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. To err to the side of caution, you’ll want to wait until their first birthday. By 12 months, almost all babies can sit upright without toppling over. Decide if you will use the seat in infancy. Your young baby is safe and contained when strapped into a reclined high chair seat with their bottle while you cook, clean or otherwise work in the kitchen. It can be a lot less stressful to have your baby up high, rather than in a bouncer seat on the floor where it is harder for you to see them. If you'd like to use a high chair during your baby's first 6 months, you'll want a full-size chair that can recline (as shown in our photo). On the downside, these usually have a large footprint. But the plus is that they have comfortable cushioning. 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. Five-Point Harness– Just as in car seats, you’ll also find five-point harness options in high chairs. The shoulder straps keep your baby’s torso from falling forward and prevent your little one from wiggling out (as they may be able to in a waist-belt-only restraint system).

Parents considered aspects such as how well their child was enclosed and held in the seat, whether they could lever themselves to stand up or slide about, if they could wriggle out of parts of the harness, or trap fingers or other parts of their body in the mechanisms.In recent years, the safety standards for high chairs have been updated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to include the following (4):

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). 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.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 Choose a high chair with a five-point harness (not a three-point harness or a simple lap belt) for the utmost safety. For each use, always strap them in and tighten the straps so they cannot wiggle free. 4. No Standing in the Chair 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. 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. Choose an age-appropriate high chair with safety features like a wide base and a five-point harness. 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. Some cushioning is machine-washable. Read the instruction manual to be sure. Most high chair padding should be washed in cold water and allowed to air-dry.

of the harness: We took points off for high chairs that have a harness that is hard to rethread when a child grows taller. 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. This rating is awarded by parent testers and is their perceived accessment of how stable the high chair is. It is not the result of the safety assessment conducted by our laboratory which did not reveal any problems to cause concern. It is a consensus opinion, not a guarantee that the product is safe or not safe. Keep the high chair positioned away from potential hazards and out of reach of objects on the table.