Best High Chair for Baby & Toddler

There are so many high chairs on the market! As a feeding specialist and mom, I have tested and tried so many high chairs over the years.

From affordable high chairs, travel high chairs, and high chairs that will grow with baby — we rounded up the best high chairs for every budget and even included travel friendly options.

What Makes a “Good” High Chair?

When choosing a high chair or buying a new one, the main points to consider are:

• Durability

• Stability at hips and feet

• Tray height

• The ability for the high chair to grow with your child

One of the most important high chair features you want for support is a footrest! A footrest for baby provides crucial stability that they need to be successful when starting solids.

Other factors for you to consider are price, style, size, and ease of cleaning.

Many high chairs on the market are lacking stability at the hips and feet for smaller babies who are just starting solids. Then, there are some large, high back high chairs with trays that come up very high on the chest of baby, making self-feeding very difficult.

Since high chairs are investments, you definitely want to look for a high chair that converts to toddler seating as baby gets older. Consider chairs that can become a booster, dining chair, or play chair. Multi-purpose high chairs allow you get more from your investment!

Best High Chair: Our Overall Pick

The Chair II from Lalo

Lalo has the best high chair by far, and they just released their newest model. I used their original high chair for my oldest kids from starting solids to toddlerhood and would choose it again! And their newest model, The Chair II, is even better!

Natalie isn’t quite ready for solids yet, but here she is in Lalo’s The Chair II high chair!

Lalo’s newest high chair is lightweight and easy to assemble. It comes in several new colors to fit any home’s aesthetic. The rose color is so pretty!

The 5-in-1 design is so clever. It can go from a high chair, to a booster, to a child chair or play chair, then a play stool. This versatility makes it last several years!

Lalo’s Chair II is adjustable making it a great high chair for babies starting solids. It has an 8-position footrest and 3-position backrest allowing it to fit your little one perfectly, making sure they’re secure and supported. The 5-point harness has a magnetic closure for easy strapping in as well.

Why I love The Chair from Lalo:

• It’s made of non-toxic materials – All of Lalo’s products meet ASTM safety standards and are prop 65 compliant.

• It’s easy to clean! – The tray is dishwasher safe and it’s so easy to wipe down. The straps are wipeable which makes them a breeze to clean. And the tray does not have any crevices for food to get stuck.

• The tray hits at baby’s belly button – This high chair is great for starting solids because the tray is the perfect height for baby to see their food when self-feeding.

• It’s built to last and aesthetically-pleasing – It looks great in my home! And it’s so well-made. The 5-in-1 design will last years.

What’s below the high chair?

It’s the Catchy! The food-catcher is one of my most-loved items for starting solids as it catches all the food and mess that baby throws on the ground.

I have more fun starting solids when I know I have some support in helping with the cleanup!

The Catchy is compatible with 30+ high chairs. Use code “EATPLAYSAY10” to save 10%!

02. Best Affordable High Chair

IKEA Antilop High Chair

This is the most affordable high chair. You can’t beat the $25 price tag!

The IKEA Antilop has a modern design. This high chair is lightweight and easy to clean. Just wipe down the plastic tray.

While this high chair is only $20, it’s missing a lot of support pieces that I would recommend for babies and toddlers.

You definitely want your baby to have foot support when eating. Since this high chair doesn’t have one, I highly recommend buying a footrest to fit this model. 

You’ll also want to get a high chair cushion to provide more support for baby as the bucket seat on this high chair is very big. Even with those two additions, this high chair is still very affordable at under $70.

Why I love The Antilop High Chair:

• The price tag – It’s a super affordable option, even after buying the additions to make it more supportive!

• It’s easy to assemble and disassemble – You can easily pack it up and travel with it! 

• It’s easy to clean – There aren’t crevices for food to get stuck!

Best Ergonomic High Chairs

Abiie Beyond High Chair

This ranks as one of the best ergonomic high chairs because of the adjustable seat and footrest. You can customize the fit to best support your child.

The seat is firm yet comfortable for babies starting solids and helps them sit completely upright, which is the safest position while eating. You can use the 5-point harness or the 3-point harness depending on your child’s age.

The tray comes off of the high chair, making it a regular dining chair that can grow with your little one into toddler and school-aged years.

Why I love the Abiie Beyond High Chair:

• It grows with your child – From baby, to toddler, to a chair for an adult.

• It’s easy to clean! – The seat and the tray are easy to wipe down and clean.

• Color & finish options – If you want to add some color to your kitchen, the seat options come in all sorts of colors.

Stokke Tripp Trapp

The Stokke Tripp Trapp offers lots of the same features as the Abiie Beyond High Chair. It has an adjustable footrest making it ergonomic for baby.

It’s also a convertible high chair. Once your child grows out of needing a high chair, you can transition this to be a dining chair.

This high chair is designed to be pulled right up to the table, which is great for family meals. However, if you want it to come with a tray, you pay an additional cost.

Why I love the Stokke Tripp Trapp:

• You can pull it right up to the table – Easy to include your little one in meals.

• You can push it under the table – If you are living in a smaller space, the chair can just be pushed under the table and not take up much room.

• It grows with your child, which helps justify the price tag!

Best Travel High Chair

Hiccapop Portable High Chair

This travel high chair is essential for traveling with babies and toddlers. It can secure to a dining chair like a booster or just be used on the floor.

It easily folds up and fits into a small travel bag. Take it along to a friend’s house for dinner, or bring it on vacation so your little one has a safe place to eat.

The canvas material is machine washable making it really easy to clean.

Why I love The Hiccapop Portable High Chair:

• It can grow with your baby – The wide seat makes it suitable for babies and toddlers. Pro tip: If your baby seems unstable in the chair, roll up some towels or blankets on either side of them to provide support!

• Feed your little one anywhere – The compact design makes it easy to take anywhere.

Best Hook-On Counter High Chairs

Hook-On High Chair from Lalo

I love this one because it’s the only hook-on high chair with a built-in adjustable footrest on the market. Other clip-on high chairs don’t have footrests, which can really impact stability and comfort when eating.

It also has a higher maximum weight limit at 37 pounds. This means you can use it for a few years!

It’s easy to assemble (only takes a few minutes). It’s also easy to move and adjust.

This chair is also machine washable! It comes with a travel bag, making it easy to take on-the-go.

Why I love The Lalo Hook-On Chair:

• Only one of its kind – It is the only hook-on high chair on the market with a footrest, and it’s adjustable!

• Use it anywhere – You can use at home and take on-the-go!

• Space-saving – It’s a great option for parents who need to save space but don’t want to sacrifice stability.

Inglesina Fast Table Chair

This is a top-rated portable table chair for little ones. This chair is great for traveling, but can also be used at home; however given the lack of footrest, I caution against using this high chair as an everyday chair.

It’s compact and collapsible making it easy to pack or store anywhere.

You can use this for babies and toddlers 6-36 months. There is a weight limit of 37 lbs.

Note: Because it does not provide foot support is not recommended for frequent use when starting solids and is more appropriate for older babies and toddlers who are more stable when eating. 

Why I love the Inglesina Table Chair:

• It’s lightweight – It weighs just over 4 lbs.

• Include your little one at mealtimes – Your child can be pulled up to the table and included in meals wherever you are.

• Good option for travel – You can easily take it anywhere.

What if your baby’s high chair didn’t make this list?

It’s ok! Don’t panic. There are a LOT of options for high chairs and it gets really overwhelming! You probably added a high chair to your registry months before baby arrived, and maybe a year before you were educating yourself on how to start solids with baby.

What’s important is you ARE educating yourself now and you can still have a successful starting solids journey! Take a look at our blog post on sitting in the high chair for our top tips on how to make your high chair more supportive for baby.

If you’re looking for more starting solids education, we have you covered! Learn more about how to know if your baby is ready for starting solids and our favorite feeding items for starting solids.

Ready to Start Solids with Your Baby?

Our Starting Solids Bundle cuts through the noise and gives you everything you need to confidently feed your baby — whether you’re all about purées, diving into baby-led weaning, or a mix of both– we give you what you need to find  what works for YOUR family. 

No judgment, no confusing expert jargon, just straight-up guidance that actually makes sense when you’re sleep-deprived and covered in avocado.