High chairs might seem like a good baby shower gift, however, practice shows that this is something that you should choose on your own. Doing careful research once you have your kid is essential as your little bundle of joy will teach you so many new things that you have never thought of before.
While the chair’s appearance, colours and designs matter a lot, there are so many other things you should have in mind to make the right choice. So yeah, choosing your very own chair is way better than choosing the first one you see and put in your baby shower list. In the end, this is a chair that your baby will use since day one of the solids, so choosing a sturdy and durable model is paramount.
What Age Should a Baby Start Using a High Chair?
Given the fact that the infant nutrition starts changing at around the 6th month and not before, you should consider the idea of choosing an adjustable one.
What Are High Chairs Exactly?
Unlike regular chairs, these are specially designed for babies who still can’t sit properly on their own. Usually, they have adjustable seat heat and back support that can be reclined completely which can come in handy those times when your baby wants to chill a bit or it falls asleep after a meal. Made from food-safe, durable and sturdy plastic with metal construction, these chairs are available in different types, styles, colours and designs, which gives you the chance to choose the right models for taste, and budget.
Aside from plastic, these chairs can also be made entirely from wood or a combination of wood and metal in order to meet different customers’ needs. The best thing about owning a cute high chair for baby is that it allows for being moved around and folded which gives you the need to feed your baby anywhere you want and please. Aside from the regular free-standing high chairs for babies, you can also choose from the ones designed to be placed over a regular chair so that your baby can sit at the same table as you at dinner or lunch.
Benefits
One of the greatest benefits of owning a high chair for baby is that it gives you the chance to have a proper family meal with your little one from an early age. Just imagine the joy of being able to sit together and watch his expressions and emotions when eating together – priceless. In fact, lots of studies have shown that families eating together can help children make healthier choices food-wise when older.
Having your baby sit on a high chair reduces the chance of babies trying something forbidden from the table as well as making a mess of the rest of the food on the table. Plus, these chairs have a tray of their own which is perfect for introducing your baby to food, especially with finger food. These chairs are also good for babies as they support the baby’s posture, boost social skills and enhance language development.
How to Choose One?
When searching for a high chair for baby, you should look for one that is stable, sturdy and durable. If possible, make sure to choose one that allows to be folded with one hand as this makes it quite easy when having to fold it with your little one in one hand. But your search for a good chair for your baby shouldn’t stop here, as there are some other things you should look at.
For instance, you should look at a chair that has a safe and securely lockable mechanism to make sure the legs stay in place without collapsing. Regardless of the chair’s material and construction, it would be great if the chosen one had padding to make seating on it more comfortable and safer. This goes mainly to fussy eaters who can rebelliously turn and toss their heads on the chair’s back seat. By having a soft padded chair, it would be impossible for your little one to get hurt.
If possible, choose a chair with the cushioned/padded part lined with PVC or removable cover for ease of use and maintenance. The PVC ones are quite easy to maintain as you can wipe them down with a wet cloth and even clean them with dish soap. The removable ones, on the other hand, allow for being tossed and washed in the washer which is just another easy way to keep the chair clean.
How Long Should Babies Stay in High Chair?
Generally speaking, children use high chairs up to 3 years of age, however, this can vary from one child to another. For instance, some babies show signs of being ready to sit and eat in a regular chair around the age of 2, so if your little one is like that, you should feel free to let him sit in a regular chair. In case he’s too short to sit on it, instead of adding cushions to the chair to extend its height, it would be better to invest in a chair booster as a safer option.
