I had never heard of mesh feeders until my BFF insisted I register for one. I owe her a lot for the suggestion, because we are obsessed with it! We put everything in it from cookies to fresh or frozen fruit (frozen is great for a teething baby) and I don't have to worry about my son choking on huge pieces of food (although, you should never leave a child alone with the feeder according to the instructions.) I attach the mesh feeder to a pacifier clip so he can't drop it on the floor and it does wonders to occupy Andrew when we are out at a restaurant and I'd like to feed myself for a change!
The Sassy feeder is awesome because it comes with its own cover, it is super easy to wash and replace the feeder's mesh bag (be sure to buy extras--my friend bought me like 20), and it has a freezable liquid bubble in the top section to keep cold foods cold. The feeder also has a super secure locking mechanism that requires you to squeeze two buttons on each side of the top (shown in yellow in the picture at right) and twist the top into place. Your baby isn't getting this thing open regardless of how much of a genius he is (or, by the time he can open it, he'll have a full set of teeth anyway.) Its around $6.
The Designs 2-U Baby Safe Feeder was my least favorite of the mesh feeders I recieved. I tried this feeder out first and was liking it--it was easy to clean and open and came with mesh replacements--but the ease of opening is because it has no safety locking mechanism! This new mommy didn't even think about the possible dangers this feeder could pose until I was out at a restaurant with a friend who pointed out that my son had unscrewed the feeder top and was attempting to chomp on some frozen blueberries. Scary! That doesn't seem "Baby Safe" to me! Needless to say, this feeder went in the garbage. $10.50 for 2.
In addition to the one I did register for while with said friend, I got two other kinds of mesh feeders at my baby shower. I used each one until I got to the one that I really loved--the one that my above mentioned BFF actually bought for me, the Sassy Teething Feeder:
The Designs 2-U Baby Safe Feeder was my least favorite of the mesh feeders I recieved. I tried this feeder out first and was liking it--it was easy to clean and open and came with mesh replacements--but the ease of opening is because it has no safety locking mechanism! This new mommy didn't even think about the possible dangers this feeder could pose until I was out at a restaurant with a friend who pointed out that my son had unscrewed the feeder top and was attempting to chomp on some frozen blueberries. Scary! That doesn't seem "Baby Safe" to me! Needless to say, this feeder went in the garbage. $10.50 for 2.
I tried the Munchkin Fresh Food Feeder out second because it is super cute and has a locking mechanism. The only problem with the locking mechanism was that I couldn't even open it without hurting myself! It looks like Munchkin realized this was a problem because the feeders pictured at right have a different lock than mine did. What isn't different is that you cannot remove the mesh bag on the Munchkin Feeder which makes cleaning them a nightmare. No go. Around $6 for a 2-pack.
So... save yourself the showdown in your home and get a Sassy! It will change your life (is that a bit dramatic?) :)