Can’t be used without an adult dining chair to hold it – not convenient for everyone’s dining situation The robustness of the safety harness (is it three-point or five? Does it seem secure when attached?) We have the Mountain Buggy one for use away from home - it’s brilliant. A little big for our 8 month old still but it works fine." Recommended by Mumsnetter BerthaYoung Our verdict Type: Freestanding, fold-away highchair | Materials: Not stated | Suitable from: 6 months+ | Harness: Yes | Wheels?: No What we love For this category, Rachel partnered with Katrĩna, who has a nine-month-old baby and a 33-month-old toddler to juggle at mealtimes, so was able to put all our products through their paces over the course of three months.

A beautiful, intelligently designed chair with lots of thoughtful details, the Oribel Cocoon missed out on our transitional award as it’s still only suitable up to age three. But it’s a stylish and flexible model, available in four attractive colours, that will complement your kitchen and make mealtimes a breeze. Although some of the chairs we tested had extra accessories making them suitable for smaller babies, children should only use a highchair to eat once they’re able to sit unaided. Babies often learn what and how to eat by watching their parents and siblings eat too”, she says. “It’s more likely that they will happily accept foods that they see you gobbling up yourself.” Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about how we tested the products we recommend. We won't always recommend the cheapest products, or the ones with the most extra features. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the one's we'd recommend to our own friends and family. Equally useful for six-month-olds trying solid food for the first time and wriggly toddlers needing a place to eat without distractions, highchairs come in a variety of sizes, functionalities and prices. To find out which highchairs are the best, our parent tester put some of the UK's top-rated models their paces. We also consulted the Mumsnet forums for advice on which products they recommend and use with their own children, as well as seeking out expert advice from the NHS on what to look for in a highchair. Keep reading as we take you through the best-performing products, as recommended and tested by parents. How we chose our recommendationsThen, depending on the size and independence of your child, you may want to switch to a booster seat on an adult chair. Many multifunctional and transitional highchairs adjust in height, so you can bring the chair right up to the table. How much does a highchair cost?

With 4 seat height positions and 8 footrest positions this highchair adapts to meet your little ones needs as they grow. At the inexpensive end of the spectrum are the budget chairs. These tend to be standalone highchairs (intended to be used by themselves using a plastic tray, instead of being pulled up to a table), short on adjustability features and elaborate design – favouring instead a functional simplicity that often, incidentally, means they’re much easier to clean. Completely adaptable – use as a standalone highchair or remove the tray, harness and bumper bar to use as a junior seat with adjusting heights as your child grows. For older babies and toddlers, a familiar chair often signals ‘mealtimes’ to them, allowing them to eat free from distraction and out of harm’s way. How long will I need a highchair for? When adjusted correctly, your child is ensured a comfortable and ergonomic seating position at any age.Can be reclined, used with a small tray for a just-weaned child, a larger tray for a child feeding themselves, or without the tray for a toddler sitting at the table Transitional-style chair – can be used from birth with a baby bouncer attachment, from six months with a baby set, and indefinitely as a chair after three years or 15kg Big gap between tray and the baby, even in its closest setting – a little inconvenient for mealtimes Highchairs are a safe and supportive place for your baby to eat before they’re old and tall enough to sit on an adult-sized dining chair. Most come with a plastic tray so your baby can see and reach their food easily – especially useful when first weaning. The Grow With Me highchair adapts to meet your growing child’s needs, supporting them from 6 months up to 10 years (30kg). with 5-point safety harness, removable bumper bar and tray table, this highchair can be used independently or adjusted to fit at your dinner table. It has 4 seat positions and 8 footrest positions to adjust as your child grows. What’s Included:

Upright seat: Baby seat insert has slight incline | Footrest: Yes | Convertible: Newborn to adulthood (all accessories sold separately) | Size: Smaller footprint | Easy to clean: Removable tray; optional removable cushions Another Stokke chair to feature on our list, the Steps is a stylish highchair that can be used from birth. There's no doubt about it, it's a pricey piece of baby equipment but for the price tag you get a good quality high chair that your child will get plenty of use out of.Saves your food: Made from non-toxic, BPA- free, PVC-free and food-safe material, so you can save dropped food (that would otherwise get wasted on the floor) and re-offer it to baby or save it for later! The chair is suitable from newborn with a clip on baby bouncer, which allows them to be at the table when you're eating. Then when your child is weaning, you can use it as a high chair with a comfortable baby seat insert and removable tray, before turning into a chair when your toddler is more independent. All the accessories need to be bought separately so the costs do run high, but we love the Scandi design which comes in three neutral colourways for blending nicely into your home. And as it can be used up to the age of ten, it'll be a worthy investment if you can afford the hefty price tag. Inspired by Scandinavian design, this Juice Highchair from Mamas & Papas comes in pastel green, cream or dark grey. The sturdy seat is wipe clean as well as comfortable, thanks to a cushioned inner. Sustainable: Made from recyclable material, Catchy is designed to be re-used and is not a single-use item. As reliable as it is ubiquitous, in our extensive tests the IKEA Antilop excelled, living up to its reputation as the king of all highchairs. While it may not look like anything special, our Mumsnet users rave about this highchair for being budget-friendly, functional and easy to clean up after mealtimes.