Kids Armchairs: How to Pick a Little Chair That Survives the Playroom

Little people need a seat too. Not your seat. Not the arm of your seat. Their own.

A kids armchair sounds like a small purchase, and it is. But it's going to get climbed on, flopped in, napped on and dragged to the wrong room by Tuesday. So it's worth picking one that can take it. Here's what actually matters, from the two little chairs who'd know.

Low enough to climb in on their own

If a kid needs a boost to get in, they'll either ask you every five minutes or try it anyway. Neither is ideal. A good kids chair sits low, so they can get in and out without a running start.

The Teddi and Beari both have a 25cm seat height and measure 65cm wide, 60cm deep and 55cm tall. Small enough for the playroom corner. Big enough to feel like a proper chair, not a toy.

No hard edges anywhere

Both chairs are all foam. No timber frame, no metal legs, nothing to bump a head on. Just a proper back to lean on and arms to flop over. Which is not what arms are for. Nobody asked us.

Safety testing made for kids

Kids don't sit in chairs the way adults do. They climb in sideways, lean over the back and turn around mid-story. So we had the Teddi and Beari tested by SGS to EN 17191:2021, the European standard for children's seating, and both passed. The fabric on each has also passed AS/NZS 4088.1 fire testing.

Both are suitable from 18 months.

No zip for little fingers to find

Here's one most people don't think about until it's too late. On plenty of kids furniture the cover zips off, and a curious toddler will find that zip within the hour.

On the Teddi and Beari, the fabric is bound to the foam. No loose slipcover, no zip and no way into the foam inside. It stays smooth and tight instead of going baggy, too.

Teddi or Beari?

Same shape, same size, same little ears on the back. The difference is the fabric.

Teddi ($209) is soft teddy fabric. Warm, huggable, proper teddy bear energy. Small chair. Big opinions.

Beari ($219) is deep, long-pile faux fur, the same faux fur as the Peachi and Tootsi. The fluffy one. Faces get buried in it daily. Like any long pile it shows which way it's been brushed, so give it a once-over with a soft brush now and then.

Both come in Cream, Brown, Blue and Pink. Matching sibling chairs or a deliberate clash. Your call.

Spills will happen. Plan for it.

Both chairs are spot clean only. Blot, don't rub, use a clean dry cloth and skip the harsh cleaners. Brown and Blue forgive a lot more than Cream ever will. A vacuum with a soft brush head takes care of the rest. Crumbs, glitter, half a sultana. We collect it all, and we're not proud of it.

Where they end up

The playroom. The reading nook. The end of the bed. Right in front of the telly, slightly too close. Put a Plumpi beanless bean bag beside one for the grown-up doing the reading, and story time suddenly has a set.

The easy bit

Both arrive vacuum-compressed in a box and puff up to full size over 24 to 48 hours. No tools. Nothing to build. Cut the wrap and stand back.

There's a one year warranty, shipping is worked out by your postcode at checkout, and it's metro delivery in 10 business days, or a $100 store credit if we're late.

Small chair. Big feelings about where it lives. Grumpi is affordable furniture in a box, designed in Melbourne.

PEEP THE KIDS RANGE