How Long in High Chair?

Using the high chair pushed up to the table works well if the arms fit under the table. If not it works ok with finger foods but is tricky for eating with a spoon because it's farther from where the bowl is sitting up to the mouth. A booster seat will work for several years until the child is tall enough to sit in a regular chair.

We just transitioned our 14 month old son into a Stokke Tripp Trapp. it is more like a kids seat, that adjusts, that sits at the table, more so than an actual high chair. he loves being an important part at the dinner table and its pretty easy to use. Sadly, they are a bit spendy ($250 brand new) but we really have enjoyed the transition to him at the table.
check out their webpage for information www.stokke.com

Good luck

Both of my kids started in a booster at the table at just over a year. They ate better when they felt a part of the family dinner and we have a small kitchen so the high chair was always in the way. My daughter is now two and doesn't even use the booster anymore. She sits really well at the table and knows she has to stay until everyone is finished.

We have a highchair and booster and we've given our son the choice since he was 1 year. He usually picks the highchair (he's 21 months). He eats in a booster seat at both sets of grandparents' homes.

Rather than transition to a whole different chair, have you considered taking off the tray and pulling the highchair up to the table? This worked great for my son until he was ready to sit in a regular chair. You still buckle him in so he won't fall out of get down in the middle of dinner, just basically use the family table as his tray. I actually used the tray cover from the highchair as his placemat for a while so I didn't have to deal with a messy table every night.

Hope this helps,
T.