10 Best High Chairs to Elevate Your Little One in Comfort, Safety, and Style

By Steven John

Illustration by Lizzie Soufleris

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Finding the best high chairs for your family can be more complicated than you might expect. “Can’t be that hard!” you say, perhaps, adding: “All the thing needs to do is let your kid sit safely at table height, right?”

Right, that is, essentially, the high chair: a safe, elevated seat for a kid.

But what constitutes safety varies depending on your child’s age and size. Plus, dining table height will range from table to table. Kids also grow—so the proper height is always relative. And what if multiple kids will use the high chair, both from day to day (think grandma’s house, e.g.) or over the years? Do you want a high chair that’s perfect for your precious first child right now, or one that’s adaptable enough to be used for the long haul by kids of differing ages and sizes?

Then there are questions of function; is this high chair supposed to get your preschooler kid right up to the table so she can eat with the family, or is it providing a standalone spot for a toddler who’s slopping around at mealtimes with complete abandon? Do you need a high chair with a tray? One that can accommodate infants? A foldable highchair that packs away?

Next, consider looks, because frankly speaking a lot of high chairs don’t look that good. As in… they’re eyesores. Which is not good, given that some high chairs are suitable for use until kids are well into their elementary school years.

And yes, budget is another huge factor. Sometimes it’s worth it to spend a good chunk of change on a versatile high chair you’ll have in the family for years to come, while at other times you may opt for a perfectly decent and affordable high chair that costs less than a family meal at a casual restaurant.

If you’d like to get straight to our top picks, click the links below. If not, let’s discuss the factors you’ll want to consider before adding to cart.

Without fail, we have tested (and trusted) products from every brand featured here, and in most cases, we have used these high chairs with our own kids. As in seven out of 10 of those featured. We’ll make it clear which ones we know firsthand and which are featured thanks to surveying other parents and doing deep dives of research, but suffice it to say this: We’d be comfortable with our own children using any of these high chairs.

That said, our experience confirms not every option is the best high chair choice for every kid. Which is why we’re featuring 10 choices instead of just writing an ode to one absolute best high chair.

Some of these chairs are great choices for babies and smaller toddlers, while others won’t work until kids are a bit older. Some are charming in looks but a pain to clean, thus a bad choice for messier eaters. Some are bulky. Some are space-saving and portable. Some are pricey and some sure aren’t.

Okay, so before we share our recommendations for some very fine high chairs indeed, let’s talk about you some. Or about your home and your sense of style and such, because these factors—and budget—are critical when it comes to choosing the right high chair.

We’ll start with arguably the most important and certainly the most cut and dried thing to consider: age.

If your child is too young to sit up safely, meaning without slouching over and without letting her head loll to the side, then there are actually very few high chairs safe and suitable for use, and you may need to wait for a while before getting one. (Back to cradling a baby with one hand and eating with the other for you!)

On the other hand, many kids will surpass the height and/or weight limit of some high chairs before they can fit in a regular dining chair, so shop with care if you want to avoid also needing a booster seat at some point.

People with small spaces beware: Many high chairs have a surprisingly large footprint, occupying a good deal more space than the standard dining chair you may use yourself. Make sure to carefully note the dimensions of any high chair you are considering and measure that out in your kitchen, dining room, and living spaces, and also note whether or not the high chair can be easily folded down or disassembled.

Several of the high chairs on our list are perfectly suitable for bringing along with you outside the home, as they fold up, disassemble, or are already compact. Others, meanwhile, would be terrible choices for mobile use. If you don’t want to buy two high chairs but you will need one away from home on the reg, study the types of high chairs wisely.

One of the high chairs on this list costs $600. A few are in the high $300s. Others are in the $100–200 hundred range. One costs $30. And that $30 one? It’s safe and trusted the world over. So, budget won’t be a roadblock here at all—it’s just a point of consideration.

So that $600 high chair we just mentioned? It’s a work of art. Seriously, it almost looks like a concept piece that belongs in a MoMA installation. The $30 one? Not so much. Many of the high chairs featured here look great, many look much more functional than stylish. It’s up to you to weigh your level of concern with how well a high chair complements (or ravages) the aesthetics of your home—and the price you put on it.

Before we talk about the specific chairs we recommend and what makes them the best high chairs given different circumstances, let’s talk about the high chair in general, namely about when kids can (and should) be using one.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

According to VeryWellFamily, most kids are able to start using a high chair at around six months of age and should use high chairs through about 18 months of age, at which point most toddlers are ready to transition to a booster seat. But frankly, that’s a wild oversimplification of things. For starters, some six-month-old babies might not be ready for a high chair—it’s imperative the child can hold their head upright with ease before they are placed in one.

And second, because of how adaptable and convertible high chairs can be, many are still perfectly suitable for use by kids much older than 18 months. Indeed, some of the chairs featured here can be configured for use by big kids and, in one case, even by adults.

Once your kid can safely sit up and seems to want to be seated at table height, that’s the right time to start using a high chair. And your kid can keep on using their high chair until one of two things happens: he or she exceeds the weight limit, at which point safety dictates you retire the chair, or the kid asks to move to a different seat, at which point you should switch to a booster or, if your child is large enough, to a regular chair. (Which will happen faster than you believe when you look back on it all!)

Okay, the groundwork is laid: Now let’s talk about a few of our favorite high chairs in detail.

This is our all-time favorite high chair. It’s the only high chair that we have used with more than one child at the same time, having had two Tripp Trapps in different configurations at one dining table. The Tripp Trapp has attachments that allow it to safely accommodate an infant, it can be fitted with a tray insert for toddlers, and it has straps, seat cushions, and a five-point harness that can be removed as kids age. The seat and the footplate (it’s bigger than a footrest) can both be lowered as a kid gets bigger, and eventually the footplate can be removed entirely so the Tripp Trapp can convert into a chair the “kid” can use well into their teen years and, if they want to, into adulthood too. The initial assembly may briefly flummox those who rarely build anything, but if you have any IKEA-style chops, you’ll be fine. And once you get the hang of it, you’ll be popping out the adjustable seat and footplate and getting them comfy with ease.

This high chair is simply stunning with its mix of midcentury-modern style and space-age flourishes. Its presence is commanding in the room yet it nonetheless manages to have a subtlety thanks to its graceful curves. It comes in flashy colors including luxuriant metallic finishes. And yes, for those looks, you’ll pay top dollar. But you’ll also be getting a high chair that’s easy to adjust height- and pitch-wise, and one that makes it easy to bring your little one right up to the table. The Fresco can be used by newborns and will still serve well into the toddler years. Just note that other options on our list can safely seat kids for several years longer than this one. If you just love its looks—like we very much do and our own home—then go for it, we’re just pointing that out because this Bloom Fresco is an investment and you need to make sure the returns are worth it.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

The ZAAZ from Nuna is a great choice for the home where lots of different kids will need a high chair at different times—a.k.a. grandma and grandpa’s house. It’s durable enough for use by lots of kids and it is easily adjustable in order to accommodate kids of varied sizes. We have adjusted this chair to go from use by an 18-month-old to a three-year-old in a matter of seconds thanks to the easy-to-remove tray and the seat that slides up and down effortlessly. You (and the grandparents) will also appreciate that the chair is easy to wipe down, and that’s even true of the air foam cushion, which sheds spills and resists stains. This chair will also be welcome in any home where aesthetics are prized, as it has interesting, gently curving lines and comes in several mature color options, if you’ll allow us to use the word “mature” when discussing kids’ high chairs.

The Joovy Nook is a bit ironic: When set up, it actually has a very large footprint, with legs that splay out to 24 inches wide and 32 inches from back to front, so it may be a tight squeeze in a smaller home. But the Nook is easily collapsible, taking up very little space when packed down and able to be tucked in a closet or under a bed, or brought along in the car. Deployed, as it were, a Nook can secure babies as young as six months thanks to its safety harness system, and it’s sturdy enough for kids to use until they weigh around 50 pounds. And while the Nook may not be a stunner, it’s a solid chair at a very good price. (Note that there is also a wheeled version of this Joovy high chair called the Nook NB that allows for very easy movement around any room with a hard, smooth floor, and that can be used for newborns as it can fold back into a reclined position. It costs more, but it’s a bit more capable too.)

Two things make this a great travel high chair. First, it can be quickly, easily, and safely secured to just about any type of table. And second, it packs down flat for easy storage when you’re home and don’t need it. Toogel’s hook-on high chair can be used by kids from six months of age up to three years, and even after your kids have outgrown it, you’ll be glad you hung onto the chair for when guests with little ones come over. And while you’re using it for your own kid, you can choose their (or your) favorite color, because this hook-on portable high chair sells on Amazon in a surprisingly wide variety of colors. Note that cleaning this one can be a bit of a pain, as only hand washing is recommended, but we happen to know of several people who have run the fabric portions through the washing machine plenty of times with no real issues to speak of.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

This is a full-size, well-made, durable high chair that can be used daily for years and years but that also easily disassembles and tucks away, so it’s great for apartment life (and decent for travel too) or for any home where space is at a premium. Assembled, the Clikk has a sleek and minimalist design that will meld with your home’s décor—especially because the chair comes in half a dozen colors and has both natural and black wooden legs as options. And it manages to look sleek and minimal despite the fact that it can accommodate kids weighing as much as 33 pounds. Anyone who prizes a clean home will also appreciate the fact that this chair wipes clean easily. Finally, the chair’s simple, crisp lines allow the Stokke Clikk to take up only as much floor space as a regular dining chair, so again, it’s a fine choice for rooms/homes tighter on space.

This durable booster seat turns any standard dining room chair into a high chair in a matter of seconds. Its dual straps wrap around the back of and under the seat of a chair, ensuring a snug, secure fit, while three-point safety straps keeps kids securely strapped into the Tot Nest itself. The seat cushion can be removed as needed for thorough cleaning, and the rest of the booster is easily wipeable with a damp cloth or paper towel. And not that it matters nearly as much as safety and comfort, but this chair comes with cushions in several different colors, including rather on-the-nose gendered shades of pink and blue and also in a neutral gray or a brown.

What can we say here other than the fact that this high chair costs $30? Okay, actually, we can say that it’s quick and easy to assemble. Disassembling it for storage or transport is also quite easy. Oh, and that it has a removable tray that, when detached, lets the chair sit snug against the table. And it wipes clean easily. And it can support kids up to 33 pounds, just like several options that cost hundreds more. If you have ever eaten at an IKEA with your kids, then chances are good they have already sat in an Antilop high chair, as this is the exact chair you’ll find in IKEA dining rooms all around the world. Sure, it’s cheap, but if it’s good enough for, like, everyone, then it’s a fine choice for your family. It’s certainly one we have trusted time and time again.

Got a particularly messy little eater there in your family? Then the aptly named Grub chair from Boon is a very good choice—this chair was made with messes in mind (or mitigating messes, we should say). First, the entire chair was designed not to have nooks, crannies, and crevices where crumbs, gobs of baby food, bits of fruit, cereal pieces, and other foodstuffs can become lodged. Second, the cushion can be detached and is completely machine washable. And third on the clean front, the tray and even the entire seat can be detached and put in the dishwasher for deep cleaning and sterilization. It’s also worth noting that this chair can be adjusted to three different height settings (and the footrest can be adjusted five times) so the seat can accommodate kids of varying ages, even ending up as a little desk chair sized properly for preschoolers.

By Sydney Wasserman

By Valentina Raggi

By Audrey Lee

Far too many high chairs can’t be slid right up to the table. This can be due to a large tray that bumps up against the tabletop, due to legs that stick out far in front of the high chair’s seat, or by a combination of both. This 4moms high chair does have a tray, but it can be quickly released and lifted away with just one hand. And while the rear legs stick out pretty far, helping ensure the chair is stable, the front legs slope down at a steeper angle and the chair sits almost right above them, so the Connect can be slid right up close, putting baby there at the table with moms, dads, siblings, and so on. And because the seat can recline, this high chair can accommodate smaller babies. It will continue to work for kids for many years, too, what with three height adjustment points and 60-pound capacity.