10 Best High Chairs UK 2024 | Paediatrician Reviewed

Not all high chairs are suitable for all ages. If you want your baby to be able to use a high chair from birth, it will most likely require a different seat attachment or a seat that can recline so it can adequately support them at this vulnerable stage. 

Most high chairs suggest that infants start using them at around six months, when they are a bit more adaptable than a newborn. Look for a chair that has a good back, and, if you want the high chair to last until toddling years, a seat that is adjustable or has the option of removing it altogether to more resemble a normal chair. 

A tray table that can be moved and adjusted, or even completely detached, is a great asset when it comes to moulding a high chair to fit a child's needs. It is worth noting that this has to be an option if the high chair will be used by newborns; it is unlikely they will need a table for eating just yet!

A tray table that can be moved makes it a lot easier to get your child in and out of the chair, as it can become an obstacle when attempting to fasten harnesses. Once your child reaches 36 months or so, you may well want to start encouraging them to eat from the table, and a removable table will allow this. 

How about a fitted booster seat to make your child comfortable at the table?

Similarly to the seat, your child will require different levels of strapping in depending on ages. To avoid extra hassle when having to secure your little one in for each meal, you should look for maximum support with the fewest buckles. 

Security harnesses come as either '3 point' (which goes around the shoulders or waist and from the bottom, connecting with a buckle in the middle) or as a '5 point' which encompasses all of these. The 5-point harness is more secure as it will support your baby from the top and the bottom. 

Keep your youngster secured when on the move with a car seat for babies or toddlers too.

Young children can be very wriggly when they want to be, so you want to make sure that your high chair can withstand all sorts of rocking and shaking. The best way to do with is with a solid base. 

As a general rule, the wider the base, the sturdier it will be. Of course, you don't want this to mean that it takes up even more space, but if its cleverly designed then this shouldn't be too much of an issue. 

Wood is a great choice of material if you are conscious of your plastic usage as they tend to last longer than their plastic alternatives, adding to their sustainability. However, wood's sturdiness does make these chairs harder to transport but ideal if they'll remain in one place at home. 

Sometimes the wooden options also lack comfort as they often don't have all of the extras that plastic high chairs do. In addition, you may or may not be able to fold them down depending on the design making them somewhat cumbersome. Overall, though, despite some modern plastic offerings being very aesthetically pleasing, wood remains the more stylish of the two choices.

Plastic high chair options are lighter and therefore tend to be easier to transport. They are also more likely to fold down easier for storage and are very easy to clean. A plastic high chair doesn't have to mean garish patterns and designs either, as plenty of models these days come in neutral tones to rival wood in the style stakes. 

Another advantage of plastic options is that the cheapest on the market are much cheaper than the most affordable wood options. However, bear in mind that these budget options may not last as long as their wooden cousins.