Highchairs: Product Guide & Review of Styles, Features, & Safety 

Height Adjustable
Allows the seat, footrest, and/or tray to be adjusted at various heights.

Reclining
Provides different angles for feeding time (for bottle feeding only).

Transitional
Converts into a chair as your child grows.

Tray Insert
Removable dishwasher-safe inserts for easy washings, and to protect the tray.

Seat Cushion
Choose one that will easily wipe clean, or is removable for machine washings.

Wheels/Casters
For easy transport and mobility (these should have a locking feature for safety).

Storage
Some models come with a small basket for storage of bibs, burp cloths or toys, or an organizer for utensils built right into the tray.

Foldable
Best for smaller spaces (check for a secure locking mechanism).

Crotch Post
This is a fixed post to prevent baby from sliding out of the chair (often it attaches to the tray).

Safety Belt
Some chairs have a three-point harness; some have a five-point harness. Check to see these are removable for cleaning - otherwise they become bacteria farms!

Toys
Some trays come with toys attached to them.

Highchair should have either three-point harness (waist strap and crotch strap), or a five-point harness (which includes shoulder straps).

Use the restraints every time baby is in the chair.

Tray latches should not be accessible to baby.

If height adjustable, never adjust while child is in the chair.

If seat reclines, use this feature only for bottle feeding (to avoid choking hazards) and check with the manufacturer's weight limit – usually, it should only be used with infants weighing less than 20 pounds.

If the chair comes with wheels, make sure they lock.

Check for any small, loose parts that could pose a choking hazard.

Legs of the chair should be wide enough to provide stability (but not too wide so that mom and dad may trip over them).

If using a folding chair, be sure to secure the safety latch each time you unfold it and set up the chair.

Look for a certification sticker on the chair’s frame showing that the model meets the ASTM voluntary standards.

Look for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification seal.

 

Products with JPMA certification are notated below. Currently JPMA certification is voluntary, although certain safety standards will be mandatory within the next 2 years. If you have any questions about a product's safety, do not hesitate to contact the manufacturer directly.

Other safety ideas to consider:

Never leave your baby unattended.

Do not rely on the feeding table as a way to restrain your baby.

Keep away from high counters or walls so baby can’t push against and tip over.

Don’t let older children hang from (or climb on) the highchair while baby is feeding.

Don’t move the chair while your child is seated in it.

For more safety info, visit JPMA.