9 Best High Chairs That Make Mealtime Safer, Easier and Way Less Messy

Voted Best High Chair in the What to Expect Feeding Awards, the Graco Table2Table 7-in-1 Convertible High Chair checks all the boxes. . . and then some. The foldable high chair has seven (!) different stages, going from an infant high chair to a dining booster seat to a big-kid table and chair.  You can even use it to seat two children, further stretching that $200 price tag.

It also boasts a slew of features that you normally find on more expensive high chairs. To start, there are five different heights, a three-position removable footrest and a three-position recline to ensure your child is in the ideal seated position for their age. Parents also note the material is super durable, allowing the chair to last for many years (and through many messy meals.) 

Speaking of messy meals, parents say the Graco 7-in-1 high chair is almost too easy to clean. The minimal nooks and crannies make it possible for a nightly wipe down. When it's time for a deeper clean, you can toss the seat pad in the washing machine and the tray in the dishwasher. 

Sometimes basic is best. In fact, few high chairs have garnered as much praise in our What to Expect community as the Ikea Antilop chair. This simple high chair is made of lightweight polypropylene with steel legs and is shockingly durable, blissfully easy to clean and not an eyesore. All that, and it’s only $30. (Or $22, if you buy without  the tray.)

A no-frills option, for sure, but one that many parents rave about. Why? This plastic and steel high chair doesn’t have any fabric or crevices to contend with, so cleaning is a breeze. It’s also plenty comfortable for baby; there’s ample room to enjoy a meal or even do an arts and crafts project once your child gets a bit older. Although it may not fold flat for daily storage, it’s easy enough to take apart, should you want to stash it out of the way occasionally.

Countless experienced parents — myself included — will tell you they originally purchased a pricier high chair only to have buyer’s regret and wish they’d simply gotten this Ikea chair. With my first child, I made the mistake of purchasing a high chair that was on sale without really researching it or reading reviews. Turns out, the footprint was far too wide for my small apartment and it was painfully annoying to clean. When I found out I was pregnant with my second child, one of the few things I purchased was this high chair.

I’ve often told people that it’s the best $30 I’ve ever spent: Cleaning a high chair is never fun, but the Antilop’s smooth surfaces are manageable to wipe down, even after a very messy meal. While not quite as stylish as a Stokke chair, for example, it has a minimalist design and blends into a room. It also has a relatively small footprint, something I appreciated while living in an apartment.

"The Ikea high chair is by far the best deal price-wise," says Olivia DeLong, mom of a 3-year-old. "It’s super easy to clean because you just wipe it down with soap and water. it’s also not super large, so it doesn’t take up much room."

In my opinion, there are only two things holding the Ikea Antilop back from being the best high chair on the market: The three-point harness is adequate but not as secure as a five-point harness, and there’s no footrest, though many parents say they’ve been able to purchase one separately from other brands.

Grow-with-baby high chairs are a great investment — but they often come with a higher-than-average price tag. Enter the Mockingbird High Chair. Mockingbird is known for offering luxury gear at a more affordable cost, and its high chair is no exception.

You can start using this convertible high chair once your baby is ready to begin solids, and continue well into toddlerhood. While it doesn’t offer as many modes as some other convertible high chairs on our list, its four footrest positions and three tray depths make it easy to adjust as your baby grows. These adjustable features also work together to help keep your baby’s feet supported and make it easier for them to reach their food.

Robin loves how easy it is to convert the Mockingbird from a high chair to a toddler seat — but says there are even more reasons to love this chair, starting with how easy it is to clean.

“There are very few corners or crevices, and the curved seat is made from a non-toxic, BPA-free plastic that’s super easy to wipe down after meals,” Robin writes in her Mockingbird High Chair review. She also points out that the removable tray comes with a detachable surface that can go straight into the dishwasher. “Even the straps — which have an easy-to-use magnetic closure — are coated in silicone so they can be easily wiped clean.”

Another parent-favorite feature: a strap-holding attachment on the back of the seat that keeps the harness out of the way. It might sound minor, but when you're trying to place a squirmy baby into the seat or give it a quick clean, you'll be grateful it’s there.

The chair does have a wide base, which some parents say they bump into frequently — so it might not be ideal for smaller spaces. But aside from that, there are very few downsides.

See our full Mockingbird High Chair review. 

If you love the Tripp Trapp’s chic, modern design but not all the hard-to-clean nooks and crannies, you’ll love the Stokke Clikk. With fewer components, it’s much easier to wipe clean compared to other high chairs, says Sarah Darby, Associate Director of SEO Content Strategy. Christine Mattheis, VP on Content and Brand Solutions, agrees, adding she was "about to throw the original high chair I bought off my balcony because it was so hard to clean."

Bonus: The BPA-free tray can go straight into the dishwasher for regular deep cleaning or stain removal.

Beyond being easy to clean, Sarah — along with many other parents — says the Clikk is simply a great high chair. It offers many of the same benefits as Stokke’s more popular Tripp Trapp: durable materials, an adjustable footrest and an ergonomic design to ensure your child is properly supported while seated. It also features three configurations, so your little one can use it from 6 months to 3 years old.

“There’s really very little adjustment needed, honestly — just flipping the footplate and removing the tray so they can eat at the table,” Sarah shares. “But I think my favorite part is that it pulls right up to the table like a regular chair. I think that’s why our kids have been able to use it for so long.”

Sarah notes that the Clikk takes up relatively little space for a high chair, though some parents have found the opposite. Fortunately, if it feels like it’s taking up too much room, the chair is easy to disassemble and store. And since it only weighs 8 pounds, it’s a breeze to move around.

One common critique: a few What to Expect parents — including Sarah — said their little ones initially struggled to reach the footrest. “Even the highest footplate setting is still too low for younger babies — and I have 99th percentile height babies,” she says.

Another concern Christine had was the chair's ability to keep her "wild, and very strong" son in place. "He has figured out how to aggressively rock the chair back and forth to the point where we are legitimately concerned he will tip over."

Wooden high chairs are a classic option, as the understated finishes and clean lines fit right into most homes. And no wooden high chair is as iconic as the Stokke Tripp Trapp.

“My daughter has been using this high chair for more than a year, and it’s been a worthwhile investment,” says Leah Rocketto, What to Expect’s associate commerce editor. “It checks all the boxes: It’s safe, easy to clean, nice to look at and can be used for years, which really stretches the dollar.” 

Though it’s undoubtedly pricey, as Leah notes the Tripp Trapp can be used starting at 6 months old (even earlier if you buy the newborn set), and becomes an actual chair for your tot once she joins you at your dining table. Even adults can sit on it, as it has an impressive 300 pound weight limit. Many What to Expect parents say their children were able to sit in this seat through the toddler years and beyond, and because it’s so well-made, many families use it for subsequent children, too. 

It looks simple, but it’s also very easy to adjust: The footplate and seat can both be adjusted to ensure your little one has enough foot and back support. Leah felt this was helpful in getting her daughter to willingly sit in the Tripp Trapp. “She’s always had plenty of leg room and been positioned in a way that’s comfortable, so she fusses much less than when we put her in other seats,” Leah says. 

Robin Hilmantel, What to Expect's Editorial Director, also appreciates the ergonomic design. "All three of my kids have been able to sit in the 90-90-90 position that experts recommend while using it," she says. 

The Tripp Trapp doesn’t come with a tray (although you can buy a tray separately), but the sleek silhouette (which was designed by Peter Opsvik in 1972) will look great with your furniture. If aesthetic is top of mind for you, this is one of the most sophisticated high chairs on the market. Choose from several colors, like natural, aqua blue, black and red.

See our full review of the Tripp Trapp. 

While the AAP says that a clip-on high chair is “not a good substitute” for a freestanding one, this style can still be a good option for occasional use. The popular Phil & Teds Lobster clip-on chair was cleverly designed with travel in mind: It comes with a travel bag and weighs just 3.8 pounds, so it’s easy to take with you on the go.

The Lobster has aluminum clamps with non-slip grip pads that lock onto tables between .0 and 3.75 inches thick. The seat fabric seat has a four-point harness and can hold little ones up to 37 pounds. Parents appreciate how lightweight and portable the seat is, and say it’s easy to set up and fold back down into the travel bag.

The one downside is that this chair doesn’t have a universal fit. It tends to work very well at most restaurant and picnic tables, parents report, but the clamps can sometimes be too narrow for thicker dining tables. So if you plan on using this chair often at the same place (Grandma’s house, for example), it’s worth checking the table measurements ahead of time.

Remember to keep safety in mind when using a clip-on high chair: Always use a model (like this one) that securely locks onto the table, and make sure the table is heavy enough to support your child’s weight. Your child also shouldn’t be able to push against any table supports when sitting in the chair, since this could dislodge the seat.

If you’re dreading the idea of a bulky high chair permanently set up in your kitchen, a booster feeding chair may be the perfect solution. (Confusingly, this product is called a “booster seat” — a term often associated with toddler car or dining seats — but this version is appropriate as soon as your baby can hold their head up independently.) The Ingenuity Baby Booster offers all the key features of a standard high chair but takes up only a fraction of the space.

The three-point harness and thick seat straps help keep your child secure during meals. It’s also incredibly easy to clean: you can wipe it down or pop the BPA-free tray into the dishwasher. And if you’re especially tight on space, the tray conveniently stores underneath the seat!

You can use the tray when your little one is still learning to self-feed, and once she's ready, remove the tray and pull her right up to the family table. Outside of mealtime, the booster also works as a floor seat, offering a secure place that supports your baby’s posture and helps strengthen neck muscles.

Compact and easy to fold, the hiccapop OmniBoost Booster Seat is perfect whether you're traveling abroad or just heading out to dinner. Designed for kids ages 6 months to 3 years, the OmniBoost includes a variety of features that help keep your child safe — whether they’re seated on the lawn or in a dining room chair.

In addition to thick, sturdy seat straps, the OmniBoost features a wide base and removable “duck feet” that help distribute weight and increase stability, especially on soft or uneven surfaces. Plus, the three-point harness keeps your wiggly little one securely in place without being uncomfortably restrictive.

There are also several parent-friendly features that make dining away from home easier. For starters, there's a pocket on the back for storing bibs, utensils, or small toys to keep toddlers occupied. The chair also comes with a detachable, dishwasher-safe swivel tray — yes, swivel! A rare and helpful feature, even among full-sized high chairs.

Some parents note that the tray is a bit small, but this typically isn’t an issue if your child is sitting at the table.

Foldable high chairs are a blessing for any family, but particularly those who live in apartments or have a small kitchen. And of the many on the market, the Maxi-Cosi 6-in-1 Minla High Chair boasts the most reviews among What to Expect community members. The multi-mode high chair folds relatively flat, with rear-locking wheels that make it easy to transport from table to closet. 

But it's more than the easy-to-fold feature that makes this a winner. To start, it has a long "table" life thanks to nine height, five recline modes and four tray positions. You can even use it from infancy in newborn lounger mode, which can help with feedings if you have another child that keeps your hands full. 

"My daughter started sitting in the high chair at 2 months old when we wanted her to be with us at dinner," says Grace Pan, Product Designer, mom of a 7-month-old. "It reclines easily with one hand."

As your little one grows, it can convert to a booster seat (with or without a tray) and eventually to one of two chair options. The upper weight limit is 50 pounds, which many kids don’t reach until they turn six, so you can get a lot of use out of it.

What to Expect community members appreciate that the Minla feels well-made and comfortable While it’s not the easiest high chair to clean on this list, the zip-off seat pad can be removed to put in the laundry and the removable tray is dishwasher-safe.