The lowdown on highchairs Types of highchairs What to look for when buying Important safety notes The lowdown on highchairsWhen you’re starting solid food (and once your baby can sit up by himself), a highchair gives your child a safe place to experiment with tastes and textures. It also makes it easy for you to supervise meals – and clean up afterward.Highchairs come in a wide variety of styles and prices. Choose one that's sturdy and easy to clean; it needs to be durable enough to withstand several years of daily use. Your child may use a highchair until age 2 or 3.Basic highchairs will do the job, but some high-end models hold up better to wear and tear, and can be more useful in the long run.See which highchairs parents like best in BabyCenter’s Moms' Picks awards, or browse dozens of highchairs.Types of highchairsBasic metal- or plastic-frame highchairsThese models are fairly simple. Some are just molded plastic with harnesses; others have a bit of padding on the seat. Some have trays, others don't.
Pros: They're usually inexpensive and lightweight. Some fold, making them easy to move and store. Cons: They typically offer less comfort for a baby than other kinds, can have tough-to-clean nooks.Full-feature highchairsThese have all the features of basic models plus extras like well-padded seats, wheels, detachable trays, dishwasher-safe tray covers, and adjustable height and seat recline. Some models grow with your child, converting to a booster seat or or kid-sized chair.Portable and hook-on highchairsInstead of a freestanding highchair, some families choose a seat that attaches to the table or that straps on to a regular kitchen or dining-room chair. These hook-on chairs can free up space in tight quarters and tend to cost less than standard highchairs. And since they’re portable they’re useful for restaurants, Grandma’s house, and travel. On the downside, many hook-on chairs don’t work on every table, particularly if yours is extra-thick or thin or has a lip.Wooden highchairsWooden highchairs can be very appealing but may have drawbacks.
Often the seat is too deep and the footrest too low for an infant. And wooden trays are heavier and harder to clean than plastic. Still, they may have fewer crevices that can trap crumbs and spills, and some models convert to regular chairs as your child grows.What to look for when buyingImportant safety notesChildren can be badly injured by falling out of a highchair, so always supervise your child and keep the safety harness buckled. Follow the manufacturer's recommended weight and age limits if given.Hundreds of thousands of highchairs have been recalled in recent years for a variety of safety problems, including pegs that stuck out and caused lacerations, safety belts that came unbuckled, and seats that came loose. Before buying a highchair or using a secondhand one, check our Product Recall Finder.Vintage wooden highchairs are best used for decorative purposes only. Safety standards have changed over the years and though pretty, your heirloom chair may not be safe.What it's going to cost youStandard highchairs start at around $40 and run to about $200, with top-of-the-line models reaching $400 or more.
A hook-on chair or portable highchair costs about $25 to $100. Download our illustrated guide to highchairs2015. High chair buying guide. /cro/high-chairs/buying-guide.htm [Accessed May 2016]Stevenson, J. 2015. How to choose the best full-size high chair. /High-Chair-Reviews/buying-advice [Accessed May 2016]The high chair is one of those baby products that you will find yourself using well-past the toddling stage — because a 2-year-old learning to use utensils needs a wide berth. As for what you’re looking for in this fairly pricey investment? Five things: Easy to clean seat. Easy to clean tray. High enough so you don’t kill your back. And stable enough so dinnertime doesn’t become hospital time. Here are a few of the best seats for every decor and budget. Pros: Baby Gear Lab called the Seeding “one of our easiest chairs to set up right out of the box, just under 6 minutes, and earning itself a 7 out of 10 in ease of setup.” It will also accommodate kids from 4 months up to 3 years (or 45 pounds).
And The Nightlight gave it their top pick, saying that it “wowed” them in every category but “removable, cleanable straps; a flat tray bottom; parts made of environmentally friendly materials; replacement parts that are easy to get,” set it apart from from the competition. Cons: If you have a small kitchen, this may not be your solution. BGL says, “The Seedling struggled in our footprint and portability rating metric, earning only a 3 out of 10 when compared to the other chairs. It’s footprint was a whopping 726 square inches, whereas the Stokke Tripp Trapp only took up 396 square inches of space.” Height: Adjustable to 41.3 inches Max load: 45 lbs Pros: The Norwegian know how to design some furniture, even if it’s destined to get covered with strained peas. Baby Gear Lab touts the Tripp Trapp’s longevity, saying “It grows with your child with its easy adjustments and can hold up to 300 pounds.” (Of course, your adult son may not want to climb into his old high chair.)
Cool Mom Picks says, “The tray covers a large area and has a deep rim to catch spills, but the best part are the 6 tray-top templates it comes with so you can swap letters for numbers for animals.” Cons: Even cool designs can still topple over. “There is indeed a tipping possibility if the chair is on certain surfaces and if they can reach a certain part of the table,” says one Amazon reviewer. “So please, please make sure you do not fall into this category before buying this chair.” You’re also going to want to invest in the separate baby set for little ones. Max load: 300 lbs Safety harness: 5-point with separate baby set Pros: Consumer Reports gave BabyBjörn good ratings, although they found it a little tricky saying “this very small, lightweight chair will surprise you. Takes up remarkably little floor space, and folds up even smaller. There’s a steep learning curve with this chair, but once you get used to it, it’s easy to use.” And Baby Gear Lab thought that this chair was built from alien infant technology, saying, “When it comes to ease of cleaning, this chair blew away the competition, earning a perfect 10 out of 10.
It literally has no crevices for food to get caught in, no big base for food to land on, no cushions to stain, and no inserts to lift up or remove and machine wash.” Cons: “Some features are tricky — almost counterintuitive — to use,” says Consumer Reports who have doubts about the adjustable tray’s lack of movement and difficulty figuring out the folding feature. Other owners complained that it didn’t fit their toddlers, but CR said, “Although it looked snug, we were able to seat a mannequin representing a 3-year-old child (30 lbs, 38 inches tall). Max load: Up to 3 years old Safety harness: Tray functions as restraint Phil & Teds Poppy Pros: Its design doesn’t scream I live with a tiny thing that screams. Beyond the aesthetics, this high chair is dead simple to set up. Cool Mom Picks says, “There’s almost no assembly required, which means you just pop in the legs, pop in the baby and you’re pretty much ready to go.” They’re also big on the lack of seams, so “no wayward bits of organic avocado or quinoa can find their way to where they shouldn’t be.”
And Baby Gizmo talks about how the Poppy can grow with your kid, saying “The Poppy transforms into a “My Chair” for 3 to 5 years old (44 lbs) by removing the tray, crotch bar and half of the legs. A high chair that works as a sturdy toddler chair is thumbs up in our book!” Cons: An Amazon reviewer points out that because the tray isn’t adjustable, a few things may happen, “Food and utensils WILL drop into their laps and beyond. At some point a knee will pop up as they sit in power poses to show you who is boss. And, “You cannot shove them back against the chair and pin them securely in place (if you wanted to).” Max load: 44 lbs Phil & Teds Poppy ($120) Pros: For the price of a large pizza, this fully-functional high chair can be yours. And, unlike a lot of IKEAs modular torture puzzles, putting it together just means attaching the legs (Allen wrench included). One owner on Baby Center says, “The separate tray and chair pads are very inexpensive. Also the perfect chair for grandma’s house at that price!”
And an Amazon reviewer says “Sometimes I just lift the chair up and pour all the Cheerios right into the sink.” Pro tip: Take the baby out first.That blasted tray is awful! It snaps on so easily but is nearly impossible to remove,” says the formerly happy Baby Center customer. Other reviewers echo that sentiment, saying that the price is right, the design is cool, but that unadjustable tray is a dealbreaker. Max load: not available Pros: Brand new to the market, the 4moms chair will appeal to those who still wonder how magnets work — because that’s how you attach the tray. One Amazon reviewer noted, “I struggled with our old chair getting the tray on and off with one hand while holding my daughter. This one is VERY easy but still secure so baby won’t break free when in chair.” Other than using physics to secure your kid, it’s also easy to clean and has adjustable height. Cons: Some early complaints that the magnet isn’t as strong as it could be and the seat is difficult to adjust.
But that’s the price you pay for being a high chair innovator. Pros: It doesn’t have a seamless body, but the seat cover does pop out for cleaning. One Amazon reviewer says, “One of my favorite features of this high chair is its compact footprint when folded up.” Best of all for parents with infants, the seat can recline for bottle feeding. Or just cold chillin’. Cons: When it’s not folded up, the Contempo will engulf your kitchen. According to an Amazon customer, “The footprint is enormous. This high chair takes up 6 square feet of floor space (its legs are 2′ wide by 3′ long). This makes it impractical for a small kitchen.” And goes on to complain, “The tray is supposed to be easy to clean, with a top layer that pops off. However, because that top layer doesn’t fully cover the bottom layer (especially at the corners, where babies tend to put their hands), I always end up having to clean the bottom layer too. This means twice as much work!” This sounds like it could be solved with a chore chart, though.