The Good Housekeeping Institute has been staffed with scientists, engineers and journalists for more than 100 years. Making solid product recommendations is in our brand's DNA. Chief Technologist Rachel Rothman led the testing for this story. She's directed parenting-product coverage during all of her 15+ years with the Good Housekeeping Institute and is now the mother to three children age 6 and younger. Read her recent recommendations for double strollers and car seats.

Traditional High Chair – These chairs are standalone units with long legs, bringing your baby up to the level of your dining table. They typically have a plastic seat, a harness, and a removable tray. They usually recline to prop up babies who are not quite ready to sit completely upright. The biggest risk of injury when using a high chair is a fall. Over 90 percent of all high-chair-related injuries are due to falling (2). Some parents want to plunk their baby down in a reclining high chair as soon as the infant can hold their own bottle. Others would rather wait until baby foods are introduced, then get a chair with an easy-to-clean tray that helps them serve homemade purees or begin baby-led weaning. For still others, gathering around the table is important, and they want a high chair that pulls up close to the family. And pretty much everyone these days wants a high chair that will be useful for more than a few months to save money and help the environment. There's a premium put on products that transform to last for years.

and recline: Not all high chairs have adjustable heights or a recline feature, but we gave points to chairs that did. We tested the height adjustment and recline on each chair that had them. Decide if you want a chair that grows with your kid. Just as there are baby cribs that turn into toddler beds and then bed frames, there are high chairs that become toddler seats, youth chairs or even step stools. Some require separate conversion kits, but many do not. If you'll only use the high chair when your baby starts solids, there are more options. If you start using a high chair at about the 6-month mark, when your baby begins eating baby foods and finger foods, you can use one of the more modern high chairs. Some are clip-on chairs that sit right on an adult kitchen chair or attach to the kitchen table. These simple chairs often take up less space. Some have less cushioning, and you just wipe them down after a meal. Testers found the different configurations easy to use but said that the high chair has a large footprint, about ‎30 x 24 inches. If you'll be keeping it around for some years, note the space needed in your kitchen. Also, any high chair with comfortable padding like this one takes longer to clean; food crumbs get in the crevice where the cushion meets the plastic seat. Many reviewers say you have to take the padding off to clean it thoroughly, but the good news is that it's machine-washable. For a really reasonable price, the Graco EveryStep offers functionality for years by morphing from a baby's first high chair to a booster seat to a preschool step stool. "This seems like it will keep solving problems and saving me from needing other things," one tester noted, echoing a sentiment a lot of families have.

Heirloom or Antique High Chair – Your parents or grandparents may have used these high chairs. They are sentimental, and probably look unique, too. However, safety standards change rapidly, and older high chairs don’t have the same safety features required on current chairs, so it may be a good idea to buy a new one. When space is at a premium, you can strap this right onto a kitchen chair and not lose any floor space. It's a high chair design that's been around for more than a decade, popular with apartment-dwellers and the less-is-more crowd that seeks simplicity. There are many high chair models available. While it’s tempting to skip straight to a booster seat to save space or money, it’s wise to choose an age-appropriate high chair for your child. This ensures it will meet their unique physical and developmental needs. Here are your choices.

While they seem secure, never leave your baby unattended in a high chair. Choking is a silent accident and is quite common as children are still learning to eat. Always put the baby into the chair or pull the baby out yourself. Never let children try to climb in or out of a high chair by themselves. 10. Clean the High Chair Regularly Looks-wise, the metal legs are printed to resemble wood to a nice effect. There are two cushions that can be removed and machine-washed, and the tray on top of the tray fits into a dishwasher for cleaning. In testing, we really appreciated the four wheels that make this high chair easy to move around a kitchen. A final note: This Graco high chair does not come ready to go out of the box. Part of the low price is that you will spend 20 minutes or so assembling the high chair, which comes in many pieces. But once it's ready, you're set for years! The similar Blossom Convertible High Chair does not turn into a stepstool but does turn into a youth seat and clip-on booster, and costs about the same. The seat's various attachments are often sold separately. We like this buy because it comes with the removable five-point baby harness and baby leg restraints for optimal safety at mealtime. It's meant to be pulled right up to the family table, or you can buy a Stokke tray so it can stand alone.