The Best High Chairs To Help Baby Join Family Mealtime

The best high chairs are equal parts aesthetically pleasing and seamlessly functional. They make feeding easier, help contain the crumbs and messes and support your little one in an upright position to eat safely.

These multitasking baby seats are also the secret workhorses of your baby registry. They can be used as a place for baby to safely sit if you need a minute or even as an entertainment center with the addition of a few age-appropriate toys. The best high chairs, such as our top pick the Lalo Chair, grow with your child, from baby bottles to purees and finger foods to sitting through family dinners.

It shouldn't be an eyesore, and it should be easy to clean, with thoughtful engineering that allows for convenient adjustments. Here is our curated list of the best high chairs that boast thoughtful practical details and serious style, from the best portable high chairs to those that are affordable or space saving.

Best High Chair Overall: Lalo The Chair High Chair
Best Easy To Clean High Chair: 4Moms Connect High Chair
Best High Chair Space Saving: Graco Slim Snacker High Chair
Best High Chair To Grow With Your Child: Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
Best Portable High Chair: Summer Infant Summer Pop 'n Sit High Chair
Best Affordable High Chair: Antilop High Chair
Best Hook-On High Chair: Inglesina Fast Table Chair
Best Countertop High Chair: Bloom Fresco High Chair
Best Travel High Chair: Chicco Caddy Portable High Chair
Best High Chair For Small Spaces: Fisher-Price SpaceSaver Simple Clean High Chair
Best Wooden High Chair: Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair with Tray

Best High Chair Overall

This Stylish Seat Is Also A Dream To Clean

Best Easy To Clean High Chair

This Sleek Chair Has A Dishwasher-Safe Tray And Minimal Crannies

Best High Chair Space Saving

An Affordable High Chair That Folds Up And Out Of The Way

Best High Chair That Grows With Your Child

Scandinavian Seating That Looks Natural At The Table

Best Portable High Chair

Moveable, Collapsible Seating For Little Ones

Best Affordable High Chair

A Basic Chair For Just $30

Best Hook-On High Chair

Portable Counter Or Table Seating For Babies On The Go

Best Countertop High Chair

A Pretty Chair With Seamless Adjustments

Best Travel High Chair

This Hook-On Chair Folds Flat For Portability

Best High Chair For Small Spaces

This Seat Secures Onto Your Dining Chairs

Best Wooden High Chair

A Sturdy Chair With Nearly Endless Seat Adjustments

How We Chose The Best High Chairs

To choose the best high chairs, we found the most popular chairs on the market with the best ratings and analyzed them for factors like ease of use, how cleaning friendly they were, safety and value. We also polled parents and relied on our own firsthand experience and use of high chairs, including our top pick from Lalo.

Chairs with dishwasher-safe trays made the cut, along with ones that meet unique needs, like small spaces and tight budgets. We looked at materials, harness style, portability and how easily (or not) these chairs work to integrate a new baby into family mealtimes.

We asked parents why they love particular chairs and heard about those that fold easily or into tight spaces, ones that are nice to photograph, such as the Bloom Fresco (remember a lot of milestones happen in this chair, including first foods, funny faces and sometimes their first birthday cake).

What to Consider When Shopping For A High Chair

As far as safety goes, the AAP recommends seeking out a sturdy high chair and making sure the high chair cannot be tipped over easily. The organization recommends that high chairs have safety harnesses (and parents should actually use them). If you're using a hook-on seat, ensure that the seat locks firmly onto the table and that your child can't kick against the table (and potentially dislodge the seat).

Also consider factors such as:

Adjustability

Your child is only going to continue to grow, and you'll want a high chair that's the right size for them—and you. Some high chairs have adjustable heights and adjustable footrests to accommodate babies and children of different sizes and different dining setups, including the Bloom Fresco high chair. Height adjustment can also be helpful to prevent you from having to stoop over every time you want to feed your little one. But some high chairs don't adjust. If you're willing to pay a little extra, this level of convenience may be worth it.

Portability

Do you plan to have your high chair take up permanent residence in your kitchen, or will you want to take it on the road? Some high chairs have a collapsibility feature for quick transportability. Others are designed to be assembled and stay in that shape. And, if the high chair you love isn't very portable, you may want to consider investing in a travel high chair.

Harness

There are different types of harness options, including five-point harnesses (which restrains your child at the shoulders and hips) and three-point harnesses (which have two shoulder straps and form a Y shape). But some high chairs have non-harness designs. These typically include a lap band or adjustable tray to help secure your child. These are designed for older babies or toddlers.

Cleanup

Babies and toddlers are naturally messy eaters, so expect your high chair to need regular cleaning. Sauces, purees, cereals, drinks and more will get splashed and ground into your seat, making easy cleaning a must. Removable parts, like a tray, that you can put in the dishwasher are always nice, along with upholstery or seat materials that can be easily wiped down or tossed in the washing machine.

Longevity

High chairs are designed to stand up to years of use, making them good household items to pass down to future children. But you'll want to consider things like weight limits (not all high chairs will work for older or larger children as they grow) and options that will allow you to adjust the chair as your child gets bigger. Some high chairs, like the Stokke Tripp Trapp, can even become a full-sized, adjustable chair that can seat adults.

Your Lifestyle

All in all, when choosing a high chair, it's worth considering your lifestyle. Do you eat at a countertop and a table? You'll likely want an adjustable high chair. Do you travel a lot? You might want something smaller that's easy to pack. Did you just remodel your kitchen? You might want to splurge on aesthetics. How much time do you have to clean the high chair? Consider a tray that can go in the dishwasher and a seat fabric that can be thrown in the wash. The best high chair may be different for everyone, but there are plenty of options on the market and a range of price points that satisfy parents' needs.

Frequently Asked Questions On High Chairs

Is A High Chair Necessary?

Your child needs a place to eat. Regardless of how you seat your child, keep in mind that supervising him or her while they eat and ensuring that they are able to safely sit upright while feeding is important. Many parents find that while high chairs are something of an investment, they are a practical and valuable one that provides a safe place to sit and eat.

High chairs also tend to be rugged enough to last for many years, so the purchase can pay dividends if you have more children later. It can also be passed on to other family members or even resold for close to its original value, assuming you take good care of it.

What Age Is A High Chair Good For?

Most parents begin using a high chair for their baby at around six months and keep using it until about the age of 3. It may be useful even longer, especially if you've purchased a convertible chair.

Six months is just an average recommendation. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends keeping an eye out for four developmental signs that your baby might be ready to eat solid foods, and thus, use a high chair:

Your baby should be able to sit upright and hold their head up with good control.
Your baby might open their mouth when food is near them or they might seem eager to eat when you are eating around them.
They're able to move food from a spoon into their throat.
Your baby has doubled their birth weight or weighs 13 pounds or more.

Do Toddlers Need A High Chair?

Most kids start to squirm out of a high chair and may be ready for something else around 18 to 24 months, though this timeline is different for every child. And don't forget that many high chairs are convertible models. These high chairs turn into an ordinary chair or booster and may last much longer. After a child grows out of a high chair, a standalone booster seat might be an option. You can add a box under a seat to serve as a footrest, or if you have a chair that adjusts, sometimes the footrest adjusts as well.