A mandatory attribute of any student is a table and a chair, however, they not only help to acquire new knowledge, but can also pose a serious danger, interfering with the formation of correct posture. Modern parents already understand that a child needs furniture that most closely matches his current, current parameters, however, the baby is constantly growing, and no family can afford to purchase a table and chair for a student every three to four months.
Fortunately, the understanding of the problem is inherent in modern manufacturers, so they present to the attention of buyers chairs, adjustable in height.
Features:
Typical requirements for any chair for a student are to match the height of the child and be strong enough to withstand any childish pranks. The point of a "growing" chair is precisely to constantly satisfy the first criterion. This is usually achieved by a seat, which is not permanently attached to the base, but with the ability to move to one of the provided positions.
In this context, it is very important that the parts of the mechanism can be securely fixed at the chosen point, because on average such furniture serves less due to its prefabricated nature.
A separate task for the manufacturer is providing not only a height-adjustable seat, but also an adjustable backrest. On the one hand, it is still not critically important, on the other hand, without it the chair will be much less comfortable, which will reduce consumer interest. For this reason, companies that make "growing" chairs usually equip them with a backrest - it either moves with the seat, or is a completely separate adjustable element.
Kinds
Despite the seeming simplicity and uniformity of the problem, there are several ways to solve it. The orthopedic children's chair is divided into at least three types.
Transformer
The cheapest, and probably the simplest variety. The base is usually a strong metal pin located obliquely - thanks to this the design is convenient for young children when the growth process is as fast as possible. The backs of such chairs most often do not exist at all, and if there is one, it is usually rigidly fixed without the possibility of making changes.
The main advantages - high strength and the ability to grow not only upwards, but also backwards (thanks to the inclined base) - make you choose such a product for children no older than primary school age.
Of the minuses, in addition to the absence of a backrest or the impossibility of adjusting it, it is worth highlighting the seat, which with such a design is almost never soft.
Computer
This kind of growing chair is usually devoid of handrails, and also has one big drawback - focus on adjusting mainly the height of the seat. This is due to the fact that the bulk of such products were originally produced for adults who no longer grow, but simply differ in growth.
Consequently, there the mechanism is designed rather for a one-time adjustment to the owner than for regular minor adjustments to the position.
Chair-chair with adjustment
Most often, this is the name of the improved previous version. The key difference is the soft padding on the seat and backrest, which is now guaranteed to be available and precisely adjustable; handrails are often added as a bonus.
Such a product allows you to settle down much more comfortably, but somewhat negates the possibility of growth for the baby, because the seat remains of a standard size, and it is impossible for a small child to simultaneously lean on the back and reach the floor with his feet, which is a prerequisite for the orthopedic effect.
If you initially take a chair with a smaller seat, then there is a risk that the baby will outgrow it rather quickly and then simply will not fit.
The developers have come up with many clever ways to adjust the position of the backrest, so that with the help of its movements, somewhat limit the size of the seat for babies, however, if you prefer this option, be prepared to either buy it twice as the child grows up, or not earlier than the age of ten.
Materials
Chairs that are adjustable in height are made from a wide variety of materials, which is caused by both the different purchasing possibilities of consumers and the different requirements put forward for different types of chairs.
Theoretically, wood can be safely called the best material for any children's furniture, since it is environmentally friendly, hypoallergenic, and even has high strength.
Nevertheless, it is almost impossible to find an adjustable wooden chair for children, because this material is very expensive, and such qualities as the highest strength and durability are simply not needed in the case of a small child.
"Growing" chairs sometimes do from MDF boards - pressed under high pressure waste from the woodworking industry. Such a solution is already much cheaper, and in terms of strength it is inferior to real wood only slightly. However, even this material is only used for the production of transformers.
Different types of metal are used for similar purposes - mainly those that weigh relatively little.
In terms of its qualities, metal is in no way inferior to wood, or even stronger than it, but metal products are cold and do not provide such comfort as wood. Nevertheless, metal chairs are cheaper in price than even MDF furniture, so the demand for them is traditionally higher.
As for armchairs and computer chairs, they are very often based on plastic, although metal is also rarely used. Consumers have been skeptical of plastic in recent years as it is pure synthetic and it is not yet known if it releases any toxins. However, for complex mechanisms that allow for the most accurate adjustment, it is the plastic parts that are optimal, which, moreover, are approximately at the level of the metal.
In other words, if you chose exactly the two named types of chairs, then you can't get away from plastic, and all that remains is to demand quality certificates from the seller indicating a sufficient level of child safety.
Manufacturers and models
The modern selection of "growing" chairs is amazing - you can find models for every taste and budget. In order to roughly orient the reader on the current models, we will consider the most popular manufacturers in our country as of today, and also highlight the most popular products in their model ranges. So, buyers are often interested in the following brands:
- Comf-pro. Although the name of this brand is in English, it's not hard to guess what its inventors meant - by this they wanted to declare themselves professionals in the field of creating comfort. Their flagship model, the Match chair, costs about 20 thousand rubles and is still at the top of the tops of consumer popularity due to the fact that the manufacturer did not lie - it is really comfortable to sit on. This is a soft chair with a backrest, in which literally everything that can be regulated is regulated. The functionality of the product is so wide that even the wheels, which this model also has, can be fixed.
- Dami. The most popular among domestic manufacturers is the factory located in Perm. Its products look much simpler and belong to the budget segment. For example, a novelty, SUT-02, costs no more than 3-4 thousand rubles. In its pure form, this product looks like an ordinary plywood chair (in fact, it is made of plywood on metal) a chair from the 90s, but you can separately buy bright covers that will partially correct the situation. The manufacturer claims the ability to adjust in three planes, but in fact the option is quite limited. By the way, the child is unlikely to be able to independently adjust the seat for himself, since this will require a screwdriver and rather strong hands.
In a word, such a chair can be bought to try not to spoil the child's posture, but it is very far from real comfort.
- Bureaucrat. Another domestic company, which, unlike the previous one, offers furniture in the middle price segment, respectively, more comfortable and ergonomic. A striking modern representative of the line is the KD-2 computer chair, which in none of the main criteria is inferior to the Match chair from Comf-pro, but costs 11 thousand versus 18. The only difference is the absence of locks on the wheels. However, before buying, an important point should be taken into account: this model is designed for children at least 120 cm tall.
Naturally, the list of popular manufacturers is not limited to this - for completeness, we will also mention expensive imported Moll and Kettler, as well as relatively inexpensive Russian Astek.
How to choose?
The main part of the characteristics that you should pay attention to when choosing has already been described above, so it remains only to add some simple tips to help you avoid mistakes:
- Many parents, striving to provide their kids with maximum comfort, tend to choose a chair with armrests, but the question remains whether they are really needed. Usually, such furniture is bought for a student to study lessons, that is, his hands are almost always busy, and then no armrests needed.
- It is believed that the seat of a comfortable chair should be located at knee level, but it is not necessary to check this on every model - usually manufacturers indicate in the characteristics the minimum and maximum height of a child who will be comfortable on such a “growing” chair. Choose the model that has your child's current height is the minimum allowed - so you can be sure that your purchase will be able to “grow” with your baby for a long time. When buying a highchair for a preschooler, pay attention to the upper limit of growth - this way you will find out until what age this furniture will be relevant.
- In no case do not choose a chair for your child based on verbal description alone. In any case, the manufacturer will praise his product, but convenience is a very subjective and extensible concept. The much-vaunted ten-dimensional adjustment can only complicate the search for the optimal position, while the minimally adjustable chair already in the store can be adjusted in a way that could not be better.
Choose from all the available options several optimal models, and then invite your child to try them himself, and buy only the one that he himself wants.
How to adjust?
The seat should be positioned at such a height that the child's legs bent at a right angle reach the floor perfectly, or a special stand, which is also a common regulating element in growing chairs. At the same time, it is necessary to reach the floor with the entire surface of the foot, and not only with the socks - this provides proper support and proper fit.
It is unacceptable that the back of the child's knee rests on the edge of the seat - the distance between them should be approximately 5-8 cm.In this case, if the chair is equipped with a backrest, there should be a maximum emphasis on it, in the belt the baby should also be bent at right angles. Backrest height adjustment is not so common, but if it is, make sure that the backrest ends somewhere at the level of the lower end of the shoulder blades.
You will learn how important the choice of a chair is for a student in the following video.
