Choosing The Best High Chair For Your Child- A Buyer's Guide

Choosing The Best High Chair For Your Child – A Buyer’s Guide

Choosing the best high chair for your child can be overwhelming, especially with the huge number of them available on the market today. To make your choice, you need to consider the various features you and your baby need.

For example, you need to choose the best high chair from a safety, comfort, and sanitary point of view. You need to consider adjustability so that your child has space to eat, play, and grow. If you have a small home you also need to think about whether you need one that is foldable.

We appreciate that not everyone has the same available budget to buy their high chair which is why we have created a buying guide that includes one section on the best high chairs worth more than $100, and one for the best high chairs worth less than $100.

This buying guide looks at five different high chairs from different brands. We’re going to give you insights into all their individual technical features as well as an outline of what other parents truly think about them so that you can make an informed decision based on honest information.

At the end, we’ll come to a conclusion, giving you some information about most customers’ expectation when it comes to buying the best high chair for their child. We’ll also share our recommendation based on their features and value for money.

Before going into detail about each specific product, here is a list of benefits and things you should look out for when choosing the best high chair for your child.

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The Benefits Of Using A High Chair

Once you find the best high chair for your child, you’ll never look back. They come with a number of significant benefits, some of which include:

It Will Help Your Child Develop Various New Skills

High chairs have a become a must-have educational tool for babies and toddlers alike because they encourage the development of new behaviors and skills. They are designed specifically for your child to be able to eat, sleep, and play in them.

Aside from being an eating podium, the high chair you choose will help your baby develop:

  • Positive eating behavior
  • Table manners
  • ​Motor skills
  • Social skills

They’re Easier To Clean

Imagine trying to feed your child at the adult table or on the sofa. Aside from being extremely dangerous, the mess would be phenomenal. When you choose the best high chair for your baby, you’ll quickly find yourself grateful for the ease with which you can clean up.

Your Child Will Be Safer

A high chair is great to give you peace of mind. He’ll be strapped in with a harness, a crotch post, and be stable on four sturdy legs at your eye level.

Mother feeding the baby in high chair

It’s not only the perfect tool for you to feed him in, but also cook and get jobs done around your home knowing that he is out of harm’s way.

What You Should Look For

High chairs today come packed with features. There are four in particular that are crucial you consider when choosing the best high chair for your baby to make both your experience and his more enjoyable. These are:

Adjustability

You’ve probably heard that expression “children grow up so quickly”. Well, quite literally, they do, and your high chair needs to grow with yours if you don’t want to spend a small fortune every year replacing it.

The best high chair for your baby will have:

  • Adjustable straps
  • Various reclining positions
  • ​An adjustable foot rest
  • ​Numerous height positions
  • The possibility to fold and store away

Safety Features

There is no doubt that the most important aspect of a high chair is its safety features. You need to feel 100% confident that your baby can sit down and enjoy his meals, nap, and play time without any possibility of him hurting himself.

Make sure you choose a high chair that:

  • Has a 5-point safety harness
  • Has a crotch post
  • ​Is easy to move around
  • ​Has locking clips
  • Is stable and sturdy

Easy To Clean Material

Look for any nooks and crannies that could be difficult to clean. Aside from the fact that it will annoy you like you can’t imagine, food getting caught in the chair can be very unsanitary for your child.

In addition to the seat padding, look for a tray that is dishwasher friendly and opt for rubberized straps that you can clean with just a few wipes.

Comfort Features

Your child is not going to respond well to an uncomfortable chair. In fact, he will probably downright refuse to sit in it.

When shopping for the best high chair for your child, take him with you and put him in them to see how he reacts to them.

Toddler in high chair

Look for comfortable padding and straps. You should also ensure he has enough space to undertake his regular high chair activities, but not enough to wriggle out of his harness and hurt himself.

Best High Chair Over $100

If you’re lucky enough to be able to stretch your budget, we’ve compiled a list of three of the best high chairs worth over $100 that we recommend you consider choosing between based on their features and customer reviews.

Our three choices are:

  • The Peg Perego Siesta Highchair
  • The OXO Tot Sprout High Chair
  • The Graco Blossom 4 in 1 Convertible High Chair Seating System

Without further ado, here are the three high chair reviews for the over $100 category:

The Peg Perego Siesta Highchair

It would be hard to not incorporate the Italian-made Peg Perego Siesta Highchair on our list of best high chairs on the market today because of its incredibly stylish design and its huge variety of features.

The Peg Perego Siesta is part of a line of five high chairs and was designed with versatility, comfort, and safety in mind. Its most notable features include:

Features

  • Perfect for newborns and children of up to 45lbs
  • Made of 70% polyester and 30% cotton
  • ​Imported
  • ​5 reclining seat positions
  • 9 different height positions
  • ​Mar-resistant caster wheels automatically lock for safety
  • Extremely compact, standalone fold: 11 5/6 x 34 2/3
  • 5-point harness
  • Easily cleanable thanks to soft Prima Classe fabric
Peg Perego Siesta Highchair

Our Rating

Out of all the customers who reviewed the Peg Perego Siesta Highchair, the most of them left a great rating. Many customers highlighted how sturdy and adjustable it is, with one customer saying it is flexible enough for both her children, one of which is 6 months old and the other 2.

Parents love the footrest it comes with because it is very sturdy and also gives their child stability. Another positive feature many commented on was the ability to fold it up to a small size, which means you can store it if you want to clear some space in your home.

Some customers mentioned the fact that the front wheels are fixed and the back ones not, making it very hard to maneuver. Others found that the automatic latches on the wheels stopped working numerous times.


The OXO Tot Sprout High Chair

The Tot Sprout High Chair by OXO is comfortable, safe, stylish, and designed to stand the test of time thanks to its ability to adjust as your child grows. Most practical in larger homes, this high chair is great if you are looking for something solid and well manufactured.

Tried and tested by many, the OXO Tot Sprout High Chair comes in a variety of colors and its most prominent features include:

Features

  • Perfect for children of 6 months to 5 years old
  • 3 levels of tool-free seat height and depth adjustability that grow with the child
  • ​5-point harness for added stability and security
  • ​One-hand removable tray
  • Removable cushions
  • Easily cleanable
OXO Tot Sprout high chair front view.

Our Rating

Recess in tray can contain over 7-ounces of spilled liquid and is slender for storage and stable when placed on table

Converts to youth chair when seat is adjusted to the lowest setting and crotch post, tray and straps are removed

Ships in Certified Frustration-Free Packaging

Of all the customers, the most of them left an excellent rating. One of the most prominent compliments this high chair received is that it is extremely easy to put together. Not only this, customers also highlighted the fact that it is very stable and sturdy once built.

One parent described it as “easy to handle” because the tray is removable with just one hand and although some received their chair with missing parts, both the Amazon and OXO customer care teams were very said the be very quick and efficient at resolving the problems.

Most people said they find the Tot Sprout High Chair very stylish and that it blends well with their homes. Also, despite its lack of wheels, the majority of customers find it easy to maneuver, and because of the molded chair, children can sit close to the tray, leaving less space for spillages.

Of those who left more critical reviews, a common problem is that the chair and seat cover are hard to clean and food gets stuck to the Velcro. One customer was disappointed with the quality of the seat fabric, stating that it started disintegrating within a couple of uses.


The Graco Blossom 4 in 1 Convertible High Chair Seating System

If you have numerous children of different ages, this may be the best high chair for your household. It is also the cheapest of our high chair reviews over $100, coming in at anywhere between $112 and $168 depending on the color you choose to buy it in.

Aside from its numerous functionalities and color choices, here are some of its most appealing technical specifications:

Specifications

  • Good for newborns and children of up to 60lbs
  • 4-in-1 baby high chair seating system and convertible high chair adjusts to your growing child's seating needs
  • ​Six height positions and three recline levels allow the feeding chair to adjust for easy feedings, including as an infant high chair
  • ​The innovative design allows you to seat two children simultaneously with a toddler booster seat and a youth high chair
  • One hand removable tray with dishwasher-safe, pull-out insert
  • ​Machine washable seat padding
  • ​3-position adjustable footrest
  • Removable seat back insert helps position your growing child at the table in a toddler booster seat
  • Front wheels and locking rear caster wheels
  • Convertible 3 and 5-point harness
Graco Blossom 4 in 1 convertible high chair.

Our Rating

Of all the customers that reviewed this Graco high chair, most of them left it a great rating, with many mentioning that after buying their first one, they bought another for when their children stay with grandparents or friends.

Nearly all customers highlighted the fact that their children love it and that they feel it is great value for money because of how adjustable it is. Most find it easy to move around thanks to the wheels and they feel it is very safe and sturdy.

A common problem that we found in the comments is the wheels. Many have found that the locks on them are temperamental or do not work. Also, few found that the seat material is not of the best quality and that the straps are difficult to secure especially with more active children.


Best High Chairs Under $100

Although the above are all great option, we do appreciate that not all of you can stretch to more than $100 for your child’s high chair. So, now that we have gone through the best high chairs worth over $100, here are few we would recommend if you have a tighter budget:

  • The Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 High Chair
  • The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

They also come with their own set of awesome features as well as some great customer feedback for you to make an informed decision. So, without further ado, here are the two high chair reviews for the under $100 category:

The Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 High Chair

It would be hard for the Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 High Chair to not make it on our best high chair for under $100 list seeing as aside from it being incredibly cheap, it has a mound of features and is awesomely stylish.

The Ingenuity team are known to create baby gear that helps parents of all kinds overcome the various parenting challenges they’re faced with everyday. Specifically, their Trio 3-in-1 High Chair is equipped with the below technical specifications:

Specifications

  • Good for children aged 6 months or older of up to 50lbs
  • 3 modes of use: full-size high chair, toddler chair, and booster seat
  • ​3 position seat recline in full-size high chair and booster modes
  • Machine washable seat padding​
  • ​"Grow with me" design − seat 2 children at once
  • Easily convertible
  • ​Removable tray has 4 locking positions to grow with baby and can be removed with one hand
  • ​Tray and insert are both dishwasher friendly
  • Built-in cup holders convenient for drinks or snacks
  • 3 and 5-point harness
Ingenuity 10515 Trio 3-in-1 SmartClean High Chair

Our Rating

The most customers rated this product as excellent. These customers loved it because it can, in fact, be used as a high chair and a booster seat. They also like how easy it is it to move around and found the lock-in wheels very practical.

The best part for many is that the high chair comes with two trays, one with a locking mechanism and one that is removable. Children are able to eat on the removable one and once finished, play on the second one while parents clean up.

Many were pleasantly surprised by the quality of this high chair considering how cheap it is compared to others. One customer was very impressed with its safety straps that are easily adjustable, removable and cleanable, and don’t leave any room for children to wriggle out of.

Of those who were moderately satisfied, many found it hard to assemble and that the picture instructions were inaccurate.

Other less complimentary reviews stated that the chair was quite narrow and the material used to make it seemed a bit cheap. A few customers left reviews stating that when they received their chair it came with a number of dents and damaged parts.


The Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

Our last and cheapest high chair reviews is the SpaceSaver High Chair by Fisher Price. We chose it because it offers most, if not all the features of other, full-size high chairs for half the price, in half the space, thanks to its compact design.

As well as coming in various colors and styles, some of its most impressive technical specifications include:

Specifications

  • BullePerfect for infants and toddlers of up to 50lbst Point 1
  • All the features of a full-size high chair in half the space
  • ​Easily customized for baby with 2-position height adjustments & reclining seat
  • ​Fastfinder link attaches bibs, toys, & more for easy take along
  • ​Removable seat back & tray (for toddler booster seat)
  • ​Dishwasher friendly tray
  • Secure, 5-point restraint
  • ​Padded seats
  • Straps easily to kitchen, dining, and restaurant chairs
Fisher-Price SpaceSaver high chair with a kid.

Our Rating

Although it does not have nearly as many reviews as the other high chairs listed in this buying guide, the most customers found that this high chair is an excellent product. Most customers, especially those with smaller homes and apartments, highlighted its compact size as a significant benefit.

Many were very satisfied with the fact that although compact, the high chair has three uses: cradle, infant, and toddler booster. Customers were also happy with the fact that the SpaceSaver high chair can clip on to virtually any chair without damaging it.

Customers find its two height positions and three reclinable positions beneficial and also find that securing their child with the 5-point harness is very painless. The number of features it offers for the price is something that most seem very impressed with.

Despite having mainly positive reviews, negative ones said that they received the product with missing screws and strap clips that do not fit properly. A few customers described it as cheaply made and flimsy, but overall the SpaceSaver high was given some of the best reviews.


Our Verdict

Choosing the best high chair for your child can be very challenging especially as there are so many to compare today. To top it off, experts predict that this market is going to continue to grow because of improved product quality and functionalities.

Our buying guide includes what we believe to be the five best high chairs on the market today, but even then, you can see that they also come with their own set of defects. Even today, the most common problems include stability, sturdiness, and durability.

Despite the positive customer reviews outweighing the negative ones, it is essential you weigh the pros and cons before making a final choice. Above all, you need the best high chair that will ensure your baby’s safety and comfort.

Toddler in high chair

With that said, if you’re looking for our opinion on which of the above is the best high chair for your child, we would have to suggest you opt for the Graco Blossom 4 in 1 Convertible High Chair Seating System or the Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair as both get the best reviews.

The one you choose between the two, however, will completely depend on your preference, budget, and requirements. For example, the Graco Blossom 4 in 1 Convertible High Chair Seating System is perfect for those of you looking for a high-end chair packed with features.

On the other hand, if your budget doesn’t allow for a high chair worth more than $100 the Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is awesome because it is a compact chair with multiple features that fits with all your current furniture.

Lastly, if you’re still unsure which is the best high chair for your child or just want to ask a question or leave a comment, drop us a line in the comment box below. You can also get in touch with us directly by visiting our “Contact Us” page.

Resources

Alpha Mom

Wikipedia​