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HighChairs.com FAQ

Q: How many different types of High Chairs are there?

A: Five: Standard high chairs, Wooden high chairs, Restaurant high chairs, Booster high chairs, and Travel Friendly high chairs.

Standard: Typically plastic framed, some degree of collapsibility, a removable tray,
and a padded seat.
Wooden: Most wood chairs are of a solid construction and do not collapse. Wood chairs have a number of advantages in both the aesthetic and ease-of-cleaning departments. Certain wooden high chairs can be used as adult seats after their term as a highchair has expired.
Restaurant: These durable chairs are sub-divided into two categories, Portable and Commercial. Portable chairs are the type that are easy to transport and either hang from a chair or attach to the table itself (See Travel Friendly). Commercial restaurant chairs are tough: designed to get constant use and abuse. Thanks to their durable construction and stack-ability, the Lipper Natural is one of the most commonly used Commercial restaurant high chairs. You'll find them stacked in the corners of restaurants all over North America.
Boosters: Typically built of a solid or hollow plastic material, a booster seat is appropriate for children 3 or over who no longer require a harness at mealtime. Some boosters, such as the Bumbo Booster Seat, are of soft materials and are designed to snugly secure your child while they sit. The Hisita Chair Booster actually raises a normal dining chair by sitting under the chair's legs.
Travel Friendly: These are light hook-on chairs that attach to a chair or the table itself. These are ideal for families who travel and eat out frequently, often utilizing cloth or vinyl seats that are very comfortable. The HandySitt is the only travel friendly high chair that has a wooden frame and seat.

Q: What is a Convertible high chair?

A: A high chair that converts to another function, such as a booster seat. Some convert to a youth chair or even an adult chair after the need for the high chair has passed.

High chairs like the Combi Hero convert to a booster seat, giving you two chairs in one. Others like the Boon Flair become a youth chair for older children once you remove the tray.

Another definition of a convertible high chair is any high chair that can safely support an adult. The Stokke Tripp Trapp works as an adult chair, supporting persons weighing 300 lbs or more.

Q: Do I need a high chair that reclines?

A: No, but they can be useful if you plan to use your high chair with an infant.

Basically, a reclining seat allows you to use your high chair with an infant, bringing them to the table earlier. Reclining chairs serve two basic purposes: 1) Assistance with bottle feeding, 2) Comfortable sleeping. A child eating solid foods should not be fed in a reclined seat, as it may pose a choking hazard. Some kids pass out a minute or two after being fed, if not right in the middle of it. If your child is comfortable in their high chair, you can drop the seat back into a reclined position so that they can sleep more comfortably.

Q: Do I need a high chair that is height adjustable?

A: While not necessary, height adjustable high chairs make feeding more convenient and improve a high chair's ergonomics.

If you feed your child in different places, or if your table height is different than most, you may find height adjustable chairs to be very convenient.

Most parents pull the high chair up to the table at mealtime, but an adjustable seat height allows you to use the chair in a variety of settings, from sitting on the floor to sitting up at a high table. It allows you to sit at any height and remain comfortable while you're feeding your baby. Additionally, an adjustable high chair increases the longevity of your high chair by accommodating growth spurts. The Stokke Tripp Trapp adjusts to accommodate babies and adults up to 300 lbs.

Adjustable high chairs also improve ergonomics. When at the proper height, an adjustable high chair increases the distance a child can reach at the table, improves their stability, and reduces fidgeting. Children get the most ergonomic benefit from adjustable high chairs that also feature an adjustable foot rest. The Stokke Tripp Trapp meets high standards of ergonomics, and has been recommended by a Cornell University study on the best chairs for children. And because the Tripp Trapp accommodates individuals up to 300 lbs, baby has a place to sit at all stages of development.

Q: What ages are recommended for high chairs? What about booster seats?

A: 5-months to 3 years for high chairs, 3-6 years for boosters.

A high chair can be used as soon as your child is able to support their own head, which is typically by the time they are 5 months old. High chairs with a reclining seat can be used from the newborn stage. By age 3 an average child will have outgrown the need for a highchair, both in size and in the reduced mess they make when eating. At this point a booster seat that raises them to the height of the table can be used. Boosters do not come with straps, so its important that your child be mature enough to sit unsecured before you make the switch.

Q: Which is Better: Wood, or Metal and Plastic?

A: There are pros and cons to every material used in the construction of juvenile products. We'll tell you the differences, but after that you're on your own.

The majority of high chairs are constructed of plastic components mounted on a metal frame with a cushioned seat. Cushions are either PVC (i.e. vinyl) or cloth material. Metal and plastic highchairs typically fold and can be more easily stored than static wood chairs that take up more space, though certain wood models, such as the Kettler Madison, also fold. Most metal and plastic chairs are lighter and more versatile, offering multiple adjustment settings and recline options for infants. Some parents are uncomfortable with using non-organic products with their children, or prefer the style of a wood chair. In addition wooden chairs are, on average, more expensive.

100% wood chairs are nicer to look at and built to last, but most don't come standard with cushions. If you consider a cushion a necessity, many have cushions available as accessories. Certain wood high chairs, such as Svan and Rochelle, have a removable plastic tray cover. This can be invaluable during cleanup, and preserves the quality of the chair's feeding tray. The advantage of a plastic tray is that you can remove and rinse the tray after a messy meal, or put the tray in the dishwasher. Wood chairs wipe clean very easily, but can wear after extended periods of use. By extended. we mean generations of use. Well cared-for wood high chairs can become a family heirloom and passed along to relatives and friends as needed. Many wood high chairs now offer adjustable seats, and can grow with your child, but they generally offer fewer features and take up a lot more space.

Wood high chairs are often more sustainable than plastic high chairs. For example, the Stokke Tripp Trapp [link] uses sustainably harvested beech wood. Wooden high chairs also use fewer chemicals. You won't find BPA or phthalates here! And because wooden high chairs last for generations, they don't create as much waste as plastic high chairs.

Q: What if my Baby will not let him or herself be strapped in?

A: It is imperative that you strap them in. If you can't, try a few tricks. If that doesn't work, you may want to try a Bumbo Booster or another feeding method that doesn't involve a harness.

Most children have no problem with sitting in a high chair, and many simply love it. There are, however, accidents that occur every year where a child is killed or injured due to a fall from a highchair, and it's almost always because they were not strapped in. Most other injuries in high chairs result from the chair itself tipping over, which is why most high chairs have a very wide base. Children can also receive injuries from sliding down below the feeding tray, so restraints of some kind are very important.

Don' cave in. Try distraction, toys on the feeding tray, the choo-choo feeding method, or anything else that makes feeding time fun. If your child loves to eat (mine still doesn') then make it clear that they don't get to eat until they're in the high chair. Routines are a very important part of rearing a child, and once they understand that the high chair is part of their routine you should have an easier time of getting them strapped in. Try different approaches until something works, but don't get frustrated. We cannot stress enough that for the sake of your child's safety they MUST be restrained in their high chair.

A Personal Anecdote from a HighChairs.com Staff Member
My daughter absolutely refused to even sit in a high chair, let alone be strapped in. (We had the same problem getting her into a car seat.) She would scream the second we moved her toward one. After numerous attempts and incentives, we eventually caved in and lap fed her, which resulted in our pants frequently being covered with food and drinks. It really is in your benefit to feed your son or daughter in a high chair, one good reason being that it's much easier on your clothes.

Q: Why is the Bumbo Booster Seat considered the baby sitter seat?

A: Thanks to its one-of-a-kind design.

The Bumbo Booster Seat is a soft, light, and cushy booster. It's really an alternative to a high chair, as the Bumbo Booster is usable for kids up to 25 lbs. It has a full-sized backrest that provides lumbar and trunk support without the need for a harness. The selling point for the Bumbo is not only its comfort and ease-of-cleaning; it has the distinction of being the only seat that will support an infant who has not yet developed the ability to sit up on their own. This feature actually helps the child develop the back strength to support themselves.

The center support holds the child in place, keeping them propped up and preventing them from sliding around. It's the baby sitter seat in that you can place a small child in it and leave them momentarily unattended, and it's so comfortable and secure that you'll have no need to worry about them having wandered off or fallen out while you ran to the door or picked up the phone.

Q: Will the HandySitt Portable Booster fit on ALL types of chairs?

A: Not ALL. Check the specs below:

The HandySitt Portable Booster is an easily transported and easy to use booster that is wedged on a chair's backrest and rests on the chair's seat. It does not work with all chairs, especially those with an overly curved backrest. Check the dimension below to know where the HandySitt will work.
The HandySitt will fit:

  • Chair with a backrest between 12" and 17 Ã?¾"? high
  • Square back chairs with a minimum width of 1"
  • Round back chairs with a minimum width of 1.25"

Q: Lap Belt, 3-point, or 5-point restraints?

A: 3-point or 5-point; a lap belt is not the best option

Safety is the #1 concern of every parent, and a restraint system of some sort should be a point of concern for all high chairs. You'll be hard pressed to find a high chair made in the last decade with a single strap lap belt. With a degree of effort, some children can get out of belt restraints. 3-point restraints are now the industry standard, as they secure your child and prevent them from sliding downward. Some seats now have 5-point restraints, just like a car seat.

A 5-point restraint that anchors your child's chest and shoulders to their high chair is really not a necessity at feeding time, though it can offer some assistance when your child is very young and may tend to slump in their chair. When used in the later stages of your child's development, they may find the shoulder restraints annoying. They can also compound the mess on clothes by preventing them from eating over the tray.** A 3-point restraint is all you really need to keep a kid in their seat, though 5-point harnesses do offer some additional security.

HighChairs.com recently picked up a line of Amish Crafted high chairs that only offer passive restraints . . . no belts. As beautiful as these handcrafted chairs may be, their lack of a child restraint is a valid issue for many parents. A well behaved child may have no problems at all staying in their chair, but if you have your heart set on a restraint-free chair you need to be VERY aware of the safety concerns. In other words, never turn your back on a child in a non-restrained high chair.

Some high chairs like the Stokke Tripp Trapp do not come with a front tray, but do come with a harness. You can make the Tripp Trapp safer with the Stokke Tripp Trapp Baby Set, which adds an additional layer of safety to the Tripp Trapp's harness system.

** This is where a good bib will come in handy.

Q: What type of restraint does the Graco Travel Lite have?

A: A 3-point safety restraint.

All portable high chairs offered at HighChairs.com feature 3-point belt restraints.

Q: What sets Peg Perego High Chairs apart from other high chairs? (i.e. Why are they so
expensive?)

A: Peg Perego is an Italian name at Italian prices for Italian manufacturing.

Peg Perego is an Italian juvenile products company that has a long-established reputation for quality and innovative, stylish designs. They produce high chairs, car seats, and strollers with really unique concepts from first-rate materials. All Peg Perego offerings are unique in form, meet the highest possible safety standards, and often have distinct features (such as the music and rocking settings for the Peg Perego Dondolino). Also (and this is the clincher) Peg Perego is one of a dying breed of juvenile product manufacturers that doesn't produce their goods in Asia; they are actually assembled in Italy. This distinction raises the price somewhat. Beyond that, Peg Perego has fashionable designs and a solid reputation amongst the slew of juvenile product makers on the market today, and its higher prices reflect their role in the industry as a status symbol.

The Chicco Company is Peg Perego's closest competitor in the Italian-made market. Chicco produces similar high chairs at a lower price than Peg Perego.

Q: Which Rochelle high chair has an English style to it?

A: The Windsor

Rochelle wooden high chairs are hand crafted in America, inspired by classical designs that have stayed true through many generations. No matter what the current trends are in high chairs, there are many parents who prefer the timelessness of a wooden highchair. Unlike Svan, a Swedish company that makes wooden high chairs from modern design concepts, Rochelle uses only classically inspired, Yankee Carpenter style designs, but with top-quality finishes.

The Rochelle Windsor, with its fully rounded styling and lathed leg designs, is the most English inspired of Rochelle's offerings.

Q: Who would find the most use from a hook-on or travel friendly high chair?

A: Travelers, parents with smaller kitchens or dining rooms, work-at-home parents and those who love to eat out.

Portable or travel friendly high chairs are small seats that either fold up or break down into tight and easily transported packages. They also take up a lot less space in the kitchen or dining room than a standard of wooden high chair. They attach either to the table itself or, in the case of the HandySitt booster, to the backrest of an adult chair. Most travel-friendly high chairs, such as the Chicco Caddy or Zooper Hook-On, have a metal frame that holds the fabric seat in place. Some parents are apprehensive about hook-on chairs, but they are all thoroughly safety tested before going to market. As long as the table itself if secure, your child will be too.

Work at home parents in particular may find a hook-on chair to be useful, since they can just pull the baby up to their work area and interact with them while getting some paperwork done.

Q: Where are Svan chairs made?

A: Svan chairs are designed in Sweden and manufactured in the Republic of Latvia, which shares a maritime border with Sweden.

Svan of Sweden products are distributed in North America by Scandinavian Child.

Q: How easy are the Icky Baby Splat Mat and Travel Placemat to clean?

A: Very easy to wipe clean with soap and water; you don't want to put them in the washing machine, and definitely not the dryer.

The Icky Baby Travel Mat, and its big brother The SplatMat are made of a durable and waterproof laminated material that repels any stain or substance. The best cleaning method is to fold them up, shake off any loose crumbs or debris into the trash, then wipe them clean with soap and water. You can also rinse them off in the sink, though that might be tough with the larger SplatMat. After wiping or rinsing clean, they should be left to dry or wiped with a dry towel. The stitching on the outer edges is of the same laminated material. It is best not to put these items in the washing machine or dryer, as the stitching could come loose and the laminate may be damaged if you put them in the dryer.

Q: How much assembly is required with a highchair?

A: Check the specs. See our comparison chart here.

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