Why You Can Trust CNET New to Parenthood? These Are the Best High Chairs for Babies Across Every Category
From the super stylish Italian-made Peg Perego Siesta to the Chicco QuickSeat that hooks right onto your dining table, these are the best high chairs you can buy for your baby across all budgets and styles.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
Editor's note, March 7, 2023: The recommendations provided in this article are out of date and will not be updated going forward. These picks were the best high chair options available at the time, but you may find some of these options have either changed or are no longer available.
Becoming a new parent is overwhelming. What will your baby even need, let alone want? I spent hours trawling baby sites and Amazon for car seats, cribs and high chairs and reading dozens of reviews trying to figure out what to buy for the day my baby would need it.
Now that my son is 9 months old and eating solids (and throwing them across the room), I put 13 different high chairs to the test. I nailed down the best high chairs across every category, from fitting into small spaces to the most cleanable, best convertible and even the most luxe. Yes -- there are luxe high chairs.
Here are my picks for every category, plus notes and our methodology for choosing the best high chairs.
Read more: Is Your Baby Ready for a High Chair? Here Are the Signs to Look Out For
Where other high chairs are difficult, the Polly Progress is easy. It's got four recline angles and eight height positions, which are genuinely simple to transition between. It's so easy to fold up and down one-handed that it makes you wonder why the others are so hard to adjust. It's easy to adjust the tray, easy to roll, easy to lock the wheels, easy to build, easy to recline and easy to fold the armrests up and down. It also transitions between five modes to last you through infancy and early childhood: a newborn recliner complete with toy bar, infant high chair, toddler booster, big kid booster and youth stool. Though several other high chairs also came with an additional booster seat, the Polly Progress even included padding.
It's a nice looking high chair and comes in either black or black and gray.
Price: $230
The Safety 1st 3-in-1 high chair is fairly easy to put together, with six heights and four swiveling wheels. It's very easy to use; my baby's feet reached the footrest because it tilts upward or downward to adjust for height, and he looked very comfortable in the seat. The tray goes back nice and far, and the chair has a cushioned seat that's also easily wipeable and foldable.
It comes in four color options: light gray, dark gray, green chevron and teal polka dots. It reminds me of the Chicco Polly Progress, but on a much more affordable level.
Price: $90
The Maxi Cosi Minla is cushy, folds down nicely and reminds me of a first-class airplane seat. The stylish high chair has six modes: An infant recliner; a baby high chair; a high chair seat and tray table that can be attached to a dining chair; a seat that can be attached to a dining chair without the tray, so your toddler can tuck into the table; a toddler seat; and a booster seat. It has nine height positions, five recline positions and four tray positions, and an adjustable footrest that your baby and toddler will definitely be able to reach. The tray insert is dishwasher safe, making it easy to clean.
It folds right down, but it can be hard to fold up and down by yourself. The tray also can't be pushed in very far, because of the big block between the baby's legs.
It's got an attractive design and comes in four color options: light gray, dark gray, navy blue and pink.
Price: $250
The Cozy Tot Deluxe is a tiny, basic high chair with a great adjustable footrest that babies and toddlers can reach. There's no padding on the chair, so it's easy to keep clean, and the tray table folds down. The high chair takes up very little room (though it doesn't fold down any smaller), making it great for families living in smaller spaces who still want a traditional standing high chair -- or for grandparents or other caretakers who want a high chair for visits. The tray is a little on the small side, but it has a cup holder and curves nicely around your baby. The whole thing also conveniently transforms into a toddler chair once your child grows up and no longer needs a high chair. It doesn't have a five-point harness but comes with a lap belt, and the chair back doesn't come up high enough to provide head support.
It comes in black and white or teal and white.
Price: $100
The Chicco QuickSeat hooks directly onto your dining table or kitchen countertop, so your baby can sit with the family at mealtimes without taking up any additional space. It feels really secure, and you can easily slide a splat mat underneath to catch the spills. My baby seemed very comfortable sitting in the seat. The QuickSeat also folds down, so it's great for taking on vacation. The downside is you can't pull the tray any closer to your baby, so he or she needs to lean forward to get to food, meaning a lot drops in your baby's lap. There's no footrest, either. Because the chair's so small, there's also no five-point harness, just a lap belt, and the back of the chair reaches up only to my baby's upper back.
The QuickSeat comes in black, dark gray, light gray, red and teal.
Price: $70
The Peg Perego Siesta comes out of the box almost fully built, with a faux leather seat and a great selection of colors to choose from. We nicknamed this super stylish chair the Ferrari -- it's made in Italy, and I tested out the Ferrari-esque berry color, with an elastic compartment on the back of the seat, like in a car. The fabric is easy to wipe, and the chair has four wheels and is sturdy.
On the cons side, the tray didn't slide in quite far enough for my little guy, meaning more mess spills onto the actual seat; the cup holder was a little shallow, and his feet didn't reach the footrest yet -- so you'll have to wait for the toddler years to use that.
The Siesta has the most color options out of any chair I tried: Beige, berry, brown, brown and white, three types of gray, apple green, black, orange and striped white, gray and black. It's definitely on the pricier end of high chairs.
Price: $330
The 4moms Connect is a very sturdy high chair, with a simple design and setup, and it was the easiest to clean -- mostly because it doesn't have a soft fabric cushion, so you can just wipe it down every time. Also, the tray magnetically attaches to the high chair for easy but secure snap-on and snap-off, and you can recline the entire seat. There's a removable crotch post for when your baby grows into toddlerhood, and you can lower the chair on height settings. Because it's so sturdy, you don't have to worry about the chair wobbling, rolling or tipping over if your baby likes to climb on furniture. The seat cushion is rubbery but not soft.
The downsides are there's no footrest, which could be a big stumbling block for your child's comfort, and you also can't fold it up to make more room.
It comes only in a white and gray color combo.
Price: $300
The seat cushion is made from recycled plastics, which sets the Century high chair apart from the pack. It's easy to put together out of the box, the tray comes with lots of little segments rather than just the standard wide space with a cup holder, and it reclines. My baby's feet didn't quite reach the footrest, so you'll have to wait until your baby grows into it; however, it has only two wheels. It's another convertible high chair: a baby high chair, toddler booster, child stool and big kid chair. The seat cushion is machine washable, and the tray insert is dishwasher safe, making it easy to use and clean.
The Dine On comes in gray, blue and lilac.
Price: $90
The Munchkin Cloud is one of the most stylish high chairs we tried, with a minimalistic style for those who are more about matching their baby's needs to their home decor. It's got clear plastic backing, a gray seat cushion, wooden legs and white plastic fittings -- though I imagine the clear plastic might become smeared or smudged with long use and continual wiping from messy babies. The capsule-style seat swivels 360 degrees.
My very-tall-for-his-age nine-month-old's feet didn't reach the footrest, so you'll have to wait until toddlerhood for that foot support. The chair's claim of one-minute assembly proved true. However, there seemed to be a lot of little crevices where food got stuck, more than usual for some reason. You also can't fold the chair down for storage.
It comes in one color option of white and light gray.
Price: $200
Other products we've tested
- Evolur Zoodle 3-in-1 High Chair: Compared with the other high chairs we tried, the $132 Evolur Zoodle requires almost a full construction job out of the box -- you have to put every single part together yourself. That said, it's a very sturdy and modern-looking, Scandinavian-style chair with stylish beechwood and non-skid legs, though it doesn't fold down. It converts into a toddler chair when your baby outgrows it, which is handy. It comes with four extra legs for the purpose, so you'll need to rebuild that part of it. The Evolur Zoodle has several finishes for your seat cushion in sweet colors that are machine washable, a dishwasher-safe tray and two nonadjustable footrests.
- Fisher-Price Spacesaver Simple Clean High Chair: The $45 Fisher-Price Spacesaver is a cute high chair and great for apartments because you can strap it onto any adult chair you have. It isn't ideal for traveling, because it doesn't fold down any smaller. It could also benefit from having an extra strap at the top back to feel a little more secure, particularly if you have a boisterous baby who moves around a lot. Your baby's feet will also dangle without support, like most space-saving high chairs.
- Cosco Simple Fold High Chair: This high chair is a great budget option for just $40, particularly if your family likes to go camping or even just to a picnic or soccer game. It sets up literally in seconds right out of the box, like a lawn chair. You can screw on feet for additional stability, however. The seat has a cute design, it comes with a small tray but deep cup holder and a footrest. It might be better suited for older toddlers -- my baby kept sliding downward while he was using the chair, leaving him slumped most of the time.
- Evolur Ann Beechwood 4-in-1 Highchair: The $146 Evolur Ann required a lot of steps to build out of the box. The tray didn't slide far enough in for our baby, leaving a lot of mess, the straps kept getting tangled, and the seat isn't tall enough to support your child's head if she or he leans back. The footrest, tray and back aren't adjustable. On the pros side, it can convert from a high chair to a toddler chair, island stool and booster seat, with the conversion kit included in the pack. It's also stylish, with beechwood legs, matte white plastic and pretty seat cushion covers -- so it depends on your priorities in a seat.
Best high chairs overview
| Price | Five-point harness | Convertible | Foldable | Footrest | Max child weight | Dishwasher-safe tray insert | Machine washable seat cover | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicco Polly Progress Relax 5-in-1 Highchair | $230 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 60 lb | No | No |
Safety 1st 3-in-1 Grow and Go High Chair | $90 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 35 lb | Yes | No |
Maxi Cosi Minla 6 in 1 | $250 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 50 lb | Yes | Yes |
Primo Cozy Tot Deluxe | $100 | No | Yes | No | Yes | 30 lb | Yes | N/A |
Chicco QuickSeat Hook-On Chair | $70 | No | No | Yes | No | 37 lb | No | Yes |
Peg Perego Siesta | $330 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 45 lb | Yes | No |
4moms Connect High Chair | $300 | Yes | Yes | No | No | 60 lb | Yes | No |
Century Dine On 4-in-1 High Chair | $90 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 40 lb | Yes | No |
Munchkin 360° Cloud High Chair | $200 | Yes | No | No | Yes | 33 lb | Yes | No |
Evolur Zoodle 3-in-1 High Chair | $132 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Doesn't say | No | No |
Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair | $45 | Yes | No | No | No | 50 lb | No | Yes |
Cosco Simple Fold High Chair | $40 | No | No | Yes | Yes | 50 lb | No | No |
Evolur Ann Beechwood 4-in-1 Highchair | $146 | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Doesn't say | Yes | Yes |
How we test high chairs
After researching the most popular and highly rated high chairs online, I reached out to companies and asked for test products to review. I tested each for several days with my 9-month-old baby, including using the "yogurt test," the messiest meal possible, to see how easy they were to clean.
When evaluating each high chair, I considered the following:
- Ease of use: How easy is setup out of the box? How easy is it to take the tray on and off? Is it easy to fold up and down? Is it easy to take apart, and fairly lightweight if it's intended for traveling?
- Ease of cleaning: Are the surfaces easy to wipe? Are there crevices where mushy food gets stuck? If it has cushions, are they machine washable? Is the tray dishwasher safe? Will you ever be able to get those straps clean?
- Comfort: Is it cushiony? Is it ergonomic? Is there a footrest that babies and toddlers alike can reach?
- Safety: Is it sturdy? Are the straps adjustable?
- Price: Is it a good value for money?
- Features: Is it attractive? Does it come in a lot of color options? How long can it be used?
High chair FAQ
What are the different types of high chairs?
There are four main types of high chairs: convertible, compact, basic and high-end.
What should I consider when buying a high chair?
Choosing a high chair depends on your lifestyle and budget: How many kids or babies do you have? How much space does your dining room or kitchen have -- do you need a space saver? You also need to consider how much you travel and, most importantly, how much you want to spend on the high chair.
Your baby will spend a lot of time in the high chair, probably at least three meals a day, and finding one that's comfortable for your baby, easy to clean and easy to use are the most important things.
Other considerations include whether you want to find something that matches your furniture or follows a particular color scheme.
Read more: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Baby's High-Chair Straps
How much does a high chair cost?
High chairs vary from $40 up to $300-plus, with a lot of variety in between.