How to choose a learning tower in Australia
The best learning tower for your family is the one that brings your child up to your bench at a height that works, fits the floor space you actually have, and does the jobs you'll use it for. No single tower is best for every kitchen. An adjustable platform, a frame that folds away and a frame that turns into a table and chair each solve a different problem.
In a photograph most towers look much the same, so compare them on six things: height and fit with your bench, safety design and the testing behind it, floor space and whether it folds, what it converts into, materials and rated load, and what you get beyond the price.
This guide works through those six, shows which type of tower suits which home, and is straight with you about where our own tower fits and where another type would suit you better. There's a kitchen measuring worksheet and a checklist at the end.
What is a learning tower, and what does it do?
A learning tower (also called a toddler tower, kitchen helper or standing tower) is a timber frame with a step and a surround, designed to bring a small child up to bench height so they can take part in what's happening in the kitchen: washing fruit, stirring a bowl, watching you cook.
That's the difference between a tower and a step stool. A stool lifts a child up. A tower lifts them up and puts something around them, which is what makes it usable for the stretch of time it takes to actually help with something.
You'll see the tower in more than one look through this article. Bunny and Fox are the same product in two designs, so this choice is simply about the look your family loves.
If you want to see one in use rather than described, we've written about what a 3-in-1 tower is used for.
What should you compare when choosing a learning tower?
Compare six things on any learning tower: how the height works with your bench, the safety design and testing, the floor space it needs and whether it folds, what it converts into, the materials and rated load, and what comes with it beyond the price. The last column shows how The Little Bunny tower answers each one.
| What to compare | What to check on any tower | The Little Bunny tower |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Height and fit | How high the standing platform is, whether it adjusts, and how that compares with your own bench | Standing platform 40 cm from the floor, fixed. The climbing step refits in three positions. 86 cm overall. |
| 2. Safety design and testing | How the rail around your child is secured, and which standard and test report sit behind any safety wording | A removable safety rail with a twist-to-lock fitting. Independently tested by Eurofins to three parts of the AS/NZS ISO 8124 toy safety standards. |
| 3. Floor space and folding | The footprint, whether it folds, and where it will live between uses | 40 × 36 cm footprint. It doesn't fold. |
| 4. What it converts into | Whether it becomes anything else, and whether you'll actually use that | Turns over into a table and chair, and comes with a chalkboard. |
| 5. Materials and rated load | The timber, and the maximum load printed on the product's safety label | Birch or basswood plywood, depending on the batch. 75 kg maximum load on the safety label. |
| 6. Beyond the price | Warranty, returns, assembly and who you contact if something goes wrong | 2-year structural warranty, plus your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Free change-of-mind returns on unused items within 30 days of delivery, for orders delivered in Australia. An adult assembles it before first use. |
Which type of learning tower suits your home?
Choose the type by the job you need most: an adjustable-platform tower if you want the standing height to change as your child grows, a folding tower if it has to be packed away after each use, and a convertible tower if you'd also use a child-height table and chair. Each type has a trade-off, so it helps to know which one you can live with.
| Type of tower | Choose it if | What to check | Is The Little Bunny tower this type? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjustable platform | You want to lower the standing platform as your child grows taller, or your bench is higher or lower than most | How many platform positions there are, and how the platform is secured in each one | No. Our standing platform is fixed at 40 cm. The climbing step is what adjusts. |
| Folding | It has to be packed away after each use, or there's no spare patch of floor in your kitchen | The folded depth, and how it locks open | No. Ours doesn't fold. |
| Convertible (3-in-1) | You'd also use a child-height table and chair, or a chalkboard, and the tower can live in one spot | The space each mode needs, whether the platform still adjusts, and how the change between modes works | Yes. Ours turns over into a table and chair and comes with a chalkboard. The trade-off is a fixed platform. |
If a tower that folds flat or a platform that moves up and down is the thing you need most, ours isn't the right one for you, and it's better to know that before you buy. If one piece that works as a tower and as a table and chair sounds like your kitchen, you can compare the Bunny and Fox designs, or use the sections below to check the fit first.
Will it fit your kitchen bench?
Whether it fits depends on your bench height, so measure yours before you decide anything else. Many Australian kitchens are designed around a 900 mm bench top, but that is a convention rather than a rule, and accessible and custom kitchens can be lower or higher.
Measure from the floor to the top of your benchtop, then take off the height of the standing platform. What's left is how high the bench will sit above your child's feet once they're up there. Picture your own child against that number.
Use the platform height for this, not the tower's overall height, which includes the frame above their feet.
How tall is The Little Bunny tower?
For The Little Bunny tower:
- Standing platform: 40 cm from the floor. This height is fixed. It doesn't adjust.
- From the platform up to the top of the frame: about 45 cm. That's how much frame stands above your child's feet.
- Overall height: 86 cm, measured from the floor to the tips of the fox or bunny ears at the top.
- The climbing step adjusts. It unscrews and refits in three positions, so you can set the step to suit your child as they grow.
What does 86 cm tell you? It is the tower's overall frame height. It doesn't, by itself, tell you whether the frame will slide beneath your bench. For standing position, compare the bench top with the standing platform. If any part of the frame needs to pass beneath an overhang, measure the lowest point underneath that bench as a separate number.
A 900 mm bench top and an 860 mm frame are 40 mm apart as a simple calculation. The underside can sit lower than the top, so that calculation is not a clearance recommendation or a promise that the tower will fit. Measure the exact place you plan to use.
Why is the standing platform fixed?
The reason ours is fixed is the convertible design: the frame has to hold one geometry so it can be turned over and used as a table and chair. That's the trade-off in this design, and it's worth knowing before you choose. If an adjustable platform is the thing you want most, that's a fair reason to look elsewhere.
The platform and the step are worth separating, because they're easy to run together. Plenty of towers on the market advertise an adjustable platform, meaning the surface your child stands on moves up and down as they grow. Ours doesn't do that. What ours adjusts is the step they climb on to get up there.
You'll find the full measurements on the product page.
Kitchen measurement worksheet
Use this worksheet to record the kitchen you actually have, then compare like with like. Kitchen plans often use millimetres; 10 mm = 1 cm. The worksheet helps you organise fit questions. It does not certify a setup as safe or suitable.
1. Measure the intended place
| Measurement | Where to measure | Your figure or note |
|---|---|---|
| Bench-top height | Floor to the top work surface | ________________ mm |
| Lowest underside or overhang | Floor to the lowest fixed point underneath the bench edge, if relevant | ________________ mm |
| Usable bench run | The clear width where activities would happen | ________________ mm |
| Available floor width × depth | The clear floor area at the intended position | ________ × ________ mm |
| Walking path or doorway | What opens, passes or moves nearby | ________________________ |
| Route and storage | Doorways, turns, steps and where the tower would live | ________________________ |
2. Copy the exact model dimensions
| Product measurement | Exact figure | Source/model |
|---|---|---|
| Overall frame height | ________ mm | ________________ |
| Standing-platform height | ________ mm | ________________ |
| Width × depth | ________ × ________ mm | ________________ |
3. Compare the same points
- Bench top − standing platform: − = mm
- Lowest underside − overall frame: − = mm
- Available floor width vs product width: mm vs mm
- Available floor depth vs product depth: mm vs mm
Arithmetic example: 900 mm bench top − 400 mm standing platform = 500 mm vertical difference. This only shows how to subtract two measurements. It is not a recommended clearance, an ergonomic target, proof that the frame clears the underside, or proof that a setup is safe or suitable.
4. Record your next step
☐ Fits the intended place
☐ Needs another location
☐ Ask the maker or seller
Questions or notes:
Is a learning tower safe for a toddler?
Whether a learning tower is safe for your toddler depends on where you put it, what's within your child's reach, and whether an adult stays within arm's reach and actively supervises for the entire time they're up there. The tower itself doesn't make a kitchen safe or unsafe: a tower at a clear stretch of bench with nothing sharp or hot nearby is a very different thing from the same tower pushed up against a cooktop.
In Montessori language, that's a prepared environment. You give a child a real setting to practise in, and you prepare that setting so it's safe for them to practise in. It's how we think about setting up the space, rather than a claim about the product.
So the useful question isn't "is a learning tower safe?" It's "where in my kitchen does this go, and what do I move first?"
How to set up the space
To set up the space, follow these six steps. It's the guidance we give, and it's short enough to remember.
- Put it at a part of the bench with no cooktop. The sink area or a clear stretch of bench works well. Somewhere with no heat source is the first thing to get right.
- Clear anything sharp or hot out of reach before your child climbs up. Knives, boards, the kettle, a hot pot: move them to the far end of the bench, not just to one side.
- Sit it close to the bench. A small gap is fine; a big one isn't, because then your child has to lean to reach anything.
- Face the open side into the room. That's the side with the removable rail, and it's how your child gets in and out, so keep it clear.
- Keep the floor flat. We don't rule out any flooring; it just shouldn't sit on an uneven surface.
- Stay within arm's reach. As your child gets more confident, every family finds its own rhythm. Our recommendation stays the same: stay within arm's reach and actively supervise your child for the entire time.
What does the product's safety label add?
The safety instruction label that comes with the product adds a few more, and they're worth reading in full: remove all packaging and fastening materials before the product goes to a child; the product must be fully assembled by an adult; never place a child and the product on an elevated surface; keep it away from open fire and other sources of strong heat; always have direct adult supervision when it's near a window; and it is for indoor use only.
There's more on looking after it safely if you want the care side as well.
What safety testing should you look for?
Ask two questions of any seller: which standard was it tested to, and can you see the report?
In Australia and New Zealand, the relevant set is AS/NZS ISO 8124, the toy safety standards. It comes in parts, and three of them matter here:
| Standard | What it covers |
|---|---|
AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2023 |
Physical and mechanical hazards |
AS/NZS 8124.2:2016 |
Flammability |
AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2021 |
Migration of certain elements |
A report number is a straight answer. Wording like "meets safety standards" or "certified safe", with no report behind it, isn't one yet, so it's worth asking for the number. That's the same question we'd want you to ask us.
The Little Bunny tower was independently tested by Eurofins against all three, and passed each one (report EFHZ23102022-CG-01). Both the Bunny and the Fox designs were covered.
You can also read the testing details on the product page.
Can your child climb out of a learning tower on their own?
Yes. Once your child is confident, they can climb out on their own, including at the moment you've turned around to the sink. It's the ordinary consequence of a piece of furniture they can get into by themselves.
In practice this means a tower suits the times you're right there doing something together, rather than a place to leave a child occupied while you're elsewhere. Stay within arm's reach and actively supervise your child for the entire time.
Where will it live, and do you need a foldable learning tower?
Choose a foldable learning tower if it has to be packed away after each use. If the tower can stay in one spot in your kitchen, the footprint matters more than folding, so pick its spot before you buy rather than after.
The Little Bunny tower doesn't fold. It takes a 40 × 36 cm patch of floor and stands 86 cm tall, and it stays where you put it, because the frame is built to be turned over and used as a table and chair. If you need a tower that disappears after every meal, a foldable model will suit you better.
In the kitchen shown here, the tower is parked against the cabinets rather than left in the middle of the room. Treat that as one household's example, then measure the bench top and the lowest underside in your own intended spot.
In practice, two spots tend to work: a corner of the kitchen that isn't on the main walking path, or against the end of an island where it's out of the way but close enough to pull across when you're cooking.
What does a 3-in-1 learning tower turn into?
A 3-in-1 learning tower works as a tower and also changes into other furniture. The Little Bunny tower turns over to become a table and chair, and it also comes with a chalkboard.
- As a tower, your child stands at bench height and takes part in what you're doing.
- As a table and chair, the same piece, turned over, for drawing, snacks or playdough at their own height.
- With the chalkboard, a surface to draw on that doesn't need to be packed up after every use.
Whether that matters depends on your house. If you already have a toddler table, the conversion is a nice extra rather than a reason to choose. If you don't, it's two pieces of furniture in the footprint of one, and that's worth weighing against the fact that the platform height is fixed, which is the direct consequence of the same design.
You can see it set up as a table and chair if you'd like a clearer picture of the change, or read whether a 3-in-1 learning tower is worth it for your home.
What should a learning tower be made of, and how much should it hold?
Learning towers are sold in solid timber and in plywood. Whichever you choose, the numbers worth comparing are the maximum load printed on the product's safety label and the test report behind its safety wording.
The Little Bunny tower is plywood: birch or basswood, depending on the batch.
We'd rather say that plainly than name one timber and have it be true only some of the time. Which one arrives depends on what was available when that run was made. If the timber matters to you for a particular reason, ask before you order and we'll tell you what's in stock. If solid timber is what you want most, that's a fair reason to choose a different tower.
The safety label on the product states a 75 kg maximum load. That's the figure printed on the label that ships with every tower, so the number comes from the product rather than from a sales page, which is exactly what you should be asking any seller for.
For the rest of the specifications, see materials and weight details.
What age is a learning tower for?
The Little Bunny Learning Tower is made for ages 1 to 5, always with adult supervision. That's the range on the safety label that comes with the product, and it's the range we publish.
The first few years are an especially active time for learning, connection and growing independence. A lot of what a tower is for is simply being included in what the adults are doing. What that looks like changes enormously across those years, and it's less about the tower than about what you're doing at the bench.
If you'd like ideas that match where your child is now, we've broken down kitchen jobs by age.
The published age range doesn't change the setup guidance above: keep hot and sharp items out of reach, position the tower close to the bench, and stay within arm's reach and actively supervise your child while they're using it.
What should you ask besides the price?
Check the current product listing for today's price, then compare what comes with it: the warranty, the returns terms, whether you assemble it yourself, and what happens if something goes wrong. Bunny and Fox are the same product in two designs, so the choice between them is about the look.
Price is the easy part to compare, and the least useful on its own. Four questions are worth asking whoever you buy from:
- What's the warranty, and how long is it?
- How many days do you have to return it, and who pays freight if you do?
- Does it arrive assembled, or do you assemble it?
- Can you buy replacement parts separately later?
Here's how we answer them for The Little Bunny tower:
- Warranty: a 2-year structural warranty, in addition to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. See our warranty policy.
- Returns: change-of-mind returns are free for orders delivered within Australia. Ask within 30 days of receiving your order, the tower needs to be unused, and we arrange the courier collection. See our return and refund policy.
- Assembly: an adult needs to fully assemble it before your child uses it. Our illustrated guides for the Bunny and Fox designs go through it step by step.
- Replacement parts: if you need one later, contact us with your design (Bunny or Fox) and the part you need.
Is The Little Bunny tower the right learning tower for you?
The Little Bunny tower is a good fit if you want a tower and a child-height table and chair from one piece, your bench works with a fixed 40 cm standing platform, and the tower can have a permanent 40 × 36 cm spot. It isn't the right fit if you need it to fold away or want the platform itself to adjust.
It's likely to suit you if:
- you'll use the table-and-chair mode or the chalkboard, not just the tower;
- you've measured your bench, and a 40 cm platform works at the spot you'll use;
- you want safety testing you can check, to named standards;
- it can live in one place between uses.
Another type may suit you better if:
- it needs to fold away after every use;
- you want to lower the standing platform as your child grows taller;
- solid timber, rather than plywood, matters most to you.
If it sounds like a fit, you can compare the Bunny and Fox designs in our Learning Tower range.
Which is better for a toddler: a learning tower or a step stool?
Neither is better overall. A learning tower and a step stool suit two different stages.
We've put the two side by side, with real measurements, in learning tower vs step stool.
Our two-step stool is 40 × 40 × 26 cm. It answers a later stage rather than being a lower-priced version of the same thing, so the question isn't simply which costs less. It's which setup suits your child and the task now.
If you're weighing up a stool, read how to choose a toddler step stool.
The Little Bunny tower at a glance
Every measurement here comes from the product itself or from the label that ships with it. The warranty and returns rows come from our published policies.
| Standing platform | 40 cm from the floor. Fixed, does not adjust |
| Platform to top of frame | About 45 cm |
| Overall height | 86 cm |
| Footprint | 40 × 36 cm |
| Maximum load | 75 kg, from the safety label |
| Timber | Plywood: birch or basswood, depending on the batch |
| Ages | 1 to 5, from the safety label |
| Climbing step | Unscrews and refits in three positions |
| Folds flat | No |
| Converts into | A table and chair, plus a chalkboard |
| Tested to | AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2023, AS/NZS 8124.2:2016, AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2021 |
| Tested by | Eurofins, for both the Bunny and Fox designs |
| Use | Indoor only |
| Safety rail | Removable, with a twist-to-lock fitting |
| Anti-slip pads | Four in the assembly pack, for floors that need extra grip |
| Assembly | By an adult, before first use |
| Warranty | 2-year structural warranty, plus Australian Consumer Law rights |
| Change-of-mind returns | Free on unused items within 30 days of delivery, for orders delivered in Australia |
| Price | Check the current product listing |
A quick checklist before you decide
- Height and fit. Have you measured your bench, and does the standing platform height suit it?
- Safety design and testing. Do you know the standard it was tested to, and the report number?
- Floor space and folding. Do you have a spot for its footprint that isn't in the walking path, or do you need a tower that folds?
- What it converts into. Will you actually use the second and third configurations?
- Materials and rated load. Do you know the timber and the rated maximum load?
- Beyond the price. Do you know the warranty, the returns window, and whether it arrives assembled?
If you can answer all six, you're choosing on the things that matter rather than on the photograph.
Common questions: How to choose a learning tower in Australia
Quick answers to what usually comes up next
What safety standard is The Little Bunny learning tower tested to?
It was independently tested by Eurofins against AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2023, AS/NZS 8124.2:2016 and AS/NZS ISO 8124.3:2021, and passed all three. The testing covered both the Bunny and the Fox designs.
What age is a learning tower for?
The Little Bunny tower is made for ages 1 to 5, always with adult supervision, which is the range on the safety label. The same setup guidance applies throughout that range: keep hot and sharp items out of reach, position the tower close to the bench, and stay within arm's reach and actively supervise your child while they use it.
Is the platform height adjustable?
No. The standing platform is fixed at 40 cm from the floor. What does adjust is the climbing step, which unscrews and refits in three positions, and the platform is fixed because the frame has to hold one geometry to turn over into a table and chair.
Does The Little Bunny learning tower fold?
No. The Little Bunny tower doesn't fold. The frame turns over into a table and chair instead, so plan a permanent spot for it: it needs a 40 × 36 cm patch of floor and stands 86 cm tall. If you need a tower that packs away after every use, a foldable model will suit you better.
How much weight does a learning tower hold?
The Little Bunny tower is rated to a 75 kg maximum load. That figure is printed on the safety label that ships with every tower, which is where you should want any seller to get their number from.
What warranty and returns come with The Little Bunny learning tower?
It has a 2-year structural warranty, in addition to your rights under the Australian Consumer Law. Change-of-mind returns are free for orders delivered within Australia: ask within 30 days of receiving your order, the tower needs to be unused, and we arrange the courier collection.
What is the difference between a learning tower and a step stool?
A stool lifts a child up. A tower lifts them up and puts a frame around them, which is what makes it usable for the length of time it takes to actually help with something. They suit different stages rather than being cheaper and dearer versions of the same thing.