Brand: Little Partners
Model: Limited edition learning tower
- Heavy and sturdy
- Very safe
- Large standing area
- Adjustable height
- Chalkboard and paper holders
- Stylish
- Holds up to 200 lbs
Every time we go in the kitchen to get the next meal ready, or clean up after the previous meal, our toddler follows us. His first instinct is to try to climb something: the island stools, dining table chairs or even the oven door. It seems he always looking to get up onto something.
We eventually realized he does this because he wants to be involved. He wants to see what we are doing up on the countertop.
We can’t blame him. The view from a toddlers vantage point can be pretty frustrating. Everyone is up there having fun and he is all alone down here.
An 18 month old toddler is not ready to be standing on a chair or stool on his own, so what’s the solution?
Enter the Little Partners learning tower!
Amazing Features of the Little Partners Limited Edition Learning Tower
- Built very sturdy with layered birch and poplar wood
- Adheres to the highest safety standards
- Large standing platform (16.5” x 18.5”)
- Four position adjustable height (10.59”, 13.19”, 15.79”, 18.39”)
- Chalkboard and paper holders for kids to play with while not on the tower
- Stylish design to go with almost any kitchen
- Tested to 500 lbs and rated up to 200 lbs
- Will not slip or tip over
The Little Partners Learning Tower ™
After doing a ton of research on Learning towers, kitchen helpers, Montessori towers and every other variation of this product we decided to give the Little Partners Learning Tower a try because it seemed to have all of the features we were looking for and more.
After using the Little Partners tower for a few months, I can tell you this kitchen helper tower will not disappoint you.
The Little Partners Limited Edition Learning Tower ™ is the Cadillac of learning towers; it’s stylish, classic, spacious and rugged.
If like me you’re a parent that is concerned with safety and have little patience for whining, the Little Partners Learning Tower can be a solution for you too.
In this detailed review of the Little Partners Learning Tower – Limited Edition I will walk you through all of my lessons, tips as well as the pros and cons I found from this amazing piece of furniture that brought some sanity back into our kitchen.
Assembly of the Little Partners Learning Tower
I was so excited to see the delivery person pull the large box out of the truck and drop it on our front steps. I couldn’t wait to set it up and have our little guy give it a try. I cut all the tape, pulled the top open and I see this:
50 minute assembly??
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this one caught me by surprise. Oh well. I closed the box and decided to continue after our son went to bed to not have him turn the 50 minutes into 2.5 hours.
The Little Partners Toddler tower comes in what seem like a million pieces. Pretty much every piece is separated and has to be put together.
I’ve put together too many pieces of Ikea furniture in my life so assembling the Little Partners learning tower wasn’t that hard, but it did take some time. It took me around 40 minutes to assemble it, so not too far from the expected 50 minutes assembly time.
The assembly manual is very well illustrated. If you take your time with each step you should be able to easily identify each piece. Most of the parts were identified with a numbered sticker that referred back to the parts list so there was little room for confusion.
There are a few parts that looked very similar but were actually not the same. If you take the time to refer back to the parts list you will know exactly which one to use for each step.
Here are some tips for the assembly of the Little Partners learning tower:
- Follow the steps in the manual
- Separate all the pieces on the ground
- Take your time
- Make sure to refer back to the parts list if you have any doubt
Build quality of the Little Partners Limited Edition Learning Tower
The Little Partners tower is solid as heck. As soon as you pick up one of the pieces from the box you can tell it’s made of great quality materials.
The Limited Edition Little Partners kitchen helper tower is constructed from high quality layered birch and poplar. The entire tower is EPA TSCA Title VI compliant.
Each of the screws and washers are coated in a copper-like color which makes them stand out with a fresh and modern look.
Safety
If safety is one of your top concerns, you should consider the Little Partners kitchen helper.
First, the finish is non-toxic and safety tested to ASTM F963-17 and 16 CFY Part 1307 for lead, heavy metals and other dangerous chemicals.
Second, the Little Partners tower itself is tested to safety standards such as ASTM(F96-30) and Home Playground Equipment (F11-48-98C).
Finally, this solid learning tower is rated up to 200 lbs and tested up to 500 lbs. It’s clearly overbuilt for the safety of your child.
All of these features guarantee that kids will not be able to easily tip or push it over the Little Partners learning tower.
Specifications of the Little Partners Limited Edition Learning Tower
Dimensions | 39” H x 24” W x 22” D |
Platform heights | 10.59”, 13.19”, 15.79”, 18.39” |
Weight | 31.6 lbs |
Warranty | Satisfaction guaranteed with a 5-year limited warranty |
Weight limit | 200 lbs |
Minimum age for use | 18 months |
Why I love the Little Partners Learning Tower
The first thing that really stood out to me is how safe the LP learning tower looks and feels. Safety is a big one for us so we wanted to make sure we chose a toddler kitchen helper tower where there is NO CHANCE our son will slip and fall out the side or back, and the Little Partners’ did just that.
When following the assembly instructions, the learning tower is assembled with every side fully enclosed (in the Limited Edition model). As your toddler grows you can remove the sides to allow for him to climb in and out as he wishes. There are two cut outs on each side of the tower to be used as steps.
At 18 months of age however, I was not ready to give my toddler that kind of freedom just yet. Luckily the limited edition version lets you close all four sides.
Adjustable height platform
The adjustable height platform was a huge selling point for me. My little guy is not so tall yet so I really wanted a learning tower that allowed him to see above the counter at his age, but also avoid having him climb onto the countertop once he grows.
The Little Partners kitchen helper lets you adjust the platform height from 10.5” to 18.4” in 4 different heights. The standard countertop height is about 36” so as long as your child can see and reach above 17.5” he will fit perfectly on this learning tower.
It just happened that the highest platform height was perfect for our little guy at 18 months of age. He could see and reach above the counter but can’t (yet) climb out. Once it looks like he’s about to pull himself up, we will just drop the platform to the next lower level.
Moving the platform up and down is a breeze too. The lock-in place system is easy to use and keeps the base very firm in position.
Accessories
Most learning towers are just a step stool with a cage (or rails) around the top step. The Little Partners is different, it resembles a mini playground toy. It’s not only a kitchen helper, but also offers other ways for your toddler to engage with it, when he is not in it.
The Limited Edition model comes with a cool chalkboard and a couple of plastic clips to hold a piece of paper. This means that your child can use this new “toy” for more than just standing in it. A nice bonus.
We also found our toddler hiding and playing underneath the base of the learning tower. It kind of feels like a dark little cave in there and kids love it.
Activities
The Little Partners learning tower offers activities for your toddler that can be performed on or off the tower.
When outside of the tower, kids can use the chalkboard to draw as well as the plastic clips to hang their favorite drawing up for all to see. Getting a little more creative, kids also seem to like hiding under it and trying to climb it from the outside (not to be done without adult supervision)
Once inside the leaning tower the possibilities are endless. We started by letting our son play with some plastic cups and other simple toys on the counter top and that was enough to keep him happy.
The learning tower makes it really easy for parents to keep engaged with their kids while going about other kitchen activities.
Some other activities that can be accomplished on the learning tower are:
- Washing hands
- Washing fruits and vegetables
- Assisting with baking
- Drawing and coloring
- Chopping vegetables under supervision (for older kids)
- Arts and craft
The possibilities are really endless. You can get as creative as you want here and continue to teach them and keep them engaged.
What I didn’t love about the Little Partners Learning Tower
I’m a really critical person and some people (my wife) may even call me negative at times. The truth is that I (over) analyze everything to the last detail. So, it wasn’t any different with our first learning tower experience.
There were a few things that I didn’t love about this learning tower but to be honest they were not a huge deal for us and we soon forgot about it.
The weight
This learning tower is really sturdy and well made, therefore it’s pretty heavy. This means that it’s not the easiest to move around the house. We eventually found the most optimal spot for it after trying different locations in the kitchen so it didn’t move much after that.
Ideally, you want to place the tower in a spot that does not interfere with drawers and cabinet doors. If it ends up in a spot you need to access often you may get frustrated moving this beast around the kitchen every time you want to reach for something.
I suggest placing it by a kitchen island, peninsula, in front of the sink or in another spot where it won’t interfere with the cabinets.
The size
This one is not really a con but more of an observation. I mentioned earlier that I wanted a learning tower that gave my son a bit of space to move around, so I was looking for a large learning tower, and that’s what I got.
Since the Little Partners learning tower has a very spacious platform, it also takes a good amount of space in your kitchen. This means that this model is not ideal for small kitchens. I think our kitchen is as small as it could be for the Little Partners learning tower to be used comfortably.
As an added note, the feet stick out the sides a bit on all four sides, so watch out for your pinky toe when walking around it.
Final thoughts on the Little Partners Learning Tower ™
I love this thing! I’m finally able to put supper together without holding my son or having to endure a whining/screaming child. The other important point is that my son loves it too. It’s honestly a win-win for us.
There are so many models of learning towers out there but the Little Partners Limited Edition is in my opinion the premium choice. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it for the quality, safety features and the slick look.
If you have the space, go for it!
Vikki is the creator of Totsgo and the mother of two children. She is a passionate mother who enjoys assisting other parents.