Once your baby can sit up on their own, that’s the signal of their transition to solids. This means your baby’s nutrition won’t just be dependent now on milk. They’ll have their introduction to solids usually around five to six months. This brings the need to buy more baby gear and equipment for feeding.
Finding the right high chair is crucial to ensuring an enjoyable meal experience for your little ones. But with so many options on the market, how do you know which one to bring home? You can take the guesswork out of your mind when choosing the right high chair with the help of this guide:
1. Consider Functionality
Before choosing according to style, you must consider functionality first. It should serve its purpose of keeping your baby safe and fostering independence during mealtime.
The first question you should answer when choosing a high chair is whether or not it’s easy to get your baby out of the high chair and put them back. Deciphering the answer to this question is exactly the reason why it’s highly recommended to wait until your baby is ready to feed before you even consider shopping for a high chair. As much as possible, bring your baby with you, so you can do that test.
Other questions relating to functionality include:
- Does it have a tray that’s easy to remove and put back?
- Does it take up a lot of space? (If you have a small dining and kitchen area, then you’ll need a smaller one)
- Does it have wheels so you can move it around while having a lock feature to keep the wheels locked when in place?
2. Choose Your Preferred Style
The next important factor to consider is style. It’s an added plus if your chosen high chair matches your home’s interior.
That way, the high chair isn’t just that random baby gear standing out because it’s too bright. There are so many high chairs out there. If you only take the time to search, you can enjoy the bonus of having a high chair that matches what your interior looks like.
3. Double Check The Safety Features
Safety is a top consideration when choosing a high chair. This is the reason why it’s a must to choose a trusted brand. It’s not about buying the most expensive one in the market. Rather, it’s more about the reputation of quality that can’t be rivaled.
While your baby can sit on their own, this doesn’t mean they’re not prone to falls and injuries. A good high chair is one equipped with safety features to keep your baby safely strapped. The most basic of those safety features is a seat belt.
Other facets of safety include:
- Quality construction. The high chair has to be robust and sturdy enough to carry your child’s weight. When you put your baby on the high chair to test it out, it shouldn’t wobble or be flimsy. If it does, then the quality is questionable.
- Moving parts. The high chair should be as simple and minimalist as possible. There’s no need for unnecessary moving parts, which can only trap or pinch your baby’s small, delicate fingers.
- Stability. This pertains to the high chair’s legs, which should spread outwards than all the other parts of the chair. Be wary of perfectly vertical legs as those aren’t as stable.
4. Think About The Clean-Up
This fourth tip is something that’s easily overlooked by many first-time parents. You may have considered all other essential factors, but you’ve forgotten about the clean-up. Mealtimes with an infant are bound to be messy. And if your high chair is difficult to clean, you won’t even enjoy using it. It’s time-consuming enough to take care of a little one, so if you can choose gear that can help make life and chores easier for you, shoot for it.
When shopping, go through the high chair as carefully as you can. Scrutinize each side and study how you’re going to clean it. If you know it’s not going to be as simple as a quick wash or wipe down, choose another one instead.
Conclusion
There’s a huge selection of high chairs in the market. But as you may already know with other baby gear you’ve already purchased, not all of those are created equally. There are those which are flimsy. On the better end of the equation, there are also those which are of the best quality. If you find a good high chair, it’s an investment you can even pass on from one kid to the next. First-time parents need all the advice they can get like those above so they have the assurance of a good buy.