Five-Point Harness– Just as in car seats, you’ll also find five-point harness options in high chairs. The shoulder straps keep your baby’s torso from falling forward and prevent your little one from wiggling out (as they may be able to in a waist-belt-only restraint system). Now, all chairs are required to have a passive crotch restraint and a three-point restraint system that goes around a child's waist. If you can find a five-point restraint that also goes over the shoulders as shown in our photo, even better.

and recline: Not all high chairs have adjustable heights or a recline feature, but we gave points to chairs that did. We tested the height adjustment and recline on each chair that had them. 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 RegularlyFor 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. Decide if you want a chair that grows with your kid. Just as there are baby cribs that turn into toddler beds and then bed frames, there are high chairs that become toddler seats, youth chairs or even step stools. Some require separate conversion kits, but many do not. of using the tray: Some high-chair trays can be removed with one hand, but most require an adult to pinch both sides and lift. We gave points to high chairs with easy-to-remove trays and made sure that if there was a tray-within-a-tray feature, the top tray fit in a dishwasher.

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.There are many high chair models available. While it’s tempting to skip straight to a booster seat to save space or money, it’s wise to choose an age-appropriate high chair for your child. This ensures it will meet their unique physical and developmental needs. Here are your choices. 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. Some parents want to plunk their baby down in a reclining high chair as soon as the infant can hold their own bottle. Others would rather wait until baby foods are introduced, then get a chair with an easy-to-clean tray that helps them serve homemade purees or begin baby-led weaning. For still others, gathering around the table is important, and they want a high chair that pulls up close to the family. And pretty much everyone these days wants a high chair that will be useful for more than a few months to save money and help the environment. There's a premium put on products that transform to last for years. 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! 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.

When needed — once a day or once every few days — wipe down the legs, straps and the hard plastic seat. "I think it's fine to clean the seat and legs with any cleaning wipe or product, but for safety, also rinse it afterward," Forté says. "If you are using a product that disinfects, after letting it sit for the required time to kill germs, I would rinse and dry it, too. " A final note: This Graco high chair does not come ready to go out of the box. Part of the low price is that you will spend 20 minutes or so assembling the high chair, which comes in many pieces. But once it's ready, you're set for years! The similar Blossom Convertible High Chair does not turn into a stepstool but does turn into a youth seat and clip-on booster, and costs about the same.Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman led the testing for this story. She's directed parenting-product coverage during all of her 15+ years with the Good Housekeeping Institute and is now the mother to three children age 6 and younger. Read her recent recommendations for double strollers and car seats. 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. Choose a high chair with a five-point harness (not a three-point harness or a simple lap belt) for the utmost safety. For each use, always strap them in and tighten the straps so they cannot wiggle free. 4. No Standing in the Chair 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 This unassuming high chair can do pretty much everything. It is far more adjustable than most baby seats: You can position your baby at any of nine different heights and five different reclines, so this works for a newborn or a sleeping toddler. You can even adjust the tray to any of four positions, closer or further from your kid. It folds up compactly for storage — at least in theory. We had to look up a video of the high chair in action to understand that you must move the seat to a low position before you can fold the high chair.

Traditional High Chair – These chairs are standalone units with long legs, bringing your baby up to the level of your dining table. They typically have a plastic seat, a harness, and a removable tray. They usually recline to prop up babies who are not quite ready to sit completely upright. 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. 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. If you'll only use the high chair when your baby starts solids, there are more options. If you start using a high chair at about the 6-month mark, when your baby begins eating baby foods and finger foods, you can use one of the more modern high chairs. Some are clip-on chairs that sit right on an adult kitchen chair or attach to the kitchen table. These simple chairs often take up less space. Some have less cushioning, and you just wipe them down after a meal.

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. If you're looking for a cheap high chair that works great, you can't beat the price of IKEA's Antilop. With zero padding, the whole thing wipes clean without much effort, and it's incredibly light to carry around. But the price also means it has no frills: In addition to not having any sort of cushion, there's no footrest and it doesn't fold (though you can take the legs off to store it). Also, the height doesn't adjust. of the harness: We took points off for high chairs that have a harness that is hard to rethread when a child grows taller. Do not let children sit or be near their high chair aside from mealtimes. Kids can topple the chair and injure themselves during playtime if they push or climb the high chair. Store the high chair out of your child’s reach when not in use. 6. Position The Chair Out of Reach Looks-wise, the metal legs are printed to resemble wood to a nice effect. There are two cushions that can be removed and machine-washed, and the tray on top of the tray fits into a dishwasher for cleaning. In testing, we really appreciated the four wheels that make this high chair easy to move around a kitchen.