The Best High Chairs for Babies and Toddlers, Tested & Reviewed

For mom of three Roxanne Truesdell, Lalo The Chair is a mainstay in her home. There’s plenty she raves about, but the biggest benefit is how easy it is to clean. Considering toddlers tend to be messy eaters as they learn how to feed themselves, Truesdell removes the tray and takes it straight to the trash to dump big stuff. Then, she scrubs it down in the sink. To clean the seat—where plenty of food accumulates—she sprays an all-purpose cleaner and wipes it down with a wet sponge.

The straps can be removed and machine-washed. The chair comes with removable cushions that Truesdell removed early on because they would become really dirty.

Another benefit of Lalo The Chair is the adjustable footrest that allows her toddler to grow and sit in the best alignment for digestion. “As he gets taller, we can flip the footrest over to keep that safe eating environment going,” she says. “You can also buy a conversion kit to transform it into a booster seat.”

For compact spaces, it’s important to note the chair doesn’t easily fold to be stored but the legs come off fairly easy to transport. However, given the super-stylish, modern and sleek design, you might not see it as an eye sore. “The aesthetic is so complementary to my kitchen and dining area that I don't ever put it away,” Truesdell says. “It’s the same height as the kitchen table, so we pull it nice and close so the baby can see and interact with us as if he's sitting at the same table. After all, mealtime is our favorite family time.”

All-and-all, Truesdell says it checks off the major things like creating a safe eating environment, easy-to-clean and beautiful to look at. If she could change anything, it could be the angle of the legs. “Maybe I'm just clumsy, but sometimes I stub my toe on one of the legs,” she adds.

Mom of three Emma Kozlowski started using this table chair beginning from 12 months up until her kiddos turned two and a half years old. Unlike a traditional high chair, this one attaches to a sturdy countertop or heavy table, almost like a booster-like seat but with added support. It doesn’t include a footrest, but it does allow toddlers to “sit” with the rest of the family.

Kozlowski says her kids are, ahem, creative eaters, and the removable tray is super-fast to clean once mealtime is over. “The mess is quickly gone in the sink rather than left on your counter, and the fabric that the child sits on wipes clean or can be hand washed or washed in the washing machine,” she adds.

The most significant benefit of this pint-sized high chair is how easy it is to bring with you wherever your family adventures take you. “For parents on the go, it folds up flat, so it is very portable and also easy to set up so you can bring it to a restaurant or a friend’s house,” Kozlowski says. While it might be intended as more of a transitional high chair or something you use when you travel, it could be an innovative solution for parents with limited space. It comes in ten colors and is a steal at $80.

“We used another high chair when our kids were younger, but it took up a lot of floor space, was bulky, not very nice looking, and didn't seem necessary once our children could sit up on their own,” Kozlowski adds. “The only thing I wish they offered was an ‘infant insert’ so you could put a younger child in there without them wobbling around.”

Lauren Rae Levy Vigneron initially used a different high chair, but when her child was 18 months, she discovered this Maxi-Cosi six-in-one best seller—and never looked back. She says there’s plenty to love, but for a busy mom with a never-ending to-do list, the ability to clean the fabric and remove the tray with a sponge and water is key.

While she might need a bit of soap here and there, she says most of the time, a quick wash does the trick. The seat covers are machine-washable, so if a deeper clean is needed, it’s a fast process. Did we mention the tray is also dishwasher-safe?! The only cleaning setback is the straps, which may be trickier to clean thoroughly. To avoid food waste build-up, try to wipe clean after each meal.

The high chair also grows with your toddler, hence the name. It comes with an infant insert pad for extra support in the early days, then offers five recline and nine height positions. If you don’t want the high chair on display, Vigneron says it folds up small and stores away. However, the sleek design with four color combinations makes it a chic addition to your dining room. For Vigneron, the biggest win is her son loves it and it’s comfortable.

Reva Minkoff is the proud mama of a 16-month-old son, and instead of going the traditional tall high chair route, she found and loved this booster seat. Affordable—under $50!—and portable, it’s been able to grow with her son. Since all moms care about clean-up, Minkoff says this seat makes it fast and effortless. Since it’s made of plastic, the removable tray pops off and can be placed directly in the sink after each meal.

She’s never had an issue with difficult-to-remove food and has had zero issues with mold or smell. “Because the chair is solid plastic, it is very easy to wipe down and/or vacuum messes,” she continues. “There are no nooks and crannies for things to get stuck in, which is helpful.”

Originally, Minkoff used it on the floor by itself, and as her son has grown, she changed it to a booster seat so he has legroom. “It is so flexible that other babies and toddlers have been able to use it when we have company”, she says. “I love how easily it fits everyone, and it makes me feel confident we'll be able to use it for a long time.”

In fact, she’s bought one set for each of her son’s grandparents, so when they visit, they can easily settle into their at-home routine. Want to have dinner al fresco? Hop in the car and have a picnic? Wherever you go, this chair can go, too, Minkoff says. “I feel like it integrates into our busy lives the best—if we are in the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, grandma's house, outside, anywhere.”

Katrina, a mom of two, started using this high chair when her two daughters began eating at around six months old. When shopping for the right pick for her household, she loved the adjustable footrest that easily clicks in and out of the wooden grooves, the fact it was dishwasher-safe and free of harmful substances like BPA, phthalate, latex and PVC, and the five-point harness for peace of mind.

It’s also fairly easy to clean. Not only is the removable plastic tray dishwasher-safe, Katrina says you can do most of the heavy lifting with a multi-purpose cleaner and a warm, wet washcloth. “Every so often, I take out the cushions and harness straps and clean them in hot water with a mild dish soap,” she says.

Since most parents don’t want to invest in a high chair every few months as their baby grows into a toddler, Katrina says this chair accommodates different stages—and looks great in her home. You can choose from nine colors, and Katrina bought two: one for each of her daughters.

“The only downside to this product is that it is not mobile. The chair's base is about the same size as the base of the standard dining chair,” she adds. “We keep both high chairs up to the table for convenience.”

In addition to the features, Katrina says she’s been a big fan of the company. “Customer service has always been a dream anytime I've contacted them, and you can easily find and buy individual products to replace broken or lost ones, like the cushions, tray, or tray brackets,” she says. “It's obvious by the sheer amount of thought in the details that the folks who built this chair really care about not only where their materials come from but also the parents and the children who buy their product.”

Women’s health advocate and mom of two Lisa McCarty started using this high chair when her first child was six months old. She can manage the removable magnetic tray with one hand, which convinced her to choose this chair over all the others.

“As moms, we always want solutions to make our lives easier and our process for feeding our kids—and cleaning up—more efficient,” she says. “This definitely fits that requirement! We loved it, and my son loved it, too. As he got older, he could put the tray on by himself and let himself out when he was done. Another big plus.”

For clean-ups, the tray can go straight into the dishwasher or be wiped clean immediately after use. While it doesn’t have an adjustable footrest, it does have an adjustable height and recline option available to accommodate newborn, baby and toddler phases.

Regarding mobility, McCarty says you can slide it or lift it to carry, but it doesn’t fold up. “I found it worked well as a corner of the dining room chair that is tall and slim and not too wide,” she adds.

When mom of one Lindsay H. welcomed her first child, she couldn’t wait to start feeding her. Since she and her husband were foodies, she looked forward to introducing her daughter to that wonderful world. Though she wanted to present many meal options, there was only one high chair choice for her family: the classic Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair. Though it’s splurge-worthy, Tigar and her family knew it would stand the test of time.

Originally from Denmark, her husband grew up with Norwegian Stokke products. In fact, his mother still had his Tripp Trapp from when he was a toddler, more than 30 years ago.

This high chair lasts the longest of all on this list, meant to go from six months to adulthood, when the seat can be removed and it can serve as a stool. It also features a streamlined, Scandinavian design with a seven-year warranty. This chair has many benefits, including a removable tray that can easily be placed in the sink after use, an adjustable footrest that allows babies to grow into toddlers and still receive proper digestion and a supportive back.

(Keep in mind the tray and the newborn bundle are sold separately, which is why this high chair won the ‘splurge’ category. With all accessories, you could spend $500.)

The only downfall, according to Tigar, is the harness straps. They can be tricky to adjust as the child grows older and difficult to clean. You can remove them, but it’s a pain, and you need to soak them for a good amount of time.

Also, while it might not be a struggle for all parents, it can be time-consuming to put this high chair together. It’s also on the heavier side, and it doesn’t stow away easily. Even so… it’s pretty beautiful, so Tigar doesn’t mind seeing it daily in her kitchen.

Vicki W., a mom of two, started using the Joovy Nook from six months through two years for her four-year-old. And she’ll soon use it again when her second child starts eating solids in a few months. Since wrangling kiddos is no easy task, Vicki raves about the removable tray insert that’s dishwasher-safe, and the rest of the chair that’s fast to wipe down or vacuumed for a deep-clean. The leatherette on the seat is great and can be thrown in the wash, but it can’t be dried in a dryer.

Another bonus is the slightly-smaller base that doesn’t take up too much of a footprint in a smaller dining room. Plus, it folds down flat using only one hand, making it fast to store between meals—and take it with the family when they travel.

“Having lived in a small apartment with very little space when first shopping for a high chair the Joovy Nook hit every mark that we required,” she says. “It was small, lightweight and folded small enough to not take up too much space.”