High chair safety and seating

Why the seat matters

How your baby sits affects how well they eat and how safe they are.

• Swallowing. The NHS says your baby needs to be sitting safely in an upright position so they can swallow properly.
• Choking. The CDC says children should sit up while eating, never lying down, crawling or walking, and should sit in a high chair or another safe place.
• Falls. In the US, high chairs were linked to an estimated 18,500 emergency room visits for young children over two years. The CPSC says most happened when a child climbed in or out, when the chair tipped as a child pushed back or rocked, or when a part such as the restraint, tray or lock failed.

Being able to sit in a high chair with good head control is one of the AAP’s signs that a baby is ready for solids. See is my baby ready for solids?

What a good high chair has

• A restraint system. US high chairs made on or after June 19, 2019 must have a passive crotch restraint and a 3-point restraint system (CPSC). Whatever chair you use, fasten every strap it has, including the one between the legs (AAP).
• A stable base. The AAP says the chair shouldn’t tip over easily. The federal standard includes stability tests (CPSC).
• Locks that work. If the chair folds, the AAP says to check it’s locked every time you set it up.
• A footrest, if you can. Children eat best when they sit comfortably, can reach their food, and have their feet resting on something (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS children’s health team). If your chair has an adjustable footrest, set it so your baby’s feet rest flat.

If your chair has a recline setting, sit it fully upright for meals.

Buckle up, every time

• Use every strap, including the one between the legs. The AAP says the crotch strap stops your child slipping down, which could cause serious injury or even death.
• Adjust the straps to fit snugly (CPSC).
• The tray is not a seat belt. The CPSC says not to use the tray to hold your child in. Use the restraints.
• No standing or climbing. Don’t let your child stand in the chair or climb in or out on their own (AAP, CPSC).

Where to put it

• Away from the table and counter. The AAP says a child may be able to push hard enough against a counter or table to tip the chair over. Walls and other furniture can work the same way, so leave a gap your baby can’t push off with their hands or feet.
• On a flat floor, away from older children’s play. The AAP says not to let older children climb or play on the high chair, because that could tip it over.

You still want to eat together. Pull the chair close enough that you can see each other and share the meal, but not close enough for your baby’s feet to reach the table. The CDC suggests facing your child toward you or other family members at the table. See family meals with your baby.

Never leave them alone

The AAP says never to leave a young child alone in a high chair, and the NHS says never to leave babies unattended on raised surfaces. Stay with your baby for the whole meal: the CDC says to watch children at all times while they eat.

Before you lift your baby out, check their mouth is empty. See pocketing food.

Hook-on seats, boosters and restaurant chairs

• Hook-on chairs clip onto the table. The AAP says they aren’t a good substitute for a freestanding high chair. If you use one when traveling or eating out, choose one that locks onto the table, make sure the table is heavy enough not to tip, and check your child’s feet can’t reach a table leg: pushing against it can knock the seat loose.
• Booster seats strap onto a chair. The CDC lists a high chair or booster seat as good options, with your child strapped in. The US high chair standard doesn’t cover boosters or hook-on chairs; hook-on chairs have their own separate federal standard (CPSC). For both, check the label and follow the maker’s instructions and weight limits.
• Restaurant high chairs need the same care: use the straps, and stay with your child.

See eating out with a baby.

Buying or borrowing a high chair

• Check the date. In the US, the CPSC says the safest choice is a high chair made on or after June 19, 2019, when the federal standard took effect. The date is on a label on the chair.
• Check for recalls, especially for a second-hand chair. In the US, search the CPSC recall list; in the UK, the GOV.UK product safety recalls list.
• Check every part. Make sure the straps, buckles, tray and locks are all there and work.

From high chair to the table

There’s no set age for moving from a high chair to a booster seat or a chair at the table: check the maker’s limits for your chair. What matters is that your child sits upright and can reach their food, with their feet resting on the floor or a stool (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS children’s health team), and is strapped in if they’re in a booster (CDC). See the toddler meal schedule.

Safe eating in any seat

• Avoid eating in the car or stroller (CDC).
• Keep mealtimes calm, and avoid screens and rushing (CDC, NHS).
• Serve foods in safe sizes and textures for your child’s age. See safe food sizes and shapes.

If your child is choking and can’t cough, cry or breathe, unbuckle them and lift them out of the high chair, then: shout for help, and have someone call 911. If you’re alone and your phone is with you, call on speaker and start back blows straight away.shout for help. Start back blows straight away, with chest thrusts if your child is under 1 or abdominal thrusts if they’re over 1. If the blockage hasn’t cleared after one round of each, call 999 (on speaker if you’re alone) and keep going.shout for help, and have someone call your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia). If you’re alone and your phone is with you, call on speaker and start back blows straight away. See gagging vs. choking for each step.

Where US and UK advice differs

• The standard. In the US, high chairs made since June 2019 must meet a mandatory federal standard with a 3-point restraint and a passive crotch restraint (CPSC). The NHS advice is simpler: always use a securely fitted safety harness.
• The advice is the same. Both say to sit your baby upright, strap them in, and stay with them.