High chairs visually mark parenthood like nothing else – suddenly, the neat symmetry of your dining table is disrupted by incongruous infant contraptions that spell the end of romantic meals for two.
But they're also the start of a joyous period of social eating, when your children sit unaided, and can join you at the table to share the meals of the day. There’s no more holding your baby on your lap while you eat; no more baby bouncer taking up room and tripping you up on the floor. This is the start of your children fitting into your family life just like mini-adults – albeit very, very messy ones.
It’s safe to say that your kids will love their new role at the head of the dining table, and so will you – as long as you choose the right high chair. Attempting to live without one would be near-madness, so it's worth spending a bit of time finding the one that best fits your family's needs. Here we round up the best high chairs from £10 to £200, and run you through everything you need to know to help you pick the right one for you and your baby.
How to pick the right high chair for you
What types of high chair are there?
There are three basic types of high chair available:
- The stand-alone highchair: This is the most popular, traditional and adaptable type. It will take the place of one of your dining chairs, so you may need to think about where you'll put that. Most models will come with a tray, which can be removed when the child is old (and co-ordinated) enough to eat off the table. More expensive models can change with your child's development. For instance, there are newborn mattress attachments, which can be put on the base and used as a cot before they can sit at the table; infant fittings for when the child can sit up on their own; and then toddler fittings for when they can climb into them on their own.
- The chair-mounted booster seat: This straps onto your dining chair, so you'll need to check they work together. This will save you from having to find a place for your dining chair, and some chair-mounted seats can even double as floor seats for infants, saving you more space and money.
- The table-clamped chair: These literally clamp on to your table with a material chair hanging down from the frame. They're space-efficient and great for taking on trips since most pack into a tiny space.
How long will a high chair last for?
It's worth bearing in mind that children can eat on adult chairs from around two years (and many will be eager to do so), so if you begin weaning at six months, then that's just a year and a half's usage. Not anywhere near as long as you'd hope to get from a buggy, so the top-end prices can be hard to justify. All high chairs will take children up to three years, and some stand-alone highchairs can seat your kids up to adulthood, but you – and they – may want to get an adult chair just like the rest of you long before that.
What essential features should I look out for?
Children are messy when they start eating – they've never done it before – so a good wide tray is useful for the first few months to prevent your painstakingly created baby-food ending up on the floor in a few seconds. They quickly get the hang of it and you can then whip off any tray (if it comes off – see the reviews below for details), leaving them to join you eating on the table itself. It's worth noting that most table-clamped chairs don't have trays and, of course, they'll be gaps between your baby and the table so most food will fall on their lap and then onto the floor. All the chairs can be cleaned with a cloth and antiseptic spray.
Can I get a high chair that doubles as a baby bouncer?
Some of the most expensive high chairs will be multi-use "systems", claiming that they'll save you money as you won't have to buy bouncers, floor seats, and so on. This is partly true, but generally they'll be less flexible around the house than having a few different items. And do you really want to carry an ungainly chair up the stairs while caring for a baby, rather than just carry your baby up the stairs to a separate bouncer in their bedroom?
How much do I need to spend?
As with most baby-related gear, the sky’s the limit. You don’t have to spend megabucks, though. Prices range from Ikea's excellent £13 metal-and-plastic high chair, all the way up to £200 for Evomove's Nomi system, and all have their benefits for different families. If you’re not sure which suits you best, then have a read through our bite-sized reviews below.
The best high chairs to buy from £10
1. Ikea Antilop: The best high chair on a budget
Price when reviewed:£13
Alongside Mothercare's similar-looking highchair, this is probably the most-seen highchair at the table, and even more so at restaurants. Why? It's cheap, functional, comfortable and easy to clean. So what's not to like? Well, not much really – it's certainly easier to assemble than many Ikea products. The chair comes in one piece and you can then clip on the tray if needed; the legs pop in to the seat.
The Antilop tray is narrow at the sides – as all highchairs aim to minimise space, it won't catch morsels dropped at 90 degrees to the table – unlike Mothercare's Fruit Salad high chair, which has a wider side-tray. But the Antilop tray can be removed so your child can join you at the table for the few months before they start sitting on a grown-up chair. For £6, it's worth adding the Pyttig supporting cushion to keep your baby snug when they've just started eating.
The Antilop's simple shape means that all-important cleanability is excellent and removing the legs makes it pretty easy to take on trips too.
Key features – Age range: six months – three years, Weight: 2.8kg, three-point strap, detachable tray, one colour option
2. Mountain Buggy Pod Portable Highchair: The best clip-on high chair for travel
Price when reviewed:£45
There are several table-clamping highchairs on the market, with not much to choose between them in terms of functionality and quality. But Mountain Buggy's model is particularly sturdy and simple. The clamps swivel so you can pop it in its tiny 34 x 31 x 4cm bag. Its tough material is easy to clean and will happily be scrubbed with washing-up liquid without damaging its look. The great thing is that from six months you can have your child right at the table with you.
A downside is that there's no tray and so food can either be dropped in the gap between them and the table or over the sides; if you have a carpeted floor, it isn't a great choice. But it takes up hardly any space, looks smart and kids love swinging in it while they wait for you to get their dinner ready.
Key features – Age range: six months – three years, Weight: 1kg, three-point harness, fits in carry bag, three colour options
3. BabyBjorn High Chair: The best for simple functional style
Price when reviewed:£155
One thing that sticks out with this chair is that there are no straps for your child. But anxious parents should have no fear. The attached tray swings up and snaps rather like the bar in a fairground waltzer to create a safe restraint for baby.
This tight fit also ensures that food rarely falls between them and the tray. The tray can't be removed, so they won't be able to sit right at the table, but for most parents, this is the point at which they can start sitting on an adult chair anyway. The fold-down tray also means you don't have to lift your child as high to put them in, something you become very grateful for after a few months. It's a minimal, almost space-age design and folds down to 25cms thick; plus the clean lines make it very easy to wipe down.
Key features – Age range: six months – three years, Weight: 5kg, no harness required, fold-down tray for easy access, folds to 25cm wide, two colour options
4. Stokke Tripp Trapp: The best high chair for long-term use
Price when reviewed:£169
This is a brilliant design solution from – where else – Scandanavia. And it's tried and tested, having been invented in 1972 by Norwegian Peter Opsvik. With optional extras, you can fit your newborn in a cosy little bed (£75) before they go into the toddler seat (£37), and finally get to climb up and use the chair on their own from around two years.
The chair will fit in with most dining tables with the choice of colours on offer. It sits at the high end of the market (although the extras are half the price of the Evomove Nomi) so you'd expect quality; these chairs last very well, born out by eBay resale values approaching £100. They're also fully adjustable, so it will grow with your child into adulthood, unless you can get them out of the house before then.
Key features – Age range: newborn – teenager; Weight: 6kg, three different seat fittings, fully adjustable, 12 colour options
5. Evomove Nomi: The best luxury high-chair system
Price when reviewed:£200
The Nomi won the 2017 Mother & Baby Gold award and it's easy to see why. Like other top-end models, the clever design uses its base as a unit upon which you can connect different (and pricey) attachments for your child, from the £119.99 Nomi Baby mattress for newborns, to the £39.99 Nomi Mini toddler's seat, and then to the included child's high chair, with all the style of a designer bar stool.
Yes, it's expensive, and when you add in the mattress and toddler seat you're topping £300, so this is only an option if you have the money for this level of functionality and style. The baby mattress is an impressive new development, though, allowing you to have your newborn with you as you chop and peel in the kitchen – rather than being in a bouncer on the table, or in a front carrier where they're happy but also obscuring your view of your preparation.
Key features – Age range: newborn – teenager; Weight: 5kg, three different seat fittings, fully adjustable, five seat and four frame colour options
Buy the Evomove Nomi from Evomove.com
6. Bumbo Multi Seat: Super-flexible and super-affordable
Price when reviewed:£50
This is a innovative solution, since it's affordable, can fit on one of your dining room chairs, and even be used as a floor seat before they're crawling. It comes with a clever tray, which is stored at the rear of the seat and can be clipped in when needed at the front. This seat should get your baby up to the level of the table, allowing them to join in at dinner times.
The small tray – which won't catch all of the mess from your baby, so you'll need something to catch any spills over carpet – can be left at the back, so the baby can use the table just like the rest of the family. It's a cinch to lift them up onto the chair for eating times, and the neat straps that run behind and under the chair spring back in to the chair body like a seat belt to keep things tidy. A very neat and well-thought-out solution.
Key features – Age range: six months – three years; Weight: 1.9kg, doubles as floor seat, uses existing dining chair, tray can be stored behind seat, five colour options