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When polling our editors for an Etsy gift guide this winter, Abigail Williams, HuffPost’s head of audience, made one thing clear: Toddler towers are a kitchen game changer. But not all towers are built the same. After much research, Williams bought her 18-month-old a highly-rated convertible piece from Etsy that can be used as a step stool or flipped into a small table with a built-in seat to eat or play on.

“My toddler always wants to see what I’m up to in the kitchen, but it was getting difficult to carry her in one arm and cook with the other,” Williams messaged me. “I found this toddler tower on Etsy, and it’s made food prep and cooking with a toddler so much easier. She can climb in and out of this and observe, or I can convert it into a small table for her to do crafts or eat snacks. It’s easy to assemble and looks great ― would absolutely recommend!”

With a 4.9 rating on Etsy and hundreds of glowing reviews, it’s clear the wooden hand-made helper tower from Etsy “star seller” SweetHOMEfromwood is a welcome kitchen addition for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and anyone else with a little one around. To get all the details, I asked some happy SweetHOMEfromwood customers for their convertible tower tales.

Etsy user Theresa Cottone first saw one in her neighbor’s apartment during a playdate for her now-17-month-old son. “My son immediately gravitated towards it and liked both the tower and table/bench setup,” Cottone said via email. “After being shown how to climb in and out, I was convinced we needed a convertible version, too.”

When shopping for her son’s tower, Cottone wanted one with two latches to keep it extra secure when in the bench position. “I needed to be confident in its durability and feel safe with my son getting in and out of it,” she said. “We live in [a New York City] apartment, so a compact footprint was a must.”

Like Williams, Cottone found the SweetHOMEfromwood table. “I ultimately selected the one I did because of its many stellar reviews and because it had the cleanest-looking design,” she said. “My husband and I like that midcentury modern minimalist look.”

Etsy user Amaris Blake was also drawn to the table’s secure latches, and the reviews saying how easy it was to put together. “I saw comments about the simple set up. That’s important for mamas who don’t have tons of time or tools for this type of thing,” she said via Etsy message. “The secure safety latches, and the sturdy materials used to make the product. Needless to say, other products like this did not have the same reviews.”

In addition to helping her little one observe and help in the kitchen, Blake said the tower has been super helpful at mealtime. “When feedings in her high chair became a struggle, I knew we needed a new solution,” she said. “At one year old now, she enjoys almost every meal and snack at the table portion of this product, without feeling restrained by the high chair.”

Williams, Cottone and Blake agree the convertible toddler tower has been a great purchase.

“We keep it in our living room and use it every day,” Cottone said. “I have a feeling we are just getting started with this thing and will have many family memories with it. It’s very sturdy and I’m confident he will be standing in it well into preschool. Once we are done with it we will definitely be passing it down to another family member.”