Your baby will need a high chair after he reaches the age of four to six months, and you begin to introduce foods such as purees and little bits. While the major worry is what and how to feed your baby, having the correct baby chair for your needs can make the transition to solids go more smoothly.
Do You Really Need a Baby High Chair?
Yes, a high chair should be on your registry for a variety of reasons. High chairs are practical and assist in containing the mess that comes with introducing solid foods. Most importantly, they place your child in the ideal upright position for feeding, ensuring a safe and comfortable start to their lifetime relationship with food.
How to Choose a Baby High Chair
From the age of six months to three years, your child would use a high chair until he is ready to graduate to a booster seat. Consider the following factors when searching for a high chair to find the match for your household:
The amount of space you have: To feed your child as he sits in the high chair, you’ll need to be able to maneuver and reach. Smaller kitchens may benefit from a more simplified form, such as a portable high chair that attaches directly to the table or boosters attach to your dining chairs.
How long will you use it?: Consider how long you intend to keep your child in a high chair. Several chairs are converted into a booster seat or even an adult-sized chair to grow with your child.
How easy the high chair is to clean. When your baby reaches the age of a toddler, he will begin to learn to feed himself. Because there will be spills, splatters, and crumbs, you’ll need a high chair that’s easy to clean. Consider a high chair with removable pieces or materials that can be wipe for easy cleaning.
Comfortability. After all, a grumpy baby is unlikely to be interested in eating at all. A well-shaped seat or soft, machine-washable padding will keep the baby comfy and ready to eat and explore.
Safety. While purchasing any piece of baby equipment, keep your child’s safety in mind, especially when selecting the best high chair. Make sure your seat has a 3- or 5-point harness, good stability (if the chair has wheels, make sure they lock in place), a crotch post, and nothing that will pinch or grab on baby’s fingers and toes—or on yours.
Types of Chairs for Babies
Once you’ve determined that a high chair fits safety criteria and is easy to clean, it’s all about your family’s budget, style, and how you want to use your high chair. The following is a list of the several types of high chairs that are available:
Wooden high chairs: The classic is back in style, and the subtle finishes and clean lines work in almost any setting. Some are simple throwbacks, while others have modern features like adjustable height, reclining seats, and convenient storage foldability.
Portable clip-on high chair: These legless high chairs attach to most tables and provide a solid, safe perch for babies practically anyplace.
Plastic or metal frame high chair: A lightweight, modern frame high chair usually has an easy clean-up, wheels for portability, and a simple fold for storage. These are also some of the most cost-effective solutions.
Full-featured high chair: Some multi-purpose seats can be high chairs, cradles, and even swings in some cases. They come with all the bells and whistles, such as a reclining seat, a storage table, and casters for mobility.
Booster feeding chair: Do you need a feeding chair that doesn’t take up a lot of room? Attach a booster feeding chair to a dining chair that you already have. When your child is ready, she can draw up to the family table in these chairs, which usually come with retractable lap trays.
How To Choose The Best Baby High Chair
We conducted a poll of thousands of real families about their favorite baby products, then added our research and insight to the top high chairs they recommended. We believe you and your child will like at least one of these goods:
1. Graco Table2Table
This high chair can accommodate children of all ages, from infants to toddlers. Use the recline position to feed a baby when he is fresh new and at his tiniest. It can be used as a standard high chair or a booster once he can sit up. It’s also collapsible, weighing little under 18 pounds, and easy to throw in the trunk when traveling to Grandma’s house for the holidays. But that’s not all: the Table2Table also converts into a toddler table and chair, allowing you to use it for many years. It supports infants up to 40 pounds in the baby reclining and infant booster up to 60 pounds in the toddler booster and youth chair positions.
- Pros: Grows with baby, easy to store, lightweight
- Cons: Flimsy tray, only has two wheels
- Weight limit: Up to 40 pounds (high chair mode); up to 60 pounds (booster mode); up to 60 pounds (youth chair mode)
- Weight: 25.2 pounds
- Dimensions: 24 x 27 x 44 inches
2. Inglesina Fast Table Chair
We chose this option because of its versatility. This hook-on table chair, which folds flat while you’re on the go, is a hit with moms. It even has a carrying bag sewed into the bottom of the removable, machine-washable seat so you won’t lose it. It is suited for children aged 6 to 36 months and has a weight limit of 37 pounds.
- Pros: Folds flat, comes with carrying bag, highly portable
- Cons: Low weight capacity, hand-wash only
- Age/weight limit: 6 months to 37 pounds
- Weight: 4.2 pounds
- Dimensions: 14 x 17 x 11 inches
3. Peg Perego Siesta High Chair
This high chair conveniently changes to grow with your child from bassinet to toddler phase – it has a whopping nine-seat height and five reclining settings and is used from birth to 45 pounds. One of them is back, so you can use it to bottle-feed baby or have her hang out in the kitchen with you while you prepare supper. The soft insert may be wiped clean, and they can wash the tray in the dishwasher. When not in use, the entire chair folds down, making it easy to store in a closet — though, with the elegant, modern design, you might not feel the need. It folds down to just one foot wide by three feet high.
- Pros: Grows with baby, nine-seat heights and five recline settings, dishwasher-safe tray
- Cons: Crevices make cleaning more cumbersome, difficult to maneuver
- Weight limit: 45 pounds
- Weight: 24 pounds
- Dimensions: 29.75 x 23.75 x 41.25 inches
4. Cosco Simple Fold High Chair
The Cosco Simple Fold High Chair is proof that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a high chair: it folds flat for convenient storage and has a three-point harness to keep your child secure. The seat and tray can also be wiped clean. It’s also easy to move about because the entire chair weighs less than 14 pounds.
- Pros: Affordable, folds flat, three-point harness, lightweight
- Cons: Difficult to clean tray may not be close enough for younger babies
- Weight limit: 50 pounds
- Weight: 13.9 pounds
- Dimensions: 25.3 x 18.3 x 6.1 inches
5. Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair
The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is popular among What to Expect parents. With two exact height adjustments and three reclining settings, this model attaches to most dining chairs and can transition from a high chair to a toddler booster (with a 40-pound weight limit). It weighs less than ten pounds, so you may take it with you when you travel.
- Pros: Grows with baby, two height adjustments and three reclining positions, lightweight, space-saving
- Cons: Hard to clean, not as sturdy as some other models
- Weight limit: 40 pounds
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Dimensions: 20.47 x 24.02 x 21.65 inches
6. Joovy Foodoo High Chair
The Joovy is simple to operate; the tray may be inserted and removed with just one hand. The tray is large, which means spillage and crumbs are practically non-existent. While it folds up, it is one of the high chairs available and will take up some space in your closet or another storage place, so keep that in mind before buying. It is safe to use till your child reaches the age of 50 pounds.
- Pros: Oversized tray, folds flat, high weight capacity
- Cons: Large footprint, lots of crevices to clean
- Weight limit: 50 pounds
- Weight: 26 pounds
- Dimensions: 27.5 x 21 x 42 inches
7. Chicco Polly
When not in use, the Chicco Polly folds down to a compact 8 inches and can be wheeled into a closet, making it ideal for homes with little space. When it’s time to eat, the extra-large tray provides ample coverage to catch all of the spills and crumbs that inevitably occur. The only drawbacks? The tray is so big that it won’t fit in certain smaller dishwashers, and it can only hold up to 40 pounds.
- Pros: Folds compactly, has wheels, extra-large tray
- Cons: Tray won’t fit in standard dishwashers, has a low weight capacity
- Weight limit: 40 pounds
- Weight: 23 pounds
- Dimensions: 33 x 21.5 x 41 inches
8.Baby Jogger City Bistro High Chair
The Baby Jogger City Bistro High Chair folds flat with features of a comfortable seat, ample tray space, adjustable heights, calf support, and a five-point harness. The chair compresses to a paltry 80% of its previous size in just two steps, allowing you to store it by the refrigerator or tuck it away in a closet.
- Pros: Ample space, adjustable heights, five-point harness, folds compactly
- Cons: Wide footprint when in use, trays can be hard to clean
- Age/weight limit: 40 pounds
- Weight: 15.4 pounds
- Dimensions: 42 x 19.5 x 25.25 inches
9. Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair
You read that correctly: even adults can sit in this chic chair. This high chair can change into an extra seat with a weight restriction of 250 pounds in just 20 seconds. It also has several useful features that will make the life of parents easy with waterproof, stain-resistant cushions. a non-slip design; a harness that can switch between three and five points; and a dishwasher-safe tray
- Pros: High weight capacity, waterproof and stain-resistant, anti-tip design, secure harness, dishwasher-safe tray
- Cons: Expensive, difficult to store
- Age/weight limit: 6 months to 250 pounds
- Weight: 17.5 pounds
- Dimensions: 21 x 17.6 x 34.5 inches
10.Ciao! Baby Portable High Chair
A collapsible nylon high chair that allows you to dine with the baby almost anywhere, whether it’s at Grandma’s house for a backyard BBQ, an older sibling’s sporting event, or even a family camping vacation.
The lightweight chair has everything you need, from a tray with a cup holder to a five-point safety harness. Just wipe clean with water and tuck it into the supplied carry bag after mealtime is finish.
- Pros: Collapsible, the lightweight, included carry bag, wipes clean easily
- Cons: Not suitable for everyday use
- Age/weight limit: 35 pounds
- Weight: 4.63 pounds
- Dimensions: 23 x 23 x 32 inches
Your newest family member will soon require a seat at the dinner table. When choosing the best high chair for you, keep your space and lifestyle in mind so you can decide for your growing (and hungry) family.