High Chair Positioning Guide
Proper positioning in the highchair is of absolute utmost importance! This is one of my favorite topics when starting solids because alongside a balanced, nutrient-dense diet – the highchair is a very key and important part of the feeding experience.
We focus heavily on what to serve our child when starting solids but gloss over what chair they should be sitting in during the many, many meals we will be serving them. A safe feeding environment and proper positioning in the highchair can set you and your child up for a more confident feeding journey. I will talk about some of the key things I look for when picking out a high chair and some of my favorite options in this article. Scroll down for more!
P.S. I will be using Amazon links or affiliate links throughout this article which means I receive commission if you purchase using my link at no additional cost to you.
Proper Stability
If a child does not have proper stability while sitting and eating, it is much more difficult for them to focus on hand-to-mouth coordination and chewing. This can contribute to fussiness during mealtimes or less control when eating, which can potentially increase the risk of choking.
If your child is screaming or kicking when you attempt to place them in their highchair, this may be a sign that they are not comfortable or properly positioned in their highchair. We want to avoid any negative associations surrounding meal times, so let’s make sure our baby has the support they need and a comfortable feeding environment so they can enjoy meals.
I even had clients whose children were not interested in any foods until we troubleshooted their feeding position, and realized that the child was not interested in meals because they were uncomfortable! With a few positioning adjustments, we had a whole new baby during meals who was actually excited to try foods now that they felt secure.
If your baby is properly supported, they can freely focus on food and practice their new developmental skills of self-feeding. Good postural support has also been shown to provide them with more security and better fine motor coordination, leading to more ease with self-feeding.
Bonus, a footrest is critically important to aid in proper comfort and security when eating. When a baby has a footrest to ground them, it helps to provide them with core stability. Even as adults, eating with our feet hanging down isn’t the most comfortable feeding position. I encourage you to try eating with and without your feet placed on a solid ground or footrest and compare how it impacts your comfort level.
The 90-90-90 Degree Positioning
When purchasing a highchair, we aim to find a chair that provides our baby with a 90-90-90 degree sitting position. This means that their hips, knees, and ankles are all at a 90-degree angle when they are seated in the highchair.
If your highchair does not allow for this, there are many different DIY approaches you can take to accomplish this, including using a rolled-up towel vertically or horizontally behind their backs to achieve the desired 90-degree positioning.
Things to look for when choosing a highchair:
- Adjustable footrest: this is an absolute MUST-have. A footrest that can be adjusted as the baby grows to ensure they have proper core support for a safe feeding environment is one of my “non-negotiables.”
- 90-90-90 Degree Positioning: as I mentioned earlier, making sure the baby is properly seated for this “optimal” positioning can help make self-feeding easier and provide your baby with the support they need to learn how to chew, swallow, and eat safely.
- Easy-to-Clean: Another must-have for busy parents is a highchair that is easy to wipe down. I prefer to avoid cloth highchairs or highchairs with many different removable pieces or hard-to-reach areas that can make cleaning time-consuming. Finding a highchair that you can spray and wipe down after each meal is super convenient and definitely a high priority.
- Non-Reclining: There is no scenario when introducing solids that we recommend your child to be leaned back in a reclining position. We know that a safe feeding position is sitting upright which allows the baby to lean forward and easily spit out food with the use of gravity if needed. Please avoid any highchair with a reclining position and if your highchair does have a reclining position, please avoid using it during mealtimes.
- Table Height: Another bonus feature I prefer when choosing a highchair is that the highchair is at the same level as the table we use for family meals. Bonus if the highchair has an adjustable tray that can be removed as the baby ages, so you can pull the highchair directly up to the table and allow the child to be even more present and involved in the family meal. We know family meals, and meal involvement in general, have been shown to reduce fussy eating tendencies and allow the child to experience more independence and autonomy during mealtime, which promotes their self-confidence when it comes to feeding.
My Favorite Highchairs:
This has been the highchair that I have personally used the longest. We purchased this when Sullivan was about 10 months old when we were frustrated with the lack of support the Graco highchair provided. Sullivan is now 5 years old this month and is still using this same highchair, and it looks brand new. It is easy to wipe down and is especially designed to grow with your child, which is why he is still using it at five years of age. It has an adjustable sit and footrest to provide that pivotal 90-90-90 degree positioning at all ages. It comes with straps and a tray that can be used for younger children but can then be removed as your child grows. Some people have complained about the wood “warping” on their Abiie highchair but I have not had that issue with either of our Abiie highchairs. I am an affiliate with this brand but only because it is a product that I use and love daily. To clean this chair and tray, we spray down with our favorite non-toxic cleaner Force of Nature, and wipe with a rag.
This was the highchair we were initially going to purchase when we first started solids with Hayes, but due to it being slightly more expensive than the Abiie, we decided against it. We are currently reviewing this highchair for a brand collaboration and I am pleasantly surprised with how much we like it. It has a very sleek design that makes it incredibly easy to wipe down, and has the core features I look for in a highchair – an adjustable seat and footrest for an upright seating position for all ages. This highchair also grows with your child and can be a chair they use for many, many years. We clean this highchair in the same way we clean our Abiie highchair. This chair comes with a removable chair and harness as well as cushions for additional comfort. 10/10 love this highchair if you can afford it.
The infamous and affordable IKEA chair made the list! With a caveat, you need to purchase a footrest to go with your IKEA chair to make it appropriate for a safe feeding environment. I also encourage you to purchase a cushion to provide back support as well, so we can attain that 90-90-90 degree positioning for safe feeding. While this wouldn’t be the top of my list, I love this as an affordable option ($25.00) for any family to purchase a supportive highchair for their child. I did find this highchair a little difficult to insert the tray as well as it being a little wobbly, but like I said, an affordable option!
This is the highchair I recommend for on-the-go and traveling. This is the only portable highchair that I was actually able to get that 90-90-90 degree positioning. Feeding kids on the go can be chaotic, but I found that this chair helped me create a secure feeding environment for Hayes on our many trips this year. I loved the straps that kept him still while eating, and that his feet could reach the ground for that key foot support. This is an incredibly affordable booster seat and we have definitely gotten our money’s worth out of it. Cleaning it is a little bothersome because it is cloth material, but since we only use it on-the-go, it is manageable to clean only occasionally.
There you have it, my top picks for highchairs for your littles. I will continuously adjust this post as I review more chairs and find even more options for you and your family. If you need more guidance on the best starting solids essentials, check out my “Amazon list here.” If you need detailed guidance and evidence-based support from a pediatric dietitian, you can gain chat access to me through my Starting Solids course linked here. Happy feeding 🙂
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Cinthia Scott is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) with over 7 years experience in the field of dietetics. Cinthia focuses on ensuring optimal nutrition in the first 1000 days of life to ensure optimal growth and development as well as set the stage for long-term health. Cindy is an author, starting solids expert, and advocate for caregivers receiving evidence based education and support surrounding breastfeeding and starting solids.
Cinthia is co-author of the 101beforeone Starting Solids Book, “101beforeone -baby-led feeding cookbook,” and is the founder and owner of The Baby Dietitian LLC which is her private practice built to provide virtual 1:1 services for caregivers surrounding infant nutrition, toddler nutrition, and breastfeeding support. Cinthia is also the creator of the Starting Solids 101 Program which provides caregivers 1:1 support from a Pediatric Dietitian on how to provide optimal nutrition from the start and create healthy eating habits that will last their whole lifetime. To work with Cinthia, you can access her services here.
Cinthia provides tons of free information for parents on her social media accounts as well.
- Instagram: @The.Baby.Dietitian
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