess contained
- stays in place (yes, kids can wiggle it back and forth a bit, and little fingers might get caught underneath, but I just stick it at 2 inches from the tableedge and that does the trick)
- sticks to any surface, even unfinished wood

Cons:
- bulky
- expensive
- should come with cuter placemats
- its a hassle to replace placemats, but I dont see how it could be made differently to make that process easier

Comments about Table Top:

on first use, within the first 30 seconds, my son pulled the tray toward him and it slid (NO suction from side to side) overhanging off the table, he then pushed it back on to the table, pinching his finger between the underside lip of the tray and the edge of the table. not functional nor safe.

Comments about Table Top:

Initially I thought I paid too much for this placemat, but it cleans easy, stays in place, keeps spills in one area and has cute interchangeable pictures. No other placemat can do all this so I've only ever needed one. Now I'm buying another for my second child. Also, my mother in law who has 15 kids just loves it. The only pending need I have is to be able to purchase more more mats and perhaps some blank ones the kids can create themselves. It really motivates them to get to the table!

Comments about Table Top:

I don't know what I thought I was getting, but I was really dismayed that I paid so much for this. It includes a few pieces of plastic and four suction cups, and doesn't really keep the mess any more contained than if I didn't use it. It's cute, but I wish I had sent it back - with a new baby, I could certainly use that money for much more useful/productive items!