Little Partners Learning Tower Review
Features of the Learning Tower
If you have ever wanted a better way to get your kiddo up to the counter than standing on an unsturdy chair or insufficient stool, the Learning Partners Learning Tower is your golden ticket. By offering a safe, stable, and yet adjustable platform, the Learning Tower is intended to help get children ages 18 months to 6 years old right up in the action. The Learning Tower has foot holes on two of the four sides for your child to help themselves up and down (as able). When standing on the large platform (measures 15" x 18"), you can rest assured that they are safely enclosed from falling while standing with four railings. It adjusts to any counter and child height combo, so your child will not outgrow the Learning Tower until they hit the age when they can be involved standing on their own two feet. Your little one can also invite their very own sous chef to be by their side since the Learning Tower can accommodate up to 500 pounds.
Target Group for the Learning Tower
For families who embrace having their toddlers and kids involved in cooking and activities in the kitchen, the Learning Tower will become an everyday item in your household.
The Main Benefit of the Learning Tower
When my daughter was an infant, I loved having her in the Inglesina Fast Table Chair any time I was in the kitchen and wanted her safely up at the counter with me. As she grew and became more independent, I had yet to find a good solution between any "high-chair equivalent" and a traditional kitchen step stool. I tried sitting on the floor with my daughter or moving everything from the kitchen counter to the dinner table when trying to engage her in cooking or kitchen play. Neither were ideal or sustainable options though as we began spending more and more time in the kitchen together.
When we finally purchased the Learning Tower, an immediate opportunity presented itself. Areas where my daughter had been limited exploring food, engaging in food prep, eating what was being exposed in front of her, and enjoying the sensory play aspect of food and cooking were abolished. By utilizing the Learning Tower, she and I now get to participate in everything from preparing meals to playing with our food on a daily basis. I can't imagine being a pediatric dietitian turned stay-at-home mom without this item in our kitchen!
Practical Details about the Learning Tower
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: Amazon or the Little Partners website
The warranty: Little Partners offers a 1 year manufacturers warranty on all Step Stools and Learning Towers.
Delivery time: Usually ~1 week through both Amazon and the Little Partners website
Customer Service: The Little Partners website has several ways to reach customer service. However from personal experience, I spent over a month trying to call, email, and complete online requests forms for a replacement piece with no avail until I reached out to Little Partners on social media. Once my need was addressed, the process to get a replacement piece was quickly tended to.
The Pros and Cons to the Learning Tower
Pros:
Safer alternative to having child(ren) stand on a stool, chair, or learning tower alternative
High quality product for anyone looking to invest in a long-term learning tower option
Engages child(ren) in learning about food, cooking, their senses, and responsibilities in the kitchen
Entertains child(ren) when mom/dad need a few minutes to get a meal ready
Cons:
If space is an issue in your kitchen, tape out what the footprint for the Learning Tower would be. While it is a mobile item that can be moved around as needed, it will take up some space wherever it stands.
If you have multiple children who are different heights, they may not both be well-accommodated by the same Learning Tower. While the adjustable platform serves one or two child(ren) of the same age and height range well, it may be too high or too low for young kids who are growing and unable to reach the counter at a universally set platform height. We only have one child so far, so we will see when our next daughter arrives and is old enough how much of an "issue" this really is.
Alternative Products to the Learning Tower
GuideCraft Kitchen Helper ($119): I researched the Little Partners Learning Tower against alternatives at length and most often found it compared against the GuideCraft Kitchen Helper. While the Kitchen Helper is less-expensive than the Learning Tower ($119 vs $199), I felt that the quality of the product was slightly compromised with the lower price-point.
DIY (cost of goods): Neither my husband nor I are especially handy with a hammer nor do we dominate the DIY space, so this option was never highly considered for our home. Initially, I discussed the idea of building a Learning Tower with some friends who do a knack for DIY projects, but realistically it was too large of an undertaking to ask as a semi-immediate favor (ie. to be completed before my daughter turned five). I looked into what it would cost to hire someone to build this item, but the minimal cost savings did not seem financially-advantageous enough to merit the time and energy to secure someone and safety measures sacrificed in the process to make a DIY Learning Tower.
Why I Chose the Learning Tower
My main reasons for choosing the Little Partners Learning Tower boiled down to improved safety, quality of the product, overall reviews and impressions from others, and ability for young kids to use independently (as young kids appear to have a more difficult step and climb up on the Kitchen Helper and DIY alternatives compared to the Learning Tower).
My Final Opinion about the Learning Tower
It took me several months of comparing reviews and heavily considering the value of the Little Partners Learning Tower prior to making the purchase. I have not once regretted the decision, however.
As a mom and wife, I would encourage you to evaluate how this product fits the desires you have for your family with the space demands of your home. If it seems like something that would "fit" (both figuratively and literally), consider asking family members for the Learning Tower on your children's behalf this holiday season. It makes a wonderful gift that your child may be too young to ask for on their own!
As a pediatric dietitian, I would strongly urge anyone interested in getting their young kids more involved in the kitchen to make this product a much-loved addition to their kitchen! If you follow me on Instagram, you will see our Learning Tower is put to use daily and documented often for the "can-do" ability it affords my daughter in the kitchen.
Disclaimer
Veggies & Virtue received no compensation for writing this review. However, some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means Veggies & Virtue will earn a small commission when purchases are made using those links. For more info, please visit the Veggies & Virtue disclosure page.