Transform your baby’s mealtime into a stress-free and enjoyable experience with comprehensive reviews and recommendations of the best high chairs on the market.
Many people believe that a family who eats together stays together. But what if one member of the family is still a baby? Well, the solution is by purchasing a high chair! Using a high chair is typically the simplest way to ensure that your baby is securely seated for family dining.
Normally, highchairs may not be a top priority for newborn babies. At this point, whether you are bottle feeding or breastfeeding, your baby will most probably be in your lap. But once a baby gets closer to toddlerhood, a high chair becomes a necessity. It is quite beneficial if you are already planning to feed your baby more solid foods like pureed meat or mashed veggies.
Before we discuss the top-rated 5 high chairs, we have prepared important details you have to know about using high chairs for babies.
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At What Age Should a Baby Start Using a High Chair?
Usually, a baby ages 4 to 6 months old can already start by sitting on their own and eating solid foods. Hence, this would be the ideal age when a baby can start using a highchair. However, this may still vary as it will mainly depend on their capability, growth progress, and the type of high chair you have.
Why Have Babies Join Family Dining Together?
You might wonder why it is wise to use a high chair to get your baby to dine with the whole family. In fact, there are major benefits of having babies join the family while dining:
- Dining with your baby provides the parents with an excellent opportunity to introduce new flavors, tastes, spices, and aromas to them.
- When dining together, your child gets the opportunity to learn from adult interactions. This ensures that your baby is progressively hearing and absorbing different words. It is also a good platform for the kid to observe how people communicate with one another.
- Babies learn to copy movements before they can do so on their own. As they get older, they learn how to eat by watching and copying the adults with their movements.
When Can a Baby Sit In a High Chair?
To determine if the baby can already sit in a high chair, you can follow these tips. After placing your baby in a highchair, make sure that his or her head and neck are quite firm. Also to check that they do not need to be supported up with pillows. Babies can maintain this position for a minute or two initially in this developmental phase, but they feel weary if they are not yet able to hold the position alone.
If you observe their head droop to the side or their body contorting down when sitting, it is probably not yet time to put the baby in a high chair.
Does Your Baby Need a Highchair?
Generally speaking, if you want to help your baby gradually learn how to eat at the dining table with the family, the answer would be ‘yes’. For numerous families, highchairs are actually a necessity.
However, the final decision will be yours to make since you are the only one who truly understands your baby’s needs. All you need to do is offer a safe and comfortable environment for your baby to eat. Nonetheless, you must select a highchair that fulfills the needs of your family in terms of safety, cost, adjustability, function, and ease of maintenance.
Types Of Highchairs
To properly guide you in your search for the best high chair, here are the different chair types to know. This guide would be useful to determine which one is most ideal for your baby’s needs.
Standard Wooden Highchair
This traditional highchair option for babies has regained popularity. Its minimalist finishes and sleek lines complement the majority of homes. Several types have no frills, whereas others include modern features such as customizable height and reclining seats. These days, parents also favor convenient foldability for storage and transport.
Multifunctional Highchair
Some highchairs are quite versatile, and also serve as cradles and even swings. They typically have features such as an adjustable seat with a recliner, a tray table that can be stashed. They also have wheels for added portability.
Booster High Chair
Booster high chairs latch to standard dining chairs and do not occupy extra space. Conventional models lack back and front supports, thereby elevating the baby to regular table height.
Normally, a booster feeding chair can be simply strapped onto one of your current dining chairs. These chairs generally include removable lap trays, allowing your baby to come right up to the dining table once he or she is ready to eat.
Framed High Chair
This type of highchair can either be made out of plastic or metal. It is a lightweight, modern-style framed highchair that features easy maintenance and portability. It also boasts a simple folding function for convenient storage. Additionally, these high chairs are among the least expensive choices.
Convertible High Chair
Because they can work similarly to framed metal or plastic highchairs and can fold up into a booster once the baby becomes a little older, convertible highchairs will still be useful through the baby’s toddlerhood. Besides that, some models can even be used as standard dining chairs.
Portable High Chair
Portable high chairs are often leg-less and have a clip-on feature that helps secure certain types of tables or worktops. They also provide a stable and safe seat for babies practically anywhere, whether at home or in the car.
How To Choose a High Chair
Below are the factors to consider when choosing a highchair:
The Space Amount You Have in Your Home
Make sure that the space you have in your dining room can accommodate a highchair. You should be able to easily move and access the highchair so that you may feed your baby as he sits on it. Smaller dining areas may require a more compact version or a mobile high chair that mounts directly to the dining table.
The Serviceability and Portability of the High Chair
It would be a lot better if the baby can use the highchair from infancy to its toddler years to fully serve its purpose. Thus, you should look for high chairs that can transition from an infant chair to a toddler supporter and then to a regular dining chair.
Furthermore, portability is particularly useful for households with small dining rooms. Some conventional types of highchairs are difficult to store, meaning they will occupy significant dining room space.
High Chair’s Cleanup and Maintenance
Once your baby reaches the toddler stage, he or she will discover how to eat alone. However, expect that there will be a lot of messes, spills, and particles every time the baby eats, hence an easy-to-clean high chair would be ideal.
To ensure ease of cleanup, a highchair with detachable components or materials is preferred. This is because they may be effortlessly wiped down with a damp cloth and soap.
The Comfort of the High Chair
A baby is highly unlikely to get enthusiastic at meals if the high chair is not comfortable. Thus, if the highchair has a plush and machine-washable cushioning or seat, it will keep the baby relaxed and eager to eat and discover things while sitting in the highchair.
When To Stop Using a High Chair
Around the ages of 18 months to 3 years, most children start to move out of their high chairs. Although there is no specific age or period when a baby must discontinue using a highchair, there are some signs that may help you decide:
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When To Stop Using a High Chair
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High Chair Safety Tips
To ensure the safety of your child when using a highchair, it’s important to take precautions. Here are tips to ensure safe use at all times :
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Safety Tips For Using a High Chair
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Our List Of Best High Chairs + Opinion Reviews
As you browse the internet and visit multiple home improvement stores, the high chair options can be overwhelming. Fortunately, we conducted some research and applied the information provided above to narrow down the top high chairs that will meet your needs and preferences.
1. Best Convertible High Chair: Graco Blossom High Chair
| Graco Blossom High Chair (Best Convertible High Chair) | Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial | |
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The Graco Blossom High Chair features multiple seating configurations for infants to toddlers and can accommodate two children at the same time. It is one of the most versatile convertible highchairs, easily transforming from an infant high chair to a standard baby high chair, a toddler booster, and then a youth chair.
The luxurious leatherette seat pad on this mobile high chair is what we love about it because it is simple to keep clean and comfortable to sit on, and it can also be easily machine-washed. You will not have to worry when the baby grows as the footrest’s three-position feature can be adjusted. This high chair also has front wheels and lockable rear wheels to securely maintain its position whenever the baby is eating.
2. High Chair With The Most Versatile Design: Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
| Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair (Best High Chair With The Most Versatile Design) | Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial | |
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If you want a highchair that grows with your child and adapts to his or her needs, you might want the versatility of the Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair. It is indeed cozy, soft, and ergonomic, and it raises your baby’s height at the dining table. This allows for eye contact as well as a wonderful way to spend valuable time with the entire family.
What makes this highchair so appealing is its ergonomic design, which grows with your child from six months to adolescent years. It is a wooden item with a customizable seat and footrest. Furthermore, it offers a modern appearance and a variety of color options. This highchair may be used for purposes other than eating, which include drawing, playing with toys, and many more.
3. Best Swiveling High Chair: Joovy High Chair
| Joovy Highchair (Best High Chair Swiveling) | Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial | |
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Feeding your baby some solids is simple thanks to the innovative swiveling of the Joovy High Chair design. This highchair is designed for comfort, functionality, and compactness while yet accomplishing the task at hand. This swiveling high chair is clearly a breakthrough due to the addition of front wheels for convenient movement, a three-position reclining seat, and efficient adjustable tray solutions.
Our favorite features of this swiveling highchair include a swing-open tray that functions with one hand, a zero-assembly structure that folds easily, and a leatherette upholstery that can be thoroughly cleaned without the application of strong cleaning solutions.
4. Best Adjustable High Chair: Abiie High Chair
| Abiie Highchair (Best High Chair Adjustable) | Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial | |
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The Abiie High Chair is an adaptable highchair option with multiple seat and footrest adjustment options depending on the baby’s age and level of ability. You will notice that it is incredibly stable, providing the baby with a very safe highchair that will not tumble over. Other features we love include the no-tool adjustment settings, the removable and easy-to-clean plastic tray, as well as the comfortable, stain-resistant, waterproof, and washable padding.
This Abiie option is one of the most exceptional choices that provide the quality and adaptability to survive for decades even after your child no longer needs a highchair. This selection converts to a toddler chair, stepping stool, or even an adult chair with convenience.
5. Best For Travel: Bombol Pop-Up Booster
| Bombol Pop-Up Booster (Best Travel High Chair) | Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial | |
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If you are a travel person who takes care of a baby, you might appreciate the assistance of the Bombol Pop Up Booster. This chair is a unique travel seat that covers practically all adult seats, folds flat when not in operation, then opens with a single flick to turn into a stable and comfy toddler booster.
The primary benefit that we have observed in this pop-up booster is its ultra-lightweight construction. You can toss this booster chair easily in your backpack and carry it with you whenever you travel because it only weighs 2 lbs and can be folded down to the size of a regular book.
Final Thoughts
Looking for the right seat options for your beloved baby can be a confusing task. However, reviewing the above in-depth buying advice should help you understand the key aspects of owning and using a highchair. Hopefully, you should be able to select the best high chair that you, your family, and your baby will love!
We trust you enjoy this article. Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment.
Editorial Contributor & Author: Kimberly A
Original Published Date: 10-Mar-2023
Last Edited: 21-Dec-2022
The goal of Amazrock Brands Opinion Editorial here is to present practical, helpful, and knowledgeable suggestions or reviews for baby products to purchase throughout the huge e-commerce ecosystem. When it’s feasible, we update the links, but please be aware that offers can end and that all prices could change.