Buying guide
How to choose a high chair
You don’t need one before 6 months. The types of chair, why the footrest and harness matter, and how to tell if it’s easy to clean.
In short
- You buy the high chair around 6 months, when your child sits with a little support and weaning begins.
- An adjustable footrest matters more than it seems – a child with supported feet sits upright and eats more calmly.
- A harness at every meal and a bar or strap between the legs, so they don’t slide under the tray.
- The best chair is the one you can wipe in two minutes. Avoid seams, thick cushions and hard-to-reach corners.
The high chair is one of the few big purchases that has no place on the list before the birth. You have at least six months until you need it, and by then you will know how much room you have in the kitchen, what table you eat at and how much patience you have for cleaning.
When to buy it
When your child shows signs of being ready for weaning (see our guide on what you need for weaning): sits with a little support, holds their head well and is interested in what’s on your plate. For most, this happens around 6 months. The exact timing of weaning is something you decide with your paediatrician.
Types of chair
| Type | Used for roughly | What you need to know |
|---|---|---|
| Classic, with a tray | 6 months – 3 years | Stands alone anywhere; takes up room; many fold |
| Growing chair, in wood | 6 months – school age | Pulls up to the family table; the seat and footrest go up and down |
| Minimalist, in plastic | 6 months – 3 years | Light, cheap, washes all over; check whether it has a footrest |
| Booster attached to an ordinary chair | 6 months – 3–4 years | Good for small spaces and for grandparents; depends on the chair you put it on |
| Hook-on, attaches to the table | 6 months – the model’s weight limit | For travelling; doesn’t suit every table top |
What to check
- Adjustable footrest. Your child’s feet rest on it, with knees and hips bent at a right angle. If the chair you like doesn’t have one, check whether one is sold as an accessory.
- Harness. Five-point for little ones; three-point is acceptable when there is also a bar between the legs. The buckles should close easily with one hand – you’ll close them several times a day.
- Bar or strap between the legs. It stops them sliding under the tray, not the tray.
- Stability. Legs spread apart, a wide base. Push it from the side in the shop: it shouldn’t tip easily.
- Conformity to EN 14988, the European standard for high chairs. It should appear in the description or the instructions.
- Firm locking on folding models, with no places where fingers can get caught.
- Detachable tray. It washes in the sink and lets you pull the chair right up to the table.
Cleaning decides how much you’ll put up with it
Three times a day, for two years, someone will wipe this chair. Before anything else, look at it as an object that has to be washed:
- smooth surfaces, without grooves and without joins where puree collects;
- no cushion, or a thin cushion that comes off and can be machine-washed;
- harnesses that detach for washing;
- a tray without double edges, or with an inner tray that comes out.
Chairs with thick, quilted cushions look comfortable in photos and are the hardest to clean.
What you don’t need
- Recline functions for feeding. A child who is eating sits upright; reclining is for resting, not for eating.
- Toys attached to the tray. The table is for food.
- Wheels, if you don’t move it every day from one room to another. If it has them, they should have a brake.
- The newborn attachment, bought straight away. See first whether you feel the need.
Our recommendation
A simple, stable chair with an adjustable footrest, a harness and smooth surfaces, bought around 6 months. If you eat together at the table and have the budget, a growing chair in wood will be used for many years. If space or budget is small, a minimalist plastic chair with a footrest does the same job. And for grandparents, a booster attached to an ordinary chair is enough.
Until then, see what else can wait until after the birth, and consult what to buy in the first year or the newborn checklist.
Frequently asked questions
From what age is a high chair used?
From the moment your child sits with minimal support and holds their head well, usually around 6 months, when weaning begins. Some chairs have a newborn attachment, but that is a place to sit by the table, not to eat.
Why is the footrest important?
A child with dangling legs uses effort to keep their balance, tires quickly and fidgets. With feet supported and knees bent at a right angle, the trunk is stable, and hands and mouth are free for eating. Look for a footrest that can be moved up and down as your child grows.
Is a second-hand high chair safe?
Yes, if it is complete and stable. Check the harness and buckles, the bar between the legs, the folding mechanism (it should lock firmly) and all the screws. Ask for the exact model, so you can find the instructions and check whether there has been a recall.
Think it could help someone else?
Send the guide to your partner or to a friend who is expecting a baby.