A Dietitian’s Top Picks for Baby-Led Weaning Highchairs

Looking for baby-led weaning highchairs? A highchair will become a very important piece of furniture in your home from about 6 months to 2-3 years old, and will definitely help with feeding success as you introduce solids (especially if you’re doing baby-led weaning!). Below are my dietitian-approved tips for choosing the best highchair for your little one as well as my top picks!

Everything from foot stool height to food tray positioning do matter and can have an impact—either in a positive or not-so-positive—on your baby’s (and your) feeding experience. In this post, I’m going to cover the following:

What is baby-led weaning (BLW)?

Baby-led weaning, as opposed to the traditional spoon-feeding purees method, is a method of introducing solids that involves offering soft, safely prepared finger foods from the beginning of their eating journey (around 6 months of age). Larger pieces of soft-cooked foods are offered right from the get-go, so that your little one can easily grab it with their tiny fist and bring up to their mouth independently. At first your baby will use the “palmer grasp”, which means grabbing the food with their palm. Once they’re a little bit older (around 9-10 months), they will learn how to master their “pincer grasp” wherein you can start offering smaller pieces of food that they can pick up with their fingers.

With baby-led weaning, your little one is able to strengthen their oral-motor muscles involved in mature chewing, swallowing, and speech development, as well as manual dexterity. It may help with learning how to better self-regulate food intake and may even help to decrease the risk of picky eating later on!

For more information on baby-led weaning and how to start this process with your little one, read the Beginner’s Guide to Baby-Led Weaning. You may also be worried or curious about choking risk. Read this post on choking risk and baby-led weaning to learn more. Whether you choose baby-led weaning or traditional spoon feeding (or a combination of both, which is what I recommend!), the most important thing is to feed responsively (watching for and responding to baby’s cues). I’m a true believer Follow your gut when it comes to deciding which method will work best for you and your little one!

Why is it important to have a good highchair for BLW?

Imagine yourself attempting to eat while sitting on a bar stool with your feet dangling mid air, and awkwardly reaching up to the too-high table top to grab your food… Not exactly the most comfortable or enjoyable experience! Now, imagine your baby, eager to eat for the first time, in a highchair where they have a hard time reaching the tray, are swallowed up and slouching backwards in the seat, and at the same time, their little feet dangle unsupported. Even though this sounds horribly awkward, it’s often what I see in my practice when we first start working with families. Not only is it uncomfortable for baby, but it’s also both ergonomically incorrect and potentially unsafe.

A good highchair should support proper posture and allow baby to comfortably sit and focus on eating their food. Below is a list of things to consider when choosing a highchair for your baby.

What to look for in a baby-led weaning highchair

1. Adjustable foot support: While eating it is best that your baby’s feet rest on flat on a surface rather than dangling, otherwise your baby will overuse their trunk muscles for balance. This may lead to baby being tired or fussy, before their tummy is full or they are finished eating (which will interfere with them learning to self-regulate their appetite). High chairs that have adjustable foot rests are ideal for ensuring continued stability at meal times, as your child continues to grow and develop.  
2. Proper trunk support: The seat and back rest should support your child so that their shoulders are aligned at a 90-degree angle over their hips. Being reclined backwards in a lounging position while eating, or leaning to one side or another, can increase the risk of choking, and is a less comfortable way for baby to eat.
3. Crotch post: This is the post that goes between their legs. It ensures that your baby does not slip forward, which would compromise their posture while eating.
4. Safety Harness: Look for a high chair that has a 3 or 5 point harness system to ensure that your little one is safely secured in the chair to prevent falling and injury.
5. Consider your lifestyle: Do you go out to eat at restaurants or at other people’s homes often? You may want to consider looking for a portable or foldable high chair.
6. Consider convertible options: Are you looking for a high chair that will grow with your child? There are many available that can convert to support older kids or even adults!
7. Consider space: How much space do you have around family dining table? It’s a good idea to measure the area that you want to put the highchair. Ideally, the highchair would fit at your kitchen table so that baby can eat with the rest of the family. Highchairs that have removable food trays are great for positioning the high chair right flush to the family table so baby can eat with everyone (and also save space).
8. Consider cleaning: One thing that can be overlooked when purchasing a highchair is considering how easy it is to clean. Babies are messy eaters (especially when you’re doing baby-led weaning!), so you will be cleaning the chair a lot! Machine washable or spill-proof cushions, dishwasher safe food trays, and simply designed chairs are some features that make them easier to clean.
9. Consider durability: If you want your highchair to stand the test of time and withstand wear and tear of use over multiple kiddos, it’s a good idea to consider what it is made of. Wooden high chairs, for example may cost more, but tend to be more robust and sturdy over time.

Top 10 Dietitian Approved Highchairs for baby-led weaning:

All highchairs listed below meet the top 4 points under “what to look for” listed above.  

Stokke Clikk High Chair

4.7/5 rating on Amazon (US)

• Adjustable foot rest offers 2 positions
• Best for 6-36 months or up to 33 lbs
• Easy to clean smooth surfaces
• Light weight (about 11 lbs), good for travel

INFANS High Chair

4.7/5 rating on Amazon

• Foot rest adjustable to 3 positions.
• Easy to wipe waterproof cushions
• Good for children from 6 months to 5 years (or up to 33 lbs)
• Tray is adjustable and removable. Can be clipped and stored on back of chair to save space
• Adjustable height to 7 different levels so it can fit well with table height
• Adjustable back rest allows use as an eating/feeding chair, game chair, or resting chair
• Foldable structure, portable, weighs 19 lbs

Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair

4.5/5 rating on Bed Bath and Beyond

• Adjustable in both depth and height of seat and foot rest
• Ergonomic seating position from ages 6 months to adulthood
• Smooth, easy to clean surfaces
• Made of European beech wood that holds up to 300lbs
• Item weight is about 16lbs with infant attachments

Keekaroo High Chair

4.4/5 rating on Amazon

• Adjustable seat and foot plate
• Smooth, easy to clean surfaces
• Rubberwood material holds babies from 6 months to 250lbs adults
• Item weight is about 18 lbs

Abiie High Chair

4.6/5 rating on Amazon

• Adjustable seat and foot plate
• Easy to clean surfaces and one hand removable tray cover
• Wooden material holds up to 250 lbs
• Item weight is 17 lbs

Graco 6 in 1 Convertible High Chair

4.8/5 rating on Amazon

• Foot rest adjustable to 3 positions
• Height adjustable to 6 positions
• Converts from a traditional high chair to a removable infant booster, youth chair and toddler booster
• Highchair holds up to 40lbs and toddler booster up to 60lbs
• Has a removable seat back insert to help properly position younger babies
• Item weight is 21.5 lbs

HAN-MM Folding High Chair

4.3/5 rating on Amazon (US)

• Adjustable foot rest
• Converts from high chair, to small chair, to toddler stool
• Easy to clean surfaces, removable tray cover
• Suitable from 6-36 months (or up to 50 lbs)
• Item weight is about 11 lbs

Maxi-Cosi 03024CFJC Minla High Chair

4.6/5 rating on Amazon

• Foot rest adjustable to 2 different positions
• 4 different tray positions and 9 different height positions to accommodate growth
• Removable, machine washable seat cover
• Suitable for up to 6 years of age
• Foldable design saves space, item weight is about 22 lbs

NOMI High chair

4.5/5 rating on Amazon (US)

• Adjustable seat and foot rest as your child grows
• Converts from high chair to chair, and holds up to 330 lbs
• Easy to clean smooth surfaces
• Has removable tray so you can sit child right up to the table
• Item weight is about 11 lbs

LIVINGbasics 3 in 1 High Chair

4.3/5 rating on Amazon

• Adjustable foot rest to three positions
• Adjustable height to 6 positions and tray to 3 positions
• One hand detachable tray and tray cover, dishwasher safe
• Suitable up to 36 months (or 33 lbs)
• Foldable design saves space, item weight is about 17 lbs

FAQ

What if my baby’s high chair doesn’t have a foot rest?

It is definitely ideal for your baby to have a place to rest their feet (for stability and eating safety), whether or not it comes with the original highchair. There are options to attach a flexible band or sling type foot rest to your chair that allow for height adjustment as well. For example, you could tie a thick rubber exercise band around the front legs of your high chair so that it sits at the proper height for your child’s feet. There are many foot rest attachments available for the IKEA Antilop high chair such as this bamboo foot rest attachment on amazon. Another option could be to find a box scootch up to the front high chair legs that allows your babies feet to rest with their knees at 90 degrees. Fill the box with soup cans so that your little one can’t kick it away and it sits sturdy in its place!

What if my baby starts to choke while they are clipped into the high chair?

First of all, it’s important to know how to decipher between gagging and choking, because they are often confused. Choking is extremely rare if a baby is seated properly and served foods that are prepared appropriately for their age. Gagging, on the other hand, is very common with starting solids. Especially at the beginning when your little one’s gag reflex is closer to the front of their mouth. As your baby continues to develop and grow, the frequency of gagging becomes less and less. You will hear lots of coughing /noises with gagging, whereas choking is almost silent (food becomes lodged in their windpipe blocking off airflow) and baby’s face till turn blue from lack of oxygen (whereas it will remain red with gagging). Although gagging sounds scary, it is actually an important protective reflex against choking. To answer the question, high chairs will typically have a quick release feature to the harness where you can press a button on the clip fastening area to free your little one from the straps.  The release should be easy and seamless so it does not inhibit you from helping your child. Also, it’s imperative that you as the feeder be trained in infant CPR and First Aid so that you do know how to deal with an emergency.

What if the high chair seems too big for my younger baby?

Sometimes when babies are first starting solids, they can be quite small and look like they are being swallowed up into the high chair. In this case, you want to add padding behind and on the sides of your little one so that their head is in alignment directly above their hips. Your baby should not be slumping backwards in a lounging position or leaning to one side. Try taking a rolled-up dishtowel and place it behind the middle of your baby’s back so they are propped forward instead of tilted backward. This will ensure they are able to focus and safely eat without becoming fatigued too soon.

Do I need to buy an at home highchair and a travel high chair?

There are actually high chairs can be both! Light-weight portable high chairs can function as both. Some examples from the list include:
Stokke Clikk High Chair
INFANS High Chair
HAN-MM Folding High Chair

If you prefer to have a less portable, sturdier high chair at home, purchasing a travel high chair will be helpful when eating out of home with your baby. Having your child properly set up and secured at the table with you while eating is essential for their safety and will allow them to be fully engaged at family meal time even when you are on the go!

Can I use cleaning products on my baby’s high chair food tray?

There are many safe, natural cleaners available on the market! However, it is not necessary to purchase anything special. Simply use a dish cloth with hot soapy water (a few drops of dish soap will do the trick!). Add a splash of vinegar for an extra deep clean!

In summary

There are a few important things to consider when choosing a highchair for your baby. A good highchair should support proper posture and allow baby to comfortably sit and focus on eating their food safely when baby-led weaning.