All right pregnant mama, you've got your baby registry ready, and your nursery is just about perfect. But where's your baby going to sit when she eats? Once babies get old enough to sit unsupported and start eating solid foods (around 6 months), you may want to get a high chair. The best kind of high chair is the high-quality chair you inherit for free from a friend. But if that freebie never materializes, the next best thing is a convertible high chair.
Convertible high chairs adjust as your child grows, so you don't have to buy a second chair or booster seat later on. Here are our top picks for some of the best convertible high chairs on the market.
When you're picking out any high chair, you want to look for the following:
- Safety harness: A three-point harness at minimum, five-point even better.
- A tray that's easy for you to remove and clean, but difficult for your baby to kick away.
- Seat covers that are either vinyl (so you can wipe them clean) or removable (so you can put them in the washer).
- Right for your home. For example, if you don't have a lot of space, look for a chair that folds up, or comes with wheels.
- Quality — you want something that won't fall apart or injure your child.
- Complies with voluntary ASTM safety standards.
Boon Flair Pneumatic Pedestal Highchair (around $280): This chair is height adjustable via pneumatic lift. It can fit under a table, has a sturdy base that glides and won't scratch floors but can lock into place, has a five-point harness, and features a groovy futuristic design. Seats up to a 4-year-old child.
Stokke Tripp Trap (around $250): This one is a classic — we used this for our family. Here's how convertible it is: You can keep adjusting the height to fit even an adult (it can take up to 300 pounds). There's a foot rest for comfort, several different color choices, machine-washable cushions, and a solid harness for babies. They last forever, but the footprint is quite large. See also the more gently-priced Keekaroo chair.
Svan Convertible High Chair (around $275): This is another chair that can adjust up to a teenager. It's lightweight and ergonomically designed; it has removable seat cushions and a dishwasher-safe tray.
Peg Perego Prima Pappa Best High Chair (around $200): This chair has three positions, a foot rest, wheels with brakes, a double tray including a dishwasher-safe tray, and it folds for easy storage.
Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating System (around $150): This chair goes from a full high chair, a chair-attached infant booster seat, a toddler booster seat, and a youth chair, all via pneumatic-assisted seat height adjustment. It has removable cushions and pillows, a five-point harness, wheels that lock, 360-degree rotation, wipe-clean surfaces, one tray for meals, and a smaller tray for snacks.
What are you looking for in a high chair?
Image via Boon Inc.
