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Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
| 5 star | 81 | |
| 4 star | 13 | |
| 3 star | 2 | |
| 2 star | 1 | |
| 1 star | 3 |
on 25 August 2015
We bought this for my daughter who has developmental disabilities and is unable to stand unassisted. This is a great way to involve her in the kitchen and not worry about her losing her balance. Although our situation may be a bit unusual, I can see how it would be helpful for any small child as they often tend to fidget and move around while standing on chairs, and this just takes away the chance of any accidents in the kitchen. It is a bit pricey but the peace of mind is worth it.
on 20 April 2011
Okay as a parent i know only too well that there are lots of products out there that seem like good ideas when you see them but when you actually hand over money and then show them to your child its game over. This i thought might be one of those products but i was willing to give it a go even with it being a bit pricey for what looked like maybe a wooden box. It arrived fine and was easy to assemble. I bought it for when my little boy had started walking as he was begging to get up high so he could see what i was doing when cooking/making meals. I am so glad i bought this it got his seal of approval straight away and he loved being in it!! Once he was properly walking and running he stopped wanting to go in it so much as he just wanted to run around burning off energy, during this time it made a good storage box, especially for hiding things from him that he had got a hold of. He is now 18 months old and has been asking to go back in it the last few weeks. He loves watching me cook and going in it to wash his hands at the kitchen sink (which he could stand and do for hours) My only negative is that it is heavy to move about however it does have handles for moving and fits nicely under the kitchen work top. Overall an excellent product and would recommend!!
on 17 December 2011
I bought this for my 18 month old son and it is fantastic. As a lady who is in the kitchen alot and spends alot of time baking this allows my child to Join in.
Also when he doesn't want to sit in his booster sea I sand him in his box close to the table and he was away without feeling so trapped :) worth the money!
Also when he doesn't want to sit in his booster sea I sand him in his box close to the table and he was away without feeling so trapped :) worth the money!
on 9 January 2009
We bought this as a little extravagence - it is fair to say that at £100 it is not cheap. However, it was money extremely well spent, this is truly a lovely piece of kit.
The problem we faced was a very active 14 month old boy who liked being involved. In everything! He particularly loves helping me cook and this was becoming very impractical.
I considered getting a sling but then happened on a recommendation for the FunPod. My son took to it immediately. He stands happily in it for any length of time, he "cooks" with me on the work surface, he puts knives and forks into the rack. He loves being up at Daddy height. He also loves playing Peek-a-Boo in it. He doesn't at all look or feel hemmed in it. If anything, I think he regards it as his own little private space. It is always funny to find what he has stashed away in it when I take him out.
It is very well made and finished, sturdy and HEAVY. It does require a bit of "lugging around" but then if it was lighter it would not be solid.
We have a very small kitchen and it is not entirely practical to have this in there but it seems to be revolutionising our time in there. Archie has gone from being clingy and demanding to being happy as larry. This may be due to the novelty and time will tell if the novelty wears off but I suspect and hope that it will not - after all, the possibilities of what he can do once he is in his Pod are endless...
Finally, I had a small concern about the Pod and am happy to say that I received a very warm welcome when I called Little Helper (the manufacturer) who were friendly and courteous and resolved my question very well. Worth mentioning as this is not always the case...
The problem we faced was a very active 14 month old boy who liked being involved. In everything! He particularly loves helping me cook and this was becoming very impractical.
I considered getting a sling but then happened on a recommendation for the FunPod. My son took to it immediately. He stands happily in it for any length of time, he "cooks" with me on the work surface, he puts knives and forks into the rack. He loves being up at Daddy height. He also loves playing Peek-a-Boo in it. He doesn't at all look or feel hemmed in it. If anything, I think he regards it as his own little private space. It is always funny to find what he has stashed away in it when I take him out.
It is very well made and finished, sturdy and HEAVY. It does require a bit of "lugging around" but then if it was lighter it would not be solid.
We have a very small kitchen and it is not entirely practical to have this in there but it seems to be revolutionising our time in there. Archie has gone from being clingy and demanding to being happy as larry. This may be due to the novelty and time will tell if the novelty wears off but I suspect and hope that it will not - after all, the possibilities of what he can do once he is in his Pod are endless...
Finally, I had a small concern about the Pod and am happy to say that I received a very warm welcome when I called Little Helper (the manufacturer) who were friendly and courteous and resolved my question very well. Worth mentioning as this is not always the case...
on 21 May 2011
Wow, this is so useful and the kids love it too. Watch out, though: my 20- month old can climb in unaided and get at stuff on the worktop. Nevertheless - highly recommended.
on 6 October 2014
I had one of these years ago for my first child, not actually planning to have another so sold it. I then had a lovely accident and hey presto, baby no. 2 so I have bought another one knowing how great it was first time round. I can’t praise it enough – we use it every day and then some. Highly recommended!
on 8 December 2014
Keeps my wee ones a bit happier than setting them on the floor, they love being up higher. We have, ah hem, slightly adjusted it to add a few inches to occassionally accommodate my 18 month old twins I'm sure this is NOT endorsed/recommended by the company but there is no way we could have two in the house!
on 19 February 2014
When she was too young to understand to keep away from the oven, this worked well to keep her safe and entertained as she could watch me. Now we use it when she helps with cooking. I can see us using this for years. I know that we all stood on chairs as children, but I like to think that if this had been available our parents would have used them... Just in case. I have also purchased a stick on blackboard which I have stuck to one side so that it has a function when tucked away as well! Not great for a small kitchen though...
on 12 December 2012
We knew of this product because our eldest granddaughter has had one for just over a year in her own home and has loved being in it from the beginning. We bought this one for when she and other grandchildren come to visit. Our second grandchild is only just big enough to use it, but she loves it too as she is able to stand up in it and be close to us. We are very pleased with the funpod as it is very sturdy and stable, and even a small toddler is secure in it.
on 7 October 2014
After persuading my husband that we should splash out on a FunPod (he thought it was too expensive!) we have both agreed that we have definitely got our money's worth!
All 3 of us, in particular my very own little helper, all love meal times! It's so lovely to enjoy time as a family in the kitchen, baking and preparing meals with the added advantage that I am confident that my little one is safe while she is my mini sous chef!
All 3 of us, in particular my very own little helper, all love meal times! It's so lovely to enjoy time as a family in the kitchen, baking and preparing meals with the added advantage that I am confident that my little one is safe while she is my mini sous chef!
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- The funpod is spacious and safe. My little one is tall for her age and is on the second setting to be at chest height with the kitchen worktop. Lots of growing room!
- Easy to move around on our laminate floor leaving no marks.
Only issue i've found (which i knew would happen( is that due to the safety feature of a large base on the funpod, when the funpod is against a cupboard where there is no bottom recess for the base to go under there is a space of around 7cm between the front of the fun pod and the worktop meaning lots of picking things up off the floor when my little one is up at the worktop and drops things. I try to get her up where there is a cupboard so the top of the funpod is flush wiht the worktop but we only have a small kitchen so sometimes she is round the end of our island for safety reasons when the hob is on so she can still see what i'm doing at a safe distance and i can talk/play with her.
Slides round a tiled floor like it is in wheels.
Also great for peek-a-boo!
Looking at the recommendations for the FunPod, even though it is a bit pricey, I decided to order it and I believe it was money well spent. My son took to it immediately. He stands happily in it for any length of time, he will play with anything you pass him and will bang it against the worktops; he'll put things into the sink and onto the draining board and just loves being at the same height generally. He also really loves playing Peek-a-Boo in it. I have noticed that when we go into the kitchen now that he bangs on the side of it and lifts his arms up so that you can put him in it.
It is very well made, finished and sturdy. As my husband put it together, it looked like it didn't take all that much time at all and was easy to assemble. I would definitely recommend this product.
The item was ordered and delivered within 48 hours so was really impressed as I was given a 7day+ time lead on the item arriving.
This is a fabulous piece of furniture. My husband wasn't keen but I could see our 16 month old in it, stamping his little feet in excitement at being in it. That is exactly what happened. He asks to go in as he loves being in there. He's done drawing whilst I've cooked, played with kitchen utensils, been kept safe and out of the way (and the dishwasher!) and it is THE best place for hiding and playing peek-a-boo. He loves being able to see what's going on in the kitchen and can now do so from a really safe vantage point - whilst still feeling that he's being involved.
I was concerned that it would be quite an imposition in the kitchen but it is a neat, compact piece of beautifully made furniture that really takes up very little space. It is brilliant and I really recommend it.
Others have said it is heavy to move around, and maybe the makers have listened as I have a newer model than pictured and it has round feet that make it very easy to drag around our laminate floor. Also easy to clean & good solid feel.
Well worth the initial outlay - think how many expensive baby gadgets do you have that you never use? This won't be one of them.
Just back today to purchase a second one -could not live without it in the kitchen,keeps child involved and at a safe distance.Toddler now uses it to colour at the island and her crayons are safe from her baby brother ,great item .
My toddler is no longer trying to pull at me all the time, or empty the cupboards.
He stands in it & plays happily & safely at the worktop.
He shows a lot of interest in different foods & helps with mixing, baking etc.
It is also great for water play at the sink.
I think toddlers just like to feel involved with what you're doing & the funpod really helps with this.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Brilliant idea. Very Robust product.
Finish is good and wipes up well.
Not much else to say about it.
My brother had a funpod for his daughter when she was 18month-old. She is now 3 1/2 and still uses it, So I thought we'd give it a go.
When in the kitchen my 15month old daughter wants to be up all the time and see whats going on, and help out. So this is brilliant for just that.
She goes in it no bother at all, and is at the same level of the worktop. She thinks its great beacuase she can help out and watch things get cooked/made etc.
It is very well made and finished, sturdy and its not too heavy. We have a wooden floor so it moves across the floor easily.
My friends have all seen it, and thinks its great.
But a few people think £100 is a lot of money, But Your child is safe ; is happy ; and you know where they are!
And it will be used for years.
Awesome ideal that my little one loves to use to get involved around the house.
i put it together in under 15 mins by myself so not difficult and it's so obvious you not really need the instructions either - well made product.
When ignored she would then start pushing a chair to the worksurface and climb on it. After finding her with her hands in the toaster (cold) I thought I give the Funpod a go. And she loves it!
She is mostly next to me at the sink, where she watches me and plays. In the future she will probably want to help me, at the moment she is content just to see what's going on.
You have to consider where to put the Pod, as it blocks those drawers under the work surface (and that's good! as the top is almost level with the work surface), and obviously next to the hob is not a good idea, but we have two places where it can be, in front of a uncluttered stretch of worksurface and next to the sink, and carrying it is no problem.
Definitely a good investment, my back will thank me and I will hopefully lose that hunted look I had while cooking/baking/cleaning because she would be either wailing at my feet or trying to do herself some harm.
Our dining chairs are the type that fold up and so are unsafe for a child to stand on. Had it not been for this I am not sure that we would have chosen to have a pod due to the size of our kitchen, however I am immensely glad that we did.
it does take up quite a bit of room - it's not really for a small kitchen and it possibly won't suit toddlers who love to climb and take big risks. My daughter is steady on her feet but small for her age and topples off things easily so loves to stand in this and help with the cooking and washing up. Obviously, you have to be aware of what is on your work surfaces and put knives etc out of reach.
It's not too heavy to lift and we've even taken it into the garden and the downstairs loo (for hand washing!). It's alot of money but i expect to use it until she's 4 or 5, plus they retain their value for re sale as they are so well made.
I really wanted my child (20 months old) to be part of what I was preparing on the kitchen work top. She always whinged when I was in the kitchen as I wasn't paying her attention and she was desperate to eat whatever I was preparing. So I started to stand her on a chair, but she was really unsafe on a chair and fell off (not a soft landing on our hard kitchen tiles).
I was hesitant as to whether this was going to be a waste of money, but so far so good, she loves being in there and even points to the pod when I'm in the kitchen as she wants to be part of preparation! So one happy toddler who is safe and learning at the same time = one happy Daddy & Mummy!
The only disadvantage would be the price, if you look at it as a bunch of wood. But the value it brings to the everyday life next to my kid, especially since I like to involve him in everything I do (even in the kitchen), makes it worth the money (unless you know a good carpenter :P )
My two year old uses it to stand at the sink while she/we brush her teeth. Keeps her in once place and makes washing so much easier. It's also used in the kitchen when she helps with the cooking (mixing and playing with dough).
The FunPod is well made, solid and sturdy, (a little bit on the heavy side - to be expected). But slides easily on the kitchen and bathroom (tiled) floors.
I can't think of any negative aspects of this product.
It's very study and solid, but light enough for my (heavily) pregnant wife to maneuver around the kitchen as required.
Easy to put together - it took us about 20 minutes to do one evening.
We must admit though that it has been well worth it as it does help to keep your little one safe and engaged while you deal with the cooking and cleaning. It has given us more time (due to less carrying and intervening) and less stress all round as you can play games with your child while waiting for the food to cook rather than trying to split your attention between cooking,cleaning, play pens or other safe areas.
As the pictures show, you assemble the wooden box with a moveable shelf and put it in your kitchen for your young toddler to stand in while you do what you need to do. The foot print isn't too large but do measure up before hand to make sure.
I would have given this 5 stars if it had been a little less expensive but then the delivery charge was not too bad too our area.
Our little boy (13 months) loves it as he can stand alone and play peekaboo and has learned some words for kitchen objects already as we include him in our activities. I have yet to use it with him for his own cooking but I look forward to getting plenty of use over the next few years as you can adjust the height as your child grows.
I would recommend the child wear shoes while they are in it, as the shelf can be a little slippy for them in socks or slippers. Perhaps the manufacturers might consider a non slip surface in their future versions.
Apart from that, all round a very good purchase for all the family and will be used for a good few years yet!
Well, both my husband and I were surprised by how well our little girl took to it. It gives her an opportunity to watch us cooking or cleaning while playing with something herself. She even gave the worktop a wipe with her little cloth.
The advantages of this product are numerous, she is learning about food and cooking and cleaning while keeping her away from dangerous areas in the kitchen, with over 46000 accidents involving children in the kitchen every year, why take the chance?
Why 4 stars and not 5? The one bolt that came with it was useless, when we tried to ring the Little Helper customer services on a weekday afternoon, we were forwarded to voicemail, which was full!!!! We did email though.
If you can afford to pay £100, do it, you wont regret it.
It worked out really well as he can see what is going on, he can't fall out and he feels part of the action - something that frustrates him if he's excluded.
The one feature that this item misses is a way for the child to climb in themselves.
This wasn't an issue at first - but now that our son is 19 months, he could use a bit more independence.
Other than that, this is really well made, sturdy and good-looking.
WARNING: Sleep deprived parents, please note the panel that your child stands on must lock in before your child stands in it. If it doesn't, you may need to pull it out and flip it around, so that the lip clearly stops it from sliding in and out. Someone else built the Kitchen Pod up for us as a gift, so I didn't see the instructions to see if this is clear in there. On one use our little boy managed to slide the panel out from underneath him and fell into the pod scraping the bag of his head - no serious injury and he was smiling again within seconds, however it was quite a fright for all of us and could have been worse - so please do take care when putting it together. It also helps to ensure the plate slot is facing the unit for added reassurance.
The only reason I have given it 4/5 stars is that I wish there was a way for him to let himself in and out rather than having to lift him into it. This is not great for anyone with heavy kids and back issues.
It's been a reasonably successful purchase. Our toddler is only 19m at the moment and she's a bit small for actually 'helping' but the FunPod does contain her for a while and keeps her interest as she can see stuff and reach stuff (clearly you have to be mindful of knives and cooker controls!). What she most likes is to get up by the sink and splash. That's great but she, and the kitchen, and the FunPod, end up soaked!
Main main issues with this thing are the price and the build quality:
- There seem to be a range of models and we got one of the cheapest ones at around £90. It's really not worth that kind of money and I'm glad we didn't buy the dearer ones which only seem to be a different colour, not any more fancy in terms of features. It's the sort of thing Ikea would sell you for half that cost if they made one.
-It's made out of MDF which is about as cheap as you can get in terms of sheet timber. The screws don't bite wonderfully well when you build it and MDF is hopeless with water. It is well varnished so I'm not massively worried, but it would be a much better product in plywood.
-There is a ledge that the child stands on which can be moved up and down depending on their size. This is what I disliked most as the tolerances on the cutting of this part are really rough. It simply doesn't fill all of the available width which it is meant to slot into. At first I thought there might be some danger that the ledge could collapse but I wiggled it fully and decided that it was sufficiently well connected with it's slot that it was safe, but it feels needlessly shoddy. You can for example see daylight on one side if it is pushed hard to the other side. It should fully fill both slots left and right with no play. The MDF slots are also untreated so a bit worried that the water could make them swell out of shape
-It's simply not that attractive. The MDF is covered in a Maple effect skin but that looks fairly cheap and nasty by modern standards.
As I say, I believe it is safe, or I wouldn't let my daughter use it, but the combination of the sloppy machining on the ledge and the screws that don't bite well did disappoint. Reading about the firm that make them it sounds like a small business, and my guess is that they haven't really got their cost base under control as it's simply too expensive for what it is but I suspect that is not due to excessive profit, I think they are making them in an inefficient and costly way which forces up the sell price. Pure conjecture, but it's a fundamentally nice story on their literature.
To conclude, it's ok, safe enough and good enough, but really not one of our best purchases.
However, I think it has been poorly realised: probably because it is made of MDF, or due to the glues etc. used, it gave off a strong chemical smell, even after three weeks airing in the balcony; besides, in mine the screws and holes were mismatched and the thing couldn't be put together. I had to send it back and must now look for an alternative.
However, the feet are not rubber, and it does scratch the floor, we are now discussing this with trading standards, as Amazon are refusing to deal with this.