Why need this
Starting Solids At 6 Months
The fun starts from 6 months old! At that age your baby will start eating solids. You might have actually tried some bits and bites before, but from 6 months old it is recommended to introduce your baby to all our fruits and vegs to get them to eat what you eat from when they are about 1 year old. Eating is a skill: put something in your mouth, either with your hands or by picking it up with a spoon or fork, chew, swallow and keep it down. As with all skills, it comes with practice, so be prepared to a big mess at your dinner table. Food will not go in their mouth but ends up in the craziest of places. To keep it a bit under control, it might help to use a high chair. A high chair will keep your bubs in one space, so they can (most likely) only mess up everything in a 1 m radius from them. A high chair also brings your bub up to your table level, so they can enjoy food with you and be part of the family. There are many options to choose from, see what our mums choose for their little angels.
Use it for
Messy Dinner Time Ahead!
A high chair comes in various shapes and forms. You can choose a solid high chair or a portable one. There are bumper seats to fit on regular dining chairs as well. Different ages require different seats. Some high chairs accommodate for that, but others are only useful for a certain period of time. When you start using a high chair your bub might or might not yet have started sitting up unassisted. That is around the same time as you will start them on solids. In those early days you will need your high chair to prop bubs up and keep them in place. Later on, the concern is more about getting them up to the dining table level to join in for the meal. You might also use your high chair for snacks or for arts and crafts at the table. A portable high chair can be taken on trips, camping and meals out. Whichever option you choose, you will use your high chair to feed your bub and it will get messy!!!
Our Mum’s Tips
11 Tips For Buying A High Chair
Our mums have shared a lot of their thoughts and experiences about high chairs over the years. Things they consider most important when buying a high chair are the following:
- Usability – some high chairs can be used from newborn up to adult age. When using something that long, it might be worth some extra money.
- Price – if you do not want to spend a lot of money on your high chair, there are many affordable options available.
- Easy to clean – no matter what, it will get messy. An easy to clean high chair is a great feature. Some of our mums like to hose their high chairs off!
- Support – especially in the early days that you use your high chair, bubs might not yet be able to sit completely unsupported. Good support for their growing bodies is important.
- Harness – a wriggly baby with no sense of danger, might hurt themselves without a harness. Many high chairs do have a harness that can be taken out when bubs is old enough to understand.
- Tray or no tray – there is a benefit for both. With a tray you will contain most of the mess to their own chair, but without tray they can move closer to the table and join dinner with you.
- Safety – check the safety standards for the high chair that you are after and consider what could go wrong when using it.
- Easy to climb – when your baby is growing and increasing its independence, he/she might like to climb in themselves. A high chair that is able to let them climb in safely, can save you a few feights at dinner time.
- Height – ultimately a high chair is to get baby up to the dinner table level and make it easier to feed them. Check the height of your table with the height of the high chair you are after.
- Space – some high chairs take more space than others. Consider the amount of space you have available and get something that will suit your area and not obstruct anything.
- Feet rest – A feet rest is important for development and posture. Especially when bubs will be in the high chair for extended periods of time, it is important to consider this.
Recommended Products
The Regular High Chairs Our Mums Really Love
- Timber high chairs
- The Stokke® Tripp Trapp® Chair is the high end of high chairs. Our mums love it and believe that it is worth its money, because of the lifespan it has. It can be used from newborn up to adult age and because of its sturdiness it can be used for multiple kids as well.
- The Mocka Original Highchair can be pushed right into the dining table. It has removeable straps and bar and can be adjusted when growing. It is a great alternative to the more expensive timber high chairs.
- The Bolero Wooden High Chair is a cheap high chair that is high enough for the dinner table and easy to clean.
- Popular plastic high chairs:
- The IKEA ANTILOP High Chair is recommended by many of our mums for its affordable, easy to clean and light features. These can be hosed off or even go in the dishwasher. It is also easy to take them apart to bring them on a trip. They do however take a bit of floor space and a toddler might not fit anymore.
- The Mamia Baby Highchair is very similar to high chairs sold at some other affordable places. It is easy to clean, comes apart and has two heights. Babies seem to love these kind of high chairs as they are used in many places.
- Our mums also loved the Kmart Boucle Chair.
- The Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 Nash High Chair can also be used by toddlers and has great padding for the baby stage. The high chair is on wheels which makes it easy to move it around.
- The 3 in 1 High Chair converts in a little table and chair. The chair is easy to clean and easy to use. The tray can be removed and the chair itself is light and easy to move around.
- The Steelcraft Messina DLX Hi-Lo High Chair can be used by toddlers too. It reclines and has multiple heights. The cover is easy to remove and wash and its wheels allow it to roll anywhere you want.
- The Keter Multi-Dine 3 in 1 Highchair is loved by our mums because all elements can go in the dishwasher and the chair can also be used as a booster seat. There is storage underneath as well.
- The Peg Perego Siesta Follow Me High Chair reclines and has been used for multiple kids by some of our mums.
- The Peg Perego Prima Pappa Follow Me High Chair reclines as well. Our mums believe it to be of great quality and have not had any issues with it.
- The Joie Multiply™ 6in1 High Chair can be used as a portable booster seat. Babies can sit in it early and the tray has two parts for toys and food.
