The 6 Best Folding High Chairs (An Honest Review)

As your little one begins to grow and enters the phase of weaning from milk to more solid foods you will probably find that you need a high chair for your baby to sit in comfortably.

It’s always a good idea to get your little one into good habits early on. Sitting by the dinner table whilst everyone else eats is a good place to start.

Not only is this a great habit as it encourages them to eat because everyone else is doing so, but it also makes it that much easier for you to feed your child and to get them to feed themselves too.

Having your baby start to eat is a particularly messy job.  I can remember it like it was yesterday, trying to get my son to stay in one place whilst I tried to feed him.

It felt like an impossible task at first but once we found a good high chair for him to sit in life was made so much easier because it meant he couldn’t run away from me and think it was part of a game.

Best of all any mess he would make would be in one place and not all over the living room!

High chairs can often put people off because of their clunkiness.  If you have a small space you may not want a high chair that will take up so much living space. Folding high chairs are a great way to meet your needs.

I’ve taken the time to review 6 of the very best folding high chairs on the market so that you can be well informed to purchase the best chair for your child.

1. JOOVY NOOK HIGH CHAIR

2. COSCO SIMPLE FOLD HIGH CHAIR

3. KIDSEMBRACE ADJUSTABLE CHAIR

4.GRACO SLIM SPACES

5. JEEP CLASSIC CONVERTIBLE

6. BABY TREND SIT RIGHT

Common questions answered regarding high chairs:

Do you really need a high chair?

Absolutely! I would highly recommend getting one for all the reasons that I have already mentioned above.

It teaches your child good manners from a very early age.

They will also have the association of knowing that sitting in the high chair means that they are about to have food.

If your child is a little bit younger, having your child sit in a high chair supported by straps makes it easier for you to feed them as opposed to having them sit on your lap which is not very comfortable.

Personally, for me, the biggest selling point here is the fact that any mess from the food stays in one place meaning that you don’t get to accidentally step in it. 

When is the best time to purchase a high chair?

Each manufacturer will have their own safety standards on when a child can start to use a high chair but generally speaking it is usually from around the age of 6 months.

Around the age of 6 months, your baby should be able to sit upright without needing too much support.

The safety staps can also help with this.

If your child can not sit by themselves at all then I would advise that you wait before trying to use a high chair.

How long can you use a high chair?

Typically high chairs can be used up until a child weighs 50lb which translates to roughly 5 years of age.

I’m not sure if your child would want to sit in a high chair until the age of 5 without having a battle on your hands but you should be able to get lots of wear out of it for at least a good couple of years.

What makes a good high chair?

Your first focus should always be safety so you need to make sure that whichever folding high chair that you choose to go for meets the recommended safety standards.

Every chair should have safety straps.  A 5 point harness is best but a 3 point harness meets the necessary safety standards.

Make sure your child cannot access parts of the chair that could compromise the effectiveness of it.

Ensure that all parts are safe and secure and cannot easily come apart.

Folding high chair features

Every folding high chair will have different features so before you make a choice on the particular chair that you want to go for take a look at some of the features that are available.

COMFORT 

Wooden high chairs can be a little hard on the bum so some folding high chairs come with padding.  If you do decide to choose a chair with padding make sure it will be easy to clean. 

Some chairs have plastic padding which is easy to wipe down but others are made of a cloth material making it much harder to clean unless they are completely removed.

SAFETY STRAPS

Every high chair should come with safety straps to stop you accidentally falling out.  The harness straps will usually be a 5 point harness but some are 3 point.

You should make sure that there is a safety strap between your child’s legs to prevent them from accidentally slipping out from the high chair.

WHEELS

Having wheels on your chair can make it easier to move around with your child in it.  Whilst it might not be an essential need for you, you should have it in the back of your mind that it could be of benefit to you. 

If you have carpet on the ground pushing the high chair close to the table can be tricky so having the wheels would make that easier.

FOOTREST

Footrests make a high chair more comfortable for your baby rather than having your child’s feet just dangle downwards.

COLLAPSIBLE

This is the biggest benefit of having a folding high chair.  If you have a chair that collapses it makes storage easier.

The more easily collapsable the chair is the easier it will make things for you.  Ideally, it would be great to have a chair that can be easily collapsed with one hand as you could be holding your baby in the other.

EASE OF CLEANING

Having a chair that can be cleaned easily is going to be a deal-breaker for a lot of people.  The last thing you want is a chair that is full of dried food gunk. 

If you have padding on your chair that is made of cotton material then make sure it can be easily removed and put into the washing machine. 

Look at the chair very carefully and check to make sure there aren’t too many crevices where food can get stuck and make it difficult to clean.

MATERIAL

High chairs come in many different materials, wood, plastic and even metal. Decide which is going to be best for you.

TOP PICKS

1. JOOVY NOOK HIGH CHAIR 

BEST FOR A MINIMALISTIC CLEAN LOOK

The Joovy Nook high chair comes in 4 different colors, black, charcoal grey, turquoise and coral which means that it can blend in seamlessly with all types of home decor.

It has a very modern feel and is simple and clean looking.  It is definitely one that will stand out among its counterparts.

This high chair is so easy to use and is easily collapsible with one hand.  Not only that but you don’t have to worry about trying to slip your baby’s feet through the gap between the tray and the chair. The simply designed tray can slip open with the touch of a button.

It has 4 depth adjustments so that no matter the size of your baby, food will not be able to slip down and into the chair.

If you are looking for something stylish, modern, comfortable and easy to use then the Joovy Nook high chair is a great contender.

PROS:

• No assembly required
• Simple one-handed fold
• Light-weighted
• Wipe clean padded seat
• Modern Style
• Easy to clean
• Dishwasher safe

CONS:

• No adjustable seat height
• Lacks a reclining seat
• Only has 2 roller coasters on the back legs

2. COSCO SIMPLE FOLD HIGH CHAIR

BEST FOR AFFORDABILITY

The Cosco simple fold high chair is a great choice.  It boasts color with its elephant squares design and makes a fun eating place for your little one.

This chair certainly is simple in design but it has all the features that you need in a good highchair including a built-in cupholder.

It has a 3 point safety harness to make sure your child is seated safely whilst eating.

If you are looking for a product you can easily fold away and be stored in a small space then you can look no further.  This Cosco high chair will fold and stand up on its own so it doesn’t even need to lean against a wall.

Its padded seat is made to be easily wiped clean so you don’t have to sweat the mess!

PROS

• 3 Position adjustable chair
• Built-in cupholder
• Comfy leg rest
• Easy setup
• Folds small enough to travel in a car
• Cost-effective

CONS

• The cover cannot be removed to be cleaned
• Reclining feature may not be comfortable for your child

3. KIDSEMBRACE ADJUSTABLE FOLDING CHAIR, BATMAN

BEST FOR TODDLERS

If there was ever such a thing as the Ferrari of high chairs this would be it!

Comes in both a Batman or Batgirl design.

Your baby might not appreciate the batman theme at a very young age but thankfully this chair will grow with your child through toddler years ensuring you will get maximum use out of it as their love for all things superhero develops.

This is a high chair that will give you all the bells and whistles that you could possibly hope for.

The seat has a 5 point harness safety strap, removable, machine washable and wipeable fabric. The adjustable height, backrest, and footrest make it truly enticing for any parent.

PROS

• Removable tray and tray cover
• Easily grows with your child
• Large storage basket
• Front wheels making it easy to maneuver
• Easy to fold away and store

CONS

• Price could deter some people
• Folding and opening of the chair requires a little practice at first
• Straps have been a little troublesome for some people to tighten

4. GRACO SLIM SPACES HIGH CHAIR

 
BEST FOR COMPACT SPACES

If you are looking for that no-frills highchair that does exactly what it says on the tin then you are looking in the right place.

The Graco slim spaces high chair has a super slim design making storage a non-issue. You will no longer have to look for creative ways to put your high chair out of sight. This puts the Graco Slim Spaces as a front runner.

If you are not the type of person that likes to assemble such things then rest assured that Graco Slim spaces high chair can be used straight out of the box without the need for any construction at all.

Includes 3 reclining positions making it easy to use for very young baby’s as well as older children.

PROS

• Has 6 height positions and 3 reclining
• Slim storage capabilities
• Affordable
• Can be used for very small children

CONS

• The footrest is not adjustable
• Only for the use up until 3 years of age or 40lb
• Can be a little tricky to clean

5. JEEP CLASSIC CONVERTIBLE HIGH CHAIR 

BEST CONVERTIBLE

I love this folding high chair for many reasons but the main one being the fact that you can use the chair in 6 different height adjustments. This could be a deal-breaker for some as you may want your child to sit at a much lower position than a regular table.  This high chair will allow for that.

The adjustable footrest is another feature that will quickly grab your eye.  The more comfortable your child feels sitting in their high chair the more they will want to sit in it.

It’s every parents dream to be able to eat a whole meal in one spot without having to chase a little one across the room.

This really is a lovely slick looking high chair that is well thought out.

PROS

• Water repellant fabric
• Removable tray insert
• Adjustable foot, head, and reclining positions
• Great for toddlers and babies
• Converts into a toddler chair

CONS

• The seat cover can be tricky to remove
• Priced more towards the higher end

Our Recommendation for the Best Folding High Chair

If you are looking for the perfect folding high chair then our recommendation has to be for the Joovy Nook High Chair in black.

It has a perfectly simple design that will fit in with most other household furniture and is not at all bulky.

It does exactly what you want it to do and the price is mid-range making it affordable to most people.

You can take another look at the Joovy Nook on Amazon here.