The 10 Best High Chairs
Special Honors
Lalo The Chair This sleek wooden model is thoughtfully designed to include a removable tray that’s safe for the dishwasher, a stain-resistant cushion, and a set of extra wooden legs that can convert it into a play chair. It also comes with a safety harness, a belly bar, and a footrest. It’s backed by a 100-day money-back guarantee, and is available in four colors playfully named after foods: coconut, grapefruit, blueberry, and licorice. meetlalo.com
Editor's Notes
August 16, 2020:
Today we added the Stokke Tripp Trapp to the list, as this model offers a lot of value for the price. This Scandinavian design is made to grow with your child and can even be used into adulthood. It’s constructed from quality European beech wood and offers a depth- and height-adjustable seat and footplate. Since it doesn’t incorporate a tray, your youngster can be situated right at the dining table with the rest of the family. It includes a removable baby seat and is available in a dozen colors. In this update, we also added in the Baby Trend Sit Right, which is a popular choice thanks to its compact steel frame that stands freely when folded. It’s quick and easy to assemble, is JPMA-certified, and can accommodate children of up to 40 pounds. Its cheery fabric features an assortment of friendly jungle animals. To make room for these two new models, we removed the Boon Flair and the Baby Bjorn, both of which many parents feel are not large enough for their needs.
If you like the design of the Tripp Trapp but prefer one that incorporates a tray, consider the Abiie Beyond. It’s suitable for babies ages six months and older and, like the Tripp Trapp, can even be used into adulthood, and is easy to transform from one stage to the next. This highly practical wooden high chair has stain-resistant cushions that are a cinch to wipe clean and a detachable tray that can be placed in the dishwasher. Families who enjoy camping or frequent backyard barbecues will appreciate the Ciao! Baby Portable which, as its name implies, is compact and lightweight, and is easy to fold up to transport to your destination. Its tray features a cup holder, and the wide base keeps it nice and stable. In today’s update, we kept the Peg Perego Siesta in the number one spot, as it’s hard to beat when it comes to durability, versatility, and safety. It offers a whopping nine height settings and five reclining positions to keep your child comfortable for activities like eating, coloring, and more. It’s a breeze to move around, as needed, thanks to its smoothly rolling wheels that lock, and its integrated storage bag is great for keeping bibs or baby utensils on hand at all times.
For safety’s sake, it’s best to go with a high chair with a low center of gravity that will not tip over easily. Be sure to strap your child in at all times during use, and keep the chair far enough away from the table so your child cannot kick the table and cause the chair to topple. Always supervise your baby closely during mealtimes, and never let him or her climb in or out of the chair independently.
April 25, 2019:
Choosing the best high chair can be difficult because it really depends on what kind of features you are looking for. We placed the Peg Perego Siesta in the top spot for it's excellent safety record and high quality materials, plus the wide range of recline options is perfect for younger babies taking their first bite and older kids who might nod off during a longer meal.
But parents looking for a choice that takes them well into the toddler years will prefer choices like the Graco Simple Switch or the Ingenuity Smart Clean because they convert into a separate booster, extending their useful life. The Boon Flair and Baby Bjorn options are also included on this list, because what they lack in bells and whistles, they make up for it in style, for style-conscious parents.
Getting A Great High Chair
Of the several factors to be weighed most heavily when choosing a high chair, safety always comes first.
A high chair is one of the most important purchases a parent or caregiver makes on behalf of the youngster in their charge. Like a crib, a car seat, or a changing pad, a high chair is an item a child will use almost every day of his or her life.
At each different price point, you will see different features available, but price does not necessarily denote more inherent quality. Some families might want an elegantly simple high chair made largely from wood and with minimal adjustment features, for example, while others might treasure a chair's capability to be rapidly reconfigured in dozens of ways.
Like most objects encountered in life, a high chair cannot be all things to all people. That is to say that some high chairs are conveniently portable, but may be slightly wobbly, while others are stable but hard to transport; other high chairs might be ideal for infants needing extra support and padding, yet they may be quickly outgrown. Therefore, selecting the best high chair for your home (or daycare center) means considering how and where a high chair will be used and taking into account the age of the chair's likely primary user.
Of the several factors to be weighed most heavily when choosing a high chair, safety always comes first. If you are buying a chair for a small child, then a harness system is a must. Kids lacking the muscle control or judgment to stay seated upright in their high chair must have their position maintained by a harness.
Next, consider the motor control and disposition of the child. For the calm child capable of using his or her hands well, consider a high chair with a tray that can be easily removed, allowing the youngster to be seated right at the table with the rest of the family. For kids who tend to throw things about or who simply need a little extra help not making a mess, a high chair with a tray featuring sections to hold food and toys in place is a must.
Portability is another important factor if you will need to bring your child's high chair along with you when you travel or visit friends or family. Some high chairs can be folded flat for very easy transport; others have rigid and inflexible frames and are intended to be left in one place. If you can afford to buy one of each options -- a lightweight and foldable chair for use when away from home and a more substantial chair in the kitchen or dining room -- that's ideal.
Proper High Chair Safety
The best way to ensure a child is safe in his or her high chair is simply to use the chair according to its specifications. Make sure your child is neither too small nor too large for a given high chair -- the weight and height ratings that accompany a high chair (or any other item, for that matter) are not arbitrary, but rather are based on careful testing and established data.
A child should be seated and facing forward while in these units; any other position can render the chair off balance and unsafe.
Also, be sure that you understand how to properly setup and use a high chair; take the time to read through any and all instructions, and don't put a child into the seats until you know how its harness and straps are secured and adjusted.
Be wary of where you place a high chair: this means not putting a chair near a wall, heavy table, or counter off of which a child could push, potentially causing their chair to topple over. (It's fine to move your child to the table for a meal, provided an adult is nearby and watching carefully.) Also, be aware what other features of the home a high chair might put in arm's reach, from outlets to knife blocks and more. Consider using a nonskid pad underneath the chair if its rests on a smooth surface that allows it to slide about too easily.
And never let your child stand on, turn around in, or otherwise improperly use his or her high chair. A child should be seated and facing forward while in these units; any other position can render the chair off balance and unsafe.
A Few High Chair Accessory Ideas
Many modern high chairs have multiple accessories and additional components available for purchase. These items have been specifically designed to work with a given chair, providing anything from a compartmentalized eating tray to a softer seat pad to a play item that attaches to the chair. But with a bit of imagination, it's easy to update and add to a high chair without having to stay "in brand" to do so.
It will catch scraps of food and can then be easily gathered up and carried away for laundering, leaving the surrounding floor clean.
If your child's high chair has a flat area on its attached tray, then any object secured by a suction cup can be safely affixed to the tray. You can attach a toy for the child to enjoy when not eating or a suction-mounted bowl to minimize the risk of spills during a meal or snack, for example.
Simple file clamps can be used to affix sheets of paper to the high chair's tray, allowing a child to color and doodle without knocking their paper aside. This can also work for securing a placemat.
And for the extra-messy eater, consider perching the high chair atop an old fitted sheet. It will catch scraps of food and can then be easily gathered up and carried away for laundering, leaving the surrounding floor clean.