Yahoo News 12 best highchairs
With the exception of a few that you can use from birth, most highchairs are made for children aged around six months plus.
Comfort, safety and how easy it is to clean are typically the three main features parents look for when it comes to picking a high chair to suit their child.
But there are so many more aspects to take into account that do not always surface to the top of parents’ busy minds, such as the height of the seat, how – and if – it folds up when stores away and how much space it takes up and perhaps more importantly, what age the chair is suited for.
When buying a highchair, be sure to check out how much room it takes up, particularly if you don’t have lots of floor space in your dining area.
Some highchairs don’t fold and even if they do, they can be fiddly to close up and are not compact even when in storage.
To help parents decide, the following 12 highchairs are definite game changers that could sway that all-important decision.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
My Child graze highchair: £39.99, Very
This highchair is quirky and clever. Coming with a booster seat for toddlers, as well as a stool and highchair for babies it takes baby through the motions of sitting unaided over time in a snug environment.
The one-strap fastening system teamed with the tray works to hold baby in place securely and can be pushed up close to their tummy to help curb spills. An interesting feature of the tray is that is comes in two layers to encourage playtime after meals and boost grub a tad higher should it be required. When baby is old enough to sit up straight on their own, the stool can be used up at the table where tots can join in the fun and dine with the rest of the family. For children from the ages of six months.
Graco tea time highchair: £35, George at Asda
This is a classic folding highchair covered with a busy and fun animal print. The compact design folds into a slimline 15cm and can even stand alone when folded making it ideal for families that may not have much space. The lightweight highchair has a five-point safety harness attached to a wide back of the seat to keep tots secure in a chair that can be wiped clean.
The added footstool, which can be raised and lowered depending on the height of your child, curbs any kicking and fidgeting during feeds. Minimum age requirement is six months.
BabyBjorn highchair light green: £175, Winstanley’s Pramworld
This sleek and contemporary design from BabyBjorn is a classic plastic highchair, but with some welcomed extras. The egg-style chair has an adjustable tray – lockable with just one hand to help busy parents juggle tasks – and a step to give baby that extra feeling of security. Legs are kept in place with a seatbelt-style harness and surfaces are smooth, stylish and easy to wash by hand or detach to put through the dishwasher. Lightweight, but sadly, not collapsable. Suitable from six months of age.
Safetots simply stackable highchair: £34.90, Amazon
This more simplistic style has a glossy wooden surface so it wipes food and spillages clean off, and its simplistic harness clips around baby’s waist with ease. It does however, take up a lot of room as it doesn’t fold up. It also doesn’t come with any padding for the seat, or a tray, meaning a bib is a must if parents are able to keep their little ones inside long enough for meals. Our favourite thing about it is it promotes family time as baby will need to eat at the table with its parents. Available in three shades and sutiable for children over six months and up to 36 months.
Ikea blames highchair with tray: £45, Ikea
One of the few highchairs on offer that takes on the form of an adult size chair, this unique design is all about disguise. The monochrome highchair is lightweight and free of bright and traditional kid’s patterns, making it less invasive than other typical designs. As well as being incredibly slick-looking, it’s plastic is wipe clean, sturdy and ideal for toddlers up to the age of three. And at £45, the highchair gives parents excellent value for money too. Suitable for children aged six months and up.
Chicco polly magic highchair: £124, Mothercare
This smart highchair swiftly transforms into a baby gym in seconds thanks to its genius recliner feature which also means parents can adjust the angle at which their tot gobbles down food. It is a bulky one, but it doesn’t disappoint on quality and as a result, is highly durable for parents with another baby on the way. The chair is also easily collapsible, making it great to store away.
Impressively, the tray pops out from the side of the seat similar to the way small tables operate on airlines. To be used as a baby gym, it folds downwards giving baby support for their legs while the rim of the tray becomes the arch where toys are hung from. Extra padding makes for additional comfort and warmth for tots, especially during those chilly winter months. For newborns and ages beyond.
Cosatto 3sixti2 highchair: £199.95, Kiddies Kingdom
Apples, unicorns and fire-breathing dragons are just a handful of designs on offer from this chair. The chair’s motto is “easy-wean, easy-clean” and it does exactly what it says on the tin. Suitable for tots up to the age of three, kids will adore the chair’s handy 365-degree spin feature that compliments its multiple height lift and lower function.
The chair’s one leg design and thick base not only makes the highchair slimline and compact, but is just as wipe-clean as the tray and seat, which uses a harness to secure the child inside. For tots aged over six months old.
Red Kite feed me compact highchair, ships ahoy: £30, Red Kite Baby
This simple but effective highchair comes with an added splash mat that slips under the chair during feeding to avoid mess trickling onto the floor. Initially we were sceptical as to whether the chair was up to scratch – considering no other product had a free mat included in the price – but it's a brilliant product.
As well as the mat, there’s extra large feeding tray that flips up to allow mums and dads to slide the tot in with ease. Its padded seat is easy to clean and the bright red harness straps over the child’s shoulders for extra safety, all of which is modestly priced at just £30. Perfect for tots aged six months and over.
Cosatto noodle supa egg and spoon: £79.99, Buggy Baby
Available in six fun designs, this plastic highchair is sturdy and foldable, easy to clean and comes with a harness that secures the baby’s back and waist so they remain firmly in place during feeding time. The chair is innovative thanks to its six height levels that enable parents to stand and feed baby or pull up a chair and sit next to them for extra bonding. The collapsible frame means when stored it takes up little space. Suitable from the ages of six months to three years.
Koo-di duo wooden highchair: £129, Kidly
We were instantly drawn to this elegant wooden-legged highchair, thanks to its Scandi-like design and muted colours, making it more likely to fit in with surrounding furnishings at home than the similarly designed BabyBjorn chair.
It’s easy to clean, has a detachable table to help lock baby in place for feeding or enable parents to push their little one right up to the table to dine with them, prompting a feel of inclusivity. Its cocoon shape also makes tots feel protected and adds to the chair’s sturdiness and durability. Ideal for six-month-olds and children aged up to 36 months.
Mamas & Papas bop contemporary highchair and junior seat: £49, Mamas & Papas
Built to last, the bop contemporary chair converts to a toddler seat with a footrest that clicks onto the highchair and legs that can be made shorter or longer. We loved this handle feature, which enables the product to grow with baby and become a fixture throughout their early years. The harness keeps tots and toddlers still during feeding and the outstretched legs will make sure they are nothing but secure while sitting up high. Intended for little ones able to sit up and those up to the age of three years.
Safetots folding wooden natural highchair: £59.95, Safetots
This traditional wooden design is a more practical take on the earlier stackable option because it can foldaway, and the inclusion of the footrest and tray. We particularly like how these are crafted, and that they’re so hardy and durable. This one will keep children secure during meals with a black strap that loops around the chair’s back. Suitable for children between six months and 36 months old.
Verdict: Highchairs
The My Child graze chair was the clear winner having ticked all the boxes thanks to its unique design, sturdy structure, ability to easily fold and be stored and for it’s detachable tray, which has a hidden level underneath the first to catch spillages.
We loved the chair’s three-in-one structure that also allows it to become a stool, following baby’s development from tot to toddler as they prepare for nursery.
