When my kids were babies, the right high chair could make or break mealtime—and nobody wants a hangry baby or toddler. A great high chair not only fits your space and budget, but it actually makes meals and cleanup easier. To find the best high chairs for different families, Forbes Vetted’s panel of eight parent testers (including myself) evaluated a total of 20 top chair models in our homes with our own kids. After sifting through all the insights, the overall winner is the Mockingbird High Chair for its intuitive operation, hassle-free cleaning, sleek design and easy adjustments. That said, our testers discovered several other excellent high chairs—and agreed that no single model meets every family’s needs perfectly.
To help you find the right seat for your kid and home, we selected a range of winners:
The best high chair for babies supports their back and feet, allowing them to be comfortable and relaxed while eating. “While you’re feeding your baby, you don’t want them to have to work,” says Dr. Mary Aitken, pediatrician-in-chief at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston. “If they’re struggling with trying to sit up and also eat at the same time, it’s too hard for them—and it could be a choking risk, too.” After testing each chair for ease of use, ease of cleaning, ergonomics, additional features and other criteria, we found the best high chairs—including convertible options and choices for various budgets.
Our testers—including myself—give this chair high marks for being ergonomic and especially easy to clean. With its smooth round design and no fabric, the Mockingbird High Chair wipes down easily. I like the size of it, too—the base is not overly wide, and it fits pretty well in my narrow New York City kitchen.
Easy Ergonomics
Child health experts usually recommend that new eaters sit in what’s called a “90/90/90” position. “We would start by having feet flat on the footrest (this may be difficult for 6-month-old babies), ankles at 90 degrees, knees at 90 degrees and hips at 90 degrees,” says Danielle Zold, a pediatric registered dietitian. “This posture allows for the best support so babies can focus on the food in front of them, not on staying upright.”
Getting that posture is dependent on an adjustable footrest, and the Mockingbird High Chair not only has a nice sturdy footrest but one that’s particularly easy to move as your baby grows—no tools required. I found this process significantly easier than other chairs, like the Stokke Tripp Trapp, which is also excellent for ergonomic positioning but requires more unscrewing and effort to change the footrest position.
When your child is big enough, the chair converts to a full-size booster chair, giving them a place at the table that still has a footrest to support shorter legs and a rounded back that might encourage some little kids to stay seated. However, the bucket seat runs a little small, something other testers noted as well. That means you may need to transition your little one to the toddler seat configuration before caregivers are ready to give up on a harness and tray.
Quick Cleanup
Every part of this high chair is easy to clean, and the smooth rounded seat means there are fewer crevices for crumbs and spills to hide in. The straps are a smooth silicone that makes them fast to wipe down, and there’s a spot to hook them out of the way when you need to clean up the rest of the seat. It has a detachable tray liner that’s dishwasher safe, although many parents I spoke with say they typically prefer to simply wipe off the high chair tray or give it a quick rinse.
Sturdy But Slides When Needed
The Mockingbird High Chair has a sturdy base and an anti-scratch surface to protect your floors, but no wheels or the ability to fold. One of our testers praised how easily she could slide it across her floor, but in my kitchen, it occasionally got stuck on the grout lines of the tiled floor. “Once I got this set up, I wanted to leave it set up,” says a third tester. “This feels like a high chair you build and then keep in the corner until you’re done using it.” So, it might not be the best pick for families who want a chair that can be easily moved from room to room.
All high chairs in the U.S. must meet certain anti-tip standards, but this one is exceptionally solid and robust on that front. That’s something I appreciated when I accidentally moved the high chair close enough to the table for my son to be able to grab it—he could slide the whole chair around, but didn’t seem in any danger of tipping over.
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The Stokke Tripp Trapp is an extremely popular chair and a close runner-up to the best overall high chair. It comes recommended by many parents as well as many experts like Zold and Katie Montell, a baby gear expert. It has lots of footrest and seat positions, allowing your child to get ideal posture from the introduction of solid foods onward, and it not only grows with your child physically but is also durable enough to last for many years. “We’ve been using it for five years and counting and it’s still in pretty pristine condition,” says one Forbes Vetted mom.
I like that you have the option to get it with or without a fabric cushion, that it comes in several different colors of finish, that it has a fairly compact footprint—and more. Keep in mind that you’ll need to purchase the tray for the high chair separately or as part of a bundled set as the base model comes with just what you see above. The look of the chair often gets praise, too. Designed by a Norwegian industrial designer, it has a somewhat minimalist look that best fits with Scandi or Mid-Century Modern décor, but if you have a more traditionally decorated home, at least this chair is low-profile and doesn’t scream “baby.”
A Great High Chair For Big Babies And Older Toddlers
A common piece of feedback I’ve gotten from a number of our parent panelists is that many high chairs don’t accommodate bigger babies as readily—but I can confidently say that this chair is a good match for older babies and certain toddlers who aren’t quite ready to go without straps and their own tray.
I recently got this chair as part of our testing project and used it with my 3-year-old son, who weighs a little over 30 pounds. For the sake of testing, I was able to sit him in the configuration with the between-the-legs restraint, five-point harness and tray. Though he wasn’t uncomfortable, it was a very tight squeeze. I found the straps easy to buckle and the whole thing easy to clean. I did have a bit of a learning curve with removing the tray—I found that if you slide it in a little bit wrong it’s harder to unclip. (Other parents on online forums also reported this issue.) But once I got the hang of it, it wasn’t really an issue.
Most kids that age—including my son—are well-equipped to sit in a seat without straps. So I decided to transition the chair to a boosted child seat. He can still sit with his feet supported right up at the table with the grownups and also get in and out of the chair himself. It sides easily in and away from the table on the hardwood floor. You can continue to use the seat cushion on the toddler configuration for kids that prefer more padding, but again, it’s sold separately.
Younger babies are equally comfortable in this chair. The mom of a 6-month-old also called the Tripp Trapp her favorite, and several other parents I interviewed told me they had no problems getting their kids under the age of 1 year old into or out of the chair.
Assembly Required
Myself and another tester did find that the Stokke Tripp Trapp does require more assembly than some of the other chairs we’ve used. Also, when it’s time to reposition the footrest or seat, you need to unscrew more of the high chair to make adjustments than the Mockingbird, our best overall pick.
Finally, Montell notes that some baby dishes and plates that rely on a suction cup don’t stick as well to the Tripp Trapp’s slightly matte tray. If you run into this issue, she recommends considering one of the smooth tray covers that are sold on Amazon.
If you’re looking for a sturdy, multifunctional high chair that’s generally more affordable, I recommend the EvenFlo Rightseat. For under $200, it has many of the same features as more expensive chairs, including an adjustable footrest, a compact footprint and easy to clean surfaces.
Grows With Your Kid Easily
I had no problem fitting my 3-year-old into the chair with the tray and harness, although he’s also old enough to use the toddler seat—which means a lot of options for growing kids. His feet were well positioned, despite fewer footrest positions—but I do plan to gather more data about how well this chair works with younger children.
Not only does the EvenFlo Rightseat convert to both a boosted toddler chair or a big-kid youth chair, it’s easy to make the switch. You remove the baby bucket seat by unscrewing a nice big knob at the back of the chair and sliding it right off. To move the seat and footrest, there are easy-to-grasp knobs that you pull inward to release—then they pop right into place when you line them up with the slots of your desired height. I really like how easy both these two elements are to adjust.
On the other hand, the high chair’s tray is a little harder to remove and put back on. It requires two hands and pushing pretty hard on tabs on each side to release the tray. To put it back on, you need to be precise about lining up the tray’s groove with the outer rim of the bucket seat. The tray is “top rack” dishwasher safe—but that’s a lot of real estate for your top rack. I’ve found it easier to keep the tray in place and simply wipe it down with a shop rag, and it cleans up nicely. The opening is still big enough to lift your child out, even with the tray attached.
If you’re looking for a high chair that does a lot but doesn’t cost quite as much, the Graco Blossom 6-In-1 Convertible is a good choice. Of course, there are cheaper options out there, but we think this chair offers families a great value. As the name suggests, it not only has six potential configurations total, but there are a few configurations that let families separately seat both an older toddler and younger baby at the same time—effectively giving you two chairs at once.
In terms of cleaning, the tray liner can be cleaned in the dishwasher (although it’s pretty big). The fabric cover is easy to remove and throw in the washing machine, reliably coming out of the wash stain-free during testing.
Many Good Seat Options
In addition to being a traditional high chair, it offers a backward recline for infants, you can strap the tray and 5-point harness configuration to a regular dining chair, use the toddler booster on its own, or use the base on its own as a youth seat that holds up to 60 pounds.
The footrest has several positions, and one of our testers tried the high chair with both a 6-month-old and an 18-month-old, and reported that both kids could sit in the ideal 90/90/90 position. However, it’s worth noting that attaching either seat version to an adult chair means your child won’t have access to a footrest, so their feet will dangle.
Some Small Drawbacks
Although our tester found that this chair wheels around the room quite easily, the Graco Blossom does have quite a big footprint and doesn’t fold for storage. So, it might not be the best bet for smaller homes. Additionally, our tester didn’t love that some of her kid’s dishware didn’t fit nicely with the tray’s divided sections.
Lastly, over the course of a year of use and many laundry cycles, she did note that the clips that hold the fabric to the seat began to show wear and warp. However, she says that the fabric is also fairly easy to wipe down, so you might be able to prolong the life by cleaning smaller messes that way.
If you want all the configurations of the Graco Blossom but prefer a more minimalist look, consider this newer chair from Momcozy that offers many configurations plus a sturdy wooden frame. With few crevices for food to hide in, this chair is easy to clean. Plus, the entire harness is machine washable and the tray can be cleaned in the dishwasher (although there’s no separate tray liner).
Great Longevity
The wide seat and plenty of footrest options mean this chair can accommodate bigger babies and toddlers who still need straps. You can use it with a tray, or take the tray off and push this chair up to the table and your baby can eat without it. Once your little one can sit on their own (and you feel confident they’ll stay put), the Momcozy DinerPal converts to a youth chair that holds up to 308 pounds. The child seat has adjustable heights—so smaller kids can sit at the table without a booster seat, something one tester and mom of two says she appreciated.
It also has the option of converting to a learning tower that lets kiddos stand at counter level, just add the safety bar to the back. We also like that the beechwood is Forest Stewardship Council certified (FSC), meaning it’s harvested sustainably and in ways that don’t contribute to deforestation.
Though we like this chair for its longevity, after long-term testing, our tester found that it’s not the best option for a 1-year-old or 2-year-old toddler that still needs to be buckled in. As kids get bigger, it gets more difficult to fit them into the chair, so this in-between period when they still need the tray and straps can be tricky.
If you’re willing to splurge and want a chair that looks and feels high-end, the Maxi-Cosi Kiskadee is worth a look. It also lets parents rotate the seat.
Sometimes as a busy mom, I really need my toddler to stay safe, sound and strapped into his high chair so I can get something done—like finishing up dinner. In our apartment’s kitchen, I can keep him happy longer if I turn him towards me so he can watch me cook and we can chat, and then I turn him back to the table when it’s time to sit down to eat. The Maxi-Cosi Kiskadee 360 from its newer Kindred Collection lets me do that without moving the base or picking up the whole thing, and while it’s not the only high chair with this feature, it does it exceptionally well and on top of having a bunch of other premium features.
Multiple Conversions
This chair has a few conversion options. You can strap the entire seat and tray to an adult chair and then use the base as a bigger-kid stool that supports up to 50 pounds (another tester did note that it’s truly not able to support an adult, however). The fabric feels premium and can be thrown in your laundry machine, but the seat is still fully usable and comfortable if you prefer to not deal with it. I happen to really like the slightly retro vibe of the rattan caning safely encased in the clear plastic seat—and along with simple wood-look legs, this chair might fit better with the aesthetics of more traditionally decorated homes.
The legs attach and detach, the only tool needed is the included wrench that you use to add the footrest. The tray can be removed one-handed, has three possible positions and also a liner that’s dishwasher safe. It has a magnetic harness that’s easy to fasten and undo.
A Footrest That Could Do More
My biggest issue with this chair is that it doesn’t have a footrest that adjusts. My son’s feet were comfortably supported as a shorter-than-average 3-year-old, but it’s too far down for younger kids. “My toddler is nowhere close to reaching it, but doesn’t seem to have any issue happily eating,” says another tester, who has a 1-year-old. The seat does tilt slightly back and has a cushy padded insert for littler babies, but this high chair won’t work for families who want to prioritize ergonomics for babies just starting solids.
This pricey pick is also worth considering for some unique features and premium materials. We had several caregivers and parents test the Peg Perego Siesta, and all of them have lots of favorable comments. The chair’s wheels lock automatically, but unlock with a button near the top of the frame, so a seated parent can use their hands to pivot or move the chair. The chair can be folded in half to tuck away, the tray is easy to remove and there’s also a handy place to stow the tray on the back.
The Peg Perego Siesta comes in several fabric cover options, and although it shouldn’t be put in the washing machine, our testers found the fabric wipes down easily and praised the seat cover for its plush quality. “The stuffed leather seats are very padded,” notes one mom tester. “It’s like a luxury sports car.” The straps unclip easily, and parents found it easy to get their kids in and out.
Lots Of Adjustments—But Still Less Ergonomic
The biggest issue with this chair is that it doesn’t offer as many adjustment options to achieve an ergonomic eating position. The whole seat—including the tray and footrest—can be moved up and down the frame so your baby can sit at different heights of countertops or tables. The back of this chair reclines deeply so that you have a place for the youngest babies to lounge at the table—but we recommend consulting with your pediatrician before feeding your baby in a reclined position. Finally, the footrest does pivot from the seat into three different angles, but it doesn’t move up or down.
That means this chair has a more limited window where they can sit at the ideal 90/90/90 posture. For example, we found that one 6-month-old couldn’t get an ideal seat and that the tray was too high. However, an 8-month-old and an 18-month-old were both able to sit nice and comfortably.
In many ways the Sliver Cross Gourmet is very similar to the Peg Perego Siesta, but it is considerably more affordable. The whole seat and tray assembly can move up and down to the ideal height for you and your baby and folds down to a more compact package. Much like the Peg Perego, the footrest just pivots in and out instead of moving up and down to accommodate a growing little one’s leg length.
However, our tester gave it high praise for its folding function and overall comfort—so we think it’s a good option if you really want a high chair that’s easy to fold away. When folded, it can stand unsupported. Although it doesn’t have wheels, it’s lighter than the Peg Perego Siesta, which makes it easier to move when its time to put it away. Our tester says her 18-month-old sat in it comfortably—as did a few other little ones who came to visit. The frame has a place to hook the tray to the back.
Easy To Clean
The padded seat cover can’t be washed in the laundry machine, but our tester didn’t find this to be a big drawback. “It’s almost surprising how easy it is to clean this chair—at first glance, you might think it’d be tough, given that it’s upholstered for the most part in a vegan leather,” says our tester. “But it’s super easy to remove and wipe clean as needed.”
A Shorter Lifespan
The chair’s back fully reclines for infants who want to lounge at the table—but because the footrest has more limited adjustments, it may not allow for babies starting solids to get an ideal 90/90/90 position (again, check with your pediatrician).
At the other end of the high chair age range, the Sliver Cross Gourmet doesn’t convert to a toddler chair in the sense that the bucket seat can be removed. The brand’s website does suggest this can be used as a “toddler chair” by just removing the tray and pushing the chair up to the table. However, it’s important to note that the max weight limit for this chair is 33 pounds, a weight many kids reach between 2 and 3.
Cleaning Is A Breeze
Cleaning high chairs is one of the most mundane and frustrating tasks of parenthood. Because babies and toddlers eat so often, it can feel like I’m cleaning mine every time I turn around. What makes the Uppababy Ciro High Chair so nice is that there are hardly any crevices for food to get trapped. The tray is dishwasher-safe, and easily pops off.
“This is one of the smoothest high chairs to clean that I’ve ever tested,” our tester said. She found it easy to wipe down even when food was left on the chair overnight and noted that the straps were easy to clean, too. “After using this high chair every day for six months, I have always been able to clean the straps with a cloth and spray,” she said. If you ever find yourself needing to do a deep clean on the straps, however, they’re machine washable.
As an added bonus, the chair is designed to prevent mold. It has vented channels and drainage holes that allow it to dry quickly when it gets wet.
Easy To Move Around The House
This chair is also the most lightweight among our winners—it’s four pounds lighter than any other pick. This, along with its relatively compact size, makes it easy to move from the kitchen to the dining room. Our tester frequently moved it from her table to her deck so her baby could enjoy mealtime outside.
Comfortable, But Not The Most Ergonomic Option
Our tester had no problems getting her 97th percentile 11-month-old in and out of the chair even without moving the tray. This makes the chair easy to use for parents. The five-point harness also keeps babies and toddlers safe and comfortable in their seat. It doesn’t come with a cushion, which is part of what makes it so easy to clean, but if you want a little padding for your baby, you can purchase a separate high chair cushion.
While both babies and toddlers are comfortable in the chair (our tester tried it out with her 3.5-year-old, too), the footrest is a bit low for younger babies and toddlers. Even though our 11-month-old tester is on the taller side, her feet still couldn’t reach the footrest. For the best ergonomics, their hips, knees and ankles should all be at 90 degrees.
Other High Chairs We Tested
Nuna Bryn (4/5 stars): Depending on the retailer, this chair can go for as much as $450—the most expensive we tested. One tester also found that her larger-than-average 18-month-old baby had already outgrown the seat. We also wish it had a 5-point harness. However, the chair got high marks in nearly every other regard: looks, quality, ease of cleaning, ease of use, ergonomics and stability. It doesn’t convert to a booster chair or have as many configurations as others we tested. Still, the Nuna Bryn might be right for you if you love the way it looks, are willing to splurge and aren’t worried about a bigger baby outgrowing it while they still need a harness.
Ergobaby Evolve High Chair System (3.5/5 stars): We previously recommended this chair, but after testing more models, we feel there are better high chairs for most families. Many parents shared that’s it very difficult to move this chair. That said, there is the option to convert this chair to a kitchen tower (with an attachment that’s sold separately), so if that’s an important feature to you, it might be worth considering.
The Chair from Lalo (3.5/5 stars): This is a perfectly serviceable chair that’s easy to clean and assemble, according to our testers. It also comes with interesting add-ons like legs that convert the seat to a play chair. But it has no options for ergonomic positioning and both testers who tried it simply ended up liking other high chairs much better. It does however come in some cute colorways, which could win some parents over.
Abiie Beyond (3.5/5 stars): This chair is the most similar to the Stokke Tripp Trapp, but our tester still wasn’t able to get her child into an ideal sitting position because of the deep seat. However, it’s easier to assemble than the Tripp Trapp and has many of the same options to convert to a big-kid chair.
Stokke Clikk (3/5 stars): Our tester really liked how easy it is to assemble and clean this chair, noting that it’s faster to wipe down than either the Stokke Tripp Trapp or the Ikea Antilope. However, with just two footrest positions, it didn’t support the feet of her tall 7-month-old who is 90th percentile for height. It did fit our tester’s almost 3-year-old older child, but with a 33-pound weight limit and no ability to convert to a toddler chair, other options simply beat it out.
Ingenuity Trio Elite 3-In-1 (3/5 stars): As the name suggests, this chair has three configurations and runs from about $80 to $110 depending on which wheel configuration you select. I tested the version with wheels on both the front and back. I found its very wide footprint (34.5 x 21.5 inches) cumbersome. I found it annoying to clean, with crumbs and spills collecting in hard-to-reach crevices at the rear of the chair, and the footrest also doesn’t adjust.
Chicco Polly Progress 5-in-1 High Chair (3/5 stars): We tested this chair with our original batch of high chairs and didn’t name it a winner. It appears to be discontinued at this time.
Joovy Nook (2.5/5 stars): We tested this as a potential candidate for a best value chair, but our tester ultimately has concerns about the quality. She says it seems like a tip risk, and the tray is easy to knock off. Plus, the wheels don’t work well.
Antilop Ikea High Chair (2.5/5 stars): This is a very popular high chair, in no small part because it only costs $20. However, it doesn’t have a 5-point harness and the footrest is sold separately—so it’s hard to get an ergonomic position for your child. One tester reported that her 6-month-old was “flopping all around” in it. Plus, a pediatrician we interviewed volunteered that she doesn’t recommend it, it’s not Baby Safety Alliance verified and several parents noted that the wide base is a trip hazard for grown-ups. We concluded other options are simply safer.
4moms Connect High Chair (2.5/5 stars): We tested this chair in our original lineup of high chairs. However, it doesn’t have a footrest—a feature we now look for in the best high chairs.
What We’re Testing Next
Baby Jogger City Bistro: This was previously our pick for the best high chair for small spaces, but after getting feedback that the chair is too narrow for bigger babies and toddlers, we plan to reevaluate it with a wider set of testers.
How We Tested High Chairs
Forbes Vetted first began testing high chairs in 2022 with a single tester who evaluated an initial batch of 10 chairs. For this 2025 update, we’ve expanded our high chair testing to a full panel of eight parent testers and we’ve tested 19 high chair models total (with some top chairs getting evaluations from multiple families). We tested new chairs that have recently come onto the market and carefully reviewed the specifications and features of our previous winners to make sure our recommendations keep up with product changes. We also favor high chairs that have Baby Safety Alliance verification.
Each of our parent panelists—nearly all of whom are Forbes Vetted staff—used at least two high chairs in their own homes with their own kids. I then asked them to answer detailed questionnaires about their real-world experiences. They evaluated:
- Ease of use: Is it easy to get the child in and out of the high chair? Put the tray on and take it off? Secure the straps?
- Ease of cleaning: How easy is it to clean? Are any parts of the high chair dishwasher safe? If there’s any fabric, is it machine washable?
- Portability and ease of moving: Is the chair easy to move around when your child is in it and also when they’re not in it? Does it have wheels? Does it fold for storage? Does it seem heavy?
- Ergonomics: Are your child’s feet supported by a footrest? Are they able to sit up straight? What parts are adjustable as your child grows? Does the child seem comfortable?
- Quality: What are the materials like, and do they seem durable? How has the high chair held up over time?
- Other features: Does the chair have any special features, and if so, how useful are they?
- Each tester also assigned the chair a rating from 1 (worst) to 10 (best).
We continue to collect data about the longevity and durability of the top chairs long-term. We also plan to review new high chair models as they come to market. For the purposes of this article, we did not test travel high chairs—including the kind that clip to counters and tables.
What To Look For In The Best High Chair
To find the best high chair for your child and home, here are some key factors to take into account.
Adjustability To Create Ideal Ergonomics
For babies who can sit up on their own (usually around 6 months), you want to make sure that they’re eating comfortably with their hips, knees and ankles all at 90-degree angles. To maintain this posture as your child grows, an adjustable footrest is ideal.
There are also chairs that tilt back and are intended for younger babies who are not yet sitting up on their own. We think it’s best to consult with your pediatrician about your individual child about the best approach to feeding them in a high chair.
Ease Of Cleaning
Learning to eat is a messy process, so the best high chairs are easy to clean. A number of the best high chairs, like the Mockingbird, have a removable tray liner that’s dishwasher safe, which can be helpful—but it’s not a feature all our testers found they use.
Another factor to take into consideration is if you want fabric covers on the seat. Most fabric covers are machine washable, and some parents feel their child is more comfortable with a pad of some kind. However, we’ve seen a trend toward chairs with no padding or cover. “Normally, I recommend to go without it,” says baby gear expert Katie Montell, because it’s an extra item to clean. Our testers generally praised chairs that can be easily wiped down.
Straps that are easy to clean also got high marks with our testers, as well as the ease of removing them for cleaning—sometimes you really want to dunk the whole thing in water to get out any crusty grime. However, Lisa Trofe, executive director at the Baby Safety Alliance, notes it’s important to always follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions. Blowouts and spit-up might have you reaching for the bleach, but in some cases, harsh cleaners can damage the integrity of the high chair’s materials (particularly the straps). Usually, a mild dish soap is enough to clean up a messy chair.
Safety
All high chairs currently sold in the United States must meet certain minimum safety standards—so caregivers can be pretty confident as they shop.
However, it’s a good idea to look for chairs with shoulder straps in addition to a lap belt (and to always use them) because studies have shown that a large percent of child injuries associated with high chairs are related to falls. “They should be in a five-point harness in terms of being supported, just like in a car seat,” says Aitken. “This way they’re at the right angle, they’ve got the right harness on, they’re comfortable.”
Parents sometimes wonder about the safety of hook-on high chairs. While these can be convenient, we decided not to test them because they can be unsafe if not used correctly. “These chairs don’t attach safely to all surfaces. They also lack foot support, which is really important for posture and feeding, so I wouldn’t recommend them as a child’s main high chair,” says Dr. Rosana Lastra, a pediatrician and founder of Heat2Toe Pediatrics in Florida.
Another way to ensure an extra layer of safety is to look for products verified by the Baby Safety Alliance. It’s also always a good idea to register your product so that you’ll be notified quickly if your high chair is recalled.
Longevity
“The biggest trend is high chairs that have the ability to grow alongside your child through the different phases, so you’re not constantly replacing your high chair as your child grows,” says Emily Hosie, founder of Rebel (formerly Rebelstork), who provided me with insight about the most popular chairs available.
This not only means you get more use out of the purchase, but it means fewer kid items to buy in the long-term. It’s also a good idea to check on the upper weight limit of each configuration so you know when it’s time to transition to the next configuration—although many of our testers noted their toddlers were ready for a booster seat long before they reached the weight limit.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted baby and kids gear team takes great pride in thoroughly vetting and testing the products we recommend.
- The author of this article, Margaret Badore, has been a journalist for over 15 years. She has professionally tested products in a lab setting and at home. As the baby and kids gear editor at Forbes Vetted, she oversees the testing of a wide range of parenting products, and recently covered the best pregnancy pillows, the best crib mattresses and the best baby monitors. She’s also a mom and one of the panel testers for this story.
- The co-author of this article, Alicia Betz, is a mom of three and an experienced parenting journalist. She frequently tests and reports on the best baby products, including the best changing tables and best stroller wagons.
- The editor of this article, Rose Gordon Sala, is a deputy editor at Forbes Vetted, overseeing baby and kids gear. She’s a mom to three and has extensive experience testing and reviewing parenting products.
- I interviewed industry insiders and child health experts for their insights and recommendations. The experts I consulted with included Dr. Mary Aitken, pediatrician-in-chief at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and chair of pediatrics at UTHealth Houston; Danielle Zold, a pediatric registered dietitian and certified lactation counselor; Lisa Trofe, executive director at the Baby Safety Alliance (formerly JPMA); Emily Hosie, founder of Rebel (formerly Rebelstork), a retailer that specializes in overstock and open box deals on home goods, including baby gear and high chairs; Katie Montell, a baby gear expert and founder of The Baby Planner, which offers concierge baby registry services and guidance; and Dr. Rosana Lastra, a pediatrician and founder of Heat2Toe Pediatrics in Florida.