Our retailers will be happy to share their knowledge and expertise with you about our full range of products and services. Some cushioning is machine-washable. Read the instruction manual to be sure. Most high chair padding should be washed in cold water and allowed to air-dry. For a really reasonable price, the Graco EveryStep offers functionality for years by morphing from a baby's first high chair to a booster seat to a preschool step stool. "This seems like it will keep solving problems and saving me from needing other things," one tester noted, echoing a sentiment a lot of families have. Choose a chair with a low center of gravity so it won’t tip easily. The wider the legs at the bottom, the more stable the chair will be. 2. Secure Your High Chair

The biggest risk of injury when using a high chair is a fall. Over 90 percent of all high-chair-related injuries are due to falling (2). unfolding: We rated, on a scale of 1 to 5, how easy a high chair was to fold and store, as well as how easy it was to move around our test kitchen. Some high chair options are not meant to be stored away at all; others not only fold, but they also have wheels that make them easy to move. Decide if you will use the seat in infancy. Your young baby is safe and contained when strapped into a reclined high chair seat with their bottle while you cook, clean or otherwise work in the kitchen. It can be a lot less stressful to have your baby up high, rather than in a bouncer seat on the floor where it is harder for you to see them. If you'd like to use a high chair during your baby's first 6 months, you'll want a full-size chair that can recline (as shown in our photo). On the downside, these usually have a large footprint. But the plus is that they have comfortable cushioning. The seat's various attachments are often sold separately. We like this buy because it comes with the removable five-point baby harness and baby leg restraints for optimal safety at mealtime. It's meant to be pulled right up to the family table, or you can buy a Stokke tray so it can stand alone.We like high chairs that have a tray-within-a-tray feature (shown in this photo) because the top tray can pop into the dishwasher. We have read comments from parents, though, that say some older children figure out how to take that top tray off — for flinging to the floor, not for cleaning.

To err to the side of caution, you’ll want to wait until their first birthday. By 12 months, almost all babies can sit upright without toppling over. The SpaceSaver has a recline option, but in our testing, we felt it doesn't work well with all kitchen chairs, so it's tough to depend on it. There's a tray-within-a-tray feature for easy cleanup, and the cushion is machine-washable. It has all the standard safety features we look for including a five-point harness and restraint bar. Just be sure to have this securely attached to an adult chair so it doesn't tip. This rating is awarded by parent testers and is their perceived accessment of how stable the high chair is. It is not the result of the safety assessment conducted by our laboratory which did not reveal any problems to cause concern. It is a consensus opinion, not a guarantee that the product is safe or not safe. The Good Housekeeping Institute has been staffed with scientists, engineers and journalists for more than 100 years. Making solid product recommendations is in our brand's DNA. Testers found the different configurations easy to use but said that the high chair has a large footprint, about ‎30 x 24 inches. If you'll be keeping it around for some years, note the space needed in your kitchen. Also, any high chair with comfortable padding like this one takes longer to clean; food crumbs get in the crevice where the cushion meets the plastic seat. Many reviewers say you have to take the padding off to clean it thoroughly, but the good news is that it's machine-washable.Wide Base– High chairs can become top heavy due to your child’s weight as they sit in them. To combat this, choose one with a wider base and a larger footprint. It may take up a little more space in your house, but it is much safer. While they seem secure, never leave your baby unattended in a high chair. Choking is a silent accident and is quite common as children are still learning to eat. Always put the baby into the chair or pull the baby out yourself. Never let children try to climb in or out of a high chair by themselves. 10. Clean the High Chair Regularly

Keep the high chair positioned away from potential hazards and out of reach of objects on the table. To prevent this, it’s important to take certain safety precautions when using a high chair or booster seat. Many falls happen when a baby or toddler stands in the high chair. Do not let your kids be in positions other than sitting in the high chair. 5. No High Chair Playtime Choose an age-appropriate high chair with safety features like a wide base and a five-point harness.

In recent years, the safety standards for high chairs have been updated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to include the following (4): Safety 1st Timba Highchair is a 3 in 1 wooden high chair which fully adjusts to suit your baby, and grows with your child from 6 months to approximately 10 years of age. It features a removable tray so it will be easier to seat your child in the chair, seat and footrest are height adjustable and a 5 point adjustable harness that can be removed once your child is older. This is a classic Scandinavian beauty, and the Stokke Tripp Trapp, first designed in 1972, still blends with modern adult décor. It's ergonomic and long-lasting, able to go all the way from a baby's high chair to a teen's desk chair. One of our Good Housekeeping writers attests to sitting in this herself if all the other dining room chairs are taken. It can hold up to 242 pounds!