A few years back, I met a good friend for lunch. An outing like this required very little effort back in the day. I didn’t need to coordinate with Ryan’s schedule, potentially call a babysitter, pack a variety of individually wrapped snacks (the boys find it preposterous to share a snack, what are we rationing?!), and load the diaper bag. The only thing I needed that day was my purse. Since I was pregnant, the boys came with me by default, but man, I could get out of the house FAST. I don’t even know what that’s like anymore.

At this point, I was in the sweet spot of my pregnancy. I had conquered the constant nausea, and my maternity clothes, regular shoes (even the cute ones), and wedding rings all still fit (but not for much longer). All wins in my book. I was basically crushing the pregnancy game, except for when a stranger would comment, “wow, any day now, huh?” Actually, I’m just about halfway there, but thanks!

I was also in the stage of pregnancy when I really started to notice other parents. So when my friend arrived at the restaurant with her toddler in tow, two things struck me. 1. the girl had chocolate chips for a snack, and I had never been so envious of a one year old in my life, and 2. my friend subscribed to a BYOS (bring your own seat) policy at restaurants for her daughter.

Since public places generally gross me out, I was intrigued. And then I panicked. How would this actually work logistically? I mean, I worked out on a semi-regular basis pre-pregnancy, but my arm strength was no where near the capacity needed to schlep two babies, a diaper bag, my purse, a stroller, AND two chairs. Should I just kiss eating in restaurants goodbye until they could carry their own chairs? Should I ask the hostess to watch the boys while I took a second trip to the car to bring all their accessories?

So I did what any millennial mom would do: searched the internet.

I looked high and low for days, left no page un-clicked. I take shopping seriously, people. And then, after trying several subpar options, I found what would end up being my unicorn. Admittedly, I was skeptical at first. How good could this one be after the other failed attempts and Amazon returns?

But, ladies and gentlemen, this is a gem. This chair is the equivalent of whatever comes to your mind when you think of the item that goes with everything. For some (like Jack), it’s ketchup, for others (like me), it’s a designer purse. Spoiler alert: Ryan claims this as our go-to baby shower gift (the cat’s out of the bag for anyone’s baby shower we’re attending. Act surprised!).

Click on that little picture below, my friends, and add it to your cart. In just a few days, your life will change forever!

The Hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat, aka your next purchase (affiliate link) 

This seat checks all parents’ prerequisite boxes for baby items:

1. Easy to carry: each chair comes with its own drawstring bag that you can conveniently sling over your shoulder, and even carry both at once…this comes in handy when you’re flying solo, or when you’re carrying a diaper bag, purse, coats, burp cloths, and maybe a baby. They conveniently fit in the bottom of a stroller too, so even if your double stroller doesn’t fit through the door, at least your chairs will.
2. Easy to clean: the entire cover comes off and is machine washable. Wipes can only clean up so much, especially if mac and cheese is on the menu. After a particularly messy meal, I can throw the covers in the washer; the next time we go out, the waiters think our kids are pristine, mess-free eaters. Smoke and mirrors, my friends.
3. Easy to use: tall chairs, short chairs, skinny chairs, long chairs…these little treasures fit on everything. Just adjust the buckles and ta-da! You have a stable, kid friendly seat for your meal. Afraid of the food that touches the restaurant table like me? (no, just me?) Using the included plastic tray attachment gives you a reason to avoid all that paranoia. Genius.

Do we see a pattern here? Convenience! The only disadvantage is that the boys will eventually grow out of them.

Now the uses, wow. Here’s where we win back all our money. The possibilities for this chair are endless!

Summer is right around the corner, and this seat is perfect for any and all of the classic summertime activities. Going to a barbecue? Don’t forget this chair! Set it up next to the pool, even if it’s just a pool party for two. Beat the heat on those hot summer days in this chair with your favorite popsicle. Clothes are optional.

Sometimes when the weather is nice, you just want to relax on the front porch. If you’re not able to walk yet (like the younger versions of Jack and Nick below), you can hang out with your favorite brother in these chairs, and have a perfect little afternoon. You might even see a few “dog dogs” walk by too.

Casual dining: Jack and Nick request these chairs when dining al fresco, even if it’s just in our front yard. They are also a staple when we eat at anyone else’s house. Aside from keeping the boys sitting still to eat, we also spare other people’s furniture, which is always a nice gesture when you’re a guest.

Logistically speaking, these chairs make it possible to eat at restaurants with two toddlers. Realistically speaking, though, the meal isn’t always the calmest because, well, you’re eating with two toddlers. At least you don’t have to do the dishes! Enter restaurant, tell hostess you need a table with chairs, and embrace all the stares while you set up your temporary camp. I guarantee at least one person will say some variation of, “those are so neat, I wish they made those when my kids were that age.”

Not only did we pack these in our suitcase (who am I kidding, there was little room to spare in mine, so they were packed in Ryan’s) when we flew to Colorado last summer, we bring them on every road trip, from St. Louis to Florida. Surviving any road trip with two toddlers could be a whole separate blog post, but these chairs are the real MVPs. They conveniently fit side by side in the back of our suburban (would they have fit in the Explorer? We’ll never know.) or even in the back of a U-Haul, and avoids adding to the already accumulating crumbs (and most likely M&Ms) in their carseats.

So there you have it, folks. This chair is a baby and toddler must-have. For anyone who has kids or is thinking about having kids (stay up past 9pm and go out as much as you can now while you still can!), if you buy one thing today, make it this! Jump on the bandwagon. So simple. You’ll thank me later. Oh, and if you find a new place to use it, please tell us so we can too!

Special thanks to Danielle and her daughter, Madison, who unknowingly sent me on this quest to find what would end up being one of the greatest purchases we ever made.

**This post contains affiliate links. When you purchase the item using the links provided in the post, I earn a small commission.