highchairs

Once your baby reaches the weaning stage, a considerable amount of your baby's time can end up being spent in a highchair.  There are a considerable number of options now available on the market, from steel/plastic to wood, traditional highchairs to ones that your baby can use from birth for napping to ones that your baby will be able to use right through their childhood.

Things you might need to consider are:

• Will the highchair fit in the space you have in your dining/kitchen?
• Do you want to be able to take the highchair away with you?
• Will you use the highchair for other uses, such as a nap or play seat?
• Do you want the highchair to last through several children, or through several stages of development?
• Do you find the highchair aesthetically pleasing - unless you have to pack it away for space reasons, chances are it will become a permanent piece of furniture on display.

To see all of the highchairs we have featured, have a look at our feed archives.
 
We recommend you read the information from Consumer NZ and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs below before making the decision as to which highchair you will purchase.

Information from Consumer NZ

Highchairs

Links provided with the permission of Consumer NZ

Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation established in 1959 with the sole aim of getting New Zealand consumers a fairer deal.

Consumer NZ have published the following free resources to help you decide what highchair to buy:

• A checklist of what to consider before you buy

We strongly recommend printing a copy of this for your reference when researching highchair options.

Information from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs

Highchairs

Ministry of Consumer Affairs, December 2006

A high chair is normally used by children between six months and three years of age so that they can sit and play safely and join the family at meals.

Children can fall from high chairs when:

• there is no adult supervision
• safety straps are not used
• safety straps don't work properly

When buying, look for

• Information indicating compliance with a British (BS), American (ASTM or CFR) or Australian/New Zealand standard (AS/NZS)
• a wide base to stop the chair from tipping when a child is sitting in it
• a tray that can be adjusted and locked easily and securely in place and that doesn't expose holes to trap fingers when removed
• edges that are smooth and rounded
• five point safety straps – straps that go over shoulders, around the waist and between the legs ( or the capacity to have one of these fitted)
• Tube ends that are sealed to prevent the child's fingers getting trapped
• Locks on folding chairs that will stay locked under the weight of a child.

At home

• fasten all straps
• make sure there are no splits in the chair's seat or back - a child could pick out and choke on pieces of foam padding
• make sure you don't trap the child's hands, fingers, or head when you raise or lower the tray
• make sure the chair is on a level surface - it could tip if one leg is resting on a rug
• place the high chair where a child cannot push with their legs against nearby furniture or walls and tip the chair over
• make sure electrical cords and other hazards are kept out of reach of a child in a chair
• always watch a child in a high chair
• Stop your child from standing in the chair or climbing in or out of it - it can easily tip over or the child could fall
• check that your child CANNOT can reach the table with their feet in a hook
• on porta chair - the child might be able to get the chair off by pushing against the table
• never fix a hook on porta chair on the flap of an extension table.

For more information on product safety visit the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.