How to Choose a Highchair: A Practical Buying Guide

Highchairs span an unusually wide price range for what is, functionally, a chair with a tray. Understanding what changes as the price rises helps you avoid both overpaying for features you won't use and underbuying something that won't last.

The three real categories

Budget fixed highchairs (£25–£45)

Simple, lightweight, usually with a basic harness and a removable tray. IKEA's ANTILOP is the best-known example in the UK — genuinely fine for most families, especially as a first highchair, though it lacks recline and height adjustment, so it's less useful before around 6 months or once your toddler wants to sit at the table properly.

Adjustable/multi-stage highchairs (£60–£150)

These add height adjustment, recline positions, and sometimes a compact folded footprint — genuinely useful in a small kitchen. Multi-stage chairs (like the Joie Multiply range) convert from a reclined newborn seat through to a toddler chair, extending useful life by years rather than months.

Wooden "grows with baby" chairs (£150–£250+)

Chairs like the Stokke Tripp Trapp are designed to be used from babyhood through to adulthood, with adjustable seat and footrest depth. The upfront cost is high, but if you have more than one child or want a chair that stays at your dining table for years rather than being outgrown, the cost-per-year works out competitively — and they hold resale value unusually well.

What actually matters, regardless of budget

• A secure, correctly fitted harness — a 5-point harness is safer than a 3-point one, particularly once your baby is mobile and trying to stand or climb.
• Easy cleaning. A wipeable, seamless tray and seat cover matters more day to day than almost any other feature — weaning is messy, repeatedly, for months.
• Stability. A wide base that won't tip if your baby leans or pushes against the table.
• Fit for your space. Measure before buying — some chairs don't fit under standard dining tables once the tray is removed.

What you probably don't need

Reclining positions matter far less once your baby can sit unsupported. Bluetooth-connected "smart" highchairs and elaborate multi-toy attachments add cost without meaningfully improving mealtimes — a plain, stable, easy-to-clean chair does the job.

Our take

For most first-time buyers, a solid mid-range adjustable highchair is the sensible default — enough flexibility to last well into toddlerhood without the wooden chair's upfront cost. If you know you'll have more children, or want a chair that becomes a normal dining chair later, the wooden option is a genuinely good long-term investment rather than an indulgence.