Highchairs & Booster Seats
High chairs are typically used during meal time to allow children freedom when learning to feed themselves.
Another purpose of high chairs is to contain a child for a short time to do fun seated activities such as craft projects, games and so on. With these functions in mind, high chairs and booster seats are important pieces of infant furniture.
Types of Highchairs and Booster Seats
When in the market for a high chair for a child, there are an overwhelming number of styles and designs to make the choice that much more difficult. As a child will spend a fair amount of their time in a high chair, it is important to consider the styles and features that are desired.
Factors such as material used to manufacture the high chair, the space requirements of the high chair, color and style of the chair differentiate one chair from the other. The only factor that should not vary is the safety of the high chair – the most important consideration. There are safety standards that each high chair and booster seat that is manufactured must meet so often parents do not need to spend much time considering the safety of the chair.
High chairs and booster seats are typically manufactured using a wide assortment of materials including plastic, wood and metal. High chairs made of metal generally are simple to fold for easy storage when not needed. Plastic high chairs are very common as they are quite durable and are very easy to clean. Many of the parts of a plastic high chair are dishwasher friendly. Wooden high chairs are the most traditional of all and will often fit into the décor of the kitchen.
Booster high chairs are used mainly for two purposes: for space saving requirements and for those children who have outgrown their high chair but cannot yet reach the table. Most booster seats attach to a kitchen table chair and the tray is often removable so that the child can be pushed right up to the table.
Brand Names of Highchairs and Booster Seats
Each brand name of high chairs and booster seats offer different features in their products however, many of the chairs are similar. Fisher-Price, Eddie Bauer and The First Years all offer a wide variety of high chairs and booster seats with many similarities but also some different features that set them apart.
Fisher-Price is a well-known producer of high chairs and booster seats that has been around for a number of years. One popular model of high chair they offer is the Deluxe SpaceSaver High Chair. This seat has a number of easy to clean features and is perfect for a small-sized home. Aside from it’s small space design, it also features different height adjustments, different recline positions, a seat that is easy to wipe and a tray that is dishwasher friendly.
Eddie Bauer has an extensive line of high chairs and booster seats. One model is the Classic Wood High Chair that was designed to complement the décor in the kitchen. The tray is dishwasher-safe and the wood is easy to keep clean. It also includes a storage compartment in the back of the chair to store bibs, utensils and so on that is both convenient and kept out of baby’s reach.
The First Years is a known name with all things baby so it is not surprising they also offer high chairs and booster seats. One different chair is the On-The-Go Booster Seat that is easy to travel with. There is a valve that self-inflates the seat so that it is more comfortable for the child and includes safety restraints. It’s a very lightweight and convenient travel booster that can be taken anywhere.
Price of Highchairs and Booster Seats
High chairs and booster seats can vary significantly depending on the features desired. A plastic high chair or booster seat can be the least expensive, depending on how simple the design is. Typical metal and plastic high chairs start around $75 and go to about $150-200, depending on the features they have. Space-saving booster high chairs start at about $50 and are not that much less expensive than a regular size high chair. Travel booster seats can start around $20 so they are fairly inexpensive. Backless booster seats are often comparable in price as travel booster seats.
More traditional, wooden high chairs are typically more expensive. They start around $100 and go up from there depending on materials and craftsmanship. For high chairs that are custom-designed or are from upscale designers, high chairs can skyrocket to a few hundreds of dollars to thousands.