# Learning Tower worth it?



## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

The cost of a Learning Tower has always made me giggle when I saw people talking about them. It just seemed like such an insane amount of money for a step stool. Well, today, I found one on my local Craigslist for $45, and apparently it is pretty much in like new condition.

Anyone want to chime in on their experience with them? Should I jump on it? My son is almost 2, and loves to "help" and "watch" me do absolutely anything in the kitchen. Usually he just pulls up a kitchen chair to stand on, but I can sort of see the appeal of having rails around him as he stands there, but am not sure if he would really get any benefit from having one of these as opposed to just using the chairs.


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

We love ours, have had it for a year and a half now. With one kid (thinking of paying original pricing), I probably would just use chairs or a stepstool, but with 2 kids jockeying for position at the counter, the rails and adjustable platform are very, very worthwhile.

I think if you can get one for $45, I'd jump on it.


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## Meems (Jan 8, 2007)

get it! it is sooooooooooooooo worth it!

my DD is in and out of hers probably 20 times a day!


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Ok, I just emailed the poster. It had only been on for a few hours at most. Hopefully I hear back by morning, as I can really only pick it up tomorrow.

Oh, can most of them be taken apart for transport? Here is the link to the one advertised. I am not sure what brand it is. http://burlington.craigslist.org/bab/1054756963.html


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

That's an original, and they do not fold. There's another brand out there that folds up, but if this is an original one it won't. You'd need tools to get the bolts apart and then back together, I don't remember what kind of bolts they are...let me go downstairs and look at ours and try to figure it out for you...


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## shanniesue2 (Jul 4, 2007)

DH really wants one at some point in the future for DS (who turns 1 tomorrow), but I just keep thinking that our kitchen isn't huge and has a bar that divides it from our dining area, so the entry in and out of the kitchen space is kind of narrow. Plus the dining area side of the bar has a pretty deep overhand... I just can't think of any position in our kitchen where the learning tower wouldn't be a serious inconvenience to anything that we need to do in the kitchen.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *The4OfUs* 
That's an original, and they do not fold. There's another brand out there that folds up, but if this is an original one it won't. You'd need tools to get the bolts apart and then back together, I don't remember what kind of bolts they are...let me go downstairs and look at ours and try to figure it out for you...

Oooh, great! Thank-You! If I can't get it apart, I do have a roof rack on my car that I can strap it to. I can just wrap a blanket around it to protect the finish and strap it on really tightly and drive slowly. I have driven with quite a few oddly shaped things strapped to my car, so this should be ok if I have to.

Also, how heavy are they? Can I get it onto my roof by myself, do you think?

*thinking positive thoughts that it is still available*


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

It looks like it's a hex key, so you'd need to have the right size one to take it apart, unfortunately...however, since they have it at their house and presumably put it together when they got it (it does not come assembled), perhaps they would ahve a key you cuold use to get the bracings off...but then you'd need one to put it back together. Hex key sets are cheap enough though if you don't happen to have one. Here's a set from Radio Shack: http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...LAID=107598749


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Pumpkin_Pie* 
Oooh, great! Thank-You! If I can't get it apart, I do have a roof rack on my car that I can strap it to. I can just wrap a blanket around it to protect the finish and strap it on really tightly and drive slowly. I have driven with quite a few oddly shaped things strapped to my car, so this should be ok if I have to.

Also, how heavy are they? Can I get it onto my roof by myself, do you think?

*thinking positive thoughts that it is still available*

I dunno, it's pretty heavy. I push it around the kitchen from place to place, which isn't that hard, but lifting it up that high would be a strain, and I'm pretty strong. I would hope that they'd be willing to help you get it up there if you can't do it yourself...the only trick would be getting it down, then.....
















Good luck, hope it works out for you!!


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *shanniesue2* 
DH really wants one at some point in the future for DS (who turns 1 tomorrow), but I just keep thinking that our kitchen isn't huge and has a bar that divides it from our dining area, so the entry in and out of the kitchen space is kind of narrow. Plus the dining area side of the bar has a pretty deep overhand... I just can't think of any position in our kitchen where the learning tower wouldn't be a serious inconvenience to anything that we need to do in the kitchen.

Our kitchin isn't gigantic, and I have to slide it around when it's in front of the cabinets, but it's not a big deal, really, IMO.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Oh good. I have a set of hex keys. If they email that it is available, I will just bring my set along with me. Thanks so much! Now cross your fingers for me that it isn't already gone!


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Done!


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## Peony (Nov 27, 2003)

They are SOO worth it. We used it many times a day for years with DD1, then we moved and it didn't get used for DD2. This new kitchen has a poor layout and there wasn't a good place to store it so it ended up only getting dragged out for big cooking jobs with the kids. This is until last month when DD2 fell while helping DH cook, she was not in the tower at the time, she ended up breaking her clavicle. Needless to say the tower now is in my kitchen again and will not be moved out again.


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## milkeriffic mama (Aug 31, 2007)

we love it. DS loves it. It's definitely worth it!


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## mamallama (Nov 22, 2001)

My 20mo old pushes it around in our kitchen--I'm betting you can get it on your car









I would never have bought it for full price--ours was a gift from the g'parents when my first two children were about 2 & 4.

We've used it every day since.


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## ~pi (May 4, 2005)

We have a homemade version (we are lucky to have multiple carpenters in the family, one of whom quickly whipped up a homemade replica) and it is fantastic. DS was never very steady on a chair or stool, so he required hawkish supervision. It is a welcome change to be able to grab something on the other side of the kitchen without having to negotiate with him first.

Also, I can attest that they wipe down very nicely. DS recently helped me prepare scrambled eggs.


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## reikimama (Oct 17, 2007)

We have a learning tower that we have had for about 4 years. It is used constantly by all three kids and has been since day one. It's one of the best items we have ever purchased for our kids. LOVE IT. We thought the price was nuts also. I don't remember how I talked DH into it, but glad we did.


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## yukookoo (Sep 23, 2007)

hope you got it and love it









Dh saw this in a house he was in for work when I was pg and said the family talked him into getting one asap haha I wasnt extremely excited about it because of the price but thought ok sounds cool.

Got one on craiglist when dd was about 14mo and we LOVE it. We have a permanent place for it, actually our 2 chihuahuas have a dog bed in the under part haha and stick their noses out the side holes. It's become their hiding spot from dd. But it is very open ended. it gets used to cook a few times a week but constantly as a table, play house, climbing structure etc. Many people use it at a high chair for snacks haha

I think it's very worth it. I really like that it is sturdy and big and is a nice piece of furniture and can fit more than 1 child.


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## cera (Dec 6, 2006)

I've never had a learing tower but I was considering getting one. There are a lot of good points to having one but I have also heard a lot of neg things, like them being to big, taking up too much space, not being able to store them easily, stubbing your toe on them lol. I finally just decided to be a step stool with extra large steps. It was only $20 or so and it folds up nicely for storage. See it hanging on my door here

__
https://flic.kr/p/3311072190
Though $45 is a good deal I would consider if you have the room for it.


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## Pumpkin_Pie (Oct 10, 2006)

Dag! It sold last night.







Oh well. I am definitely not going to pay full price for one, but it was fun to think about for a while!


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## The4OfUs (May 23, 2005)

Well, fooey.


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