Highchairs on test
What is a highchair for?
A highchair should be a chair which makes feeding time easier. The chair should
be comfortable and secure for your child and should raise the child up to a position which
makes feeding easy for you. You will use your highchair most once your child is sitting
properly and eating regular full meals but some highchairs – with reclining seats
– can also be useful during early weaning.
Do I need one?
Feeding a fidgety toddler can be hard work. A highchair can make life easier for
you and more fun for your child. A highchair allows you to secure your child in position
with a harness so you can then concentrate on the feeding. It can also give your child his
earliest feelings of independence as he starts to feed himself, perhaps sitting alongside
the rest of the family at meal times.
There are several styles of highchair:
Folding highchairs are designed to collapse and quickly fold away when not in
use. They are particularly useful if your room space is limited.
Wooden cube-style highchairs convert into a low table and chair. They are bulkier but
generally good value as the fact that they convert significantly extends their useful
life.
Wooden one-piece raised chairs are more traditional and often more attractive to look
at, but they have fewer features, are less flexible and take up more space.
Booster-style highchairs are small units designed to secure onto a table or household
chair to create an alternative to a highchair. These are very portable, require less space
and are inexpensive but require careful securing and have fewer features. Some can be used
as low chairs.
What to look for
- Choose a chair which is easy to clean – avoid those with unhygienic corners and
crevices.
- Consider its size, weight and ease of mobility.
- The highchair should be comfortable for the baby and offer room for growth.
- The chair should have a five-point harness which is effective, easy to use and
preferably detachable and washable. If it one is not included you will need to buy one
separately and the chair should include attachment points.
- The highchair must be stable.
- The tray must be easy to use and, if removable, effortless to reconnect.
- Some highchairs allow you to alter the height of the seat – the mechanism should be
simple to adjust and have strong and effective locking systems.
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