Ready for Highchair?

Updated on March 28, 2007
J.P. asks from Alexandria, VA
13 answers

My daughter will be 7 months old next Saturday. I'm currently feeding her solids while she sits in her Bumbo. Should I switch her to a highchair now? If so, are there certain features to look for when buying one? Thanks!

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E.L.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi J.,

I'm a mom of 3, and I put my kids in the high chair as soon as they were able to sit up. The one I have has a 5 point strap, and it helps the baby not slump over. My advise is get one with a plastic seat (not cloth) because it's much easier to clean. Some prefer the cloth ones because they can go in the washer, but I have enough laundry to do without having to wash the seat all the time. Babies drop everything! Also I didn't have to worry about stains. Hope this helps!

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K.L.

answers from Washington DC on

I don't see anything wrong with continuing to feed her in the bumbo as L. as she is not too big for it. If you are a family that eats at the table, I suggest getting a booster seat rather than a high chair because it takes up a lot less space.

Babies R Us has become my favorite store (and I don't even have a child yet) because they have so many options. If you go on their website, www.babiesrus.com, and look through the different high chair and booster seat options there you will find reviews from parents which can be a great help when making the decision.

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L.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi J.,
I would say if your daughter can sit up she can use a high chair. There are advantages to booster seats because they can save space but I personally love the high chairs. My youngest daughter is a year and a half and still uses hers. It keeps them contained for a meal and since I have a big family I always have alot on the table at meal time and she can't reach it since she's in her high chair. The one thing I look for when buying a high chair is I don't like the cloth covers I use the plastic otherwise you have to constantly throw the cloth ones in the laundry, its easy enough but I don't have time to wash a cover after every feeding and the plastic ones I can just wipe down. They also have highchairs that adjust in size and have different steps so you could eventually use it to pull up to a table when shes older. Good luck, hope this helped a little. :)

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I personally don't like high chairs. When I was pregnant with my son I KNEW I didn't want a high chair. So the quest began for a booster that strapped to the dining room chair that I liked! I was very suprised to find the one that fit my needs for $30 at Target. It tilts back for when they are little babies and comes with a tray so you can sit them back from the table. The cover is a blue with small dots so it's not all babyish (A problem I have with baby furniture!!). The cover and the straps all come off very easy to wash. The tray is ivory in color so not every little thing is going to stain it. The only thing is it only comes with the one tray... Which I know now days most people want more then that! But that one extra tray was the difference between a $30 chair and a $80 chair!!

When I found out I was pregnant with my second another one of these boosters was the very first thing I went out and bought!!

Now my kids are 1.5 and 2.5 years old and they totally LOVE having thier own chairs at the table with us!

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L.R.

answers from Washington DC on

Kids are ready for highchairs at 6 months. If she is sitting on her own then i would get a buster seat that can be attached to the chair or a regular highchair. The buster is alot cheeper and they can use it longer.

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S.R.

answers from Washington DC on

J.,

My son was ready for a highchair at that age but he crawled and sat up early. We bought 2 highchairs, one that was the whole package with all the bells and the other was the $30 portable version. We never used the expensive one! The portable can be placed on the table, floor, chair, taken on the go to a family or friends house and best of all thrown in the dishwasher! He is 2 now and we still use it because it can be used as just a booster.

Hope this helps, good luck.

S. R

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A.G.

answers from Washington DC on

you should definitely switch to a high chair. Luckil you have been using the bumbo, but i had not bought my son's high chair unitl 7 months and it was agony! plus with the baby strapped in you can get up to add more food or something for longer periods of time. in addition, a highchair would be great so the child can be involved during family meals. Even though the high chair has its own tabletop, we always had my son pulled up to the table. i recommend the peg perego, prima pappa, or other peg perego. the cover is washable, the tray removable and washable with a second top for easy removal, and it reclines and adjusts height. its a little steep at around 150-200 but they are great. He is 2 and 1/2 and he still uses it as a taller chair without the tabletop at the dining table. Hope this helps!
A.

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R.V.

answers from Washington DC on

There's a highchair made by Graco that supports infants starting at 5pds. It has 3 different positions , plus it reclines for the newborns. My daughter is now 1 yrs old. I purchased all Graco products such as the swing and high chair because it has that feature.

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R.T.

answers from Dover on

I think it is probably time for a highchair. The one thing I would definetly make sure the highchair has it a bar that goes between her legs so she is unable to slide out. I also think the reclining highchairs are over rated. My 19 month old has always hated to be reclined. I think it may scare her. They also make ones that strap to a regular chair if you are short on space & it will convert to a booster chair when you are ready

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K.B.

answers from Washington DC on

I used the Bumbo chair for my son as well. I put him in a highchair as soon as he could sit up. I use a basic plastic highchair that I got from Ikea. I love it because it slides right up to the table. I put a plastic mat underneath the highchair that I got from Babie R Us (this catches all the food he drops). I don't use the tray it came with since I slide it right up to the table. I found a rubber placemat that suctions to the table (also from Babie R Us) that I put his food on. I like this set up a lot because he has his own chair, but is part of the family sitting right up to the table.

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A.L.

answers from Washington DC on

My daughter was in the high chair by 3 months, I had one that tilted back a little. However, when I went to buy her booster seat (Target I think), I found an Eddie Bauer booster for the table that came with a highchair tray. We are using that now at my parents house for my sister's youngest (as a high chair). I loved it as a booster (its wooden with arms)and if I needed a high chair again, this is what I would use... it straps onto a regular table chair...best yet, it was only $30.

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S.L.

answers from Washington DC on

I have the fisher price ocean high chair. they also make a rain forest one too. It was $89 when I got it form BRU. I especially like its feature of the removeable tray that you can wash and even put in the dishwasher. It is also collapseable. My son was in his high chair starting at 4 months.

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S.D.

answers from Dover on

My daughter is 9 months old and I still feed her in her Bumbo. To me it is not worth going out and getting a high chair because they can get pretty expensive...I do have a cheap one that straps on to the kitchen chair at my in-laws house but the Bumbo is great cause I can take it to my friends houses as well. A highchair would be a little too much for that. But I guess in the end it is your choice!

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