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High Chair Buying Guide

What to Look for When Purchasing a High Chair

Jun 22, 2008

High Chairs Should Be Easy to Clean, anitapatterson

Selecting a high chair can reveal a wide range of seats that vary in quality, durability, and cost. These tips will guide parents to a high chair that meets their needs.

Though feeding a baby can certainly be a messy challenge, the properly selected high chair can make feeding time a little bit easier. Most high chairs feature a metal or plastic frame, attached seat, harness or safety belt, and a foot rest. Beyond those common features, high chairs can vary in many ways.

Easy To Clean

Perhaps the feature that will save parents a great deal of time, not to mention their sanity, is a high chair that is easily cleaned. Parents should look for a seat that easily sponges clean or has a removable cover. Removable covers generally look more attractive, but they do come with a downside. They may stain easily and likely will need to be lined dried. That can leave the little peanut without a high chair for a feeding or two. The problem with vinyl is that it tends not to be as durable as cloth.

Three cleaning points that may make parents' lives a bit easier are dishwasher-safe trays, seats that lack grooves or patterns in the molded plastic, and darker colors or patterns to hide stains.

Tray Features

Parents definitely wanted to visit the local Babies R Us or baby supply store and inspect the tray features. Tray release is a very important point to consider. Can it be removed one-handed? How easy is the release mechanism to use? Is there any chance the child could kick and eject a tray with an underside release, or is their a kick-block in place?

Tray height can also be a point of contention. Some trays are positioned much too high. When the baby begins to self feed, trays positioned higher can make it difficult for him to see or reach his food. Ideally, parents should go to the store and give their baby a test drive in the chair to test out tray height. If registering for the high chair ahead of time, parents should take a tape measure instead. Trays positioned more than 8 inches from the seat base are more likely to cause a headache for average-sized babies.

Seat Depth

Parents should also take a look at the distance between the seat back when it is in the fully upright position and the installed tray. If the gap is over 7 inches, more than likely parents are going to be cleaning more food off their child's lap than his little mouth.

Adjustment Mechanisms

High chairs have many different ways that the seat can be adjusted to accommodate the baby and the parent. High chairs may have height adjustments, a reclining seat, a storage spot for the tray, and a folding mechanism. Parents should try out each of these adjustments and determine how easy they are to use and how stable each one is.

Voluntary Safety Standards

There are no specific safety guidelines for high chairs, but the American Society for Testing and Materials has developed voluntary guidelines. These guidelines include a passive restraint; a locking device to prevent accidental folding; secure caps and plugs; no small parts; sturdy trays; legs wide enough to increase stability but prevent tripping; and no springs or scissoring actions of the mechanisms. While some high chairs are certified by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA), parents should understand exactly what that means. Understanding JPMA Certification explains this certification process in detail.

Other Points to Consider

There are a few other points parents want to take note of before selecting a chair. If the chair has wheels, parents should be certain that the wheels have a locking device. They should run their hands around the tray and the chair inspecting it for any sharp or rough edges. The harness should be tested for ease of use, and parents may want to see if it is possible for them to adjust it with one hand.

The bottom line is that choosing a high chair is sort of like buying a new car. Parents should really take the chair for a good test drive. By trying out all the features and seeing how well the high chair works, the knowing eye can easily spot high chairs that are safer and easy to use.

References:

Consumer Reports

Baby Bargains by Denise and Alan Fields, 2008.

The copyright of the article High Chair Buying Guide in Baby Products is owned by Jennifer White. Permission to republish High Chair Buying Guide in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.