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Cheap Highchairs, Best Cheap High Chair

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New parents quickly learn that they only have about six months before they'll be scouting for cheap highchairs. The market is saturated with a vast assortment of cheap highchair options produced by the usual players in the baby gear market, like Graco, Fisher-Price, Safety 1st, Cosco, and Evenflo.

All high chairs serve a similar purpose but vary in terms of visual appeal and functionality. Some are traditional stand-alone models, some conveniently fold for storage and portability, some dispense with the legs and sit atop a regular table chair, and some feature a detachable seat that converts to a booster for older children. Although a well-designed and well-built high chair with price tags in the triple-digit range might become a family heirloom, you can easily get by without spending more than $80. Remember, children typically sit in a high chair for a maximum three years (or until they weigh 40 to 50 pounds), so cheap highchairs that are sturdy and safe, with portability an extra bonus, are adequate to the feeding tasks at hand.

As you start shopping, you'll definitely notice differences between less costly and high-end models. Cheap high chairs are usually made with a metal frame and a soft cloth-covered seat. They won't win awards for aesthetics, but they're functional (most have adjustable seats, and many fold up, sport wheels, and come with removable tray inserts), easy to assemble, and relatively durable. Pricier high chairs generally feature more contemporary design (see, for example, the angled wood of the Stokke high chair or the cocoon-like Bloom Fresco), serve multiple purposes as your child grows (a base that converts to a play table, for example, or a chair that can be rocked for sleeping and later transformed into booster-like chairs that pull up to the table), and boast an assortment of frills (like detachable battery-operated lights and toys).

Aesthetics and functionality aside, the most critical qualification for a high chair, cheap or otherwise, is a JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association) certification. JPMA is a national trade organization for the prenatal-to-preschool industry that ensures a high chair produced by its members meets standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ATSM). What this means: High chairs should have no sharp edges and include easy-to-see warning labels, appropriate locking devices to prevent unintentional folding, and straps that can withstand a force test (an older child can't break or pull the straps out of the bolts). The high chair should also feature secure caps and plugs, break-resistant trays, and legs wide enough for stability but not so wide as to cause others walking near the chair to trip. We confirmed that all the best and good cheap highchairs on our list are JPMA-certified. By the way, experts say that more high chair-related injuries stem from improper use than from poor design, but always be on the lookout for product recalls. Other important features to note on a cheap high chair include the range of seat adjustments, the type of safety harness, and the weight capacity.

We selected our top picks based on value, features, and performance. For best cheap highchairs, we like the Cosco Flat Fold High Chair (starting at $35, Amazon) because of its no-frills simplicity, portability, and super cheap price, and the Fisher-Price Space Saver Feeding Chair (starting at $43, Amazon) because of its efficient no-legs design and secondary purpose as a booster. In the good cheap high chairs category we put the Graco Meal Time Folding High Chair (starting at $75, Amazon) because of its relatively cheap price, convenient storage possibilities, and favorable parent comments, and the Safety 1st High Chair Plus LX (starting at $75, Amazon) because it gives you lots of bells and whistles at a very reasonable price. Two models that don't get our vote are the Badger Basket High Chair (starting at $81, Amazon), a stylish wooden high chair that isn't all that user-friendly, and the Combi 3-in-1 Hero High Chair (starting at $75, Amazon), which falls short in the build-quality department.

Basic budget highchairs can be found at the usual big box outlets or online. If you buy online, be prepared to assemble the chair yourself, which may or may not be a welcome chore. Experts suggest that before settling on a model, go to a store for a physical inspection: poke and prod, test the folding mechanism (if relevant), check out the tray, and look for sharp edges.

Highchairs are basic pieces of equipment in any home with a baby. Cheap highchairs are also very simple, with few features that need much explanation. There are several different types of discount highchairs to choose from, including feeding highchairs that perch on a regular chair, folding highchairs, and wooden highchairs. One other cheap highchair option is the type of feeding chair that attaches directly to a table with arms that lock into place above and below the surface. The primary virtue of this design is travel-friendliness. We found in our research, however, that parents are leery of the hook-on arrangement because of concerns about safety and stability if the chair is improperly attached or if the table edge doesn't allow the arms to lock as they're supposed to. We did not include any models of this type on our list.

Feeding Highchairs. If you're looking for an alternative to a space-hogging stand-alone highchair, you might consider a cheap feeding highchair. Like boosters, feeding chairs are missing legs and sit securely anchored atop a regular chair, which lets you pull the child right up to your table. But cheap feeding chairs are not just a fancy name for a booster seat with a tray -- they tend to be more complicated and expensive. Models such as the Fisher-Price Space Saver Feeding Chair (starting at $43, Amazon) and First Years miSwivel Feeding Chair (starting at $60, Amazon) have a padded seat that's height-adjustable, a back that reclines, and a harness to hold the child in place. Feeding chairs don't take up much room in your dining area, but they do require a sturdy chair underneath and one that can handle the stains of spilled spaghetti sauce, crushed peas, yellow baby food, and what have you. As your child ages and can sit without reclining, you can always step down to a cheap booster seat; the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat (starting at $22, Amazon) is a worthy contender but should only be used on a chair with a back.

Folding Highchairs. Freestanding highchairs are convenient when feeding a child away from the table. The best cheap freestanding highchairs we found all fold: the Cosco Flat Fold High Chair (starting at $35, Amazon), Graco Meal Time Folding High Chair (starting at $75, Amazon), and Safety 1st High Chair Plus LX (starting at $75, Amazon) are fold-and-go models. This design offers easy portability (to a picnic or family party, say), convenient storage possibilities (out of the way when not in use), and secure locking mechanisms. The Graco Meal Time and Safety 1st Plus LX also feature removable, washable padding stretched over a plastic seat and wheels that lock. The Combi 3-in-1 Hero High Chair (starting at $75, Amazon) fits in this category, although it offers additional versatility with a design that converts to a booster seat and later to a toddler chair.

Wooden Highchairs. You know that highchair that stands alone in some corner of the dining room or kitchen? It might blend with your furniture and seem sturdy as a rock (well, almost) but it's surely going to cost more than a cheap folding highchair. One exception is the Badger Basket Wooden High Chair, which just falls into the Cheapism range with its starting price of $81. The Badger Basket imitates the sleek tiered design of the far pricier Stokke Tripp Trapp highchairs (starting at $250, Amazon) and converts to a booster and toddler chair at the appropriate moments. A more traditional model, the Graco Classic Wooden High Chair (starting at $140, Amazon) offers optional seat padding and converts to a toddler chair that can pull up to the table with the tray removed.

Highchairs Seat and Tray. The type of seat you should look for depends in large part on the age at which you want to start using a highchair. Some, like the Combi 3-in-1 Hero and Graco Meal Time, feature cushy seats that recline far enough for babies still on the bottle. (Once a child takes solid foods, however, chairs should be set up straight to prevent choking.) The Safety 1st Plus LX and Fisher-Price Space Saver also feature soft machine-washable seats that recline and can hold a child as young as three months. The seats on these models can also be adjusted for height: the Safety 1st Plus LX has seven positions, followed by four for the Graco Meal Time, and three for the Fisher-Price Space Saver and Combi 3-in-1 Hero. By contrast, the Cosco Flat Fold and Badger Basket seats don't recline or move up and down and are best suited for children who can sit unassisted. (The seats on most wooden highchairs are fixed in place.)

When it comes to the feeding tray, make sure it's easy to remove and replace and clean. Most trays on today's cheapest highchairs are simple plastic; some are removable and dishwasher-safe and others have dishwasher-safe inserts. The Graco Meal Time, for example, comes with two inserts, the Combi 3-in-1 Hero sports an apple-shaped insert, the Badger Basket wood tray is coated with a thin clear plastic and topped with a removable plastic overlay, and the Safety 1st Plus LX insert features a cup holder; the entire tray on the Fisher-Price Space Saver pops off for cleaning. The inexpensive highchairs on our list by Graco, Fisher-Price, and Saftey 1st also tout a one hand-removable tray that lets you hold your baby as you pull out the tray to get rgw child comfortably seated; the tray on the Cosco Flat Fold can be set in three different positions. If entertainment is on the menu along with food, the Fisher-Price Precious Planet Healthy Care High Chair (starting at $85, Amazon) boasts a suction-cup toy tray.

Highchairs Straps/Restraining Devices. Seats that recline and are designed to appeal to parents of infants typically include a five-point harness (waist and shoulder straps and a passive crotch restraint). As the child grows and needs less safety supports, some of these harnesses (Graco Meal Time, for example) convert to a three-point design that buckles around the waist. The Fisher-Price Space Saver, Graco Meal Time, Safety 1st Plus LX , and Badger Basket come with a five-point harness while the Cosco Flat Fold features a three-point system.

Highchairs Weight Capacity. Standard highchairs typically hold children up to a maximum 40 or 50 pounds, or until they reach the age of three. The Fisher-Price Space Saver, Saftey 1st Plus LX, and Cosco Flat Fold can manage children up to 50 pounds; the Combi 3-in-1 Hero tops out at 40 pounds in highchair mode but extends the range another 10 pounds when converted to a booster. Convertible chairs like the Badger Basket claim to hold an adult up to 175 pounds once in toddler seat mode with the restraints, tray, and cushioning removed.

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Badger Basket High Chair
Combi 3-in-1 Hero High Chair
Graco Meal Time Folding High Chair
Safety 1st High Chair Plus LX
Cosco Flat Fold Highchair
Fisher-Price Space Saver Feeding Chair

 

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