mothercare travel high chair

9 Best High Chairs for Babies, Tested by Experts

Give your baby a safe spot to learn to love broccoli (hopefully).

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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.

The Good Housekeeping Institute staff has evaluated nearly two dozen high chairs in the last two years . In the Lab, we test high chairs to determine how easy it is to do a number of important things: assemble the chair, secure the child, adjust the harness, set the height and tilt of the chair, remove the tray and clean everything. We also looked at how easy high chairs are to move around the kitchen and store. Bonus points were given for high chairs that are good from infancy or that stretch into the preschool years. Finally, in nearly every case, we had families keep and use a high chair at home and tell us about their experience.

Our top picks:

Best Overall High Chair

Graco everystep 7 in 1 high chair.

Best Value High Chair

Ikea antilop high chair.

Best High Chair for Use from Birth

Peg perego siesta high chair.

Best Wooden High Chair

Stokke tripp trapp.

Best Minimalist High Chair

Lalo the chair.

Best Travel High Chair

Inglesina fast table chair.

Most Adjustable High Chair

Maxi-cosi minla 6-in-1 high chair.

Best High Chair For a Big Baby

Safety 1st 3-in-1 grow & go high chair.

Best High Chair For Small Spaces

Pottery barn nuna zaaz high chair.

Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

Whether you're looking for a high chair for your kitchen or for Grandma's house, we're confident that you'll find a good one here. After our guide, read more about why it's important to buy a new chair, see our tips for what to think about when shopping for a baby's high chair and read more about how we test high chairs.

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.

It starts as an infant seat with three reclining positions, so you can lay a young baby in it with their bottle. Then it becomes a traditional, upright baby high chair with seven adjustable heights. Wheels on the front help you position it around the kitchen. The tray-within-a-tray feature means the top tray can go in the dishwasher and you still have the bottom tray if needed. Note that the main tray is a little awkward to remove and put back on. In toddlerhood, the seat and the base can separate, so the seat can become a booster that sits on top of a regular dining chair. (A clip-on booster does not work on every kind of adult kitchen chair; check the manufacturer's photos to see if it will work on yours.) The base becomes either a youth seat or a step stool for a big kid. This is extra handy when Kid #1 enters the "I do it" phase of wanting to help in the kitchen and Kid #2 is starting solids and can sit in the clip-on booster — this one product will serve them both.

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.

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.

RELATED: The Top Baby Registry List Items You'll Actually Use

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.

The Antilop only has a three-point safety buckle at the waist and not a five-point harness, so it's safest for kids who don't try to climb out of it. Always keep an eye on your child in this. (The lack of a footrest, though not great from a comfort perspective, does prevent a toddler from pushing down with their feet to try to lift themselves out.) There is a safety bar at the crotch to prevent a baby from slipping down.

Our minimalista tester was happy to use this during the early starting-solids phase. It's a snap to piece together and doesn't overwhelm the kitchen. This does its job!

We found this chair to be easy to set up out of the box and a breeze to push around, even in a tight space, thanks to the four wheels. The wheels can be locked and unlocked using a foot pedal. The chair can be adjusted to nine different heights (including very low settings) and fully reclines flat, making it a perch you can use for infant bottle-feeding long before it becomes a place where you are serving finger foods. There are even three positions for the footrest, a point of comfort that is sometimes excluded from less-expensive high chair models.

There's both a five-point safety harness and a large restraint bar at the crotch that prevents your baby from sliding down, making this among the safest high chairs we tested. It's convenient, too, with a handy back pocket for bib storage and a dishwasher-safe tray that can be folded up with the chair, which stores very compactly.

Once again, any high chair with comfortable padding such as this one will take a bit longer to clean, and this pad can be wiped down but is not machine-washable. Also, there's no conversion option with this chair. While you can use it from birth, you likely won't use it past toddlerhood.

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 Tripp Trapp comes in many color options including natural oak, mint, blue, pink and red. The sleek, polished-wood design is very easy to wipe clean. As your child grows, you can adjust the seat and footrest up or down to keep them comfortable.

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.

One consumer tester noted that, over time, the footrest got loose in its pegs and sometimes crashed to the ground. Also, there's no folding this high chair and hiding it out of the way, nor is it on wheels. But it is a lovely, lasting piece of wooden furniture.

"I've seen that on Instagram!" is a common reaction to a Lalo sighting in real life. It's a simple, charming baby high chair that's essentially a plastic bucket seat on four wooden legs. Add the cushion and the tray, and you're ready to go.

That modern simplicity has spawned a lot of imitators but Lalo, which sells direct to consumers, stays ahead with cute colors (including pink, green, white, and black in addition to this blue) and a slew of equally easy-modern accessories , from a Splat Mat to a full dish set . It's a high chair but also a lifestyle brand. "It looks nice in my kitchen and has a great aesthetic," said Stefani Sassos , Director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, who uses this at her mom's house for her 1-year-old.

As cute as it is, there are not a lot of functions to this high chair. We appreciate that it doesn't waste much space, but there's no way to adjust the height, lean the chair back or fold it up for storage. "The curve of the seat is comfortable for a baby," Sassos noted, but it's not especially luxe. And testers tell us that, even though the footprint is pretty standard, they tend to trip over the wooden legs as they pass by in the kitchen.

For cleaning, the tray easily fits into your dishwasher, and the cushion can be thrown in the laundry on cold. It's a smart idea to buy an extra cushion so one can always be up to bat. The five-point harness and crotch bar provide safety, so be sure to strap your child in every time.Finally, a big selling point is that you can purchase Play Legs and turn this into the cutest living room chair for your preschooler when they outgrow the high chair. Go big and buy the Play Table too and you'll have a whole play space set up. We love a high chair that can be upcycled!

The Inglesina Fast Table Chair is a game-changer when it comes to traveling — it clips onto most tables (so long as they don't have an apron or lip) so you can bring it to restaurants, Airbnbs or a friend's house . And it comes with a convenient carrying case. "If you're at all iffy about germs when you take your baby out, this is for you," one tester said. Our Good Housekeeping Executive Technical Director, Rachel Rothman , said "I used this with all three of my kids and found it super easy to pack away into its carry case, which you can keep under your stroller or in your car's backseat so you're always ready for a lunch or a playdate snack."

At home, you can use this as your everyday high chair. It was designed with Montessori principles in mind; your baby can join the rest of the family at the table and learn to eat food off of that surface. You could also buy the Fast Dining Tray for an extra $34 and have that rest on your table so that finger foods are somewhat contained. Whatever you chose, your baby will have a closer view of how everyone else eats and can listen more closely to the dinner conversation, picking up vocabulary. It comes in a wide range of colors and has a back pocket for bib storage.

Crumbs do slide under the clips, so you should remove the chair from the table for cleaning. There's only a three-point harness for safety — no shoulder straps, unfortunately — so keep an eye on any active toddler who is in this. The product is for use for up to 36 months of age.

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.

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.

There's a five-point harness for maximum safety and a substantial stopper between baby's legs so they can't slip down. Finally, this seat does grow with your kid. It becomes a clip-on booster seat able to sit on an adult kitchen chair. You can also set it to be a youth seat, first using the high chair seat and later swapping that out for a strapless, backless seat that could be used as a preschooler's desk chair, though the frame adds some bulk.

Safety 1st 3-in-1 Grow & Go High Chair

This high chair has a nice amount of customization for its low price: It works as an infant recliner with three different angles of recline, a toddler high chair with six different height positions and an adjustable footrest, plus it turns into a child seat. It also wheels away when you don't need it and folds up for storage. In addition, it has a five-point harness for safety.

Testers loved how easy-to-clean the cushion was — all it needs is a wipe-down after meals. It's not an especially attractive high chair given that it is entirely plastic and fairly bulky. But with its 60-pound weight limit, this can easily hold a big and messy toddler who needs their own mealtime space that can be cleaned up in a jiffy. Pasta party!

Rugged and durable, the small Nuna Zaaz is also among the most robust high chairs , able to hold over 200 pounds when you use it as a regular seat after the baby years. The chair itself, which has steel in it, is a sturdy 23 pounds, so it's not easy to move around but it's definitely easy to keep in place with few worries about tipping.

The unique foam seat wipes clean. We like this for small spaces because the legs are low and close together, giving it a smaller footprint. The overall high chair is wider when you add the tray. Its five-point harness has magnets in the buckle to help it snap together.

The seat can slide up and down to adjust the height, though it's a little awkward to do and is likely something you'll change only as your child hits new milestones, such as losing the tray and moving up to eat at the table. When your kid gets big the footrest can be removed, too.

When space is at a premium, you can strap this right onto a kitchen chair and not lose any floor space. It's a high chair design that's been around for more than a decade, popular with apartment-dwellers and the less-is-more crowd that seeks simplicity.

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.

A clip-on chair like this is not height adjustable, but the tray and cushion do come off to make this a booster seat for your preschooler, prolonging its usefulness. Since it holds up to 50 pounds , you should be able to use it as a booster up until kindergarten. It also weighs less than 8 pounds, so if you want to throw it in the trunk on a road trip, it can easily come along.

Why buying a new high chair is best

Starting in mid-2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) implemented updated safety standards for high chairs . Before the switch, high chair injuries were responsible for more than 18,000 emergency-room visits, mostly caused when a child tried to climb in or out of a high chair; when the chair tipped over as a child pushed or rocked backwards; or when parts of the high chair (like the restraint) failed to work properly.

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.

In addition, new chairs are harder than vintage ones to tip over, so think carefully before asking for an heirloom or hand-me-down. If you must grab one through a Buy Nothing site or elsewhere, be sure the high chair was made in the past three years.

As with all baby gear, when you buy new it's best to register it with the manufacturer so you can be notified of any recalls; you can also sign up for general baby-related recalls at the CPSC website .

How we test high chairs

We evaluated the following when we looked at baby high chairs:

✔️ Assembly: We clocked how many minutes it took to get the high chair set up for a 6-month-old baby to use.

✔️ Folding/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.

✔️ Ease of securing the child: We snapped a weighted baby doll into and out of the high chairs in our Lab, and took user feedback into account here. Five-point harnesses that go over a baby's shoulders take a little more time to use but are the safest way to secure a child in a high chair. All of the chairs that made our list also have a "passive restraint bar" which is a bar at the baby's crotch to keep them from slipping down.

✔️ Adjustability of the harness: We took points off for high chairs that have a harness that is hard to rethread when a child grows taller.

✔️ Height 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.

✔️ Ease 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.

✔️ Cleaning: While we could rate how long it took to wipe down a chair in our Lab, we also leaned on user reviews for this. There is almost no reproducing the mess an actual toddler can make when they grab a high-chair harness with sticky fingers, then crumble a cracker into their lap. The easiest high chairs to clean are the ones with no padding. But those did not rate as highly in our next category.

✔️ Comfort: We gave points to chairs with cushions that can be used to keep an infant or older baby sitting comfortably for longer. But we do acknowledge that those do take extra cleaning.

✔️ Convertibility: Finally, we gave points to chairs that convert for use from infancy through the preschool years or even beyond. We like products that last for years!

What to consider when shopping for a high chair

Here are our tips on what to consider when you're shopping for a baby's high chair:

✔️ 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.

✔️ 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.

✔️ 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.

✔️ Price is also a factor. The good news is that there are safe, useful high chairs at every price. If you have a budget, you'll likely be able to stick to it without much compromise.

How to clean high chairs

We asked Carolyn Forté , executive director of our Home Care & Cleaning Lab, for some advice:

✔️ Take special care with the tray. "The tray comes in contact with food, so I would only use a cleaner that says on the label that it's safe for food-contact surfaces," Forté says. (This one from Seventh Generation fits the bill.) "Even with one of those, for a baby, I would probably still rinse the tray after I cleaned it since they pick up food and put it directly in their mouths."

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.

✔️ 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.

✔️ 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. "

Note that many high chair manuals ask that you do not use straight bleach on their products. A solution of water and dishwashing liquid, on a clean sponge or paper towel, is a better bet.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

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.

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 .

Senior Parenting Editor Marisa LaScala added tried-and-tested high chair picks to this story. She's collected 50 Best Baby Shower Gifts for New Parents and 30 Fun Activities for 1-Year-Olds to Get Them Learning and Moving and is mom to a 7-year-old.

Contributing Writer Jessica Hartshorn worked on the 2023 edition of this roundup and continues to test baby high chairs as they hit the market. She previously worked at Parents magazine and also helped update the Top Baby Registry Items of 2023 . Her two kids are now ages 17 and 20 and no longer smash blueberries into the floor.

Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother . She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.

Jessica (she/her) is a freelance writer with several decades of experience writing lifestyle content and evaluating home and parenting products. A mom of two teens and two cats, her previous work can be seen in American Baby and Parents .

Rachel Rothman was the chief technologist and executive technical director of the Good Housekeeping Institute for over 15 years , overseeing testing methodology, implementation and reporting for all GH Labs. She also managed GH's research division and the analysis of applicants for the GH Seal and all other testing emblems. 

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The 15 Best Portable Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats [2023]

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The Different Types of Travel High Chairs

Things to consider with a travel high chair or booster seats, 1. find the right position for your baby with this adjustable booster seat, 2. a foldable travel chair with its very own carry case, 3. high chair complete with wipeable food tray and cute looks, 4. a fabulous, full-height folding high chair for meals on the go, 5. an award-winning booster seat from chicco, 6. compact storage on a wrap-style booster seat, 7. slip over adult dining chairs for relaxed meals, 8. inflatable booster seat that keeps your child close by, 1. let your little one eat with you using this portable booster seat, 2. a stand-alone high chair that feels just like home, 3. a hook-on high chair for discerning little diners, 4. this reclining high chair is great for toddlers, 5. store your infant’s extra items in the base of this booster seat, 1. best hook-on travel seat for curved tables and hungry babies, 2. award-winning high chair for those in the know, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Feeding on the go can be a messy business if you aren’t able to seat your little one at the table with you. A travel high chair or booster seat can make mealtimes far less stressful.

Don’t rely on restaurants, cafes, and other eateries to be able to seat your baby — take your own portable high chair with you instead.

Hook-on High Chairs

Perfect for babies 6 months or older, hook-on high chairs attach to the side of any table using rubber handles that can be securely tightened to remain stable and safe.

Your child will sit close to the table at the right height to enjoy eating and communing with you as you enjoy a family meal together. There are no folding trays to worry about or straps to attach to chairs. Although there is a maximum weight restriction of around 40 pounds depending on the chair, these are the most convenient way to seat your child when traveling.

Bottom Line: Collapsible and lightweight, you can take your hook-on high chair virtually anywhere.

Booster Seats

Booster seats do just that — raise the seat height of your child’s chair to enable them to reach the table. Compact enough to fit into their very own carry bags in transit, these easy-to-clean high chair alternatives are a popular choice for children 12 months or older.

The only thing you need to ensure the success of your booster seat at dinner time is a stable dining chair with a back to tie it to.

Bottom Line: Designed for children weighing up to 50 pounds, booster seats are a highly portable addition to your child-friendly vacation kit.

Made entirely from fabric, chair wraps are just about the most portable feeding devices ever made. Small enough to fit in any purse or carry-on , these oversized scarves are designed to harness your toddler to an adult chair.

While your inner hippie may be happy that you have chosen a natural and traditional way to help your child eat with the grown-ups, you need to be very adept at attaching the wrap to the chair by pulling a cover over the back and tightening the ends to secure your baby.

Bottom Line: Fantastic for those who know how to use them, a huge amount of stress for those that don’t.

When choosing the right travel high chair or booster seat for your next vacation, consider the following:

Keeping your baby safe while sitting at the table is a crucial concern for every parent. While high chairs with straps and large plastic trays feel somehow more secure and sturdy, a child can still fall out if not securely strapped in.

When using a travel high chair or booster seat, be sure that it offers a durable and robust harness , and that the one you choose has enough support to suit the developmental age of your baby.

Hot Tip: To reduce the risk of falling, your child should not exceed the suggested maximum weight for the product.

Wipe-clean fabrics and plastic cushions are best suited to the messy business of babies, and your travel high chair should be just as easy to clean. Foldable booster seats are incredibly easy to clean, and their flexible design makes it possible for you to reach all the tiny seams and creases where crumbs tend to gather.

Hot Tip: Hook-on high chairs with washable, fabric covers are pretty low maintenance as long as you can throw it in the machine.

Size and Portability

Portability is the key to traveling light with a baby, so big, bulky folding high chairs are best left at home on this occasion. You should, however, look beyond the dimensions of any potential travel high chair, and instead focus on a combination of size, weight, and portability.

While wraps are the most lightweight and portable option out there, a compact booster chair that folds up small and weighs very little is still a good alternative. A hook-on that can be folded and kept in a carry bag should also be considered, especially if you are traveling by car or public transport where weight is less of an issue.

Ease of Use

Feeding time with your children can be stressful enough without having to worry about shoehorning your 1-year old into an overly complicated high chair harness. Likewise, holding a baby in your arms while you try to attach a wrap to a chair without any success is also likely to put you off taking your little one out to eat with you.

Whatever type of travel high chair or booster seat you decide to go for, make sure that it’s easy for you to use. Hook-on chairs are more fiddly as you need to screw the handles onto the table to ensure that they are safe, and wraps take some getting used to.

Bottom Line: Booster seats are straightforward to use and easy to insert your child into.

The 8 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $30

Summer infant deluxe comfort folding booster seat.

The Summer Infant Deluxe Comfort Folding Booster Seat is a convenient addition to your baby travel gear and one that will allow them to safely eat their food at the same level as you. Weighing just 3.66 pounds, this booster seat is suitable for children from 6 months to 33 pounds.  The compact folding mechanism makes it small enough to take anywhere with you.

Your little one will be safe in the 3-point harness, and you will be able to find the right height setting with 2 different levels of height adjustment. Use it without the feeding tray for a toddler booster seat at the table, or let your younger baby use the tray. Simple to use and highly portable, this little booster seat is brilliant.

What We Like

• Has 2 height levels

What We Don’t Like

• The chair cover isn’t great

Hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat With Tray

This very useful little travel chair is perfect for letting your little one eat with you wherever you may be. The folding frame pops open to form a low-level camping chair complete with a food tray that toddlers and small children will be happy to sit, eat, or play in. Wide, stable feet help to keep the chair balanced at all times, and the tray is removable so your child can join you at the table.

The 3-point adjustable harness will keep your little one safe as they eat, and when you are finished, simply fold the chair back down and pop it back into the carry bag . To ensure that the chair is always clean and hygienic, the cover can be machine washed and the tray is made from dishwasher-safe, BPA-free material.

Cute and completely portable, this is the perfect camping chair for junior diners.

• Has a removable and washable cover
• Tray table can be difficult to get on and off

Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Booster

Looking every bit as cute as a tiny camping chair, this incredibly portable booster chair from Summer Infant is a little bit different from the rest. Designed to be used on the floor, or a chair, your little one can eat independently or with you.

Featuring a lightweight, folding frame that can be erected in sections , this little booster seat even comes with its own carry case. The detachable, dishwasher-safe BPA-free tray is perfect for playing or snacking, and the 3-point safety harness will keep your precious little one safe and secure. By using the built-in safety straps to attach the seat to an adult chair, you and your child (ages 6 months and older) can eat and play together, everywhere you go.

• Folds up small to save space
• Harness straps sit very low

Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable High Chair

With its lightweight design and full-height feeding chair, the Summer Infant Pop N’ Sit Portable High Chair is perfect for families on the go. Easy to fold down into its very own compact carry bag, this is an easy-to-use travel high chair for your baby.

Suitable from 6 months onwards, the chair comes complete with a removable, BPA-free tray that can be popped into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. The non-slip rubber feet will grip to most surfaces, making this a stable and safe place to feed your children. The easy pop-up unfolding mechanism makes it a dream to use on vacation, at Grandma’s house, or even just at home.

• Has a rear storage pocket
• Leg holes might be restrictive for some children
• Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat

Having already been awarded 5 stars in the “Best Baby and Toddler Gear Awards,” this easy-to-fold portable high chair will transform the way you and your little one eat out. Your baby will be able to sit right at the table and join you for a meal using this easy-to-secure, super-safe booster seat from Chicco.

With 3 tray positions, your child can also enjoy a snack or meal independently, and the harness straps will keep them safe while seated. With a wide padded seat and an easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe food tray, you can be sure that this booster seat remains hygienic at all times. The Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat is an excellent value for money.

• Adjustable to 3 heights
• Securing chair straps are quite short
• liuliuby Travel Harness Seat

So portable it can roll up to the size of an umbrella, the liuliuby Travel Harness Seat is a functional fabric booster seat. Designed with safety in mind, this may look lightweight and unsupportive, but it incorporates a 5-point harness and comfortable straps for added reassurance and unrivaled strength and durability.

Suitable for babies approximately 6 months and older that can sit up unassisted, the simple design hooks over the back of an adult chair and supports your baby while they join you to eat at the table. Machine washable, wipeable, and incredibly stylish, this is the perfect compact travel seat for eating on the go.

• Anti-slip pads mean your child will stay put
• Doesn’t fit all chairs

Cozy Cover Easy Seat Portable High Chair

Suitable for babies from 6 months old up to 33 pounds, the portable Easy Seat is a convenient companion for families on the go. You and your child can avoid the questionable hygiene of restaurant high chairs and have your little one eat at the table with you.

Compact enough to carry in your bag (in its own matching carry bag), the Easy Seat simply slides over the top of your adult dining chair, and with just a quick click of the straps, your child is secured in a 5-point harness . The 100% polyester material is easy to clean in the washing machine, and the brightly-colored design helps this fabulous petite seat stand out from the rest. A great buy for busy parents.

• Comes with a matching carry bag
• Doesn’t include a tray for eating

The First Years On-The-Go Booster Sea t

Quite unlike any of the other high chairs and booster seats on our list, the On-The-Go Booster Seat inflates to keep your child comfy and ensures that they can always reach the table.

Simply pull out the valve and watch it self-inflate into a full-size booster seat,  then press out the air and fold back into its carry pack when the meal is over. This seat comes with an adjustable safety belt with a T-restraint to help hold your child securely and even has its own carry bag for taking it everywhere with you. A perfect addition to your baby kit.

• Portable and inflates quickly
• Not suited for extensive use

The 5 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $60

Fisher-price healthy care deluxe booster seat.

Designed to fit at the table so that your little one can eat with the grown-ups, this foldable and incredibly portable booster seat secures to most dining chairs, both at home and away.

With a snap-on feeding tray and cup holder that is completely removable and dishwasher safe, you can let your child eat at the table or eat independently. The 3 height adjustments and super-secure 3-point harness will help you to find the safest position for your baby while they eat.

With a shoulder strap for ease of mobility and a simple, ergonomic design made from easy-to-clean and durable materials, this is a clear winner for moms and dads on the go.

• No crevices to trap crumbs
• Tray table comes off too easily (infant may remove it)

Ciao! baby Portable High Chair with Tray

This stand-alone high chair is an excellent option for anyone who wants their child to feel totally at home in their high chair. Mimicking the height and feel of a regular full-size high chair , this little beauty folds up into a compact size, making it perfect for camping, keeping as a spare, or taking on vacation with you.

Made from highly durable nylon, this high chair is built to last, and the clear vinyl food tray is wipeable and easy to keep clean. There is also a built-in cup holder for your little one’s bottle or cup. Suitable from infant to toddler (your child must be able to sit unaided to use this high chair), your baby will stay safe and secure with the lap belt and 5-point safety harness.

Easy to use and transport, this is the perfect portable high chair for children who want to be reminded of the one they have at home.

• 5-point safety harness
• The opening for the child is a bit of a squeeze

Chicco Caddy Hook-on Chair

In theory, this sturdy and durable hook-on high chair has plenty to offer both you and your baby. It folds down to take anywhere with you, it is made from high-quality materials, and the twist-and-tighten design fastens securely to most tables. In reality, it is very bulky and weighs a lot more than most portable high chairs, at a whopping 7 pounds, even without its carry bag.

That said, the rubberized arms are well-designed and will firmly grip any table without scratching , making it an excellent choice for parents who want their baby to eat with them. The seat cover is removable for easy cleaning and the cushioned back support adds comfort for your little one.

Suitable for 6 months onwards, we are not sure if the pure size and weight of this one prevents it from truly being a travel high chair, but it would still make a useful extra if you have room to transport it.

• Attaches directly to a table
• Not suitable for fidgety children
• Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

Offering easy-to-clean, customizable seating for your little one, the Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is an affordable, reliable, and well-made travel booster seat that will make eating out a breeze.

Offering full-size seating dimensions in a portable package that folds up super small, this seat fits on most adult high back chairs. Suitable from around 6 months, this booster offers 2 height adjustments and 3 recline positions . The removable and dishwasher-safe feeding tray is easy to clean, and the cushioned seat will keep your little one comfy at all times.

Designed to grow with your child, the tray can be removed, and the secure strap attachments are designed to stay safely affixed to your adult chair.

• Has a machine-washable seat pad
• Doesn’t slot under the table at certain heights

Brica GoBoost Travel Booster Seat

Perfect for dining on the go, the Brica GoBoost Booster Seat folds up small and comes complete with its own convenient carry strap. Stable and secure with a robust internal frame and wipeable, easy-to-clean material, this is the perfect booster seat for older infants on the go.

There is no 5-point harness on this seat, and it has a fixed position backrest, but with a built-in storage unit that can hold your bottles, wipes, cups, and even diapers. Xtra-Grip traction pads offer a non-slip grip on adult chairs.

• Includes storage for bottles, diapers, or other items
• Not machine washable

The 2 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $90

Inglesina fast table chair  .

Incredibly versatile and perfect for use at curved dining tables, this hook-on high chair really is one of the best on the market. With twist-tight couplings that secure the chair to virtually any table and a deep seat with an adjustable 3-point harness, this high chair is also incredibly secure to keep your little one safe while snacking.

With a deeply padded seat, high backrest, waist harness, and easy-to-clean, breathable polyester material , your little one will be super comfortable. With an additional storage pocket on the rear side of the seat for a pacifier and other essentials, and a carry case for journeys away from home, this is an excellent hook-on high chair that is well-suited to families who like to dine out often.

• Comes in a range of colors
• Not the easiest material to clean

phil&teds Lobster Clip-On High Chair 

Fans of the phil&teds stroller brand will already be familiar with their unique, high-quality designs, and the Lobster high chair is no exception. Super lightweight and incredibly compact, the Lobster has a first-class aluminum frame with padded support and a shoulder harness system that won’t let you down.

Suitable for infants 3 months old up to 3 years, or a maximum weight of 37 pounds, this high chair is still compact enough to fit into your travel bag for families on vacation. With stylish good looks and award-winning design, the world is your oyster with this high chair.

• Quick to set up and pack down
• Not compatible with all table types

Travel high chairs need to be portable, stable, and easy to clean. Younger babies need a secure harness, while older toddlers need a seat that won’t wobble about when they do.

From the simplicity of a sling-style high chair to hanging out in a hook-on, your next travel high chair or booster seat needs to be small enough to take with you, yet strong enough to hold your child safely. Make more of family mealtimes on your travels with any of the high chairs and booster seats on our list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hook-on high chairs safe.

Hook-on high chairs are safe as long as you adhere to the manufacturer’s maximum weight restrictions. Some other tips are:

• Make sure that the clamp is securely fastened
• Don’t use a hook-on high chair on glass tables
• Ensure all straps are securely fastened

What age can a baby sit in restaurant high chair?

Babies can use a high chair when they are able to sit up unassisted. For most babies, this will happen around the 6-month mark but can happen as early as 4 months.

What are the best travel high chairs?

Some of the best travel high chairs and booster seats include:

• Summer Deluxe Comfort Folding Booster Seat
• hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat
• Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit Portable Booster Chair
• Summer Pop ‘n Sit Portable Highchair
• The Original Easy Seat Portable High Chair
• The First Years On-The-Go Booster Seat
• Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat
• ciao! baby Portable High Chair
• Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair
• Munchkin Brica GoBoost Travel Booster Seat
• Inglesina Fast Table Chair
• phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair

Are travel high chairs portable?

While wraps are the most lightweight and portable option out there, a compact booster chair that folds up small and weighs very little is still a good alternative.

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The 11 Best Travel High Chairs If Your Take Your Kid Out for Meals Often

The portability will make feeding baby — sometimes a fraught endeavor to begin with — a bit easier.

If you buy something from the links on this page, we may earn a commission. Why Trust Us?

If you've never bought one before, you're probably overwhelmed by all of the options and don't know how to determine which travel high chair is best for you — but don't worry, we have you covered. They're a great thing to add to your registry because of their more affordable price point, and they make a great gift for new parents if you're shopping.

The Best Travel High Chairs

• Best Overall: Cozy Seat Cover
• Best Budget Soft Seat: Nuby Travel Seat
• Easiest to Set Up: Chicco Travel Seat
• Great Silicone Placemat: PandaEar Travel Seat
• Most Stable for Baby: Ingenuity 2-in-1

What to Consider

Buying a travel high chair isn't a huge task, but there are a few things that you should look at when you're considering buying one. First and foremost, take into account portability , how easy it is to clean, and cost.

Portability

You want a travel high chair that's lightweight, easy to fold, and easy to stow away. If it doesn't travel well, is it even a travel high chair? We don't think so. Some come with a carrying bag, some have a strap for easy travel, and some fold up tight for small spaces.

Cleanability

Cleaning fabric on high chairs can be a pain. Is it machine-washable ? Thankfully, most travel high chairs are a cinch to clean. The more parts involved, obviously, the trickier cleaning it is, so keep that in mind if you're going to be using it a lot.

You could go with a classic high chair that attaches directly to a table, with arms that serve as cantilevers to hold the baby up safely. You can also opt for booster-style seats that strap onto a regular chair at a restaurant or someone's home.

Another option is pop-out foldable boosters, which are suited best for older children who don't need as much lift to get to the table. Rounding out the list are travel high chairs that are compact versions of the real deal. These are generally made with rugged nylon and aluminum posts and conveniently fold up like an umbrella.

How We Chose

We chose these high chairs based on extensive testing and real-parent reviews. We compared prices, materials, and overall quality to determine usefulness, durability, and value. We put them through their paces with several young and messy humans, and these are the best. Check out these picks if you're shopping for travel high chairs.

Cozy Cover The Original Easy Seat Portable High Chair

Have a washing machine? Have a baby over six months or a toddler up to 35 pounds who wiggles a ton? Like to eat out and need a place to keep them contained? Meet the Cozy Cover Easy Seat.

It has a five-point removable harness for babies and a three-point strap for toddlers, and it just slides over a chair, secures at the bottom, and then you're off to the races. It comes with its own cover that is machine-washable (which is the biggest benefit that parents love about it), but they also remark on how durable it is. This chair can really take some abuse.

The only downside is that it doesn't work on all seats. Our tester noted that low backs on chairs or chairs of odd shapes don't work as well.

More: The Best Suitcases for Kids

Nuby Easy Go Safety Lightweight Travel High Chair Booster Seat

This is a toddler seat designed for kids from nine months to 55 pounds. It can be secured to most chairs, but it doesn't fold as compactly as a slip model. That's not to say it's not compact —you can easily fit this in a standard Skip Hop diaper bag — but it's just a little bit bulkier.

Another great little option is that the high-density foam seat can be removed for comfort. It features a wipe-clean oil and water-resistant fabric, and a three-point harness. It’s a great travel high chair and it’s nice to have “just in case” in your trunk or under your stroller.

Even when we repeatedly used Lysol wipes on this chair while testing it out, the slick finish of the seat remained strong and unwarped. Lysol wipes can deteriorate finishes — and they didn't on this one.

PandaEar Portable Baby Seat Travel High Chair

This product came as a personal recommendation from a few parents. It's a great option because it folds up tiny when you're not using it.

The chair itself is made of typical camp chair material that's easy to clean off. The tray has this wonderful silicone placemat that fits inside that you throw in your dishwasher. You could even throw the entire thing on the porch and hose it down with some dish soap.

Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat Travel High Chair

You can be on the go or just in your dining room with this Pocket snack booster seat from Chicco. It folds completely flat, and it has a carrying strap. So no matter where you are or where you're going, you'll have a place for your baby.

Chicco made this utterly washable, multi-height position chair with a removable tray so that it works as a booster as well. Suitable for babies from when they can sit up unassisted to 50 pounds. And the easy 3-point harness? It takes a ton of effort to get it gunked up. (Our testers said not even grits could take it down!

Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Washable Booster Seat Travel High Chair

If you are a major fan of Lysol or Clorox wipes , this is the travel high chair for you.

It's not as compact as some of the others, though it does fold up. But the whole thing can be wiped down easily. The straps are even easy to clean. Plus, it stays clean, thanks to having such few spaces for food to get trapped in.

And it is meant for the long haul. Two different tray options click together for storage: One is plain and flat and the other is portioned out. It goes from a high back travel high chair and also transforms into a booster, giving it a second life. It can be used for babies from six months old until they no longer need it.

Ciao! Baby Camping Travel High Chair

If you go camping, spend a lot of time outside, or just want an ultra-light, collapsible high chair that doesn't need a table and chairs, this is our favorite .

This chair has a five-point harness, so it can be used for babies as soon as they can sit up on their own. It's made of a vinyl-coated canvas, which means it can easily be sprayed off with a hose, wiped clean with a cloth, or sprayed down with your favorite cleaning spray. It also has a cup holder for babies, which may not completely prevent them from flinging their bottle, but it may help. It collapses into a small bag and only weighs about eight pounds.

Users note that this is the perfect choice for the beach, the woods, or the backyard, thanks to the fabric's ease of cleanup and durability. It's an outdoor fabric, and it can take a beating.

Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Feeding and Floor Travel High Chair

You get a lot of mileage out of this travel high chair that also happens to double as a baby floor seat . It's a soft seat molded to help keep the baby in a comfortable seated position with a removable dining tray and straps to affix it to the seat at a restaurant or home.

It has a luxe feel and keeps babies from wiggling around so much while they eat. It's sort of like a hug around the lower torso and legs, rooting them into the seat. Think of any assisted-sitting chair, and this is a little like that, but not quite as high-backed.

It's easy to clean thanks to the non-porous surface, and though it would be better if it were easier to carry around, it's overall a great product.

Phil & Teds Lobster Clip-On Travel High Chair

More than a few parents use this narrow travel high chair as their everyday high chair. It's suitable for use from six months or up to 37 pounds, and because it takes up such little room, it can be a great option for smaller spaces.

The chair itself is extremely durable. The cover is machine-washable and the tray is dishwasher-safe. The only drawback of this chair is that it doesn't work with round tables or glass.

Parents love how small it is, fitting well in tight kitchens. They also love how easy it is to attach, noting that the clasps are simple and durable.

Baby Delight Go with Me Venture Travel High Chair

Your child can start using this chair starting at 3 months of age, and they can use it virtually until second or third grade or until they reach 75 pounds. It’s not just a high chair or camp chair with a canopy — it’s also a beach chair for kids .

It has a five-point harness, removable tray, and cup holder, but the sneaky part is that the whole top piece and footrest come off to make it into a shaded chair for your kids.

Even better, the entire thing fits into a sling bag, and the extremely durable polyester can be hosed or wiped off easily.

Wiggly-butt babies have something to push against with the footrest, and you can rest easy knowing it’s safe and stable because they’re so close to the ground.

Chicco QuickSeat Hook-On Travel High Chair

Chicco is good at making it easy for parents to remove their product covers for washing — and the Quick Seat is no different. With the unsnapping of just a few snaps, it's off and ready for the machine in a jiff.

It's suitable for babies from six months or up to 37 pounds, and the generously sized tray is also super easy to clean.

But that's not even the best part. Most claw-style chairs use some sort of twist or crank to attach them to the table. Not the Chicco — it does it with just a pull of a cinch in the back, making it the easiest travel high chair to set up by a mile.

And that's the biggest reason people love this chair: There's no guesswork. Users note they can hold the baby in one hand and easily get the seat attached using their other hand and their hip. (Your hip becomes a third hand when you're parenting a baby, it's true.)

Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit Portable Travel High Chair

We get that a camp-style chair just doesn't cut it sometimes — so if you're on the hunt for one with a hard tray, this is the one for you.

It's good for babies six months or up to 35 pounds, and the fabric is removable and machine-washable.

It all folds up into a carrying case just slightly larger than an umbrella, save the tray. This chair has a fun zippered pocket on the side to hold whatever you want like plastic cutlery and wipes.

Parents love how much legroom this model has. It's good for chunky baby thighs or bulky sweatsuits. Plus, pretty much everyone loves the cheerful fabric and the grippy bottoms of the feet for stability.

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The 9 Best High Chairs for Babies and Toddlers, According to Testers and Safety Experts

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WhatToExpect.com, Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby , December 2022. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 6 Quick High Chair Safety Tips , March 2017.  American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Starting Solid Foods , August 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods , June 2023.

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Best High Chairs of 2024

It's time for your baby to pull up a seat at the table., by jen labracio | medically reviewed by holly peretz ot.

You know what those adorable pics of babies with chubby cheeks and mashed fruit and veggies plastered all over their faces have in common? There’s a high chair (and a mess) in every single one.

When it’s time to start solids , it’s important to have a safe spot for your little one to eat. But a lot goes into choosing the right high chair for your baby and your family. Most parents consider factors like cost, size, longevity, safety and—of course—how easy it is to clean. We polled thousands of Babylist parents and tested dozens of high chairs ourselves for our list of best picks.

Babylist’s Top Picks for the Best High Chairs

• Best Convertible: Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
• Best More Modern Convertible: Bugaboo Giraffe Complete High Chair
• Best Affordable: IKEA Antilop
• Best Modern: Skip Hop EON 4-in-1 Multi-Stage High Chair
• Another Modern Pick: Lalo High Chair
• Most Versatile: Graco Table2Table Premier Fold 7-in-1 Highchair
• Best Portable: Inglesina Fast Table High Chair
• Best for Small Spaces: Fisher-Price Space-Saver High Chair
• Best for Baby-Led Weaning: Stokke Nomi High Chair Bundle
• Best Foldable: Baby Jogger City Bistro Highchair
• Best Easy to Clean: Boon Grub Dishwasher Safe Adjustable Baby High Chair
• Best for Travel: Bombol Pop-Up Booster
• Best for Camping: Baby Delight Go With Me Venture Chair
• Best Rotating: Munchkin 360 Cloud Baby High Chair

In This Article

How we chose the best high chairs.

• Our Top Picks
• High Chairs We’re Keeping an Eye On

Types of High Chairs

When can baby sit in a high chair, how to pick the best high chair, frequently asked questions, babylist’s picks for the best high chairs, best convertible high chair.

Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair - Natural

• A classic since 1972
• Grows with your little one; converts to an adult chair that holds up to 242 pounds
• Pulls right up to dining table
• Expensive, especially with add-ons

What Our Experts Think

We’re not going to lie—we have a major soft spot for this Scandinavian classic that’s been around since 1972 and is still going strong.

The Stokke Tripp Trapp checks all the right boxes: it’s stylish, ergonomic, durable, safe and lasts for years. Called a “chair for life,” it really can take you from the baby days all the way through the big kid years and beyond, eventually converting to a regular seat that holds up to 272 pounds. The simple beechwood design doesn’t scream “baby gear” and fits seamlessly into your home decor. It’s also really easy to keep clean. And unlike many high chairs, the Tripp Trapp is intended to be pulled right up to the table so everyone can eat together. (You can also purchase a tray separately if you’d like.)

What’s Worth Considering

There’s no getting around the Tripp Trapp’s biggest flaw: cost. The seat itself is expensive, then once you start throwing in extras like the Baby Set , tray or cushion , things can really start to add up. (If you want a package deal, check out the Complete set; it comes with the high chair, Baby Set, Cushion and Tray already bundled togetether.) The straps on the Tripp Trapp are also notoriously hard to adjust.

If you like the look and convertible aspect of the Tripp Trapp but want to spend less, our two favorite more affordable alternatives are the Keekaroo Height Right High Chair and the Abiie Beyond Wooden High Chair with Tray .

What Babylist Parents Think

“Having three children at home, and having used multiple highchairs over the past 6 years, I can honestly say I wish I had tried the Stokke TrippTrapp sooner. This highchair is simply perfect. The attention to detail from design and aesthetics, to ergonomics, to how it will function practically for incorporating baby into family meals, it really is in a league of its own.” -Amanda

Additional Specs

Best Modern Convertible High Chair

Bugaboo Giraffe Complete High Chair - Natural Wood

• Easy to assemble and clean
• Adjustable seat and footrest, no tools needed
• Grows from baby through big kid and beyond

Just when we thought nothing could come in the way of our love for the Stokke Tripp Trapp…enter Bugaboo’s Giraffe, a sleeker, more modern and slightly more compact take of one of our all-time favorite high chairs. This beautifully designed and very well-thought-out seat has everything you need (or might ever want) in a high chair. For starters, setup is incredibly easy; we put it together in minutes with no tools needed other than the small hex key wrench that’s included. Any adjustments you may need to make to the Giraffe are similarly simple. Both the seat and the footrest slide up and down in seconds with the squeeze of a button, a feature we love as it assures your little one is in a safe and ergonomic position for eating.

Other features to rave about include ease of cleaning (zero nooks or crannies to worry about), a super stable base and a dishwasher-safe tray that’s effortless to get on and off. We also love that the chair pulls right up to the table and grows with your child. There’s an easy-to-attach Newborn Set available for the six-months-and-under crowd and a baby set with a five-point harness for your toddler that you can use until your little one is about three years old, at which point the Giraffe turns into a chair that can be used up to 220 pounds.

If you’re dealing with a wiggly toddler, the shoulder straps on the Giraffe are apt to slide down if they’re not perfectly centered and tightened enough. (We found removing the strap cushions to be helpful.) The Giraffe doesn’t fold for storage. The high chair is also really expensive, especially if you add on extras like the Newborn Set or the Junior Pillow .

Best Affordable High Chair

ANTILOP - Highchair

• Ultra affordable
• Easy to clean
• No footrest
• Not supportive for younger infants

There’s no denying the beautiful simplicity and unbelievable affordability of this IKEA high chair. At just under $30, this no-frills chair is sturdy, compact and a breeze to clean thanks to the molded plastic surface. Plus, it’s lightweight and easy to move around. Lots of families keep one of these at grandma’s house since it’s easy on the wallet and easy to store.

There are a few major drawbacks of this seat. There’s no footrest and the tray is difficult to remove, so many parents just leave it on. The chair doesn’t fold for storage. (Although the legs do pop off fairly easily.) The safety buckle clips at the waist, which may not offer enough support for younger infants compared to a five-point harness. To add more comfort to the basic surface, buy IKEA’s support cushion and cover or find other cushions and a footrest at Yeah Baby Goods .

If you don’t mind spending a bit more, Evenflo’s 4-in-1 Eat & Grow Convertible High Chair is another popular, budget-friendly pick among Babylist parents. The design is similar to the IKEA high chair with a few extras: a four-in-one design (the high chair converts from an infant chair to a toddler dining chair and tray to a standalone toddler chair and eventually into a big kid table and chair), an included seat pad and a five-point harness.

“Our IKEA high chair is stylish, easy-to-clean, and cheap. You. Can’t. Beat. That.” -Katie

Best Modern High Chair

Skip Hop EON 4-In-1 Multi-Stage High Chair - Slate Blue

• 4 ways to use
• Babylist-exclusive color
• Large footprint

This Skip Hop Eon is a popular Babylist parent pick and a high chair you’ll definitely want to consider if you’re looking for a modern, multifunction seat. The streamlined chair is more than just good looks—it’s also almost effortless to keep clean thanks to the smooth, crevice-free surface. The other perk is the seat’s many functions. The Eon grows with your little one from a high chair to a dining booster, tableside booster and finally to a toddler chair.

Two more features to love: an adjustable two-position footrest (so you’ll be able to position baby safely for eating) and a tray that’s both easy to get on and off and dishwasher-safe.

Just like the Lalo (and many other similarly designed high chairs currently on the market), the splayed leg style of this seat means that it takes up a good amount of floor space and that it’s easily tripped over. And due to the shape and size of the seat, it’s not ideal for younger eaters; you’ll want your baby to be able to sit up completely independently and have excellent head and neck control before using it.

“Pros: Extremely easy to set-up; did so without instructions. Easy to clean with a removable tray cover. Love that it will grow with our baby. Maybe Con: No cushions included or even sold separately, but that allows for easy clean-up post feeding. No complaints!” -Nick & Akiko H.

Another Modern, Versatile Pick

Lalo High Chair - Coconut

• Modern, minimalist and fun design that’s easy to clean
• Converts to a booster and a toddler chair
• Not much support for younger babies

What Our Experts Think:

The look of the Lalo stands out from a lot of what’s out there in the high chair market, and that’s one of the things we love the most about it. The modern, minimalist design accents any space rather than detracting from it. The smooth surface (including the large tray) is easy to wipe clean and assembly is really simple and takes only a few minutes. There’s also a two-position footrest, a supportive feature we always look for in a high chair.

The other cool feature of this chair is its versatility. You can purchase Play Legs (sold separately) to convert the high chair into a toddler chair that can pull up to Lalo’s Play Table and most other play tables. You can also buy the Booster Conversion Kit to convert your Lalo into a booster seat for babies four months to three years old.

The Lalo isn’t great for supporting younger babies, even with the seat cushion added. (And speaking of the seat cushion, some parents don’t love that food gets stuck underneath it after a meal.) The splayed design of the high chair’s legs means the footprint is fairly large and it’s easy to trip on if you’re not paying attention.

One more modern high chair worth a look: the Maxi-Cosi Moa 8-in-1 . It has eight different modes (infant chair, toddler chair, stool, booster and more), a three-level adjustable footrest, a water-repellent and machine washable cushion, tool-free setup and a contemporary design.

“This modern-looking chair doesn’t stick out in my home like so many other baby gear items. And I love that I’ll be able to use it as a toddler chair once my baby gets a bit older.” -Kristin

Most Versatile High Chair

Graco table2table premier fold 7-in-1 high chair - myles.

• 7 growing stages
• Grows with baby and can be used for two children at once
• Lots of height, recline positions and footrest adjustments
• Large footprint, tough to clean

Versatility is the name of the game with the Graco Table2Table. It has just the right setup for each stage of your child’s development, from infant to bigger kiddo. It works as a traditional high chair, an infant booster, a toddler booster and a youth chair, and also converts to a toddler-sized table and chair set.

It’s designed with lots of thoughtful features like a convertible three- and five-point harness, a reclining seat, plenty of height and footrest adjustment options and one-handed tray removal. We also love that this chair can be used for two kids simultaneously; the included booster seat can be used for the big sibling while the high chair can be used with your little one at the same time.

The Table2Table has a fairly large footprint when it’s open (although it does fold pretty compactly for easy storage), so it may not be a good choice if you’re short on space and want to leave the chair open all the time. (If that’s the case, check out the Slim Snacker , another popular and much lower profile seat from Graco that features a one-handed fold.)

And although the seat pad can be wiped down or put in the washing machine, some parents report that the small nooks and crannies are tough to clean and that there’s a lot of space between the tray and your baby where food can fall through.

If you like the versatility of the Table2Table but prefer a high chair with a sleeker look (and don’t mind spending a bit more money), take a look at Maxi-Cosi’s Minla 6-in-1 Adjustable High Chair . The modern design features neutral colors and the high chair can be used for years thanks to five recline positions, four tray positions, eight heights and the ability to convert from an infant seat to a tableside booster seat.

“Great high chair. Bought for my own home for the grandbabies visits. I spent time researching and comparing several high chairs. This was super easy to put together, easy to clean, has great functionality and portability. Love that it folds up for storage and more than 1 child can use simultaneously with the toddler booster/infant recliner high chair. Definitely recommend.” -NJ Grandma

Best Portable High Chair

Inglesina fast table chair - mineral gray melange.

• Hooks directly to most counters or tables
• Removable, washable cover
• Works for babies 6+ months and up to 37 pounds

If you travel or go out to eat a lot, or simply don’t have the space for a traditional high chair, the Inglesina Fast Table Chair is a great option. This 4.2-pound parent favorite clamps right to the end of most tables and countertops. Although it’s small, it still boasts features that provide maximum comfort, like a high backrest and padded seat. Use it at home, at restaurants, on vacation or anywhere your child needs to eat food you’ve lovingly cut into small pieces that they undoubtedly will throw on the floor.

This chair doesn’t have a footrest, so we don’t recommend it as your child’s primary high chair for everyday use. You’ll also want to keep an eye on weight. This seat maxes out at 37 pounds, which is fairly high but not quite as high as most full-sized high chairs on the market.

“I think this chair should be on every parent’s registry! I love how easy it is to wash and travel with!” -Nora

Best High Chair for Small Spaces

Fisher-price spacesaver high chair - windmill,.

• Compact and attaches to most dining chairs
• Converts to a booster
• Hard to clean

If your living space can’t accomodate a full-size high chair, this space-saving chair that attaches onto most dining chairs is a good, really affordable choice. There are lots of features that mimic a full-size seat like a three-position recline feature (which comes in handy for younger babies) and two height adjustments. The tray is easy to remove with one hand and features a deep dish to help prevent food from flying off of it. We also like that it lasts through the toddler years by converting into a booster seat.

Keeping this seat clean is the major complaint here. The seat fabric is machine washable, but removing it to throw in the wash all the time isn’t ideal because of all the straps you have to undo. (And you’ll need to wash it pretty frequently since it’s not the type of fabric that can easily be wiped clean). Another common complaint is the seat’s angle; some parents say that despite the recline angles, the pitch seems off and their little ones just don’t seem comfy in it.

“Best thing ever! We use this high chair multiple times a day, everyday. She loves her chair so much!” -Holly

Ready to Add a High Chair to Your Registry?

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Best High Chair for Baby Led Weaning

Stokke nomi high chair bundle - natural / white.

• Ergonomically designed
• Adjustable seat and footrest

If you’re planning on doing baby-led weaning (a way of introducing solids that skips over purées and spoon-feeding and focuses instead on self-feeding and finger foods), you’ll want to pay extra attention to the ergonomics of the high chair you choose and the proper positioning of your baby while eating. The Nomi, created by the same designer who invented the Stokke Tripp Trapp in 1972, was created with exactly these things in mind. Based on the idea that children need a safe and stable platform from which to move, it features a supportive base, an adjustable footrest and pulls right up to the table. Other pros: it’s super easy to clean and doesn’t trap food (a must-have for baby-led weaning!) and converts to a regular seat that holds up to 330 pounds. This bundle comes with the Baby Set so you can use the high chair once your little one hits six months.

The Nomi is really expensive, especially if you purchase any add-ons (all sold separately) like the tray or the cushion .

“I debated for a long time whether to go with the Nomi high chair or the Stokke Tripp Trapp. I am so glad I ended up choosing the Nomi! I have so many great things to say about it - mainly how easy it is to adjust the seat/footrest height, and how incredibly easy it is to clean. I also love how light it is and that it can hang on my table when I am cleaning up the floor.” -Rebekah

Best Foldable High Chair

Baby jogger city bistro high chair - graphite.

• Most compact folding high chair on market
• Stands when folded
• 4 height positions
• Fairly large footprint when unfolded

What Our Experts Say

Lots of parents like the idea of a full-size high chair but don’t have the kitchen or dining space to accommodate one at all times. The City Bistro solves for this—it folds down to 80% of its size than when it’s unfolded, making it super compact and easy to tuck away next to a counter or even in a closet.

Other than the fold, which is definitely this seat’s standout feature, there are a few other things to love about the City Bistro. The seat is covered by a really comfy pad that’s stain-resistant and machine washable. There’s calf support, a dishwasher-safe tray and a five-point harness. Two other unique things we loved are the tray storage on the back (the tray clips right onto the back of the high chair when folded, keeping everything organized) and that the chair stands independently when folded.

Although this high chair does have an impressively small footprint when folded, it’s on the larger side when it’s unfolded; we found ourselves tripping over the back legs quite a bit. And the seat pad is removable (a huge plus), but we did find that food tended to get trapped beneath it, making it a bit of a pain to keep clean.

The Joovy Nook NB High Chair is another great option if you’re looking for a foldable seat, as is Graco’s Slim Snacker . Just note that while the cushion on the Slim Snacker is technically removable, parents complain that it’s really hard to get off—which results in a high chair that’s difficult to keep clean.

What Babylist Parents Say

“I love the having the convenience of a full-size high chair combined with something so compact that it barely takes up any room when folded. It’s really durable and easy to clean, too.” -Jen

Best Easy to Clean High Chair

Boon grub dishwasher safe adjustable baby high chair - white.

• Tray and seat are dishwasher safe
• Converts to a toddler seat

Ever wish you could simply toss your entire high chair right into the dishwasher? (You will after only a few weeks of introducing your baby to solids, trust us.) Meet the Boon Grub. Both the tray and the seat are dishwasher safe, and we could not be happier about that.

Other things we love include the adjustable tray and a five-position footrest and that you can use this high chair either at table- or counter-height, a valuable feature that’s not common in many other seats. The Grub converts from a high chair to a toddler seat and will work until your little one hits 50 pounds.

This high chair has wide, splayed-out legs, so it requires a pretty big footprint. You’ll also need two hands to remove the tray, a feature parents don’t love.

“Love this high chair! I live in the city & needed a bar height high chair because that’s our only table option. I was surprised there were NO options to add to my registry at the time. But, the Boon Grub high chair came out right when my babe started solids, so I was excited! It’s super easy to clean.” -Amanda

Best Travel High Chair

Bombol pop-up booster - pebble grey.

• Folds flat and weighs 2.5 lbs
• Holds up to 75 lbs
• Fits almost all adult chairs

Nope, the Bombol isn’t a cool piece of origami art—it’s (an also very cool) travel high chair! This 3D seat just might be the way of the future when it comes to traveling and eating out with your baby in tow. It’s incredibly light, weighing in at two and a half pounds, so carrying it around is super convenient. It holds a child up to 75 pounds and the seat’s fabric is stain, abrasion and odor-proof. And the coolest part? It folds flat to about the size of a large book. You can easily slip it into a diaper bag or a tote and be on your way. When it’s time to eat, simply pop it open, lock it in place, secure it to your chair and you’re good to go. (And yes, it’s incredibly sturdy. We tried it!)

Although it’s approved for use with babies six months and up, we found it works best once your little one is a bit bigger and more stable. It’s also pretty pricey for a booster.

Best Baby Camping Chair

Baby delight go with me venture deluxe portable chair - grey.

• Outdoor or indoor use
• Grows with baby through three stages
• Folds flat, easy to pack and carry

If you’re a family who camps a lot or just enjoys a good adventure, you may want to consider purchasing a high chair designed specifically for outdoor use. Baby Delight’s Go With Me Venture Chair is one of our favorites. It boasts three stages that grow with your baby from about three months old up to 75 pounds. It’s also really stable, with a wide base that stays put even in grass and dirt. There’s a detachable canopy for shade and the whole chair folds up into the included carry bag quickly and easily.

Although the polyester fabric is resistant to fading, stains and mold, it’s wipe-clean only. If you’d prefer a seat with removable, washable fabric, check out the hiccapop OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat . It won’t last you as long as the Venture and doesn’t include a canopy, but it’s a great outdoor high chair option that’s super portable and really easy to keep clean.

“Our three children have all been able to use this chair. They are 8, 5 and 1. It is mainly for our 1-year-old. I love being able to strap her in while we are having meals or around the campfire. The straps are incredibly important around the campfire. The material cleans up easily. The sunshade is great and covers completely. It folds easily and it’s so lightweight to move around. Our other kids have also sat in it and all fit comfortably. Even our 8-year-old, who is pretty tall, fits in it just fine. We’ve been really happy to have this chair. I would definitely recommend it.” -JLead

Best Rotating High Chair

Munchkin munchkin 360 cloud baby high chair.

• Unique swiveling seat design
• Clean, modern aesthetic
• Easy to wipe clean

Starting solids with your baby is about exposing them to lots of different foods, but it’s also about sharing the experience of mealtime together. The Munchkin 360 high chair has a unique swiveling seat that makes interacting with your baby during meals a lot easier. The other feature that sets the 360 apart is its sleek, modern design. The seat is completely clear, which not only looks cool but is pretty effortless to clean. (There’s a removable cushion if you’d like to add that on as well.)

The modern look of the clear seat appeals to lots of parents, but keep in mind that it will also show handprints, smudges and any residual mess. The 360 also has a wide base and a fairly large footprint. And the seat and footrest aren’t adjustable.

“I love the modern design of this high chair. I found it easy to assemble with minimal work. It’s easy to clean and keep clean looking. I like the fact that it swivels so you don’t need to keep moving the high chair to turn the baby. I do find that it’s a little wide but we still love it!” -Amanda

High Chairs We’re Keeping an Eye On…

The high chair space is exploding with new seats and new styles at what feels like every turn as of late. Here are a few we’re keeping our eye on.

• Versatile, low profile and super stylish, the Cybex LEMO 2 High Chair 3-in-1 Set ($349.95) is a seat you can use from day one through adulthood. We love the sleek, ergonomic design, the easy-to-clean finishes and the trendy colorways.
• Just like rotating car seats, high chairs with a rotating seat are quickly becoming a feature that brands are beginning to explore. The TruBliss 2-in-1 Turn-A-Tot High Chair ($169.99) is budget-friendly and has a swiveling seat that turns 360 degrees so you can find just the right angle for feeding or playing. It’s also easy to clean, always a plus.
• If a foldable high chair is a must for you, the Munchkin Float Easy Clean Foldable High Chair ($169.99) is one to consider. This compact seat collapses with the touch of a button and is super easy to clean (yay) thanks to zero nooks and crannies. Other pluses: tool-free assembly and an adjustable footrest.
• We analyzed results from Babylist’s Best Baby Products survey, which polled 6,000 Babylist users and asked them to share the baby products they love the most and why.
• We utilized insight from the Babylist editorial team, including Gear Editor Jen LaBracio, an expert in the baby space for over six years and a mom of two who has written hundreds of baby gear guides and personally researched and tested hundreds of baby products, including many high chairs.
• We reviewed customer reviews from hundreds of real Babylist parents.

While shopping for a high chair, you’ll find that most fit into a few basic categories:

• Full-size high chairs . Full-size high chairs are what most people think of when they picture a traditional high chair. Full-size high chairs can be made from wood or plastic and often have a large(ish) footprint. Features vary, but a few common ones you may find include things like wheels, an adjustable seat and/or footrest, recline options, an infant seat, safety straps, wheels or the option to fold for storage. Some full-size high chairs, called convertible high chairs, even convert to boosters or adult seats to extend the seat’s usability.
• Portable high chairs . Sometimes also called travel high chairs or clip-on chairs, portable high chairs are designed for on-the-go. (But that doesn’t mean you can’t use one at home if you’d like, so don’t worry.) Portable high chairs are lighter and much more compact that their traditional counterparts. Most feature clips that attach to a table or counter or pop-out legs that make the chair easy to set up and break down.
• Booster seats . Booster seats are designed for older toddlers and children who need less support at the table. A booster seat straps onto a regular chair to create extra space and for added convenience. Some also come with removable trays.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics , there are several developmental signs to look out for that indicate your baby might be ready to start solids and it’s time for a high chair.

• Baby should be able to hold their head up and sit in a high chair with good head control.
• May open their mouth for food.
• Can move food from a spoon into their throat.
• Baby has doubled their birth weight.

All babies develop at different rates, but for most, they’re ready to start solids somewhere between four and six months of age, so you’ll want to be sure you have your high chair purchased, assembled and ready to go by then.

When positioning your baby in their high chair, there are a few important tips to keep in mind.

• Keep the phrase “90/90/90” in mind. That means you’ll want a 90-degree bend at the hips, knees and ankles and should only use a high chair with a footrest. This will ensure your baby is in the safest position for eating.
• If your child is leaning in their seat, consider adding support. A rolled-up towel or swaddle blanket behind their back or on either side often does the trick.
• Always feed your baby in your high chair’s most upright position; baby should never be leaning back while eating.

Before you choose a high chair, you’ll want to think a bit about your lifestyle, space and budget. Here’s what to consider.

• Space . Do you live in a smaller space and eat most of your meals around a tiny table? Then a booster-style seat that straps right onto a dining room chair or other existing seat or one that clips to a counter may be right for you. Do you have a larger table, or live in a home with multiple eating areas? Then a standalone seat that comes with its own tray and can easily be moved from room to room may be your best bet.
• Lifestyle . If you’re a family who’s often on the go, consider adding a portable high chair to your registry in addition to one that stays only at home.
• Cleaning . When it comes to cleaning, some parents don’t mind sacrificing form for function and choose whatever high chair best fits their favorite aesthetic. But if you know constant scrubbing or getting into nooks and crannies is going to drive you nuts, you may want to stick with a basic, plastic model or one with wipeable fabric.
• Foldability . If space is an issue, you may want to consider a full-size chair that can be folded down and stored or a portable high chair.
• Durability and longevity . Planning on a large family and passing your high chair down from kid to kid? Although they’re on the pricier side, investing in a well-made wooden seat might be the best choice for you. You also need to think about how long you’re hoping to keep your little one in a high chair. There are several chairs that grow with your child, either by converting to a booster seat or even to an adult-sized chair, so pay attention to weight limits too.
• Safety . Always consider your child’s safety when buying any piece of baby gear, but especially when it comes to choosing the best high chair. You’ll want to look for safety features such as a restraint system like a three- or five-point harness, good stability (if the chair has wheels, make sure they lock in place), a footrest to ensure your child is properly supported while eating, a crotch post and nothing that’s going to pinch or catch on baby’s tiny fingers and toes—or on yours.

For even more info on choosing the right high chair for your family, check out our how-to video:

Are high chairs worth it?

High chairs can be worth it for parents who want a safe and convenient way to feed their baby or toddler. They provide a dedicated space for children to sit and eat, and many models are adjustable to accommodate growing children. The more important question to ask yourself when shopping for a high chair is, “Is this the right high chair for my family and my lifestyle?” High chairs are expensive and can take up a lot of space, so you’ll want to be sure you’re considering your individual needs and preferences when shopping.

How to clean high chairs

It’s always best to consult your high chair’s manual for specific cleaning instructions, as they vary by make and model. In general, to clean a high chair, first, remove any loose food or debris. Then, wipe down the chair with a damp cloth and mild soap, paying extra attention to any spots or stains. Rinse the chair with a clean, damp cloth and let it air dry. If the high chair has a removable tray, take it off and wash it separately in warm soapy water or in the dishwasher if the tray is dishwasher safe. If your high chair has cushions that are machine washable, follow the manufacturer’s directions and wash as needed. 

When to stop using a high chair

Many parents choose to keep their children in a high chair for at least several years, up until two or three years old or beyond. And depending on the model of high chair you use, you may be able to use it much longer—some convertible high chairs hold the weight of an adult.

Do high chairs have weight limits?

Yes, like many baby products, high chairs have weight limits. They vary wildly depending on the brand and model, ranging anywhere from around 30 pounds up to over 200—so it’s always best to check your particular manufacturer’s guidelines.

Do high chairs expire?

Yes, high chairs can expire due to wear and tear, safety concerns and changes in industry standards. It is important to check the manufacturer’s recommendations and expiration date before using a high chair.

About Babylist

Looking for the best items for your growing family? Add all your favorite baby products to ONE registry with Babylist.

Jen LaBracio

Senior gear editor.

Jen LaBracio is Babylist’s Senior Gear Editor, a role that perfectly combines her love of all things baby gear with her love of (obsessive) research. When she’s not testing out a new high chair or pushing the latest stroller model around her neighborhood, she likes to run, spin, listen to podcasts, read and spend time at the beach. In her past life, she worked for over a decade in children’s publishing. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and their two boys, Will and Ben.

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Best highchairs for babies and toddlers: perfect for weaning and beyond

Highchairs provide a safe space for a baby or toddler when they’re old enough to eat sitting upright, but too young to sit securely on a full-sized chair. After three months of research and testing, here are the eight best highchairs available to buy.

By Rachel Jeffcoat | Last updated Feb 29, 2024

It seems like only yesterday you were shopping around for the best breast pump or baby bottles for feeding your little one, now they're ready to graduate to sitting at the table and eating solid foods. But there's more to weaning than just making sure there's an Ella's pouch in your changing bag at all times, and thankfully Mumsnetters are on hand to help you navigate this messy time.

While it may just seem like just a place to pop your child while they eat, there's more to what makes the best highchair than just how it looks. Parents want one that is easy to clean after messy mealtimes - because food will get into every little nook and cranny! - as well as straps that are safe and a good size tray. But there are a host of other extra features that you can look out for too.

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 the best highchairs, our parent tester put some of the UK's top-rated models thoroughly through their paces with the help of her nine-month-old and two-year-old. Over a period of several months, she tested each highchair rigorously for safety, stability, ease-of-assembly, day-to-day use, aesthetics, how easy to clean and value for money.

We also consulted the Mumsnet forums - the largest online network of UK parents - 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. Here are the best highchairs UK 2024 as tried, tested and trusted by real parents.

Best highchairs UK 2024: at a glance

Stokke Tripp Trapp

IKEA Antilop

Cybex Gold LEMO

Stokke Tripp Trapp Highchair

Comes in three wood types and 14 colourways – means it'll suit every kitchen design

Five-point harness

Exceptionally high quality, detail-oriented chair designed for longevity

Doesn’t recline (without the newborn bouncer) or fold away

Almost every feature except the chair frame itself is sold separately, at some cost

Wood cleans less easily than plastic or metal

Price on writing: From £215 | Type: Solid wooden chair with plastic baby seat attachments and tray | Materials: Beech, oak or ash wood; BPA-free plastics | Extras: £109 ( newborn set ); £59 ( baby set ); £63 ( tray ); £36 ( harness ); £42 ( highchair cushion ) | Suitable from: Birth | Harness: Sold separately | Wheels?: No

Tried and tested by parents: Read our full Stokke Tripp Trapp review

An almost 50-year-old classic, the robust and intelligently designed Stokke Tripp Trapp continues to perform well for kids of any age. Solidly constructed from high-quality wood and available in a dizzying array of colours, the Tripp Trapp is a firm favourite on our forums – especially second-hand.

It can be used with the newborn set from birth, the baby set from six months (sitting unaided) and after three years or 15kg until adulthood and beyond, so it's great if you need a piece of furniture that will last and can be used by every member of the family. We also like that the tray is dishwasher-safe for particularly messy mealtimes! It's expensive but with a thriving second-hand market you should get a high resale value when you're finished with it.

Read next: Find out which sippy cups Mumsnetters rate the highest

Three-point lap harness

Smooth plastic shape is easy to wipe clean and dishwasher-safe

Can be disassembled easily for travel or storage

No adjustability in height, tray distance or seat angle

Simple no-frills aesthetic (with no other colours available) – might not suit every taste

Price on writing: £28| Type: Moulded plastic chair with plastic detachable tray and steel click-in legs |  Materials: BPA-free plastic and steel | Suitable from:  Able to sit unaided - 3 years | Harness: Yes | Wheels?:  No

Tried and tested by parents: Read our full IKEA Antilop review

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.

The smooth plastic seat and steel click-in legs are designed for quick assembly – just two minutes! It's lightweight and stable so you can easily take it apart to take away with you, however, at less than the cost of your monthly nappy bill, you can afford to buy one for Grandma too. If you need more than one, they easily stack up so they don't get in the way, and you can also buy the ANTILOP cushion for making it more comfortable for your little one. One of the only downsides is it is not intended to last beyond toddlerhood or 15kg, so it has a limited lifespan.

Related : Discover the best sterilisers and the top-ranking baby baths according to parents.

Cybex Gold LEMO Highchair

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

Comes in six colours

Easy to clean

Bouncer, baby set and tray all need to be purchased separately or as a set

Assembly requires screws and an allen key; disassembly isn’t a convenient option.

One of the most expensive chairs we tested

Price on writing : £195 | Type: Aluminium-framed chair with plastic or wooden seating area and footrest | Materials: Aluminium; BPA-free plastic or ash wood | Extras: £200 ( newborn bouncer ); £40 ( Harness ) | Suitable from: Birth | Harness: Sold separately | Wheels?:  No

Tried and tested by parents : Read our full Cybex Lemo Highchair review

Packed with thoughtful design features, the elegant Cybex Lemo makes for a stylish and functional addition to your kitchen space. With its aluminium frame, smooth plastic or wooden seat, and sophisticated colour options, the Lemo is a statement piece in its own right. We think this highchair will be great for parents who want a chair that will complement their kitchen design.

The chair alone can only be used from the age of three, so you may want to consider getting the 4-in-1 package, which also includes a baby set (an insert and tray) for when your baby can sit up, and a bouncer nest suitable from birth. The seat height, footrest height and seat depth are all fully and independently adjustable and Cybex say the seat can be used up to the age of 99, so it will last through childhood and beyond.

Related : Find the best nipple cream and the top-ranking nappy rash cream with our in-depth guides.

Chicco Pocket Snack Highchair

Adjustable height and tray distance – means the chair continues to fit as your child grows

Attaching to a chair rather than a table means more flexibility when travelling away from home

Folds down compactly

Bright plastic aesthetic not to everyone’s taste

Can’t be used without an adult dining chair to hold it – not convenient for everyone’s dining situation

Seat doesn't recline

Price on writing: £25 | Type: Plastic booster seat with tray that attaches to adult chair with straps | Materials: BPA-free plastics; canvas straps | Suitable from:  6 months+ | Harness: Yes | Wheels?:  No

Tried and tested by parents: Read our full Chicco Pocket Snack Highchair review

Family favourites Chicco have come up trumps with this flexible, compact booster seat for travel. Attached to your dining room chair with two robust straps, the Chicco Pocket Snack folds down to handbag size and even has a shoulder strap for easy transportation.

It can be used from six months (sitting unaided) to about three years or 15kg, with a three point harness for making sure your child sits safely. You can choose from four colourways to suit your tastes and we love how functional it is, with a dishwasher-safe tray and easy-to-clean plastic seat so post meal clean-ups are nice and quick. This is a really handy chair if you spend time at other people’s houses with no highchairs or you want a flexible solution that takes up no additional floor space.

Read next: Don't miss our guides to the best changing mats and the best nappies

Best highchairs UK: the best of the rest

Stokke steps: multi-functional but pricey.

We have a Stokke Steps and LOVE it! It looks stylish, It’s easy to clean and has a foot rest. Highly recommend!

AfternoonTea12

Stokke Steps Highchair

Related: Breastfeeding or planning to? Find the best nursing chairs and the top-rated nipple shields to boost comfort.

Mountain Buggy Pod: Portable but doesn't fit every table

We have the Mountain Buggy one for use away from home - it’s brilliant. A little big for our eight-month-old still but it works fine.

BerthaYoung

Mountain Buggy Pod

Read next: Find the best nappy bins and baby wipes to help make the messiest of jobs a little less messy.

Oribel Cocoon: Versatile but can get messy

We had the Oribel Cocoon. It was brilliant, so sturdy, height adjustable and it will recline if you need to keep your baby out of the way of the dogs while you cook and they nap or something.

hubbletelescope

Oribel Cocoon Highchair

Related : If you're looking to express milk, we've got a pump for that: find the best wearable breast pumps and our favourite manual breast pumps for every style of pumping

Chicco Polly: Great for multi-use but bulky

If you are dead keen to have your baby at the table in a high chair, I would look for a secondhand Chicco Polly Magic. I got one on eBay for not much and it was fab. Could recline right back or you can add the toy arch. Was invaluable with a wee one and a toddler for meal times. We passed it onto a friend as the use of it is pretty short lived and then they passed it on also. Once weaning, I got the cheap Ikea one .

CoperCabana

Chicco Polly Magic Relax

Read next : Potty training? We've got you covered: here are the best potties and the best travel potties of 2024.

Mamas & Papas Juice: Good for cleaning, bad for floor space

I bought the Mamas & Papas Juice when it was on offer to have at mine and the seat is amazing, really easy to clean but a complete pain in the backside as the legs don't fold.

galaxygirl45

Mamas & Papas Juice

Related: Discover the best baby food makers and the top baby plates to go with your brand new highchair

Joie Mimzy Snacker: Easy to handle, tricky to clean

I had a Mimzy highchair and it was fab, but it was recommended to me as little one has hip dysplasia and its really wide. It could be a pain to clean but all the padding comes off and goes in the washing machine which I used to do once a week (normally Sunday after dinner and then it would be dry by Monday dinner time after nursery).

ItsSnowJokes

Joie Mimzy Snacker Highchair

Why buy a highchair?

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 .

As child nutritionist Charlotte Stirling-Reed says, sitting your child at your eye level and at (or close to) the rest of the family at mealtimes aids their development.

“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.”

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?

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.

Charlotte Stirling-Reed advises, “Baby needs to be sitting in an upright position and should easily be able to hold their head and neck steady. Always sit with your baby when offering foods, especially finger foods.”

The life-span of your chair will depend on the type of model you choose, as some are intended to be used throughout childhood and beyond (see section below). You’re likely to find a chair with a tray essential from first weaning up to the age of three.

Then, 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?

It varies tremendously with brand and functionality. A budget highchair, including this year’s winner, the IKEA Antilop, will set you back somewhere between £10 to £50. A multifunctional option will usually be in the £50 to £150 price range. A transitional one can be anything between £150 to £300+. A travel chair should really stay under £50 if it’s to be cost-effective.

What to look for in a highchair

The relevant safety directive to look out for is EU directive EN 14988:2017, which specifically sets out standards for children’s highchairs.

We asked Charlotte Stirling-Reed what features bewildered first-time parents might watch out for, here are her top tips:

The height of the seat back (so it will support your child as they sit)

The robustness of the safety harness (is it three-point or five? Does it seem secure when attached?)

How solidly the tray is attached to the chair when in place

How easy it is to clean

Does it have a footrest (to help your child avoid slumping in the chair)

How to choose the best highchair:

Highchairs have come a long way in the last couple of decades as companies have begun to apply intelligent design to baby equipment. There are several broad types on the market, so consider which functions are important to you before making your choice.

1. Budget highchairs

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.

Indeed, they can still tick all the essential boxes without the added extras and loads of Mumsnet users will tell you that you don't need to spend much on a highchair to make it worth your while. Our Best for award went to the IKEA Antilop, which was also the cheapest on the list.

2. Multi-functional highchairs

A multifunctional highchair is a step-up in functionality and price. It has been designed to include features that make life easier or that adjust the chair to suit your child.

Multifunctional chairs usually include adjustable seat height options, reclining seat backs, trays that can move between several different positions, extra tray inserts to save on washing up or under-seat toy storage baskets. Single-stem highchairs, which stand on one leg instead of four, even rotate 360 degrees as well as adjust in height.

Multifunctional options might also include newborn accessories so you can use the chair before six months, or have a removable tray so the chair converts from a standalone chair to a table-side one. They usually fold away and often stand when folded for easier storage, and come with luxuriously padded cushions, which are comfortable for your baby to sit on but are crumb magnets for any dropped food.

A multifunctional chair might be a good choice if you want to adjust the chair to fit your baby or sit at your table, if you prefer a more comfortable cushion or if you know you’ll want to fold it away when you’re not using it.

3. Transitional highchairs

These are the big guns of the group – the chairs intended to last as standalone models in babyhood and then convert to table-side models that can be used in toddlerhood, childhood and even beyond.

As a result, they are usually crafted from sturdy, high-end materials, are intentionally designed to look elegant and minimalist, and come with a range of design options so you’ll want to stick with it long-term.

They are also, of course, the most expensive – and be aware that, in this group in particular, you’ll need to pay extra for everything except the chair frame itself (including newborn accessories, baby seats, trays and even safety harnesses), so make sure this is included in your budget.

The good news is that, because these chairs last so well, there’s a thriving second-hand market on eBay and Facebook Marketplace, where you can sell yours on or pick up a used model for a fraction of the cost.

4. Travel highchairs

These ensure that your child always has somewhere safe and age-appropriate to eat when they’re not at home – whether that’s at a grandparent’s house, a friend’s, or away on holiday – although many are designed so well that people use them at home too.

Most travel highchairs either attach to an adult dining chair as a chair-mounted booster or clip onto the table edge (sometimes called a hook-on or clip-on highchair) like a vice. In both cases, you need suitable furniture to make it work – though, anecdotally, the chair-attaching kind fit more universally than the table-attaching kind.

It’s a good idea to read up on their specs before choosing one to make sure you’ll be able to use it safely. It’s helpful when travel chairs collapse to a portable size and many come with their own carry cases or shoulder straps to help with this.

They might also be a good choice if your child spends regular time at a relative’s house but the relative doesn’t have space for a full-time chair, if you know they’ll eat better on holiday in a chair made for them, or if your kitchen is small and you want something that won’t take up any extra floor space.

Which brand high chair is best?

We like the Stokke Tripp Trapp the best out of all the highchairs we researched - and with a second highchair, the Stokke Steps , also in our round-up, we think the title of best overall highchair brand is well-deserved. It looks stylish, you can use it from birth and with almost 50 years of use, it has certainly stood the test of time.

How we chose our recommendations

To help us find the best highchairs, we started by thoroughly researching the products currently on the market. We commissioned Rachel Jeffcoat, a writer and mum of three, to research and review the top highchairs out there. As a parent to an eight-, six- and two-year-old, Rachel has years of experience using a wide variety of baby equipment, from baby toys to stair gates and everything in between. As a writer, she’s written extensively on parenthood, including our last round of double buggy and stair gate reviews .

Rachel spent 16 hours researching the current highchair market. She investigated new innovations and safety directives, gathered impassioned recommendations from the Mumsnet forums , listed Amazon and Mothercare bestsellers, and grilled an expert in the field – Charlotte Stirling-Reed, a qualified child nutrition consultant who represents The Nutrition Society and the Association for Nutrition as a spokesperson.

How real life comparative testing makes Mumsnet Reviews unique

While all product reviews are subjective to some degree, we want our recommendations to come from months of real-life use and like-for-like comparison. For that reason we use a single tester, who judges one product against another in their own kitchen.

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.

Each chair was used for both children (where appropriate), for three meals a day, every day for at least a week. The products were scored on six areas: purchase and assembly, safety and stability, day-to-day usage, cleanliness, aesthetics and value for money.

Five products were then awarded a Mumsnet Best badge – these are the products that we feel offer the best value for most parents. We also gave honourable mentions to three others.

After collating the feedback and scores, the results are ready. Here are the best highchairs suitable for babies and toddlers.

Why you should trust us

All Mumsnet product reviews are written by real parents. We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust – brands can’t pay to be featured in our articles or win a Mumsnet Best award.

We spend hours researching, speaking to parents, analysing data and listening to experts before we test out the products on our shortlist.

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.

There's no incentive for us to be lazy with our research or in our testing process. There's no reason for us to respond to pressure from retailers or brands trying to promote new products. It's actually quite the opposite and we think it's a good system, one that keeps us focused on making parents lives' easier.

All prices on this page correct at time of writing

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Review: Mothercare Panda Highchair

We loved this high chair as son as we saw it, it looked so fun and even better, it folded so we could save space. Bonus!? ? However, in reality we’re not too impressed.? ?

• Folds so doesn’t take up much space when not in use
• Wipe clean seat cover which comes on and off very easily
• Has a leg post so H feels vaguely secure while you wrestle with the straps and buckle (though given the space around her in the seat, she’s never going to feel completely secure)
• Large tray (though a bit too far away and so much space to her sides so she can just drop her food beside her
• Tray has 3 settings
• Big basket for storing bibs and catches some stray food aswell ?
• the seat is far too big for H, it’s really wide
• the tray doesn’t come anywhere near close enough and is too high
• the straps don’t have any strap covers (you know, like on all pushchairs) so H keeps getting red marks on her neck as they are really really rough
• The buckle is really really big and it does feel like it might take off my finger, nevermind H’s!
• Hubby did get a finger stuck while collapsing it
• I find it quick cumbersome to fold and unfold (we now don’t do this as H crawls over to it and could pull it over)
• I’m not sure on how long it would last, as H’s head is almost at the top of the chair! (Odd given the width of the chair and the adjustments on the table, along with the fact there is a fixed leg post which means baby is confined (H doesn’t have any room to grow already at 8 months!))

I don’t like the straps or the buckle – red marks, night after night, are a big no-no in my book. The tray is also too far away.

The tray does have a few settings and we always use the closest. However at the weekend, we’re not sure what H did, but he tray came off with a massive crash. We hadn’t adjusted the tray since the day before and so are sure it was in the ‘catch’ properly. So, I do think there are better high chairs that I would trust more.

I wish I’d bought the Ikea Antelope, H has used our friends’ one and the tray is much better and is nice and close, she felt secure even without the straps and the tray was a the right hight, the Panda tray is just too high.

Disclaimer: ?we bought this highchair using our own money, and, as always, all opinions are my own.

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11 comments.

Leanne Cornelius

It is such a shame that you don’t get on with this as the panda is so cute! We bought the IKEA one last week along with the inflatable insert as Aria is still a bit small for it, it is fab, with the insert in she is so cosy! There isn’t even any need to use the straps as it is all so secure.

It really is a shame, I want to love it as much as we did in the shop! But I can’t figure out why there are no protectors for the straps as those red marks on her neck are really not good. Glad you like the ikea one! X

Kim Carberry

It is cute, but no we don’t like it very much. Thank you for reading and commenting x

It is disappointing 🙁 But yes, I did like the ikea one x

Sarah Howe (@RunJumpScrap)

It is so cute!

Hi I have this exact same high chair. I bought it 2years ago and have never been able to fold it. I have lost the instructions and receipt so the store can’t help me. Im trying to sell it as I dont need it anymore but I have to know how to fold it. Can someone PLEASE HELP ME ?!

On the back of the seat, you hold the red button in and the button on the bottom (both with your right hand), then hold the tray jiggle it lots! It’ll suddenly close when you get the right angle, it’s quite steep if I remember right, and make sure you hold both buttons the whole time x

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• Baby and kid

The Best High Chairs

By Jenni Gritters and Erica Pearson

A good high chair should be simple to use and, above all, easy to clean.

We tested 24 high chairs with infants and toddlers—including cleaning up dried smears of pureed sweet potato and smushed Goldfish crackers. And we’re confident that the IKEA Antilop  will make mealtimes easier than using high chairs costing 10 times as much.

Everything we recommend

IKEA Antilop

The best high chair.

This functional, compact, lightweight chair is easier to clean than models costing 10 times as much.

Buying Options

Upgrade pick.

Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair

A high chair you’ll keep around.

This wooden chair is harder to clean and much more expensive than our top pick. But it can truly grow with a child, and it’s especially suitable for preschoolers.

Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat

A compact booster seat.

This versatile seat buckles to an adult chair, can work with or without a tray, and folds up for travel. But it’s tougher to clean and less comfy than our top pick.

Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair

A clip-on chair for travel.

This foldable clip-on chair is small enough to pack in a suitcase and sturdy enough to attach to a picnic table. Plus, the cloth cover zips off for (fairly) easy cleaning.

What we looked for

The most common high chair injuries involve falling. We looked for steady chairs with secure harnesses.

Many parents we spoke with who’d bought pricey high chairs ended up wishing they had something that was simpler to clean.

We considered how long a family would be able to use a chair, and we looked at its resale value.

Whether you’re packing a suitcase or headed to dinner at the local brewery, you might need a high chair you can take with you.

We also like the affordable and compact Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat , the Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair (for travel), and the adjustable, wooden Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair (which has a long life and great resale value).

At 7.9 pounds, the IKEA Antilop Chair is lighter, smaller, and easier to move around than most high chairs. Yet it’s also sturdy, durable, and comfortable to sit in. The smooth, plastic-and-steel construction is simple and functional, without the grime-collecting fabric or crumb-catching crevices that cause problems in other chairs. Compared with some competitors, the Antilop chair can accommodate slightly bigger children, but it’s not a chair that kids can continue to use as they hit preschool. Assembly is easy, but removing and reconnecting the tray can be a pain. And even though the price is impressively low, you’ll have to buy the chair in person at IKEA or pay extra for shipping.

If you want a high chair that blends in with adult furniture and can serve your kid well from 6 months through the end of childhood and beyond, we recommend the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair . Compared with our top pick, this 15.5-pound chair is a lot pricier and more complicated—the baseline model requires add-on purchases for use with infants, and it takes some effort to assemble and adjust. (You could also just go with a bundled version .) But this chair is far easier for bigger kids to climb into by themselves. It’s also an unusually attractive piece of furniture, something you may want to keep forever, and, if not, it should be easy to sell secondhand.

The compact, 6-pound Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat buckles to an adult chair, and it’s a versatile spare to keep at the grandparents’ house. It can work as either a high chair with a tray or as a booster pulled up to the table. It isn’t as comfy to sit in or as simple to clean as our top pick (it has buttons and seams that can collect grime or allow spills to reach the adult chair underneath). Compared with other chairs of its type, however, this one is easier to clean and less expensive.

Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair is small and lightweight (about 4 pounds), so it’s easy to fold up and pack into a suitcase—or even to wedge into a diaper bag when you’re on the go. Yet it’s also sturdy enough that it feels safe for use at a restaurant, regardless of the construction of the table it clips onto.

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: ikea antilop, upgrade pick: stokke tripp trapp chair, also great: fisher-price healthy care deluxe booster seat, also great: phil&teds lobster clip-on highchair, other good high chairs, the competition, high chair safety.

We consulted various experts , including pediatricians, occupational and physical therapists, and product designers.

We spent several hours researching high chair safety online, using the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission ’s database to see which chairs had been recalled recently and why.

We also surveyed over three-dozen parents from across the country to determine which high chair features were most important, as well as to learn about chairs that people loved and hated.

Erica Pearson, this guide’s original author, is a former newspaper reporter with more than 15 years of experience interviewing experts in countless fields, including health, parenting, and safety. She’s also a mom of two. Jenni Gritters updated this guide in 2023 and again in 2024. She’s also a mom of two, and she has a decade of experience writing about parenting, purchasing, and psychology.

High chairs are among the few baby-gear items that are pretty much a necessity. Most babies begin eating solid food at around 5 or 6 months , and they start using a high chair at the same time. Some families put the high chair away before a child turns 2, while others continue to use the chair through toddlerhood and sometimes beyond (if it’s a booster or a convertible model). In all cases, a high chair will help keep the child—and the child’s food—in place and contained.

Our research and interviews led us to conclude that a great high chair has several attributes:

Safe and stable: A high chair should not feel wobbly at all. Some chairs have three-point safety harnesses, which buckle just around the legs and at the waist; others have five-point harnesses, which include shoulder straps. The safety harness type doesn’t necessarily make a chair safe or unsafe, said Heather Felton, a pediatrician and injury-prevention expert. She added, however, that “all of the straps that come with a high chair should be used.”

Simple to clean: Ease of cleaning is the thing that causes most people to love or hate a high chair. Tiny diners love smearing hands full of sticky puree everywhere they can reach. And, more often than not, toddlers are notorious for overturning entire bowls of Cheerios and milk. A high chair has the potential to drive a parent crazy if it has too many crevices where crumbs can collect, spaces under the seat where liquids can pool undetected, or a seat cover that can’t be easily thrown in the washing machine after a diaper leak.

Compact and manageable: Those who have limited space will likely appreciate a high chair with a smaller footprint. A chair that’s easy to fold or disassemble for long-term storage may also be a plus, as is a chair that’s easy to pack into the car or even into a suitcase for travel.

Designed to make meals easier and more pleasant: A great chair should also be reasonably simple to use. Due to their design, some chairs are easy to trip over, even if they’re not huge. The seat should be comfortable enough to keep a baby happy through mealtime. And, ideally, the chair should not be a total eyesore.

Also, in a comfy chair, a child will be able to sit with their hips, knees, and ankles at a 90-degree angle. Over the past few years, the occupational therapist who runs Feeding Littles (the popular baby-led-weaning education company) has recommended that everyone buy a high chair with a footrest. But the experts we spoke with were split on the issue. Carrie Pagliano, PT, told us kids move so much that they’re unlikely to use a footrest. Occupational therapist Julie Barnes said that when kids have their feet resting flat on a solid surface, this “provides the best postural support, which is the basis for stability of the neck and jaw during eating.”

In short, you can buy a high chair without a footrest, and everyone will get by just fine. But a footrest may help your child to use their energy for eating (a novel motor action for infants), rather than for maintaining their posture. (Many parents wrap an exercise band around our top pick , as a hack to give kids a place to rest their feet.)

We carefully considered about 30 popular models during our first round of testing, 12 during our second round (in 2023), and four more in 2024. We eliminated the chairs with many negative customer reviews that specifically described how difficult they were to clean. This process left us with a lineup of 13 high chairs to test the first time around, eight in 2023, and three in 2024.

Jenni and Erica tested the high chairs with their infants and toddlers. They timed the assembly of each of the 24 high chairs, noting any particular difficulties or frustrations. They measured each chair’s footprint, and they considered how easy a chair was to fold, roll, or lift out of the way between meals.

Then they used each chair with their children (who, over the years of testing, ranged in age from 7 months to 4 years old). Jenni and Erica focused on how difficult it was to get their kids in and out of the chairs, and they noted any cleaning challenges.

The IKEA Antilop has a smooth, rounded plastic seat and tray. It’s easier to clean, simpler to use, and less expensive than every other high chair we tested.

Although this model is lightweight, it’s also sturdy, and its neutral, white-and-silver design and clean lines look presentable in just about any decor. This high chair stacks easily with the tray removed (great for parents with twins or closely spaced kids, or for use at day care), and it’s simple to take apart for storage or travel. Although the Antilop chair has none of the extra features that many high chair designers consider to be standard—such as different height settings or a reclining seat back—we still preferred it over nearly every other chair.

IKEA Antilop Support Pillow

An add-on pillow.

This inexpensive back pillow is easy to attach, and it can be paired with a stain-resistant cover that you can throw in the wash.

IKEA Baby Footrest

An add-on footrest.

If you’re concerned about ergonomics, you might want to get this add-on footrest. It’s tough to install yet sturdy once in place, and it’s height-adjustable.

It’s the easiest to clean. The Antilop high chair is just one piece of plastic, with no hard-to-reach areas where liquids can pool, and there are no crannies, cracks, or seams where grime can hide. There’s also no fabric (unless you spring for the optional support pillow, which has an also-optional stain-resistant cover ). This chair’s tray fits in the dishwasher, and the safety straps are relatively easy to remove and toss in the washing machine. We love that you can bring the entire chair outside and spray it down with a hose.

The attached tray is easy to use, but it is designed to stay in place most of the time. We’ve found that this makes starting mealtimes simpler and easier, and it reduces clutter around the kitchen and dining room. And the tray’s 1-centimeter raised edge prevents many (but definitely not all) spills from ending up on the floor. When you do need to remove the tray, though, it can be a pain.

The 7.9-pound chair is lightweight, sturdy, and simple. And when the tray is removed, the high chair is easily stackable. It is very easy to assemble—we clocked two minutes. All you have to do is slide the chair’s legs into place and click on the tray. The Antilop chair has a smaller-than-most, 22-by-24-inch footprint and a three-point safety harness, so there are no shoulder straps to get messy. (We’ve found that the three-point harness is tight enough across a kid’s hips to keep them from being able to climb out, despite the lack of shoulder straps.) This chair doesn’t have wheels, but it doesn’t need them because it’s light enough to easily pick up and move around. (Many of the other chairs we tested weighed 25 pounds or more—we could easily see why the designers added wheels.)

The Antilop chair has a plain but attractive look. Though the chair is about as basic as can be, you can modify it in two important ways. First, the optional support pillow gives babies who are first learning to eat solids a little boost up to the tray (though the cushion quickly becomes unnecessary for many). Second, the high chair can also work without the tray, if you prefer to push it close to the table so your baby or toddler can eat there with the rest of the family; note, however, that the tray is not as easy to take off and put back on as using our upgrade pick , the Stokke Tripp Trapp . (To make cleanup even simpler, you can add a silicone placemat from Etsy that fits perfectly inside the tray. Or consider adding handmade, wipeable cushion covers in cute fabrics .)

Jenni has been using the Antilop since her son was born, four years ago. It’s a bit scratched up, but it remains entirely functional. She has taken it on road trips, moved it into four rental homes, and is now using it with her second child. For the price, this chair’s durability is something to behold.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The most common complaints about the Antilop chair tend to be about the tray. When parents remove the tray for the first time, many will be left wondering whether it’s actually intended to come off. This is a common question posted to online forums, and there are YouTube videos showing how to do it: Using one hand, you push down on the center of the seat, and then you yank the outer edge of the tray upward, with force (this is harder than you might think).

Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy enough to remove the tray and then snap it back in after washing it by hand or running it through the dishwasher. (It also loosens up over time.) It is dangerous, however, to try and remove the tray when a baby is in the chair, and IKEA warns against this behavior, with stickers on the tray itself. Jenni removes the tray to wash it every evening (and has done so for the past four years).

The tray does not adjust to move closer to or farther from the baby’s tummy, so more food may fall onto the seat than if you were using a chair with an adjustable tray. (IKEA’s optional back cushion helps with this problem, and it can bring smaller babies closer to the tray and allow them to sit up straight.) The seat puts no padding under a baby’s bottom, but it was comfortable enough for our littlest testers. This model also does not include a footrest, but you can add an aftermarket footrest or strap an exercise band across the legs , to give your child some extra support.

Parents of older babies and toddlers will also find that the Antilop chair requires some cooperation, especially with a heavier toddler (you’ll have to lift them way up and slide them in, similar to using a typical wooden high chair in a restaurant). IKEA does not provide a specific age or weight limit for its chair, but Jenni used it with her son until he was 4 years old.

It does not fold or adjust in any way. This high chair stands at a fixed height that allows you to pull it up to a dining table (the tray sits at the 29-inch mark). However, it’s too low for eating at a breakfast bar or taller counter.

To get this chair for $20, you have to take a trip to IKEA . You can also buy it through IKEA’s website , but shipping fees vary. Many IKEA products (here are some of our favorites ) are now also available through Amazon, but often at an absurdly inflated price. The chair has no warranty.

The solid-beech Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair is the only high chair we tested that’s truly comfortable and easy to use—both for infants and for preschoolers who are ready to climb into a chair by themselves.

It’s also the only high chair we tested that has been part of an exhibition at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art , thanks to its iconic 1972 design, by Norwegian designer Peter Opsvik. The aesthetics are clearly a draw, and they’re inseparable from this chair’s value. Unlike the IKEA Antilop and the vast majority of other high chairs, the Tripp Trapp is a piece of furniture you might keep forever: With its five configurations, it can grow from a first high chair for a 6-month-old to a toddler seat to a chair appropriate for most teens and even adults.

Among all of the high chairs we tested, the Tripp Trapp works for the widest range of ages. It was extremely comfortable for Erica’s 7-month-old, and it was even better for her preschooler, who could climb into it herself. The safety gliders (which attach to the legs) allow bigger kids to push away from the table without tipping and to get down on their own. Overall, this high chair seemed the sturdiest of the two-dozen models we tested, and it’s even designed to hold teenagers or adults up to 242 pounds.

It’s reasonably easy to clean. The simple-to-secure Baby Set attachment can go right in the dishwasher for cleanup (you can choose to purchase it separately or as a bundle from the get-go, which we recommend if you’re buying this seat for a baby under 2). You need a screwdriver to remove the safety harness, and the screw is tough to reach without taking the chair’s seat out, so it takes some effort to keep that grime-free. However, during our testing, the safety straps and buckle did scrub free of all stickiness and stains.

It can be used at the family table. Opsvik’s intent with the high chair (which he designed for his 2-year-old son) was to bring little ones right up to the table, so they could eat with the rest of the family. “On a Tripp Trapp chair, smaller children sit on a higher seat than the taller ones, and these reduced height differences have improved the interaction between children and grown-ups around the same table,” he wrote in an email. “Mealtimes have become more relaxed, and children find it easier to concentrate on the activities taking place around the table when the physical environment has been adapted to their size and needs.” Erica’s little tester loved being at the table with her parents and her big sister. Without a tray, though, all of the mess ends up on the tabletop, but a placemat can help with that.

In 2023, Jenni tested the new, less-expensive Stokke Steps , a plastic seat that mimics the Tripp Trapp’s design, and she found that her toddler liked its family-table friendliness as well. He loved the chair’s design so much that he declared it his “special seat” and refused to eat on anything else.

It has great resale value. The resale potential for used Tripp Trapp chairs is strong, and that may help justify the investment. For example, in New York City, they often sell on Craigslist for more than $150 .

It comes in 10 colors (brights and neutrals). It also comes in lighter “natural” and darker “walnut” wood finishes (all of the chairs are made of beech).

When you register this chair, it has a seven-year warranty .

The add-ons are expensive. This chair can be purchased as a preschooler, kid, or adult chair for $240. But if you’re looking for a high chair for a baby, you’ll want the version including the high chair set , which consists of a plastic seat and back that attach to the chair’s wooden slats.

Parents who want their baby to eat apart from the table can buy an optional Stokke plastic tray ; it’s lightweight, dishwasher-safe, and easy to attach to the Baby Set. There are also optional fabric cushions for the chair’s seat. (You can purchase this set as a bundle with the chair and the high chair set.)

Stokke also has a newborn seat attachment , which you can buy for an additional $150. The Stokke newborn seat, which we haven’t tested, can be used from birth up to a maximum weight of 19.8 pounds (most kids will probably want to sit up well before then).

At about 15 pounds, the Tripp Trapp is heavier to move around than its plastic-and-steel or plastic-and-wood counterparts. It also has a longer assembly time (36 minutes) than many other chairs we tested, but we found it was easier to put together and adjust than similar all-wood competitors.

The Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat , which buckles to an adult chair, is smaller, lighter (4.7 pounds), and easier to travel with than our top pick . So it’s a great second chair to keep at the grandparents’ house. This inexpensive model cleverly folds into a compact little package with its own carry strap, and it can work either as a high chair with a tray or as a booster seat pulled up to the table. But it’s not as comfortable to sit in or as easy to clean as our top pick , which we prefer for everyday use.

It’s relatively easy to clean. We studied the half-dozen readily available chairs of this type, and we concluded that the Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat would be the easiest to clean (many similar chairs have large, often ruffle-lined fabric components). The tray insert goes right in the dishwasher—though we did find that it stains easily—and the seat itself is small enough to clean in the sink.

The design is simple but versatile. It took us two minutes to put this chair together. It can adjust to three heights; this is helpful when you’re using it as a booster seat, since some kids need a higher boost to reach the table than others. The tray also has three positions. We tested the Deluxe booster, which includes a snap-on lid, so the tray stays clean when stored away. But the booster is also available without the tray cover (for $5 less).

It’s a convenient spare seat. This chair can work with or without the tray, either as a booster seat pulled right up to the table or as a space-saver high chair. That flexibility makes this chair appropriate for 6-month-olds, toddlers, and preschoolers. Erica’s preschooler liked to have it pulled right up to the table during a visit to Grandpa’s house. And longtime Wirecutter editor Courtney Schley has taken it on trips, to the homes of friends, and to restaurants, in addition to using it in her own home . After their children outgrow this chair, many parents will keep it in a closet to bring out when a baby visits.

And though this seat won’t win any beauty contests, if the tray isn’t attached, you can push the adult chair right up to the table and hide the booster from sight. As with other chairs designed for use next to a table, with this one, parents need to make sure babies aren’t able to kick or push on anything that might cause them to tip over.

This seat does not come with a warranty.

It’s not as easy to clean as our top pick. This chair makes more of a mess than the IKEA Antilop, primarily because food and liquid tend to fall through the booster seat to the adult chair below. The seat also has some buttons, grooves, and other parts that collect grime.

If you’re looking for a high chair that can be packed in a suitcase or even slipped into a diaper bag, the Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair is the best choice. It weighs about 4 pounds, is smaller than a MacBook Air, and attaches more easily to more tables than other chairs of this type.

It’s compatible with more tables than other models we tested. The Lobster chair works just like any other clip-on chair: The arms slot onto a table, and then you use a tension rod to screw the clamps into place. This chair stands out because it fits on tables that are between 0.8 and 3.75 inches thick—a broader range than for other, similar seats.

It has a washable cover. The chair comes assembled, but you’ll need an Allen wrench to remove several of the parts, if you want to zip off the fabric cover for cleaning (you slide it over a few panels to fully remove it). The padded shoulder straps can also be removed for cleaning. Though the Phil&teds site recommends hand-washing, a company rep told us machine-washing is also okay. We machine-washed the cloth seat and the straps multiple times without incident.

Unlike other clip-on chairs we tried, this one has a slide-on, dishwasher-safe tray. This is a good idea in theory (less mess!), but it’s less useful in practice at a restaurant. Jenni’s daughter kept pushing the tray away from her, and it didn’t stay solidly attached to the chair.

Phil&teds products have a one-year warranty.

The Lobster is a bit more shallow than other clip-on chairs. At 10 months old, Jenni’s daughter was chunky, and her stomach was almost pressed against the table. Although the company says the Lobster chair can fit kids up to 37 pounds, we doubt that a bigger child would fit into the smaller frame.

We don’t recommend it for everyday use. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against everyday use of chairs that clip to a tabletop, since this type of chair involves so many variables: The table must be stable and heavy enough to hold the weight of the baby and the chair; the caregiver needs to lock it on properly; and the baby may be able to kick and push, if they can reach the table with their legs. Be sure to test the table’s stability before you clip your baby on.

If you want the ergonomics of the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair at a lower price point: The Mockingbird High Chair is a great option to consider. It’s made with hardwood and sturdy plastic. And, like the Tripp Trapp, it’s highly adjustable: The chair’s footrest can be adjusted to four different baby footrest heights, its seat has three widths, and the chair can also be converted into a toddler chair (which is ideal for a growing kiddo). Note, however, that the toddler footrest is not adjustable. This chair can hold 150 pounds, and it comes with the additions that the Stokke Tripp Trapp doesn’t, so it’s less expensive overall. The Mockingbird chair is also the narrowest of any model we tested, by nearly 2 inches. This chair was easy to clean, but it was tough to build, so you’ll want to follow the company’s emailed instructions closely.

If you like the Stokke brand, but you want a slightly less expensive option: The Stokke Steps chair is worth considering. This chair is similar to the Tripp Trapp chair, but it’s made with plastic, which is (arguably) easier to clean. Like the Tripp Trapp chair, the Steps chair requires multiple add-ons for use with an infant or a baby. But it has a long life and holds up to 187 pounds, and the resale value for any Stokke product is quite good.

If you’re looking for a more stylish and versatile chair: You might like Lalo’s The Chair , which, with added attachments, converts to a booster seat as well as a play chair . This chair’s plastic material is easy to clean (though we didn’t like having to wash the optional-use cloth cover), and its bucket shape kept Jenni’s daughter upright. It’s also lightweight, and it has a reversible footrest and removable tray. But the ribbon-like harness straps are tough to clean, the footrest is adjustable to only two positions, and the tray is difficult to remove. The company also makes an attractive and useful set of dishes .

If you want a clip-on chair, and you don’t mind a slightly larger size: The Inglesina Fast Table Chair is more padded than either the Lobster chair or the Chicco Caddy , and it accommodates slightly larger children. The machine-washable cover unzips, and it’s easier to remove than the covers of its competitors. But this chair is a bit bigger and heavier than the Lobster chair. So the Inglesina chair is tough to pack in a suitcase, and it has a ramp-like effect that pushed Jenni’s daughter toward the table. Its clamp system is just as secure as the Lobster’s, though.

With several ergonomic seating configurations and the ability to hold up to 220 pounds, the Bugaboo Giraffe offers a similar set-up to that of the Stokke Tripp Trapp , Lalo’s The Chair , and the Mockingbird High Chair . It has an easily adjustable footrest and seat, both of which slide up and down with the push of two buttons. It also has an easy-to-remove tray—though reviewers have noted that the white tray stains easily. As with the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Stokke Steps chairs, with the Giraffe chair you can add an infant attachment (for $110), to bring your 0-to-6-month-old baby close to you while your family sits at the table. And for another $110, you can get the rocker frame , to use the high chair’s infant attachment as a rocker on the floor. We haven’t yet tested these additions, but we plan to this year.

The Chicco Caddy Portable Hook-On Chair uses the same clamp system as the Lobster chair , but the Chicco material is tougher to clean. (It buttons on, rather than unzipping; Jenni has used this chair for years, and she finds herself just leaving it dirty, versus taking the time to clean it, because disassembling it is annoying.) The Caddy’s clamp system is also harder to use than the Lobster chair’s, and the Caddy chair sometimes felt wobbly because it wasn’t clamped tightly enough. The Caddy is also bigger than the Lobster, and it won’t fit well in a suitcase, although it’s just fine for a road trip.

The Ergobaby Evolve is a high-quality chair made with thick pieces of wood, small pieces of plastic, and no metal. We liked the decently sized tray, which was easy to remove. It has a similar construction and look to both the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Mockingbird chairs. And, like those chairs, the Evolve chair turns into a toddler seat. (It can also turn into a kitchen step stool, for an extra $50, if you bundle it with the high chair, or about $80 if purchased separately .) But turning the Evolve into a toddler chair requires quite a bit of deconstruction, and it holds only 100 pounds, less than the comparable chairs we recommend hold.

The Evenflo Eat & Grow 4-in-1 Convertible High Chair has a huge footprint, and it’s covered in fabric that’s machine-washable but a pain to remove. The tray is washable but tough to unsnap. And the materials feel cheap. This model converts to a toddler chair and a kid chair (as well as a table!), but we still prefer the IKEA Antilop .

The Graco EveryStep Slim 6-in-1 Highchair looks like a throne. But why, oh, why is it made with white pleather? We like that it’s adaptable, with possible configurations for infants, toddlers, and beyond. The tray comes off and is easy to throw into the dishwasher. And it rolls nicely (which is important, since it’s big and heavy). But the materials are hard to clean, and this chair is really huge. (We previously tested the Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating system , which was also tough to clean.)

The Graco DuoDiner LX Highchair is a modular chair that doesn’t try to turn into a youth seat at all; it works only as a regular high chair, a space-saver chair buckled to an adult chair, or a booster. That means there’s no hidden seat at the bottom to collect sticky liquid. On the other hand, the chair’s seat itself is much heavier and even more like a car seat than those of the other modular chairs. So this one is more difficult to take off and bring to the sink.

The Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 High Chair was the least expensive modular chair Erica tested. But it also felt a little cheaper: The tray was tough to lock in, and the wheels had it sliding around the floor, even when they were locked. With misplaced footrests, it also didn’t transition well into a toddler chair. That said, it was the easiest modular chair to clean.

The best thing about the Joovy Nook is that its tray opens and swings out to one side, so the caregiver doesn’t need to take it off and then put it back on when seating a baby in the chair. The Nook also folds flat with one hand and leans nicely against the wall. The worst thing about the Nook is that removing the seat cushion for deep cleaning is extremely difficult.

The all-wood Keekaroo Height Right High Chair ’s system for adjusting the seat and footrest is similar to that for the Stokke Tripp Trapp. So this model can be used throughout childhood and as an adult chair. It will likely work just fine for kids ages 3 and up, but it doesn’t seem ideal for the youngest eaters. The wooden tray was very heavy and clunky to slide in and out. And the combination of the seat height, tray placement, and three-point harness allowed Erica’s 7-month-old to lunge forward in the chair (the Stokke chair and the other wooden chair we tested, the now-discontinued Svan Signet Complete, both have a five-point harness).

The Phil&teds Poppy High Chair looks like something out of The Jetsons . But underneath its Aerocore seat cover, there are many hidden gaps, crannies, and slots in the plastic seat frame; in our tests they collected spilled juice and were a big pain to clean. The Amazon listing suggests that the Aerocore seat cover can go in the dishwasher, but the instruction manual advises scrubbing with soap and water instead. And indeed it wasn’t a good idea to put the cover in the dishwasher—it warped when we did so.

The Skip Hop Eon 4-in-1 has a deep bucket seat, which affected Jenni’s daughter’s posture. She wasn’t comfortable in the seat, and she tended to fuss and slouch rather than eat. With a silicone material that we could wipe down quickly and a tray cover that easily snapped off for the dishwasher, this seat was not a problem to clean. And it can convert to a shorter seat for a toddler. But it has a large footprint, and the footrest was too low for an infant and too high for a toddler. For a fraction of the price, the IKEA Antilop is a similar but far better option.

Before testing, we ruled out a few other popular chairs, including Peg Perego’s Prima Pappa Diner and Siesta , because their seat covers were not machine-washable.

Falling is the most common high chair accident that lands children in the emergency room—usually because caregivers don’t fasten the safety straps that come with the chair, or they leave them too loose, explained Heather Felton, a pediatrician and injury-prevention expert in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Injuries from high chairs are fairly common in general. About 24 children are treated in the ER every day in the US, or about one per hour,” Felton wrote in an email. “Most falls happen when a child is climbing or standing on the chair. The most common types of injuries are to the head and neck, with closed head injuries, including concussions, being the most common.”

It’s important to follow the specific safety instructions that come with each chair. For example, it’s not safe to try to remove the IKEA Antilop chair’s tray while a baby is in the seat. The Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair’s manual explains that this high chair is not for use on rough surfaces and uneven floors—such as areas with rugs or tiles—because the chair needs to be able to slide backward. With both the Tripp Trapp and any booster, including the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe , in which a child is buckled to an adult chair, you need to watch for frames underneath the table that a child could push their legs against, causing themself to tilt backward.

This article was edited by Rachel Hurn and Kalee Thompson.

Heather Felton, MD, Louisville pediatrician, expert in safety and injury prevention, and spokesperson for the American Association of Pediatrics , email interview , May 16, 2017

Betsy Holman, brand marketing, Graco , phone interview , May 18, 2017

Domenic Gubitosi, director of product design for Fisher-Price, babygear division , phone interview , May 18, 2017

Bridgette Kovacevich, marketing manager for BabySwede, the licensed North American distributor for BabyBjörn , email interview , May 24, 2017

Peter Opsvik, designer of the Stokke Tripp Trapp and author of Rethinking Sitting , email interview , May 31, 2017

Howard Greenspan, owner of SCS Direct, maker of the Svan high chair , phone interview , May 15, 2017

Carrie Pagliano, physical therapist , email interview , March 1, 2023

Julie Barnes, occupational therapist, OTD, OTR/L, CPAM, CBIS, CLT , email interview , March 10, 2023

Meet your guides

Jenni Gritters

Erica Pearson

Further reading

Going Places With Small Kids Is 90% Easier With This Clamp-On High Chair

by Lauren Sullivan

I’ve traveled regularly with some combination of my three children for almost a decade. The one baby essential I’ve never left behind is this clamp-on Lobster high chair .

The Best Baby Bouncers and Rockers

by Rachael Rifkin

For parents who want a safe place for their newborns and infants to sit, rock, and bounce, these are the best options.

The Best Baby Swings

by Dori Zinn

We spent 10 hours testing five baby swings and found that the space-efficient, relatively inexpensive Graco Glider LX Gliding Swing is the best one.

Things to Help Your Baby—and You—Sleep Better

by Winnie Yang

We compared dozens of cribs, mattresses, and monitors and talked to doctors Harvey Karp and Bill Sears to find the best bets for a good night's sleep.

Planning a trip to Moscow? Our travel guide contains up-to-date, personal information on everything from what to see , to when to visit , where to stay , and what to eat !

• General Information
• What to see
• How to get to Moscow
• Where to stay
• Where to eat

Why visit Moscow?

Majestic churches, impressive historic fortresses, and palatial buildings: Moscow is a fascinating city whose emblematic architecture reflects the turbulent history that has defined Russia throughout the centuries.

The traces of the USSR can be found around every corner of the city , side by side with the iconic relics of Imperial Russia , like the mythical Red Square , the imposing Kremlin , and the beautiful  St Basil's Cathedral . 

Discover a fascinating world of Cold War bunkers, golden-domed basilicas, world-class art museums, and the legendary "palace of the people,"  as the Moscow Metro has been nicknamed. Whether you fancy watching a classical Russian ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre , perusing the fine arts at the Pushkin Museum , or marveling at the sheer size of the monuments to the Soviet state's achievements at the  All-Russia Exhibition Centre , this travel guide will help you on your way!

Where to start?

If you're going to travel to Moscow and you don't know much about the city yet, the first thing to do is to dive into its legendary history - understanding the past will help you understand the present. Next, check out our practical hints and tips on traveling to the city before discovering which of its most important museums , monuments , and attractions pique your interest.

Looking for a place to stay?

Booking your accommodation in advance is the best way to get great discounts. Our detailed guide on where to stay in Moscow  will help you decide which neighborhood you'd like to look for hotels or apartments in, and our hotel search engine will find you the best deals!

Why is our Moscow travel guide the best?

Introducing Moscow is a  city guide written by travelers for travelers  and contains personalized advice to help you make the most of your trip to the city.

All the information in this guide is valid as of December 2022. If you find any errors or have any comments, please feel free to contact us .

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Mothercare Orb review

• Tanya Jackson

In a nutshell

Mothercare's attempt at a high-end travel system at a fraction of the price; it ticks boxes when it comes to comfort for baby and style that rivals market-leaders, but it lacks a little in quality and is not likely to stand the test of time.

What we tested

• Cosy interior, dual steering modes and narrow shape.
• Sewn-in harnesses, restricted luggage space.

Showing item 1 of 8

The Mothercare Orb pram is designed to be a complete stroller for newborns up to the age of around three (or weight 15kg). Its peers include the Silver Cross Surf 2 and the Bugaboo Buffalo. Visually, it borrows from the iCandy range, with a similar frame, chrome handle and curvature. The cyber liquorice colour version of the Orb was shortlisted last year for The World's Finest Parenting Magazine Junior Design Awards.

What's in the box?

• Combined pram/pushchair seat unit
• Removable bumper bar
• Quilted pram liner
• Faux sheepskin Cosy toes
• Mothercare Weathershield

Any additional extras?

• Mothercare Orb Maxi-Cosi/Cybex Aton Car Seat Travel System Adaptor £29.99

How is assembling the Orb?

I found the instructions completely inadequate. They simply showed pictures of buggy parts without saying what they were, and featured so many languages that there was clearly no room left for any actual information.

This is particularly important when it comes to reclining the top part of the seat because in order to do it, you have to pull a handle under the Velcro flap at the top of the chair, but this is not mentioned in the instructions or on the Mothercare website. In the end my partner found out how to do it on a user's YouTube channel .

All-in-all the assembly took ten minutes, but should have been much quicker as it’s essentially a simple product to put together once you know how.

Watch the Orb in action in our MFM video.

Is the Orb comfortable for your little one?

Very, I particularly liked its super-cosy quilted interior of the carrycot, which sent my 7-week-old son Arthur to sleep in record time.

Irritatingly though, the seatbelt harness for the pushchair mode is not removable when using the carrycot, so there are lumps under the quilt when the cot is on the seat.

You can push them to one side, but it means your baby may be lying on them if he is a big size and fills out most of the pram cot.

How does it steer when out and about?

It handles well initially, thanks to two front wheel modes: one where each pair of wheels is locked, allowing you to push one-handed along straight paths while drinking a coffee or checking your emails (hey, any time you can buy yourself). The other gives each wheel independent movement and makes tight corners much easier. The handle extends smoothly and allows Arthur’s dad (6’4) and myself (5’7) to push comfortably.

It’s comfortable to jog along with on smooth paths, as I have found making numerous mad dashes and its slimline shape makes bus journeys comfortable, as it sits nicely alongside other buggies.

The Orb is OK for city-dwelling parents who’d use it mainly on pavements and surfaced paths, as its off-road capabilities (eg, a woodland path in a park and across lawn) can’t compete with the suspension and control offered by other brands.

I immediately found the brake lock function began to stick a little after a few bumpy trips across the park. This is quite a common pushchair issue, but I would expect it to happen after a couple of years use, not a couple of weeks.

And now (Dec 2014), after having it for only three months the wheels have twice gotten completely stuck, and we've had to take the wheel off and reset it. It's not very useful when you have to get off a bus quickly and suddenly the back wheels become stuck fast!

What do you think of the reversible seat unit?

The Orb has a unique ‘one hand rotation’ that allows you to deftly swivel the handle over the cot/chair to face the other way. This is most useful when in pushchair mode as you can easily spin your child round when, for example, the wind is in his face, or you’re going up a steep hill. It worked smoothly and looks pretty cool for the first few months.

However in recent weeks the swivel handle (that spins it round to face the other way) has started to deteriorate – it often now gets stuck and you have to really jiggle it to get it to swivel. I'm not sure how much longer it will last.

How is the basket?

The base of the chair sits awkwardly inside the luggage space, making it difficult to pack your shopping into the basket. If you take your weathersheild out with you, it takes up the whole front half, leaving you with only the back half to cram your goods into.

How is interacting with your son when he is in the buggy?

Communicating with Arthur is easy – I can actually stroke his cheek to comfort him while walking along. The only thing that I found a bit obstructive is the safety bar, but it clips in and out easily, so mostly I left it off.

Does the hood offer much protection from the elements?

Yes, the hood makes for good sun protection in combination with the pram apron, which has a lip at the top end that sticks up, adding more shade. There is a small gap at the side, but the minimal sun that does get through this gap can be easily deflected with a sarong or muslin cloth – I used a large muslin swaddle – although a sun shade would be useful in windy weather.

How does the Orb fold?

The Orb folds up easily to become compact and fits neatly into the boot of a car or a storage cupboard. It’s a two-handed job, but only takes a couple of minutes.

Will it last the recommended three years?

No it won't. When I wrote this review back in September 2014 I thought as long as the brake lock holds out, there’s no reason to think this product won’t last the three years it promises.

At the time the outer materials felt durable, the interiors cleaned easily in the washing machine and most importantly, the frame felt sturdy, yet lightweight.

Since then (with two months) the breaks have become faulty, the swivel handle (that spins it round to face the other way) has also started to deteriorate and the tilt function has also broken, so it's now stuck in a flat pram mode! There are two wires that control this, and you can see under the handle where one of them has snapped.

These three things lead me to conclude that there are two many moving parts to this pram; the emphasis being on how many functions they can cram in to make it look snazzy and unique, but at the expense of true durability and sturdy design, we've had to get another buggy to replace it.

Is it value for money?

It works as a competitively priced version of its peer products, including the Silver Cross Surf 2 (£550) and Bugaboo Buffalo (£839.50), and where it perhaps lacks the slick functionality of these established brands it makes up for in its one-handed rotation tool. Its price of £275 is great value for what you get.

Made For Mums verdict:

The Orb is a cheap all-in-one solution for busy city dwellers, fitting neatly onto buses and easy to store.

Its rotation feature is a swish bit of engineering that sets it apart from other brands, but only when brand new. The quality of this buggy quickly deteriorates and for me, proves the old adage of "you buy cheap, you buy twice."

We’ve got more pushchairs here…

• Celebrity buggies – who’s pushing what?
• 20 of the best travel systems
• 14 of the best new buggies

MadeForMums product reviews are independent, honest and provide advice you can have confidence in. Sometimes, we earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links. However we never allow this to influence our coverage. Our reviews and articles are written by parents who are professional journalists, and we also include feedback from our parent community and industry experts.

Tanya Jackson is a digital editor and writer for countryfile.com. She lives in Wiltshire and loves campfire cooking, swimming in the sea, rural folklore, barn owls and walking her Welsh collie in the misty hills. Tanya also has a passion for English food and drink – although nothing tastes as good as tomato soup out of a thermos on a crisp woodland walk.

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Mercury City Tower, an Award-Winning Mixed-Use Development in the Moscow City Business District

This stunning golden tower is 339 metres high with 75 floors – making it 29 metres taller than london’s skyscraper the shard. its diagonal lines echo the aggressive geometry introduced by vladimir tatlin, the founder of the constructivism movement in architecture which flourished in 1920’s moscow. apartments at mercury city tower are the embodiment of an entirely new lifestyle, completely altering perceptions of time and its density. here residents can quickly and easily pass from the hectic pace of the modern metropolis to an atmosphere of contemplation and serenity. corresponding to the highest possible standards, the apartments offer optimum security, breathtaking city views, supreme comfort and a wide range of services and amenities. the building also complies with the highest standards established for class a+ premium office space. the rentable office area occupies floors 4 to 39 and covers approximately 78,000m², combining pragmatism with aesthetics and beauty with functionality. the private club floor includes lounge zones, a bar and cigar rooms, all at the exclusive disposal of mercury city tower’s residents and their guests. a banquet hall named mercury space has also hosted private events for such companies as sap, visa and the state department of government of moscow..

Mercury City Tower +7 (495) 730 54 72 [email protected]  www.mercury-city.com

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Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow: The Best of Moscow!

I just got back from one week in Moscow. And, as you might have already guessed, it was a mind-boggling experience. It was not my first trip to the Russian capital. But I hardly ever got enough time to explore this sprawling city. Visiting places for business rarely leaves enough time for sightseeing. I think that if you’ve got one week in Russia, you can also consider splitting your time between its largest cities (i.e. Saint Petersburg ) to get the most out of your trip. Seven days will let you see the majority of the main sights and go beyond just scratching the surface. In this post, I’m going to share with you my idea of the perfect travel itinerary for one week in Moscow.

Moscow is perhaps both the business and cultural hub of Russia. There is a lot more to see here than just the Kremlin and Saint Basil’s Cathedral. Centuries-old churches with onion-shaped domes dotted around the city are in stark contrast with newly completed impressive skyscrapers of Moscow City dominating the skyline. I spent a lot of time thinking about my Moscow itinerary before I left. And this city lived up to all of my expectations.

Travel Itinerary For One Week in Moscow

Day 1 – red square and the kremlin.

Metro Station: Okhotny Ryad on Red Line.

No trip to Moscow would be complete without seeing its main attraction. The Red Square is just a stone’s throw away from several metro stations. It is home to some of the most impressive architectural masterpieces in the city. The first thing you’ll probably notice after entering it and passing vendors selling weird fur hats is the fairytale-like looking Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built to commemorate one of the major victories of Ivan the Terrible. I once spent 20 minutes gazing at it, trying to find the perfect angle to snap it. It was easier said than done because of the hordes of locals and tourists.

As you continue strolling around Red Square, there’s no way you can miss Gum. It was widely known as the main department store during the Soviet Era. Now this large (yet historic) shopping mall is filled with expensive boutiques, pricey eateries, etc. During my trip to Moscow, I was on a tight budget. So I only took a retro-style stroll in Gum to get a rare glimpse of a place where Soviet leaders used to grocery shop and buy their stuff. In case you want some modern shopping experience, head to the Okhotny Ryad Shopping Center with stores like New Yorker, Zara, and Adidas.

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To continue this Moscow itinerary, next you may want to go inside the Kremlin walls. This is the center of Russian political power and the president’s official residence. If you’re planning to pay Kremlin a visit do your best to visit Ivan the Great Bell Tower as well. Go there as early as possible to avoid crowds and get an incredible bird’s-eye view. There are a couple of museums that are available during designated visiting hours. Make sure to book your ticket online and avoid lines.

Day 2 – Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, the Tretyakov Gallery, and the Arbat Street

Metro Station: Kropotkinskaya on Red Line

As soon as you start creating a Moscow itinerary for your second day, you’ll discover that there are plenty of metro stations that are much closer to certain sites. Depending on your route, take a closer look at the metro map to pick the closest.

The white marble walls of Christ the Saviour Cathedral are awe-inspiring. As you approach this tallest Orthodox Christian church, you may notice the bronze sculptures, magnificent arches, and cupolas that were created to commemorate Russia’s victory against Napoleon.

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Unfortunately, the current Cathedral is a replica, since original was blown to bits in 1931 by the Soviet government. The new cathedral basically follows the original design, but they have added some new elements such as marble high reliefs.

Home to some precious collection of artworks, in Tretyakov Gallery you can find more than 150,000 of works spanning centuries of artistic endeavor. Originally a privately owned gallery, it now has become one of the largest museums in Russia. The Gallery is often considered essential to visit. But I have encountered a lot of locals who have never been there.

Famous for its souvenirs, musicians, and theaters, Arbat street is among the few in Moscow that were turned into pedestrian zones. Arbat street is usually very busy with tourists and locals alike. My local friend once called it the oldest street in Moscow dating back to 1493. It is a kilometer long walking street filled with fancy gift shops, small cozy restaurants, lots of cute cafes, and street artists. It is closed to any vehicular traffic, so you can easily stroll it with kids.

Day 3 – Moscow River Boat Ride, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park, the Moscow City

Metro Station: Kievskaya and Park Pobedy on Dark Blue Line / Vystavochnaya on Light Blue Line

Voyaging along the Moscow River is definitely one of the best ways to catch a glimpse of the city and see the attractions from a bit different perspective. Depending on your Moscow itinerary, travel budget and the time of the year, there are various types of boats available. In the summer there is no shortage of boats, and you’ll be spoiled for choice.

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If you find yourself in Moscow during the winter months, I’d recommend going with Radisson boat cruise. These are often more expensive (yet comfy). They offer refreshments like tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and, of course, alcoholic drinks. Prices may vary but mostly depend on your food and drink selection. Find their main pier near the opulent Ukraine hotel . The hotel is one of the “Seven Sisters”, so if you’re into the charm of Stalinist architecture don’t miss a chance to stay there.

The area near Poklonnaya Hill has the closest relation to the country’s recent past. The memorial complex was completed in the mid-1990s to commemorate the Victory and WW2 casualties. Also known as the Great Patriotic War Museum, activities here include indoor attractions while the grounds around host an open-air museum with old tanks and other vehicles used on the battlefield.

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The hallmark of the memorial complex and the first thing you see as you exit metro is the statue of Nike mounted to its column. This is a very impressive Obelisk with a statue of Saint George slaying the dragon at its base.

Maybe not as impressive as Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower , the skyscrapers of the Moscow City (otherwise known as Moscow International Business Center) are so drastically different from dull Soviet architecture. With 239 meters and 60 floors, the Empire Tower is the seventh highest building in the business district.

The observation deck occupies 56 floor from where you have some panoramic views of the city. I loved the view in the direction of Moscow State University and Luzhniki stadium as well to the other side with residential quarters. The entrance fee is pricey, but if you’re want to get a bird’s eye view, the skyscraper is one of the best places for doing just that.

Day 4 – VDNKh, Worker and Collective Farm Woman Monument, The Ostankino TV Tower

Metro Station: VDNKh on Orange Line

VDNKh is one of my favorite attractions in Moscow. The weird abbreviation actually stands for Russian vystavka dostizheniy narodnogo khozyaystva (Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy). With more than 200 buildings and 30 pavilions on the grounds, VDNKh serves as an open-air museum. You can easily spend a full day here since the park occupies a very large area.

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First, there are pavilions that used to showcase different cultures the USSR was made of. Additionally, there is a number of shopping pavilions, as well as Moskvarium (an Oceanarium) that features a variety of marine species. VDNKh is a popular venue for events and fairs. There is always something going on, so I’d recommend checking their website if you want to see some particular exhibition.

A stone’s throw away from VDNKh there is a very distinctive 25-meters high monument. Originally built in 1937 for the world fair in Paris, the hulking figures of men and women holding a hammer and a sickle represent the Soviet idea of united workers and farmers. It doesn’t take much time to see the monument, but visiting it gives some idea of the Soviet Union’s grandiose aspirations.

I have a thing for tall buildings. So to continue my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow I decided to climb the fourth highest TV tower in the world. This iconic 540m tower is a fixture of the skyline. You can see it virtually from everywhere in Moscow, and this is where you can get the best panoramic views (yep, even better than Empire skyscraper).

Parts of the floor are made of tempered glass, so it can be quite scary to exit the elevator. But trust me, as you start observing buildings and cars below, you won’t want to leave. There is only a limited number of tickets per day, so you may want to book online. Insider tip: the first tour is cheaper, you can save up to $10 if go there early.

Day 5 – A Tour To Moscow Manor Houses

Metro Station: Kolomenskoye, Tsaritsyno on Dark Green Line / Kuskovo on Purple Line

I love visiting the manor houses and palaces in Moscow. These opulent buildings were generally built to house Russian aristocratic families and monarchs. Houses tend to be rather grand affairs with impressive architecture. And, depending on the whims of the owners, some form of a landscaped garden.

During the early part of the 20th century though, many of Russia’s aristocratic families (including the family of the last emperor) ended up being killed or moving abroad . Their manor houses were nationalized. Some time later (after the fall of the USSR) these were open to the public. It means that today a great many of Moscow’s finest manor houses and palaces are open for touring.

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There are 20 manor houses scattered throughout the city and more than 25 in the area around. But not all of them easily accessible and exploring them often takes a lot of time. I’d recommend focusing on three most popular estates in Moscow that are some 30-minute metro ride away from Kremlin.

Sandwiched between the Moscow River and the Andropov Avenue, Kolomenskoye is a UNESCO site that became a public park in the 1920’s. Once a former royal estate, now it is one of the most tranquil parks in the city with gorgeous views. The Ascension Church, The White Column, and the grounds are a truly grand place to visit.

You could easily spend a full day here, exploring a traditional Russian village (that is, in fact, a market), picnicking by the river, enjoying the Eastern Orthodox church architecture, hiking the grounds as well as and wandering the park and gardens with wildflower meadows, apple orchards, and birch and maple groves. The estate museum showcases Russian nature at its finest year-round.

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If my travel itinerary for one week in Moscow was a family tree, Tsaritsyno Park would probably be the crazy uncle that no-one talks about. It’s a large park in the south of the city of mind-boggling proportions, unbelievable in so many ways, and yet most travelers have never heard of it.

The palace was supposed to be a summer home for Empress Catherine the Great. But since the construction didn’t meet with her approval the palace was abandoned. Since the early 1990’s the palace, the pond, and the grounds have been undergoing renovations. The entire complex is now looking brighter and more elaborately decorated than at possibly any other time during its history. Like most parks in Moscow, you can visit Tsaritsyno free of charge, but there is a small fee if you want to visit the palace.

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Last, but by no means least on my Moscow itinerary is Kuskovo Park . This is definitely an off-the-beaten-path place. While it is not easily accessible, you will be rewarded with a lack of crowds. This 18th-century summer country house of the Sheremetev family was one of the first summer country estates of the Russian nobility. And when you visit you’ll quickly realize why locals love this park.

Like many other estates, Kuskovo has just been renovated. So there are lovely French formal garden, a grotto, and the Dutch house to explore. Make sure to plan your itinerary well because the estate is some way from a metro station.

Day 6 – Explore the Golden Ring

Creating the Moscow itinerary may keep you busy for days with the seemingly endless amount of things to do. Visiting the so-called Golden Ring is like stepping back in time. Golden Ring is a “theme route” devised by promotion-minded journalist and writer Yuri Bychkov.

Having started in Moscow the route will take you through a number of historical cities. It now includes Suzdal, Vladimir, Kostroma, Yaroslavl and Sergiev Posad. All these awe-inspiring towns have their own smaller kremlins and feature dramatic churches with onion-shaped domes, tranquil residential areas, and other architectural landmarks.

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I only visited two out of eight cities included on the route. It is a no-brainer that Sergiev Posad is the nearest and the easiest city to see on a day trip from Moscow. That being said, you can explore its main attractions in just one day. Located some 70 km north-east of the Russian capital, this tiny and overlooked town is home to Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, UNESCO Site.

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Sergiev Posad is often described as being at the heart of Russian spiritual life. So it is uncommon to see the crowds of Russian pilgrims showing a deep reverence for their religion. If you’re traveling independently and using public transport, you can reach Sergiev Posad by bus (departs from VDNKh) or by suburban commuter train from Yaroslavskaya Railway Station (Bahnhof). It takes about one and a half hours to reach the town.

Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius is a great place to get a glimpse of filling and warming Russian lunch, specifically at the “ Gostevaya Izba ” restaurant. Try the duck breast, hearty potato and vegetables, and the awesome Napoleon cake.

Day 7 – Gorky Park, Izmailovo Kremlin, Patriarch’s Ponds

Metro Station: Park Kultury or Oktyabrskaya on Circle Line / Partizanskaya on Dark Blue Line / Pushkinskaya on Dark Green Line

Gorky Park is in the heart of Moscow. It offers many different types of outdoor activities, such as dancing, cycling, skateboarding, walking, jogging, and anything else you can do in a park. Named after Maxim Gorky, this sprawling and lovely park is where locals go on a picnic, relax and enjoy free yoga classes. It’s a popular place to bike around, and there is a Muzeon Art Park not far from here. A dynamic location with a younger vibe. There is also a pier, so you can take a cruise along the river too.

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The Kremlin in Izmailovo is by no means like the one you can find near the Red Square. Originally built for decorative purposes, it now features the Vernissage flea market and a number of frequent fairs, exhibitions, and conferences. Every weekend, there’s a giant flea market in Izmailovo, where dozens of stalls sell Soviet propaganda crap, Russian nesting dolls, vinyl records, jewelry and just about any object you can imagine. Go early in the morning if you want to beat the crowds.

All the Bulgakov’s fans should pay a visit to Patriarch’s Ponds (yup, that is plural). With a lovely small city park and the only one (!) pond in the middle, the location is where the opening scene of Bulgakov’s novel Master and Margarita was set. The novel is centered around a visit by Devil to the atheistic Soviet Union is considered by many critics to be one of the best novels of the 20th century. I spent great two hours strolling the nearby streets and having lunch in the hipster cafe.

Conclusion and Recommendations

To conclude, Moscow is a safe city to visit. I have never had a problem with getting around and most locals are really friendly once they know you’re a foreigner. Moscow has undergone some serious reconstruction over the last few years. So you can expect some places to be completely different. I hope my one week Moscow itinerary was helpful! If you have less time, say 4 days or 5 days, I would cut out day 6 and day 7. You could save the Golden Ring for a separate trip entirely as there’s lots to see!

What are your thoughts on this one week Moscow itinerary? Are you excited about your first time in the city? Let me know in the comments below!

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24 comments.

Ann Snook-Moreau

Moscow looks so beautiful and historic! Thanks for including public transit information for those of us who don’t like to rent cars.

MindTheTravel

Yup, that is me 🙂 Rarely rent + stick to the metro = Full wallet!

Mariella Blago

Looks like you had loads of fun! Well done. Also great value post for travel lovers.

Thanks, Mariella!

I have always wanted to go to Russia, especially Moscow. These sights look absolutely beautiful to see and there is so much history there!

Agree! Moscow is a thousand-year-old city and there is definitely something for everyone.

Tara Pittman

Those are amazing buildings. Looks like a place that would be amazing to visit.

Adriana Lopez

Never been to Moscow or Russia but my family has. Many great spots and a lot of culture. Your itinerary sounds fantastic and covers a lot despite it is only a short period of time.

What was their favourite thing about Russia?

Gladys Parker

I know very little about Moscow or Russia for the\at matter. I do know I would have to see the Red Square and all of its exquisite architectural masterpieces. Also the CATHEDRAL OF CHRIST THE SAVIOUR. Thanks for shedding some light on visiting Moscow.

Thanks for swinging by! The Red Square is a great starting point, but there way too many places and things to discover aside from it!

Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen

You are making me so jealous!! I’ve always wanted to see Russia.

Moscow is in my bucket list, I don’t know when I can visit there, your post is really useful. As a culture rich place we need to spend at least week.

DANA GUTKOWSKI

Looks like you had a great trip! Thanks for all the great info! I’ve never been in to Russia, but this post makes me wanna go now!

Wow this is amazing! Moscow is on my bucket list – such an amazing place to visit I can imagine! I can’t wait to go there one day!

The building on the second picture looks familiar. I keep seeing that on TV.

Reesa Lewandowski

What beautiful moments! I always wish I had the personality to travel more like this!

Perfect itinerary for spending a week in Moscow! So many places to visit and it looks like you had a wonderful time. I would love to climb that tower. The views I am sure must have been amazing!

I was lucky enough to see the skyline of Moscow from this TV Tower and it is definitely mind-blowing.

Chelsea Pearl

Moscow is definitely up there on my travel bucket list. So much history and iconic architecture!

Thumbs up! 🙂

Blair Villanueva

OMG I dream to visit Moscow someday! Hope the visa processing would be okay (and become more affordable) so I could pursue my dream trip!

Yup, visa processing is the major downside! Agree! Time and the money consuming process…

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