travel high seat

Best Portable High Chairs

These small high chairs are convenient for travel and restaurants and are great space savers at home., by jen labracio.

Love checking out new restaurants and going on weekend adventures? With the right gear, those things don’t have to stop once you have a baby.

Portable high chairs, sometimes also called travel high chairs, are designed to provide a safe and clean spot for your little one to chow down wherever you go. Most either latch onto a table or strap around a dining chair and, because they take up far less space than traditional high chairs , some parents even use them full-time to save space .

Both kinds of portable high chairs have a harness so your little one can’t push out of their seat or slip through the bottom, but don’t use them until your child can sit up independently without slumping over (around six months ).

Do You Need a Portable High Chair?

A portable high chair is great for eating out at restaurants that don’t provide any baby-friendly seating options or when you want to avoid the sticky, crusty broken-safety-belt loaners many places offer. (Another option is bringing a seat cover to place over the loaner high chair.)

If you plan on traveling frequently—whether to grandma’s house or overseas—having a portable high chair ensures your child always has a safe spot at the table. But you could also feed your child from your lap if you don’t mind the mess.

What Type of Portable High Chair Is Best?

Portable high chairs that clamp onto tables are small, light and easier to pack. But they might not work with round or oval-shaped tables, tables with thin lips or ones that aren’t solid enough to support your baby’s weight. Sometimes the fabric seats on these chairs are hand-wash or spot-clean only, making cleanup difficult. They also lack footrests, a feature recommended by most pediatric feeding specialists to help your little one facilitate a safe swallow.

Portable high chairs that strap onto dining chairs are often easier to clean, and sometimes more versatile—you can remove the tray to use them as a simple booster seat for toddlers. But this type of portable high chair can be bulky and a pain to tote around. And, depending on what type of table and chairs you’re working with, the high chair might not put your child at level height with the table or may not fit correctly on the seat.

Deciding what type of portable high chair to buy depends on what features matter most to you. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Usability: Is the seat safe and sturdy? Will it work with multiple types of tables or chairs? Is it easy to attach?
• Portability: Can you pack it in a suitcase or diaper bag? Does it have a carrying case or strap to put over your shoulder? Is it lightweight?
• Cleaning: Can you wipe it down? Is the fabric removable and washable?

Best Portable High Chair for Travel

Inglesina Fast Table Chair - Black

There’s a reason this is called the Fast Table Chair: This portable high chair clamps onto tables in no time flat with a few twists of the knobs, making it perfect for travel but just as good to use at home, too. It’s even easier to pack up, with a drawstring carrying case that’s attached (and hidden) on the bottom of the seat. Just pull it out and package up the seat that folds flat when you’re ready to go.

The seat is removable and washable and there’s a small pocket in the back to stash a bib. There’s also a custom-fit dining tray , sold separately. The seat will fit most tables from about 0.8 inches up to 3.3 inches thick.

Additional Specs

Best Portable High Chair for Outdoors

hiccapop OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat

If you’re headed to the beach, the pool or even adventuring to your yard or roof deck to dine alfresco, you could feed your little one on your lap—but odds are everyone will be more comfortable (and safer) in their own seat. This portable booster is the ideal solution. It’s lightweight, easy to open and close and packs up compactly in the included travel bag. There’s a tray and a three-point harness, and you can use the chair either on the ground or strapped to an adult chair. And it’s no match for any type of mess your baby or toddler can throw at it; the entire cover pulls off the frame in seconds and can be tossed right into the washing machine.

Another Outdoor Option

Baby Delight Go With Me Venture Deluxe Portable Chair - Grey

Baby Delight’s Go With Me Venture Chair is another option to consider if you’re looking for an outdoor seating solution—but there’s a lot more going on with this chair than just a picnic in the park. You’ll be able to use the Venture for a long time; three stages grow with your baby from about three months old until they hit 75 pounds. It’s also really stable, with a wide base that stays put even in grass and dirt. There’s a detachable canopy for shade and the whole chair folds up into the included carry bag quickly and easily.

Just note that although the polyester fabric is resistant to fading, stains and mold, it’s wipe-clean only.

Best Affordable Portable High Chair

Dreambaby Travel Booster Chair - Blue

This travel booster chair is easy to pack up and sling over your shoulder when you’re on your way to anywhere you’ll need a safe seat for your little one, and it won’t cost you a ton, either. The Dreambaby booster weighs under 2.5 pounds and fits most adult chairs using the long, adjustable safety straps. There’s a three-point harness, a built-in shoulder strap and a removable cover. (Just note that the cover is hand-wash only.) There’s even a storage compartment inside the seat that’s large enough to stash a bib, bottle and wipes.

Easiest to Install Portable High Chair

Chicco QuickSeat Hook On Chair - Graphite

This seat does exactly what its name implies—attaches to your table in only a few seconds. The QuickSeat features a one-pull tightener that cinches the seat into place rather than the screw-on clamps used by most other portable high chairs. It folds down for travel and there’s a built-in carrying strap; just keep in mind that the seat isn’t super compact when folded and the cinching mechanism adds a good amount of weight. There’s also a snap-on tray included. The seat cover snaps off for washing without having to remove the seat from the table.

Most Compact Portable High Chair

Bombol Pop-up booster - Pebble Grey

Nope, this isn’t a cool piece of art—it’s a (very cool) portable high chair. This 3D seat is incredibly compact. It folds flat to about the size of a large book, so you can easily slip it into your diaper bag or tote and be on your way. It’s also incredibly light, weighing in at about two and a half pounds, so carrying it around is super convenient. It holds a child up to 75 pounds and the seat’s fabric is stain, abrasion and odor-proof.

Keep in mind that although it’s approved for babies six months and up, we found it works best once your little one is a bit older and more stable. It’s also expensive.

Best Full-Size Portable High Chair

Summer Pop ‘N Dine SE Highchair

Think a full-size high chair can’t be portable? Think again. This seat works for kids up to 45 pounds but folds compactly into the included carry bag. It sets up in seconds thanks to the pop-and-fold design and can be used either indoors or outside. (It can also be pulled right up to the table since the seat’s footprint is fairly small.) The fabric seat cover is machine washable and the included tray is dishwasher safe, and there’s a three-point harness for safety.

Easiest to Clean Portable High Chair

Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat - Grey

Being able to toss your high chair cover in the wash is an important feature to look for when you’re shopping for portable seats, but what if you don’t have to deal with the washing machine at all? This sturdy, portable seat has no fabric or sneaky crevices to worry about—simply give the entire seat a quick wipe after use and you’re good to go. It’s designed to work on top of a dining chair and features three height adjustments and three tray positions so you can find the position that’s most comfortable for your little one. It also folds up for easy portability.

Best Portable High Chair for Small Spaces

Fisher-Price SpaceSaver Simple Clean High Chair

The SpaceSaver High Chair proves that just because you have a small dining area doesn’t mean you have to compromise on cushy features. It sits atop a dining room chair—no need to make room for more baby gear—and provides a just-right seat for your little one with two height adjustments and three recline positions.

It’s a popular replacement for a traditional high chair and it’s easy to see why: the seat and tray are dishwasher safe, the seat pad and harness are machine washable, and later it can be turned into a booster seat. Also, unlike other portable high chairs, this one can be used from the newborn stage and features a five-point safety harness (the kind that goes over the shoulders). Just keep in mind that it’s not the best for taking with you to restaurants or for traveling since it’s bulky and doesn’t fold down.

Jen LaBracio

Senior gear editor.

Jen LaBracio is Babylist’s Senior Gear Editor, a role that perfectly combines her love of all things baby gear with her love of (obsessive) research. When she’s not testing out a new high chair or pushing the latest stroller model around her neighborhood, she likes to run, spin, listen to podcasts, read and spend time at the beach. In her past life, she worked for over a decade in children’s publishing. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and their two boys, Will and Ben.

• Nursing & Feeding

The 4 Best Portable High Chairs

Looking for a portable high chair for your child? We've researched over 30 options and ranked the top 8 portable high chairs available today in this review. Knowing there's more to a high chair than meets the eye, we evaluated factors including weight and size, portability, and ease of cleaning. Our review breaks down the details you need and the pros and cons of each chair to make your decision-making easier. Whether you need a travel-friendly or space-saving chair, there's likely a contender in our lineup that meets your needs and budget. Read on to see which portable chair is right for you.

We have you covered if you need feeding accessories . We've also tested the best high chairs for everyday use, baby plates , toddler utensils , and mess-free baby bibs .

Top 8 Product Ratings

Best overall portable high chair, inglesina fast table.

• Portability 7.0
• Ease of Use 9.0
• Ease of Cleaning 4.0

The Inglesina Fast Table is a sturdy, portable highchair that keeps a baby's comfort in mind and doesn't skimp on user-friendly features for parents. The chair is relatively easy to attach to a table or bar using the twist-tight clamp system, and sleeve-like covers zip and enclose the hardware. We appreciate its lifted backrest, high-quality canvas, and sufficient seat padding, making the Inglesina experience a comfortable one for babies. Plus, it has a rear pocket to store thin and compact items, like baby bibs and utensils. The fabric is easy to wipe clean, but the canvas seat is removable for hand washing if a deeper clean is needed. Thanks to an attached carry bag hidden within the seat, the chair folds flat and is conveniently contained and ready for travel. A tray accessory is available for purchase.

The Inglesina compactly collapses, but its weight and dimensions are not the smallest in our lineup, so it might not be the right one for you if the smallest is your main criterion. Despite this, we love the quality and functionality of this versatile seat and highly recommend it. If you want a similar style for a less expensive price, the Mountain Buggy Pod is a good option that costs less, hooks onto the side of tables and weighs less, making it more portable.

Read more: Inglesina Fast Table review

Best Budget-Friendly Chair

Hiccapop omniboost.

• Portability 5.0
• Ease of Use 8.0
• Ease of Cleaning 8.0

The hiccapop OmniBoost is a travel booster seat that looks similar to a foldable camping chair but with some attractive features that can make mealtime away from home more enjoyable. It is easy to pop and close with very few steps, and it includes a handy carry bag to grab and go. The removable tray is easy to click on and conveniently fits in the carry bag. There is a mesh pocket on the backside of the seat that we like to use for essentials, such as baby utensils or an extra bib. The chair includes "duck feet" that slide over the chair's standard feet for added stability. Use this chair outdoors or inside, on the ground, or at the dinner table, as it has straps that can attach to an adult chair. Not only is this option budget-friendly, but we think it is sturdy and functional.

The tray is wide yet narrow and will not catch everything your little one drops. Also, some users report the chair's fabric seat can stretch over time. While testing, we did notice some "give" in the fabric. However, the hiccapop will not be your primary highchair, and we think it is satisfactory for traveling needs; plus, the price tag is attractive, making it a good option for those on a budget. The Mountain Buggy Pod could be more compelling if you don't have a separate chair for little ones, and hanging from a table or counter is more viable.

Best Light and Compact Hook-on

Mountain buggy pod.

• Portability 9.0
• Ease of Use 6.0
• Ease of Cleaning 5.0

The Mountain Buggy Pod is an easy-to-use hook-on chair compact enough to fit in a large diaper bag or a stroller basket. Coming in at only 2.2 lbs, it is one of the lightest portable chairs in our tests. The simple design is easy to attach and remove from tables by twisting or untwisting the clamps. The Pod has a solid aluminum frame and a zippered fabric cover that makes the chair highly portable, thanks to the winning combination of sturdy yet lightweight materials.

This portable high chair only fits tabletops thinner than 1.8", so it may not work in every location. Also, one of the significant downsides is the size of the leg holes. They are much smaller than we would expect with the weight limit. The problem becomes especially apparent if your baby wears shoes or has adorably chunky thighs. Another drawback is that the fabric is not machine washable. Luckily, it is easy enough to wipe down, but you will have to unzip and wash it by hand when it requires a deep cleaning. Before each use, you will need to make sure the zippers are secure when putting them back on, as there have been reports of the cover unexpectedly unzipping. Overall, the Pod is one of the lightest and smallest seats, making it a handy travel companion. An alternative could be the Inglesina Fast Table , which was significantly easier to use in our tests.

Best for Easy to Clean

Fisher-price healthy care booster seat.

• Portability 4.0
• Ease of Cleaning 9.0

Mealtime messes will happen, so having a super easy-to-clean portable high chair can make a world of difference. For this reason, the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat earns an award. We appreciate that the design has minimal small crevices for crumbs to hide, and a good wipe-down is sufficient to keep this chair clean. Plus, the removable feeding tray is dishwasher safe - although we recommend handwashing to extend its longevity. The adjustable straps attach to the underside and back of an adult chair for a secure fit, and it has three height settings. When you're ready to hit the road, the back of the chair folds down for travel and storage.

Some crafty toddlers can figure out how to remove the upper feeding tray, leading to a big mess on the floor. Also, users report that the t-straps holding the harness straps to the chair can work themselves free. Since the tray cannot keep a child in place, it is essential to check that these straps are secure before each use. The hiccapop OmniBoost also has a tray, and the canvas seat is removable for machine washing, making it a potential contender if you are looking at options with trays. Despite these drawbacks, the Healthy Care Booster is an excellent, easy-to-clean choice that can last for years.

Read more: Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat review

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Why You Should Trust Us

When choosing and ranking portable high chairs, we wanted to ensure we thought of everything . After over 70 hours of combined testing and research, we found the top contenders. We measured, used, cleaned, and compared. We conducted an extensive analysis of the products and, most importantly, used the seats with young children to help us determine our favorites. We then took all the information we gathered and condensed it into test metric results and helpful buying advice, so you can be confident in your purchase.

BabyGearLab has been purchasing and reviewing top-ranked baby gear since 2013. Leading the portable highchair review is our founder, Dr. Juliet Spurrier . Dr. Spurrier is a board-certified pediatrician and mother of 2. As a doctor, she has a background in childhood safety concerns and the potential results of poorly designed or inappropriately used gear. Dr. Spurrier approves all final competitors using this background and her time as a mother to guide her. The team also includes Senior Review Editor, Wendy Schmitz , mother of 2 and an invaluable team member at BabyGearLab. Between her scientific training and analytical background, plus knowledge of baby products and motherly experience, Wendy helps analyze test results and rank the competition. Providing additional support to the review is Senior Review Editor, Molly Bradac , who we consider the 'Mary Poppins' among the team. Molly has accumulated an impressive profile as a career nanny with over 15 years of experience. Most of her positions included national and international travel, allowing her to bring a unique perspective, experience, and knowledge base to identify qualities of top-performing products and provide recommendations to families based on their needs and budget.

Analysis and Test Results

There are multiple portable high chairs on the market. Considering a few key factors can help you find the perfect portable option for your family. We tested the chairs side-by-side to determine which options stand out and which fall short. Our hands-on testing provides you with the details required to make an informed decision.

The hiccapop OmniBoost chair is wallet-friendly and a great value. It's versatile, use it outside or inside, and we don't doubt you'll get your money's worth. The Fisher-Price is another attractive low-cost product that is easy to clean. But, if your budget is slightly more flexible, the Inglesina offers higher quality and compatibility with various tables you may encounter when out and about. We realize there's a higher upfront cost with this option, but we believe there's value in this purchase, especially if you plan to use it frequently to dine out, trips to the grandparents' house, or as your primary high chair. We think it is worth the cost if you meet these parameters. However, a cheaper option may better suit your needs if you don't.

Portability

There are several types of portable high chairs, and they all have different features that make them portable. To evaluate portability, we took a close look at weight and dimensions. These factors influence how easy a product is to transport; some might even fit in your diaper bag, stroller basket, luggage, or car trunk.

We consider weight to be an essential consideration when making your purchase. We suggest considering how and where you plan to use the chair and how weight might impact your daily use. Situations can include occasional visits to grandparents, restaurant outings, everyday home use, or far-away travel. We found the hook-on chairs to be more travel-friendly than boosters, as they fold down and usually fit inside an included carry bag. Honestly, folding the chair flat, slipping it in a travel sack, and tossing it over your shoulder is all too convenient.

Among the competition, the Mountain Buggy Pod ranks high in this metric. Compared to others, this hook-on style chair has an impressively low weight, is one of the smallest when folded, and includes a carry bag, making it travel-friendly for most scenarios. The OXO Tot Perch with Straps also ranks high compared to others, thanks to being lightweight (although it doesn't beat the Mountain Buggy) and folds up small for travel. Also, this option doesn't include a carry bag if this is a deal-breaker for you.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Summer Pop 'n Dine SE Highchair ranks the lowest. Compared to others, this portable high chair is one of the largest and heaviest, and these factors hurt its overall portability score. This option includes a carry bag with a handy carry strap, which adds convenience when transporting. Still, it will take up space in your vehicle's trunk, or if you're on foot, carrying your baby and a diaper bag, plus a heavy chair, is likely not something you want to add to the mix.

Ease of Use

For this metric, we determined that the complexity of assembly and disassembly are the two main factors at play and the comfort of babies. Therefore, we kept these factors in mind when evaluating the lineup. We also asked things like: How many parts does it have? How long does it take to put together and pack up every time? Are there any features that add to the chair's ease of use?

In our opinion, less is more, and a product that can be ready to go in seconds is invaluable, especially when you toss a hungry toddler into the mix, creating the perfect recipe for a meltdown.

Among the competition, the the Inglesina ranks high in this metric. This contender has qualities of luxury that we admire, such as a high-quality canvas that offers more padding and a cockpit with more support than others, which collectively create a more comfortable sitting experience for babies. Ranking right below the Inglesina, yet higher than many others, are the hiccapop OmniBoost and Summer Pop 'n Dine SE Highchair . These options don't offer impressive comfort like the Inglesina, but they have super quick and straightforward folding systems, whereas many others take more time to set up and takedown.

The Chicco Pocket Booster Seat ranks low in this metric for many reasons. Although it offers height adjustability, which can be helpful, we believe the chair's hard plastic and bare minimum design lack comfort for babies compared to other contenders. Plus, we struggled with getting the tray on, leaving us feeling frustrated because the task should be easy. We noticed ourselves preferring to use other options over the Chicco.

Ease of Cleaning

Babies are messy, especially during mealtime, so finding an easy-to-clean chair is a big plus. Conquering mealtime mess with a quick wipe-down can simplify your life, and we prefer chairs with smooth surfaces and minimal cracks and creases for crumbs to collect and hide. After all, if you are cleaning up after little ones by the hour, why not make it as painless as possible?

The Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe ranks the highest in this metric. This hard plastic exterior option is quick to wipe down and has minimal creases to trap food and liquid. Plus, its tray is dishwasher-safe - score! The Summer Pop 'n Dine SE Highchair and the hiccapop OmniBoost are other easy-to-clean options, thanks to their removable, machine-washable canvas covers, making the overall cleaning task more manageable.

On the contrary, many hook-on portable high chairs rank low in this metric. The phil and teds Lobster ranks the lowest, and the Inglesina Fast Table and Mountain Buggy Pod rank slightly higher, but still low. These hook-on portable high chairs have hard-to-clean areas, particularly where the canvas sides meet the padded seat. Food crumbs love to accumulate in this area, which is easy to overlook. Using a slightly dampened cloth, you can brush the crumbs out of this area, but you'll need to remove the canvas and hand wash it for a deep clean. We consider this task more time-consuming compared to hard plastic options or those with machine-washable covers. Also, removing the canvas covers varies among this small group of hook-on chairs. The Mountain Buggy Pod has a zipper system that makes removing the canvas more accessible and relatively quick. The Inglesina's cover is easy to remove but takes longer to thread it back on the frame, and the phil and ted seat requires the most effort as it requires a tool, which isn't as handy.

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The 11 Best Travel High Chairs If Your Take Your Kid Out for Meals Often

The portability will make feeding baby — sometimes a fraught endeavor to begin with — a bit easier.

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If you've never bought one before, you're probably overwhelmed by all of the options and don't know how to determine which travel high chair is best for you — but don't worry, we have you covered. They're a great thing to add to your registry because of their more affordable price point, and they make a great gift for new parents if you're shopping.

The Best Travel High Chairs

• Best Overall: Cozy Seat Cover
• Best Budget Soft Seat: Nuby Travel Seat
• Easiest to Set Up: Chicco Travel Seat
• Great Silicone Placemat: PandaEar Travel Seat
• Most Stable for Baby: Ingenuity 2-in-1

What to Consider

Buying a travel high chair isn't a huge task, but there are a few things that you should look at when you're considering buying one. First and foremost, take into account portability , how easy it is to clean, and cost.

Portability

You want a travel high chair that's lightweight, easy to fold, and easy to stow away. If it doesn't travel well, is it even a travel high chair? We don't think so. Some come with a carrying bag, some have a strap for easy travel, and some fold up tight for small spaces.

Cleanability

Cleaning fabric on high chairs can be a pain. Is it machine-washable ? Thankfully, most travel high chairs are a cinch to clean. The more parts involved, obviously, the trickier cleaning it is, so keep that in mind if you're going to be using it a lot.

You could go with a classic high chair that attaches directly to a table, with arms that serve as cantilevers to hold the baby up safely. You can also opt for booster-style seats that strap onto a regular chair at a restaurant or someone's home.

Another option is pop-out foldable boosters, which are suited best for older children who don't need as much lift to get to the table. Rounding out the list are travel high chairs that are compact versions of the real deal. These are generally made with rugged nylon and aluminum posts and conveniently fold up like an umbrella.

How We Chose

We chose these high chairs based on extensive testing and real-parent reviews. We compared prices, materials, and overall quality to determine usefulness, durability, and value. We put them through their paces with several young and messy humans, and these are the best. Check out these picks if you're shopping for travel high chairs.

Cozy Cover The Original Easy Seat Portable High Chair

Have a washing machine? Have a baby over six months or a toddler up to 35 pounds who wiggles a ton? Like to eat out and need a place to keep them contained? Meet the Cozy Cover Easy Seat.

It has a five-point removable harness for babies and a three-point strap for toddlers, and it just slides over a chair, secures at the bottom, and then you're off to the races. It comes with its own cover that is machine-washable (which is the biggest benefit that parents love about it), but they also remark on how durable it is. This chair can really take some abuse.

The only downside is that it doesn't work on all seats. Our tester noted that low backs on chairs or chairs of odd shapes don't work as well.

More: The Best Suitcases for Kids

Nuby Easy Go Safety Lightweight Travel High Chair Booster Seat

This is a toddler seat designed for kids from nine months to 55 pounds. It can be secured to most chairs, but it doesn't fold as compactly as a slip model. That's not to say it's not compact —you can easily fit this in a standard Skip Hop diaper bag — but it's just a little bit bulkier.

Another great little option is that the high-density foam seat can be removed for comfort. It features a wipe-clean oil and water-resistant fabric, and a three-point harness. It’s a great travel high chair and it’s nice to have “just in case” in your trunk or under your stroller.

Even when we repeatedly used Lysol wipes on this chair while testing it out, the slick finish of the seat remained strong and unwarped. Lysol wipes can deteriorate finishes — and they didn't on this one.

PandaEar Portable Baby Seat Travel High Chair

This product came as a personal recommendation from a few parents. It's a great option because it folds up tiny when you're not using it.

The chair itself is made of typical camp chair material that's easy to clean off. The tray has this wonderful silicone placemat that fits inside that you throw in your dishwasher. You could even throw the entire thing on the porch and hose it down with some dish soap.

Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat Travel High Chair

You can be on the go or just in your dining room with this Pocket snack booster seat from Chicco. It folds completely flat, and it has a carrying strap. So no matter where you are or where you're going, you'll have a place for your baby.

Chicco made this utterly washable, multi-height position chair with a removable tray so that it works as a booster as well. Suitable for babies from when they can sit up unassisted to 50 pounds. And the easy 3-point harness? It takes a ton of effort to get it gunked up. (Our testers said not even grits could take it down!

Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Washable Booster Seat Travel High Chair

If you are a major fan of Lysol or Clorox wipes , this is the travel high chair for you.

It's not as compact as some of the others, though it does fold up. But the whole thing can be wiped down easily. The straps are even easy to clean. Plus, it stays clean, thanks to having such few spaces for food to get trapped in.

And it is meant for the long haul. Two different tray options click together for storage: One is plain and flat and the other is portioned out. It goes from a high back travel high chair and also transforms into a booster, giving it a second life. It can be used for babies from six months old until they no longer need it.

Ciao! Baby Camping Travel High Chair

If you go camping, spend a lot of time outside, or just want an ultra-light, collapsible high chair that doesn't need a table and chairs, this is our favorite .

This chair has a five-point harness, so it can be used for babies as soon as they can sit up on their own. It's made of a vinyl-coated canvas, which means it can easily be sprayed off with a hose, wiped clean with a cloth, or sprayed down with your favorite cleaning spray. It also has a cup holder for babies, which may not completely prevent them from flinging their bottle, but it may help. It collapses into a small bag and only weighs about eight pounds.

Users note that this is the perfect choice for the beach, the woods, or the backyard, thanks to the fabric's ease of cleanup and durability. It's an outdoor fabric, and it can take a beating.

Baby Delight Go with Me Venture Travel High Chair

Your child can start using this chair starting at 3 months of age, and they can use it virtually until second or third grade or until they reach 75 pounds. It’s not just a high chair or camp chair with a canopy — it’s also a beach chair for kids .

It has a five-point harness, removable tray, and cup holder, but the sneaky part is that the whole top piece and footrest come off to make it into a shaded chair for your kids.

Even better, the entire thing fits into a sling bag, and the extremely durable polyester can be hosed or wiped off easily.

Wiggly-butt babies have something to push against with the footrest, and you can rest easy knowing it’s safe and stable because they’re so close to the ground.

Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Feeding and Floor Travel High Chair

You get a lot of mileage out of this travel high chair that also happens to double as a baby floor seat . It's a soft seat molded to help keep the baby in a comfortable seated position with a removable dining tray and straps to affix it to the seat at a restaurant or home.

It has a luxe feel and keeps babies from wiggling around so much while they eat. It's sort of like a hug around the lower torso and legs, rooting them into the seat. Think of any assisted-sitting chair, and this is a little like that, but not quite as high-backed.

It's easy to clean thanks to the non-porous surface, and though it would be better if it were easier to carry around, it's overall a great product.

Phil & Teds Lobster Clip-On Travel High Chair

More than a few parents use this narrow travel high chair as their everyday high chair. It's suitable for use from six months or up to 37 pounds, and because it takes up such little room, it can be a great option for smaller spaces.

The chair itself is extremely durable. The cover is machine-washable and the tray is dishwasher-safe. The only drawback of this chair is that it doesn't work with round tables or glass.

Parents love how small it is, fitting well in tight kitchens. They also love how easy it is to attach, noting that the clasps are simple and durable.

Chicco QuickSeat Hook-On Travel High Chair

Chicco is good at making it easy for parents to remove their product covers for washing — and the Quick Seat is no different. With the unsnapping of just a few snaps, it's off and ready for the machine in a jiff.

It's suitable for babies from six months or up to 37 pounds, and the generously sized tray is also super easy to clean.

But that's not even the best part. Most claw-style chairs use some sort of twist or crank to attach them to the table. Not the Chicco — it does it with just a pull of a cinch in the back, making it the easiest travel high chair to set up by a mile.

And that's the biggest reason people love this chair: There's no guesswork. Users note they can hold the baby in one hand and easily get the seat attached using their other hand and their hip. (Your hip becomes a third hand when you're parenting a baby, it's true.)

Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit Portable Travel High Chair

We get that a camp-style chair just doesn't cut it sometimes — so if you're on the hunt for one with a hard tray, this is the one for you.

It's good for babies six months or up to 35 pounds, and the fabric is removable and machine-washable.

It all folds up into a carrying case just slightly larger than an umbrella, save the tray. This chair has a fun zippered pocket on the side to hold whatever you want like plastic cutlery and wipes.

Parents love how much legroom this model has. It's good for chunky baby thighs or bulky sweatsuits. Plus, pretty much everyone loves the cheerful fabric and the grippy bottoms of the feet for stability.

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The 15 Best Portable Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats [2023]

Erin Miller

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The Different Types of Travel High Chairs

Things to consider with a travel high chair or booster seats, 1. find the right position for your baby with this adjustable booster seat, 2. a foldable travel chair with its very own carry case, 3. high chair complete with wipeable food tray and cute looks, 4. a fabulous, full-height folding high chair for meals on the go, 5. an award-winning booster seat from chicco, 6. compact storage on a wrap-style booster seat, 7. slip over adult dining chairs for relaxed meals, 8. inflatable booster seat that keeps your child close by, 1. let your little one eat with you using this portable booster seat, 2. a stand-alone high chair that feels just like home, 3. a hook-on high chair for discerning little diners, 4. this reclining high chair is great for toddlers, 5. store your infant’s extra items in the base of this booster seat, 1. best hook-on travel seat for curved tables and hungry babies, 2. award-winning high chair for those in the know, final thoughts.

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Feeding on the go can be a messy business if you aren’t able to seat your little one at the table with you. A travel high chair or booster seat can make mealtimes far less stressful.

Don’t rely on restaurants, cafes, and other eateries to be able to seat your baby — take your own portable high chair with you instead.

Hook-on High Chairs

Perfect for babies 6 months or older, hook-on high chairs attach to the side of any table using rubber handles that can be securely tightened to remain stable and safe.

Your child will sit close to the table at the right height to enjoy eating and communing with you as you enjoy a family meal together. There are no folding trays to worry about or straps to attach to chairs. Although there is a maximum weight restriction of around 40 pounds depending on the chair, these are the most convenient way to seat your child when traveling.

Bottom Line: Collapsible and lightweight, you can take your hook-on high chair virtually anywhere.

Booster Seats

Booster seats do just that — raise the seat height of your child’s chair to enable them to reach the table. Compact enough to fit into their very own carry bags in transit, these easy-to-clean high chair alternatives are a popular choice for children 12 months or older.

The only thing you need to ensure the success of your booster seat at dinner time is a stable dining chair with a back to tie it to.

Bottom Line: Designed for children weighing up to 50 pounds, booster seats are a highly portable addition to your child-friendly vacation kit.

Made entirely from fabric, chair wraps are just about the most portable feeding devices ever made. Small enough to fit in any purse or carry-on , these oversized scarves are designed to harness your toddler to an adult chair.

While your inner hippie may be happy that you have chosen a natural and traditional way to help your child eat with the grown-ups, you need to be very adept at attaching the wrap to the chair by pulling a cover over the back and tightening the ends to secure your baby.

Bottom Line: Fantastic for those who know how to use them, a huge amount of stress for those that don’t.

When choosing the right travel high chair or booster seat for your next vacation, consider the following:

Keeping your baby safe while sitting at the table is a crucial concern for every parent. While high chairs with straps and large plastic trays feel somehow more secure and sturdy, a child can still fall out if not securely strapped in.

When using a travel high chair or booster seat, be sure that it offers a durable and robust harness , and that the one you choose has enough support to suit the developmental age of your baby.

Hot Tip: To reduce the risk of falling, your child should not exceed the suggested maximum weight for the product.

Wipe-clean fabrics and plastic cushions are best suited to the messy business of babies, and your travel high chair should be just as easy to clean. Foldable booster seats are incredibly easy to clean, and their flexible design makes it possible for you to reach all the tiny seams and creases where crumbs tend to gather.

Hot Tip: Hook-on high chairs with washable, fabric covers are pretty low maintenance as long as you can throw it in the machine.

Size and Portability

Portability is the key to traveling light with a baby, so big, bulky folding high chairs are best left at home on this occasion. You should, however, look beyond the dimensions of any potential travel high chair, and instead focus on a combination of size, weight, and portability.

While wraps are the most lightweight and portable option out there, a compact booster chair that folds up small and weighs very little is still a good alternative. A hook-on that can be folded and kept in a carry bag should also be considered, especially if you are traveling by car or public transport where weight is less of an issue.

Ease of Use

Feeding time with your children can be stressful enough without having to worry about shoehorning your 1-year old into an overly complicated high chair harness. Likewise, holding a baby in your arms while you try to attach a wrap to a chair without any success is also likely to put you off taking your little one out to eat with you.

Whatever type of travel high chair or booster seat you decide to go for, make sure that it’s easy for you to use. Hook-on chairs are more fiddly as you need to screw the handles onto the table to ensure that they are safe, and wraps take some getting used to.

Bottom Line: Booster seats are straightforward to use and easy to insert your child into.

The 8 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $30

Summer infant deluxe comfort folding booster seat.

The Summer Infant Deluxe Comfort Folding Booster Seat is a convenient addition to your baby travel gear and one that will allow them to safely eat their food at the same level as you. Weighing just 3.66 pounds, this booster seat is suitable for children from 6 months to 33 pounds.  The compact folding mechanism makes it small enough to take anywhere with you.

Your little one will be safe in the 3-point harness, and you will be able to find the right height setting with 2 different levels of height adjustment. Use it without the feeding tray for a toddler booster seat at the table, or let your younger baby use the tray. Simple to use and highly portable, this little booster seat is brilliant.

What We Like

• Has 2 height levels

What We Don’t Like

• The chair cover isn’t great

Hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat With Tray

This very useful little travel chair is perfect for letting your little one eat with you wherever you may be. The folding frame pops open to form a low-level camping chair complete with a food tray that toddlers and small children will be happy to sit, eat, or play in. Wide, stable feet help to keep the chair balanced at all times, and the tray is removable so your child can join you at the table.

The 3-point adjustable harness will keep your little one safe as they eat, and when you are finished, simply fold the chair back down and pop it back into the carry bag . To ensure that the chair is always clean and hygienic, the cover can be machine washed and the tray is made from dishwasher-safe, BPA-free material.

Cute and completely portable, this is the perfect camping chair for junior diners.

• Has a removable and washable cover
• Tray table can be difficult to get on and off

Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Booster

Looking every bit as cute as a tiny camping chair, this incredibly portable booster chair from Summer Infant is a little bit different from the rest. Designed to be used on the floor, or a chair, your little one can eat independently or with you.

Featuring a lightweight, folding frame that can be erected in sections , this little booster seat even comes with its own carry case. The detachable, dishwasher-safe BPA-free tray is perfect for playing or snacking, and the 3-point safety harness will keep your precious little one safe and secure. By using the built-in safety straps to attach the seat to an adult chair, you and your child (ages 6 months and older) can eat and play together, everywhere you go.

• Folds up small to save space
• Harness straps sit very low

Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable High Chair

With its lightweight design and full-height feeding chair, the Summer Infant Pop N’ Sit Portable High Chair is perfect for families on the go. Easy to fold down into its very own compact carry bag, this is an easy-to-use travel high chair for your baby.

Suitable from 6 months onwards, the chair comes complete with a removable, BPA-free tray that can be popped into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. The non-slip rubber feet will grip to most surfaces, making this a stable and safe place to feed your children. The easy pop-up unfolding mechanism makes it a dream to use on vacation, at Grandma’s house, or even just at home.

• Has a rear storage pocket
• Leg holes might be restrictive for some children
• Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat

Having already been awarded 5 stars in the “Best Baby and Toddler Gear Awards,” this easy-to-fold portable high chair will transform the way you and your little one eat out. Your baby will be able to sit right at the table and join you for a meal using this easy-to-secure, super-safe booster seat from Chicco.

With 3 tray positions, your child can also enjoy a snack or meal independently, and the harness straps will keep them safe while seated. With a wide padded seat and an easy-to-clean, dishwasher-safe food tray, you can be sure that this booster seat remains hygienic at all times. The Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat is an excellent value for money.

• Adjustable to 3 heights
• Securing chair straps are quite short
• liuliuby Travel Harness Seat

So portable it can roll up to the size of an umbrella, the liuliuby Travel Harness Seat is a functional fabric booster seat. Designed with safety in mind, this may look lightweight and unsupportive, but it incorporates a 5-point harness and comfortable straps for added reassurance and unrivaled strength and durability.

Suitable for babies approximately 6 months and older that can sit up unassisted, the simple design hooks over the back of an adult chair and supports your baby while they join you to eat at the table. Machine washable, wipeable, and incredibly stylish, this is the perfect compact travel seat for eating on the go.

• Anti-slip pads mean your child will stay put
• Doesn’t fit all chairs

Cozy Cover Easy Seat Portable High Chair

Suitable for babies from 6 months old up to 33 pounds, the portable Easy Seat is a convenient companion for families on the go. You and your child can avoid the questionable hygiene of restaurant high chairs and have your little one eat at the table with you.

Compact enough to carry in your bag (in its own matching carry bag), the Easy Seat simply slides over the top of your adult dining chair, and with just a quick click of the straps, your child is secured in a 5-point harness . The 100% polyester material is easy to clean in the washing machine, and the brightly-colored design helps this fabulous petite seat stand out from the rest. A great buy for busy parents.

• Comes with a matching carry bag
• Doesn’t include a tray for eating

The First Years On-The-Go Booster Sea t

Quite unlike any of the other high chairs and booster seats on our list, the On-The-Go Booster Seat inflates to keep your child comfy and ensures that they can always reach the table.

Simply pull out the valve and watch it self-inflate into a full-size booster seat,  then press out the air and fold back into its carry pack when the meal is over. This seat comes with an adjustable safety belt with a T-restraint to help hold your child securely and even has its own carry bag for taking it everywhere with you. A perfect addition to your baby kit.

• Portable and inflates quickly
• Not suited for extensive use

The 5 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $60

Fisher-price healthy care deluxe booster seat.

Designed to fit at the table so that your little one can eat with the grown-ups, this foldable and incredibly portable booster seat secures to most dining chairs, both at home and away.

With a snap-on feeding tray and cup holder that is completely removable and dishwasher safe, you can let your child eat at the table or eat independently. The 3 height adjustments and super-secure 3-point harness will help you to find the safest position for your baby while they eat.

With a shoulder strap for ease of mobility and a simple, ergonomic design made from easy-to-clean and durable materials, this is a clear winner for moms and dads on the go.

• No crevices to trap crumbs
• Tray table comes off too easily (infant may remove it)

Ciao! baby Portable High Chair with Tray

This stand-alone high chair is an excellent option for anyone who wants their child to feel totally at home in their high chair. Mimicking the height and feel of a regular full-size high chair , this little beauty folds up into a compact size, making it perfect for camping, keeping as a spare, or taking on vacation with you.

Made from highly durable nylon, this high chair is built to last, and the clear vinyl food tray is wipeable and easy to keep clean. There is also a built-in cup holder for your little one’s bottle or cup. Suitable from infant to toddler (your child must be able to sit unaided to use this high chair), your baby will stay safe and secure with the lap belt and 5-point safety harness.

Easy to use and transport, this is the perfect portable high chair for children who want to be reminded of the one they have at home.

• 5-point safety harness
• The opening for the child is a bit of a squeeze

Chicco Caddy Hook-on Chair

In theory, this sturdy and durable hook-on high chair has plenty to offer both you and your baby. It folds down to take anywhere with you, it is made from high-quality materials, and the twist-and-tighten design fastens securely to most tables. In reality, it is very bulky and weighs a lot more than most portable high chairs, at a whopping 7 pounds, even without its carry bag.

That said, the rubberized arms are well-designed and will firmly grip any table without scratching , making it an excellent choice for parents who want their baby to eat with them. The seat cover is removable for easy cleaning and the cushioned back support adds comfort for your little one.

Suitable for 6 months onwards, we are not sure if the pure size and weight of this one prevents it from truly being a travel high chair, but it would still make a useful extra if you have room to transport it.

• Attaches directly to a table
• Not suitable for fidgety children
• Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

Offering easy-to-clean, customizable seating for your little one, the Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair is an affordable, reliable, and well-made travel booster seat that will make eating out a breeze.

Offering full-size seating dimensions in a portable package that folds up super small, this seat fits on most adult high back chairs. Suitable from around 6 months, this booster offers 2 height adjustments and 3 recline positions . The removable and dishwasher-safe feeding tray is easy to clean, and the cushioned seat will keep your little one comfy at all times.

Designed to grow with your child, the tray can be removed, and the secure strap attachments are designed to stay safely affixed to your adult chair.

• Has a machine-washable seat pad
• Doesn’t slot under the table at certain heights

Brica GoBoost Travel Booster Seat

Perfect for dining on the go, the Brica GoBoost Booster Seat folds up small and comes complete with its own convenient carry strap. Stable and secure with a robust internal frame and wipeable, easy-to-clean material, this is the perfect booster seat for older infants on the go.

There is no 5-point harness on this seat, and it has a fixed position backrest, but with a built-in storage unit that can hold your bottles, wipes, cups, and even diapers. Xtra-Grip traction pads offer a non-slip grip on adult chairs.

• Includes storage for bottles, diapers, or other items
• Not machine washable

The 2 Best Travel High Chairs and Booster Seats Under $90

Inglesina fast table chair  .

Incredibly versatile and perfect for use at curved dining tables, this hook-on high chair really is one of the best on the market. With twist-tight couplings that secure the chair to virtually any table and a deep seat with an adjustable 3-point harness, this high chair is also incredibly secure to keep your little one safe while snacking.

With a deeply padded seat, high backrest, waist harness, and easy-to-clean, breathable polyester material , your little one will be super comfortable. With an additional storage pocket on the rear side of the seat for a pacifier and other essentials, and a carry case for journeys away from home, this is an excellent hook-on high chair that is well-suited to families who like to dine out often.

• Comes in a range of colors
• Not the easiest material to clean

phil&teds Lobster Clip-On High Chair 

Fans of the phil&teds stroller brand will already be familiar with their unique, high-quality designs, and the Lobster high chair is no exception. Super lightweight and incredibly compact, the Lobster has a first-class aluminum frame with padded support and a shoulder harness system that won’t let you down.

Suitable for infants 3 months old up to 3 years, or a maximum weight of 37 pounds, this high chair is still compact enough to fit into your travel bag for families on vacation. With stylish good looks and award-winning design, the world is your oyster with this high chair.

• Quick to set up and pack down
• Not compatible with all table types

Travel high chairs need to be portable, stable, and easy to clean. Younger babies need a secure harness, while older toddlers need a seat that won’t wobble about when they do.

From the simplicity of a sling-style high chair to hanging out in a hook-on, your next travel high chair or booster seat needs to be small enough to take with you, yet strong enough to hold your child safely. Make more of family mealtimes on your travels with any of the high chairs and booster seats on our list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are hook-on high chairs safe.

Hook-on high chairs are safe as long as you adhere to the manufacturer’s maximum weight restrictions. Some other tips are:

• Make sure that the clamp is securely fastened
• Don’t use a hook-on high chair on glass tables
• Ensure all straps are securely fastened

What age can a baby sit in restaurant high chair?

Babies can use a high chair when they are able to sit up unassisted. For most babies, this will happen around the 6-month mark but can happen as early as 4 months.

What are the best travel high chairs?

Some of the best travel high chairs and booster seats include:

• Summer Deluxe Comfort Folding Booster Seat
• hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat
• Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit Portable Booster Chair
• Summer Pop ‘n Sit Portable Highchair
• The Original Easy Seat Portable High Chair
• The First Years On-The-Go Booster Seat
• Fisher-Price Healthy Care Booster Seat
• ciao! baby Portable High Chair
• Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair
• Munchkin Brica GoBoost Travel Booster Seat
• Inglesina Fast Table Chair
• phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair

Are travel high chairs portable?

While wraps are the most lightweight and portable option out there, a compact booster chair that folds up small and weighs very little is still a good alternative.

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11 of the best travel highchairs and booster seats

Travel highchairs and booster seats are great for making eating out and about that bit easier. Take a look at our top picks tried-and-tested by parents

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A travel highchair, also known as a booster seat is a portable seat, designed to make feeding your baby or toddler easier whilst out and about.

With a booster seat there'll be no more balancing your child on your lap, trying to feed them a messy sandwich, whilst also trying to eat yourself.

They aim to make going out for dinner, where you may usually worry about whether the restaurant will have suitable seating for your baby, that little bit less stressful. With a travel highchair you can rest assured that there'll be safe seating for your baby or toddler.

Not only are travel highchairs and booster seats fabulous for when you're on the go, they're also great as an alternative to larger, bulkier highchairs for babies and toddlers , if you have less room at room.

Another great thing about booster seats is they include your child in mealtimes. As they get older they can sit around the table on their booster seat.

More like this

For more ideas to make eating and drinking enjoyable for your child, take a look at our roundup of the best plates and bowls for kids and best cups and beakers for babies and toddlers .

To compile this list of best travel highchairs and booster seats we've asked parents to tell us all about the ones they use with their children.

Best travel highchairs and booster seats at a glance

• Best budget booster seat: Venture Bubble Booster Seat, £34.99 £24.99 at Amazon
• Best for playtime: Mamas & Papas Baby Bud 2-in-1 Booster Seat, £59 £49.99 at Amazon
• Best easy to clean seat: Chicco Pocket Snack, £41.12 £38.05 at Amazon
• Best for high maximum weight threshold: Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Seat, £39.99 £34.99 at Amazon
• Best for growing with your baby: Bumbo Multiseat, £67.50 at Amazon
• Best for storage: Munchkin Travel Booster Seat, £26.49 at Amazon
• Best for toddlers: Bumbo Booster Seat, £49.99 at Amazon
• Best fabric harness: Totseat Seat Harness, £30 at Amazon
• Best for short trips: Baby Polar Gear Booster Seat and Placemat, £29.99 £23.99 at Amazon
• Best foldable seat: My Little Coco My Little Everything Chair, £55 at Boots
• Best for versatility: Red Kite Feed Me Snak 4-in-1, £65 at Amazon

Types of travel highchair and booster seats

Travel highchairs – A bit like the seat part of a highchair, minus the long legs. They sit on top of a dining chair and are strapped on. They can be folded to a compact size for portability.

Booster seat – Much like a travel highchair, it straps onto a dining chair. You can get either foldable or unfoldable booster seats. They're designed to give your child a boost in height so they can reach the table, while safety harnessed in.

Clamp-on seats – A seat that attaches to the table’s edge, rather than the chair.

Fabric seat harnesses – A piece of fabric you put around your baby with clip restraints that fasten at the back of a chair. They're easy to fold, but don't give your baby any additional height to help them reach the table.

What to consider when buying a travel highchair

Age suitability – Travel highchairs and booster seats tend to not be suitable until 6 months and some backless ones may only be suitable for older toddlers. Make sure that the one you choose is age appropriate for your baby or toddler.

Maximum weight – Much like age suitability, consider whether the travel highchair can hold the weight of your toddler. Also, if you want it to last a long time, think in advance – if your toddler is already nearly the maximum weight it might be a good idea to choose a different one which offers greater longevity of use.

How long will your baby or toddler be sitting in it? – You need to think about how long your child will be sitting in the travel highchair. If it's a long time then comfort is key and you may need one that has padding or some kind of cushioning.

How you will have to carry it around – As it's a portable highchair you'll naturally be carrying it around with you, so bear this in mind when choosing which one works best for you. You may have to squeeze it into your bag, in which case a fabric seat harness would be a good shout. Alternatively, look for a seat that fits in your buggy basket. Some of the travel highchairs and booster seats in our list come with their own travel bag.

Do you want up-to-the-table feeding? – If you want up-to-the-table feeding, a clamp-on seat ensures your child is table height, making it easy to join in at mealtimes. When choosing the right travel highchair or booster seat, remember that for up-to-the-table feeding it's a good idea to have a removable tray – that way the tray doesn't get in the way of the table.

Do you need height? – If you want to give your child some height, consider how much is needed. Booster seats are a great option for boosting your child that little bit higher. However, as previously mentioned, if you want to ensure they're table height, a clamp-on seat is your best bet.

Where are you going to use it? – Do you plan on using the travel highchair when eating out at various places? If so, you need a flexible one that's suitable for different chairs and tables. If you're after a chair or booster to take to the grandparents' for overnight stays, you can opt for something a little bulkier that won't need to be carried around too much.

How easy is it to clean? – As with any highchair or booster, you're going to want to pick a design that's easy to clean. Look for plastic and foam chairs that are easy to wipe down quickly, as well as fabric styles and covers that can be thrown in the washing machine.

Safety – Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and use the harness correctly. At the bottom of this article we have some excellent expert advice on how to use a travel high chair or booster seat safely.

Best travel highchairs and booster seats

1. venture bubble booster seat, £34.99 £24.99, – best budget booster seat.

Age suitability: 6+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Blue, coral, grey, yellow

The Venture Bubble Booster Seat has an ergonomic design and a 3-point baby harness to secure your baby in. Its long adjustable chair straps mean it can be attached to different seats.

When it comes to cleaning, it can be wiped clean and the removable tray component can go in the dishwasher. The removable tray is telescopic and has 2 adjustable distances. If you wish to use the booster seat as a way to reach the table, simply remove the tray.

Additionally, the tray comes with 2 highchair toys that can easily be removed.

The bright and bold plastic booster seat was a hit with our home testers who felt it was a great budget option. Tester Susan said, "overall we thought the quality was great and the seat feels very robust, secure and easy to use." It fastens to a dining chair with fabric straps, and has a harness and removable tray.

The colourful design with its little toys definitely appeals to toddlers, with MFM home tester Rachael saying, "my son loved this seat and was excited as soon as we unpacked it." Some testers commented on the fact there's no cushion, which could make it uncomfortable for long periods of time (if you're lucky enough to have a toddler who'll stay seated for more than 10 minutes). They also advised you check the dimensions carefully as it won't fit all chairs perfectly.

Pros: Good value, removable toys, dishwasher safe tray,

Cons: No cushion, does not fit all chairs perfectly

Available from: Amazon and Venture

2. Mamas & Papas Baby Bud, £59 £49.99

– best for playtime.

Age suitability: 6+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: White/grey

The Baby Bud is a table top feeding and booster chair that has four clip-on, non-slip feet that can be adjusted to three different height settings to fit to a variety of different chairs and tables. The cushioned seat insert can be removed as your child grows, to increase the longevity of the seat.

There's a safety harness to keep wriggly toddlers safe, and a removable tray. As an added bonus, you can also buy an activity centre to place on top of the tray to keep your baby occupied while food is being prepared.

To make carrying it around with you easier, it has a carry handle.

MFM home tester Maggie, mum of 3 year old said, "it lasts really well, my 7 year old can still fit in it without the insert, definitely worth the money we spent on it". She likes that it attached to a chair and you can either use the tray or have them pulled up to the table. She joked "the only trouble we had was getting the middle child out of it ready for the third".

Pros: Safe, sturdy, comfortable, easy to wipe clean, comes with attachable tray

Cons: Big, bulky, doesn't fold, expensive

Read our MFM review of the Mamas and Papas Baby Bud

Available from: Mamas & Papas and Amazon

3. Chicco Pocket Snack, £41.12 £38.05

– best easy to clean seat.

Age suitability: 6+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Yellow, grey, purple, poppy red, green

An award-winning compact booster seat, the Chicco Pocket Snack is easy to assemble and comes with adjustable straps and a base with multiple height settings designed to fit a variety of chairs. It also has a safety harness to keep baby wobble-free.

The Pocket Snack tray clicks on and off in three positions, and it has a cute spoon and fork design on the seat unit. The booster seat is highly recommended by our MFM reviewer, Katherine who said it offered "wonderful value for money" and claimed, "at home, it’s replaced the old highchair."

It is also recommended by MFM home testers. Hayley uses it with her 3 year old and said, "it's brilliant for at home and for visiting family/friends too". Cat also loves it, "it's fantastic, I just binned the highchair and use this for my 10 month old". Finally, Louise was "very pleased with her Pocket Snack for her 15 month year old".

Read our MFM review of the Chicco Pocket Snack

Pros: Compact, comfortable, simple to adjust, lightweight, easy to clean, good value for money

Cons: Fiddly to wrap up the straps when transporting, no padding

Available from: Boots and Amazon

4. Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Seat, £39.99 £34.99

– best for high maximum weight threshold.

Age suitability: 6+ months | Maximum weight: 22.68kg | Colours available: Grey, sage green, light pink, fuschia, bright blue, dark blue, beige

The Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Seat is great for if you want to keep using your booster seat for a long time as it has a higher maximum weight than most of the others on this list.

The seat is wipeable, as is the removable tray. The safety harness keeps your baby secure inside the seat whilst the adjustable straps secure the seat onto a dining chair.

This seat can grow with your baby and toddler, like the Mamas & Papas Bud, this too has a removable cushioned insert.

One thing this seat has that not all the others on this list do is, a removable tray that stores neatly under the booster seat. This means you won't be searching high and low for the tray when you've removed it, it can be stored tidily together.

MFM home tester Kelly-Anne, mum of little girl said, "it's brill, I like that it has a toddler attachment that can be removed so older toddlers can use it too".

Pros: Removable storable tray, toddler attachment, high maximum weight, wide range of colour options

Cons: Big, bulky, doesn't fold

Available from: Amazon , Argos and John Lewis

5. Bumbo Multiseat, £67.50

– best for growing with your baby.

Age suitability: 6+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Blue, pink, green, dark grey, light grey

The Bumbo Multi Seat comes in a large variety of colours for you to choose from. However, that's not the best thing about it. This seat grows with your child. It has two adjustable height settings to accommodate your growing toddler. It can be used as a floor seat, or it can be used as a booster seat when attached to a dining chair. Finally, as your toddler grows, it has a foam cushion which you can remove to allow for your child to fit.

This chair is convenient in other ways too; it has retractable chair straps, a removable tray which can be stored away at the back of the chair. When the cushion insert is removed, this can also be stored inside the seat.

Our home tester Gail, mum of 2, said, "“Overall, this is a great booster: really easy to fit into chairs, stylish, well-made, and super-easy to clean: very important for a mum. I also loved how the padded cushion tidies inside the seat so it won’t get lost."

Pros: Storable removable tray and cushion insert, retracting straps, wide range of colour options, versatile, easy to clean, adjustable height

Cons: Bulky, expensive

Available from: Amazon and Bumbo

6. Munchkin Travel Booster Seat, £26.49

– best for storage.

Age suitability: 12+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Blue

The Munchkin Travel Booster Seat transforms into a portable carry bag. It has room for storing essentials such as, bottles, nappies, snacks and more.

Even though it can be used for storage, this does not affect its ability of being a great travel highchair. It's got a stable internal frame and Xtra-Grip traction pads to prevent your child from slipping off chairs and increasing the stability. Its 3 point harness also secures your child into the seat.

The material is durable and easy to clean and it folds neatly with a convenient carrying strap.

MFM home tester Elisa, mum of 5 year old boy said, "we use the Munchkin portable one with the pouch in the bottom to store bits in because we could use that when we went out too and he was always comfy in it". MFM home tester Kirstie, mum of 2 girls also used the Munchkin Booster seat, "It's good, the storage space in the bottom is handy if you're taking it out". Robyn, another MFM home tester added, "it can all go in the washing machine too as the hard bit comes out".

Pros: Has great storage, very portable, easy to clean, good value

Cons: Only one design/colour, have to be 12 months+ to use

Available from: Amazon , OnBuy and Munchkin

7. Bumbo Booster Seat, £49.99

– best for toddlers.

Age suitability: 18+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Grey, pink, blue

Designed to be used with toddlers over the age of 18 months, the Bumbo Booster seat can be quickly fastened to your dining chair, allowing your child to eat with the rest of the family. It's made from a slightly squishy but very strong foam-like material that feels comfy for the child and wipes clean easily in case of spills, it also won't scratch your furniture.

Due to its lightweight design, it is easily portable and easy to carry, but it doesn't fold down so does take up some space in a car boot or buggy basket.

MadeForMums writer Gemma tested the seat with her 2-year-old son and said, "Now he's older and tall enough, we've got rid of the high chair completely and just use the Bumbo booster seat. He seems really comfortable and will sit in it for play and craft time as well as meals. He's even learned to climb up onto it himself."

Pros: Comfortable, wipes clean, doesn't scratch furniture, lightweight and portable

Cons: Expensive, have to be 18+ months to use

Available from: Amazon , Bumbo and Kidly

8. Totseat seat harness, £30

– best fabric harness.

Age suitability: 6-30 months | Maximum weight: No maximum weight | Colours available: Denim, fruit print, jungle print

The Totseat falls into the fabric seat harness group. It’s light and compact because it’s made of fabric, and can be folded down into a small pouch, ready to be thrown into your handbag/change bag/buggy basket for a quick mealtime solution while out and about.

The harness is made of 100% cotton and is machine washable.

It's easily adaptable to fit all dining chairs, even wonky ones and it's really straightforward to use.

The harness complies to international standards that ensure its safety as a child support. Our MFM reviewer gave the seat four out of five stars for safety, style and value for money.

Pros: Should fit all chairs, folds up into a small pouch, machine washable, no maximum user weight

Cons: Does not give your child any height to reach the table, no tray, no padding

Read our MFM review of the Totseat seat harness

Available from: Amazon and Totseat

9. Baby Polar Gear Booster Seat and Placemat, £29.99 £23.99

– best for short trips.

Age suitability: 12+ months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Hot air balloon print, safari print

Folding down into a light and portable shoulder bag, the Baby Polar Gear Booster Seat comes with its own matching placemat and is great for keeping in your buggy or travel bag for a quick on-the-go solution for mealtimes. It fastens on quickly and easily with fabric straps, and has a harness for safety.

MFM home tester Amanda said, "the product is great to be able to take [kids] out for dinner or to family and friends houses who don't have high chairs, so you can all eat together." Home tester Sarah said, "This product is extremely handy and makes my life easier," and praised its budget price tag and ease of use. MFM home tester Sarah liked that it, "fits nearly any chair and is lightweight".

However it's worth noting that it may not be the best option for older toddlers and pre-schoolers. Amanda had concerns about the recommended age range and said of her 2-year-old daughter, "the straps didn't fit round her shoulders properly, like she had already out grown the seat."

Pros: Light and portable, comes with matching placemat, good value

Cons: Can grow out of it quickly, may not be great for toddlers/pre-schoolers, have to be 12+ months to use

Available from: Amazon

10. My Little Coco My Little Everything Chair, £55

– best foldable seat.

Age suitability: 6-36 months | Maximum weight: 15kg | Colours available: Beige/brown

This stylish travel highchair folds down neatly into a handy drawstring travel bag, making meals out a breeze. Suitable for babies 6 months up to 3 years old (with a maximum weight of 15kg) it looks a little like a miniature camping chair, however this is not to be used as a standalone chair, rather designed to be attached to a normal dining chair using the straps provided.

The 3-point harness is ideal for keeping even the most reluctant of babies safely fastened in, while the wipeable fabric seat and removable, wipe clean tray makes it easy for those post-lunch clean ups on the go.

MFM home tester Amy, who tested this with her 6-month-old daughter Rosie, did struggle with working out how to attach the straps to a chair initially, but quickly got the hang of it. She was won over by the portability of the My Little Everything chair, commenting: "I absolutely love how small and compact the chair is. The carry bag is really handy and allows us to take the chair everywhere with us, so our daughter can join us at the table." She was also impressed with the quality, adding: " It feels really sturdy. My daughter seems very happy in the chair, she seems comfy and happily has her food in it."

Pros: Longevity of use, wipeable fabric, removable tray, travel bag included,

Cons: No colour choice, expensive, no padding

Available from: Boots and My Little Coco

11. Red Kite Feed Me Snak 4-in-1, £65

– best for versatility.

Age suitability: 6 months to 5 years approx. | Maximum weight: N/A | Colours available: Cat design

If you're looking for a traditional highchair that can convert into a handy booster seat, this 4-in-1 design ticks all the boxes. Converting from highchair to booster seat, low highchair or toddler seat, the Red Kite Feed Me Snak offers a great deal of versatility for the price.

Straps are included to attach the chair (in booster seat mode) to a dining chair, and the 5-point safety harness adds peace of mind that your baby is strapped in securely. The large tray is detachable and includes an inset tray for mess-free baby led weaning.

It's easy to switch between modes, with MFM home tester Aisha, who tested this with her 7-month-old daughter (pictured) commenting: "The instructions were easy to follow and to understand and it was easy to reassemble into different modes." Aisha also loved how easy to clean the chair was, adding: "The removable tray is useful and can be used instead of a plate. It makes it easier to clean as the tray can just be washed and put back in, then you wipe clean the food under the cushion."

While it does have a higher price point compared to standard booster seats, the Feed Me Snak offers a multitude of uses and can be a money-saving option in the long run.

Pros: Longevity of use, removable tray, multi-functional, can be used as a standalone highchair, 5-point safety harness

Cons: No colour choice, expensive

Available from: Boots , Amazon and Asda

How did we choose our 10 of the Best?

How to use a travel highchair or booster seat safely.

We asked Dr. Harvey Karp, a paediatrician and child development expert who promotes children's rights to a healthy and safe environment, if he has any safety advice for using a travel highchair or booster seat. This is what he advises:

"Whether your child is in a regular highchair or a travel highchair, it needs to be sturdy, so they can't easily tip over. So when you're securing a travel highchair to a kitchen chair, that chair needs to be sturdy too.

"Whenever your kid is in their travel highchair, always utilise the child safety straps, including the crotch strap. Never forget to secure the safety straps that attach the booster to the chair it's sitting on. Before placing your child in the travel highchair, double, triple, quadruple check that the seat is fastened securely to your kitchen chair. You shouldn't see any movement in the booster highchair when properly fastened.

"Don't place your travel highchair near the counter or the table. Just one hard push against these surfaces can tip the chair right over.

"Never leave your child alone in a highchair, travel highchair or not.

"If you're considering using a travel highchair that hooks onto a table, they may not work well with round, thinner or lightweight tables. The table must be heavy enough to support your child's weight without tipping over and make sure it securely locks to the table. Once attached properly, there should be zero movement and your child's feel should not be able to reach the table support where they could push against it and dislodge the seat.

"Be very diligent about checking the age and weight limits before placing your child in a travel highchair".

Summary of Dr. Karp's safety advice

• Make sure the highchair is sturdy
• Utilise the child safety straps
• Secure the safety straps to attach the booster to the chair
• Check the seat is fastened securely
• Don't place travel highchair near the counter or table
• Never leave your child alone in a travel highchair
• Make sure the table can support your child's weight
• Make sure it's securely locked to the table (if using a clamp-on seat)
• Make sure child cannot reahc table support with their feet
• Check age and weight limits

Can you put a booster seat on a folding chair?

Dr Karp advises that you "don't place your child's travel highchair on a folding chair. It's simply too unstable and risky."

When can I use a booster seat instead of a highchair?

"If it has a 5-point harness, it's likely safe for babies who are old enough to sit upright in a regular highchair. But again it's very important to check the age and weight requirements before using," advises Dr. Karp.

All the booster seats included in this list are not suitable until at least 6 months. If your baby cannot sit upright by themselves they should not be using a booster seat.

About our expert

About the author, we've got more feeding products just for you....

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Chloe is a Digital Reviews Writer and Coordinator for Immediate Media's Parenting team, specialising in household and trying to help parents save money. She researches and writes articles, recommending the best products, ranging from best cordless vacuums to best playpens. She has a First-Class Honours Psychology degree where she developed a strong interest in child development. During her teenage years she worked as a play worker and Brownie volunteer to support children's play.

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Home > Guide To The Best Travel Products > Best Travel High Chair: 11 Portable High Chairs And Boosters

Best Travel High Chair: 11 Portable High Chairs And Boosters

Traveling with a little one in tow brings a unique set of challenges and necessities, especially when considering mealtime on the go. High chairs are bulky, hard to transport, and critical for your child’s comfort and safety during feeding.

Enter the portable high chair—a lightweight, collapsible, and travel-friendly solution to your child’s dining needs when away from home. In my guide, I share with you my list of the best portable travel chair options for kids on the move.

These chairs are designed with the traveling family in mind, striking a balance between the conveniences of home and the demands of being on the road. When shopping for the best portable high chair for travel, several factors should be considered.

Durability is key, as you’ll want a product that withstands the rigors of travel without sacrificing comfort or safety. Another important aspect is the chair’s weight and foldability because every ounce and inch counts when packing.

You’ll also need to consider the chair’s ease of cleaning because let’s face it—you’re going to encounter some messes. Lastly, compatibility with various table types and seat adjustments can make a significant difference in how well the chair works while you’re out and about.

As you scan the market for a travel high chair, it’s essential to weigh these functionalities against one another and find the model that suits your family’s specific needs.

Whether you’re planning a dinner at a fancy restaurant or gearing up for a family picnic, the right high chair can make all the difference.

With the aim to narrow down the choices and help guide you to the best option, what follows is a look at some leading portable high chairs tailored for life on the move.

Skip Ahead To My Advice Here!

Best Portable High Chairs For On-The-Go Parents

Heading out with your little one can mean packing as if you’re outfitting a small army, but choosing the right portable high chair can lighten your load considerably.

Whether you’re visiting grandma, dining out, or enjoying a family picnic, the convenience of a secure, comfy spot for your tot to chow down can’t be overstated.

The best portable high chairs are designed to be swiftly folded down, easy to clean, and compact enough to stash in your trunk or even carry-on.

Get ready to feed your youngster with ease, wherever your adventures take you, with these top-notch options.

1. hiccapop OmniBoost Portable Booster Seat – My Favorite Portable High Chair

If you’re looking for a travel-friendly chair that offers both convenience and stability, the Hiccapop OmniBoost could be your go-to option.

• It folds down for travel and is complete with a carrying bag.
• The cover is removable and machine washable.
• Detachable and dishwasher-safe tray for easy cleanup.
• Stability is less on uneven surfaces without ‘duck feet’ attached.
• It only supports small children up to 30 pounds.
• Fabric may not be as durable as other materials over time.

For parents on the go, handling mealtime with young children can be quite the juggling act.

The hiccapop OmniBoost, Travel Booster Seat, simplifies dining away from home, coupling portability with the comforts of a high chair.

Compact in design, it folds effortlessly, perfect for fitting into your travel plans without occupying too much space.

The convenience of a machine-washable cover cannot be overstated. It is an undeniable lifesaver for those inevitable mealtime messes, ensuring that the aftermath of your little one’s eating adventures is not a permanent stain on your day.

Just slide off the cover, toss it in the wash, and you’re ready for the next meal.

Couple those features with a tray that not only swivels for stress-free seating but also pops off to be cleaned in the dishwasher, and it’s clear why this chair stands out.

Its thoughtful design removes much of the hassle associated with feeding time when one is not in the comfort of one’s own kitchen.

And let’s not forget the exceptional stability provided by the special duck feet, which give you peace of mind even when you’re dining on a soft park lawn or sandy beach .

2. Liuliuby Travel High Chair – Easy To Clean Chair

If you’re looking for a portable high chair that simplifies mealtime during travel, the Liuliuby Travel High Chair is worth considering.

• Quickly transforms a standard chair into a secure high chair
• The ultra-compact design integrates seamlessly with your travel gear
• Suitable for a wide age range with an adjustable height harness
• Limited to chair availability at your destination
• Not suitable for infants who can’t sit unassisted
• May not fit uniquely designed or oversized chairs

Taking your baby out and about shouldn’t mean a compromise on comfort and safety during meal times.

The Liuliuby Travel High Chair offers an ingenious solution: turning any regular chair into a baby-friendly seat.

Its light weight and compact nature makes it an essential travel companion that fits effortlessly into your carry-on or diaper bag.

Imagine dining out at a restaurant or visiting relatives without the hassle of a bulky high chair.

This innovative product attaches to most chairs with ease thanks to adjustable safety straps, ensuring your little one is part of the gathering at table height.

Plus, it comes with the added benefit of being machine washable, saving you from the headache of messy mealtimes.

For parents who prioritize convenience without sacrificing their baby’s comfort, this travel high chair underscores its utility with soft, cushioned fabric and a non-slip design.

It’s adjustable to grow with your child, suitable from around 6 months up to toddlerhood.

However, verify chair compatibility for your travels, as some chair designs might not fit, and be prepared to offer alternative seating if necessary.

3. Regalo My Chair Boost & Go

If you’re looking for convenience on the move, this adaptable booster seat meets your child’s needs, transforming mealtime into an effortless, secure, and tidy affair.

• Versatile 2-in-1 design that serves multiple purposes
• Foldable and lightweight for travel ease
• Easy cleaning due to mesh and nylon materials
• It may feel snug for bigger toddlers
• Some users find the buckle mechanism tricky
• No carry bag is included for transportation

When traveling with young ones, keeping them safe and comfortable during mealtime is a priority, and the Regalo My Chair Boost & Go can seamlessly fit into this role.

Its design includes a removable tray, securing your little one in place while offering ample room for their snacks and toys.

Ideal for on-the-go families, this chair is designed to be incredibly portable.

It folds down quickly, is light enough to carry with ease, and is a cinch to set up anywhere – from beach to park to grandma’s dining room.

The simplicity of the design encourages more spontaneous adventures with your child.

Cleaning up is a breeze, an essential feature for any parent.

The chair’s mesh walls and nylon bottom are meant to endure spills and crumbs, easily wiped down with a cloth and some soap.

However, keep in mind that as your child grows, they may find the fit a bit snug.

The buckle system is safe and sturdy, but it may require a bit of fiddling to secure.

It’s also worth noting that it doesn’t come with a separate carrying case, but its compact foldability makes it simple to slip into the car or stow away.

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4. inglesina fast table chair + dining tray.

If simplicity and convenience top your list, this high chair makes dining out or small-space living a breeze.

• It easily attaches to most tables
• Lightweight and collapsible for travel
• Includes carry bag for portability
• Maximum table thickness limit
• Higher price point than some alternatives
• The tray may sit a bit high for smaller infants

Traveling with children involves enough gear as it is, and dining options shouldn’t add to your load.

The Inglesina Fast Table Chair provides a secure spot for your little one right at the dinner table.

With a straightforward twist-tight coupling, it’s compatible with most tables, making meals away from home less of a hassle.

Compact living has its challenges, and saving space becomes a priority.

This high chair’s collapsible design is perfect for tight spaces, and the included carry bag means you can stow it away neatly or bring it along for the ride without it being cumbersome.

Meals should be enjoyable, not a cause for concern.

The safety and comfort provided by the high backrest, padded seat, and included 3-point safety harness mean you can relax a little while your baby joins mealtime.

The ease of setup and BPA-free materials also show that function and safety don’t have to compromise convenience or well-being.

5. Lulunemo Clip-On Chair

If you’re on the go and need a reliable seating solution for your little one, this high chair’s ease of use and portability might be ideal.

• Simplified setup on a variety of tables
• Strong safety features ensure the baby’s security
• Not compatible with certain table types
• A weight limit of 15kg may not suit older toddlers
• A storage bag is helpful but adds an extra item to carry

Ease of use is front and center with this chair. It’s designed to install on an extensive range of table thicknesses, meaning less fuss for you when it’s mealtime away from home.

Its compatibility with most tabletops is a definite plus, making it a versatile piece of gear in your travel arsenal.

The fold-flat design shines in terms of convenience and portability, making it a no-brainer for storage or those trips where space conservation is vital. The addition of a storage bag is thoughtful, ensuring that the chair remains clean and ready for action at a moment’s notice.

When it comes to your baby’s well-being, safety is non-negotiable. Fortunately, with its sturdy metal clamps and a 3-point harness, you can dine out with the confidence that your little one is snug and secure. Moreover, cleaning is effortless—take off the seat cover and toss it in the washing machine, so it’s one less hassle for you after a family meal.

6. Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit

Consider the Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit if you’re looking for a travel-friendly and versatile high chair for your little one.

• Multipurpose and highly portable design
• Incredibly user-friendly with an easy-to-clean surface
• Offers a reliable three-point safety harness
• Limited weight capacity of up to 37 pounds
• It may not be as sturdy as fixed-high chairs
• The compact design might not suit older children

Versatility makes the Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit a standout product, suitable for various activities, whether you’re indoors or out. Transitioning from a floor seat to a booster effortlessly supports your changing needs as your child grows. Equipped with a tray, the chair caters to feeding sessions and playtime alike.

Ease of use is another key feature due to its simple foldability, which fits into the included carry bag and is ideal for the on-the-go family. Its cleaning process is hassle-free, with a dishwasher-safe tray and wipeable seat, saving you the stress of messes and spills.

However, the Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit prioritizes portability and might not have the same sturdiness you would expect from a permanent high chair fixture. Furthermore, the weight limit and size mean your child might outgrow it faster than other chairs.

7. Summer Pop ‘n Sit

The Summer Pop ‘n Sit Portable Highchair is a versatile pick you should consider for its ease of use and maintenance when traveling with your little one.

• Folds compactly for ease of transport
• Machine-washable fabric for simple cleaning
• Sturdy design with a secure tray for feeding
• The tray might be too small for some preferences
• Only suitable for children up to 45 pounds
• Limited to a three-point harness rather than a five-point

Finding a highchair that can keep up with the pace of your travels can be as essential as the journey itself. The Summer Pop ‘n Sit Portable Highchair shines with a pop-and-fold design that allows for a swift setup, making mealtime manageable no matter where you find yourself.

The chair’s compact fold means it can be moved from the dining room to the car trunk in a snap, keeping the rhythm of your day uninterrupted.

Spills and messes are part and parcel of feeding toddlers, and this highchair acknowledges that reality. Thankfully, the removable and machine-washable fabric turns what could be a tedious clean-up into a hassle-free task. After meals, strip the seat and pop it into the washer. For quick on-the-go cleaning, the fabric is also easy to spot clean, keeping the chair fresh for the subsequent use.

Durability is a key factor when choosing a travel highchair, and the Summer Pop ‘n Sit doesn’t disappoint. The hard plastic tray provides a stable surface for your child’s meals and playtime, ensuring snacks stay within easy reach.

While the chair’s tray might be smaller compared to some alternatives, it’s substantial enough to handle the feeding needs of most traveling tots. Keep in mind, though, that the chair accommodates children up to 45 pounds—so larger toddlers may outgrow it. The usage of a three-point harness over a five-point might be a drawback for those seeking added security. Nonetheless, this highchair is a strong contender for your child’s travel needs.

8. YOLEO Travel High Chair

For those who need a space-saving and travel-friendly high chair, the YOLEO Travel High Chair is a solid choice. It offers comfort and adaptability for your baby.

• Adjustable height for table compatibility
• Folds flat for easy transport and storage
• Simple to clean design
• Small tray size may not fit larger plates
• Limited cushioning compared to some models
• Harness could be more robust for active children

Traveling with little ones often means having to compromise on everyday comforts, but the YOLEO Travel High Chair lets you maintain a semblance of your home routine. Its compact design means it won’t take up much space in your luggage or car, and its foldable nature ensures that setup and breakdown are a breeze.

Eating out with a baby can sometimes be challenging, but this high chair turns any regular dining chair into a safe spot for your child to enjoy their meals. The adjustable

straps provide a secure fit, ensuring peace of mind during use. You’ll also find the ease of cleaning to be a significant plus; a quick wipe is all it takes to keep things hygienic.

Balance is essential when considering convenience and comfort. The YOLEO High Chair offers several levels of height adjustment, accommodating your child’s growth and various table heights.

However, while it is easy to install, the tray’s size may limit the use of some plates, and the cushioning is basic, so you might want to add extra padding for extended meal times. The safety harness is functional, but those with particularly wriggly children may seek additional security features.

9. Ciao! Baby Portable Seat

If you’re on the move with your little one, this chair fits the bill for easy dining anywhere.

• Unfolds and collapses within seconds
• Lightweight design for effortless transport
• Easy-to-clean materials for mess-free meals
• The tray may slant toward the child
• Not suitable for older toddlers
• Requires two people to strap in an active baby

Dining out with your baby can be a hassle. That’s where the Ciao! Baby Portable High Chair shines—its effortless setup makes mealtime a breeze, even when you’re far from home. Collapsibility is a core feature, reducing the chair to a manageable size, akin to a camp chair, that you can stow in your car, ready for your next adventure.

Portability is a key concern when traveling with babies. This chair’s lightweight build means you won’t have to carry extra weight, allowing for spontaneous picnics or seaside snacks without the strain.

Safety is paramount, and while this chair ticks the box with its harness, it’s important to note the tray’s angle, which might cause dishes to slide. It’s also tailored to the younger audience; your growing toddler may outgrow it faster than you’d hope.

Securing the wriggly ones alone can be challenging, but once they’re in, you are all set for a relaxed meal with a view.

10. Chicco FastLock Hook-On Chair

This Chicco FastLock Hook-On Chair is a great addition for families on the move, combining portability, ease of cleaning, and the eco-friendly approach you value.

• Attachable to a wide range of tables and counters with secure grip to stay in place
• Fabric is made from recycled plastics, making it an eco-conscious choice
• Folds flat, facilitating storage and making it very travel-friendly
• Might not fit every table design, especially thicker ones
• Rubberized feet and clamps could potentially mark delicate surfaces without proper care
• At 5 pounds, it might be slightly heavy for some to carry around frequently

When you’re out and about, it can be a hassle to find a safe, clean spot for your little one to enjoy a meal. This is where the Chicco FastLock Hook-On Chair shines. It latches onto most tables in seconds, ensuring your child is snug and right up against the table with the rest of the family.

Its smart design caters to the needs of busy parents who yearn for convenience without compromising on safety.

Eco-friendly initiatives are increasingly important, and the Chair aligns with this vision. It offers an environmentally responsible choice by opting for fabrics derived from recycled plastics.

The simplicity of maintenance, with a wipeable and machine-washable seat pad, adds to its practicality. Post-mealtime spills won’t become a permanent feature of your day.

The ease in which it collapses down to a compact form factor makes the Chair ideal for storage at home or in a car. You’ll appreciate how straightforward it is to bring along to restaurants, visits to family, or even vacations.

Affordable, sturdy, and with a thoughtful design, this hook-on high chair supports your dynamic lifestyle seamlessly.

11. Fader Baby High Chair

If convenience and safety are top priorities for your little one’s dining experiences while traveling, the Fader Baby High Chair could be your go-to option.

• Strong weight-bearing capacity suitable for ages 6-36 months
• Foldable and portable, ideal for on-the-go families
• Equipped with a secure 5-point safety belt
• Material may not be as soft as some desire
• Not suitable for glass or uneven tables
• Dry clean only, which could be inconvenient

When it comes to feeding your baby while away from home, comfort and safety are key. This high chair attaches firmly to a variety of table surfaces, ensuring a secure seat for your child.

It’s also designed with portability in mind, folding down conveniently for travel or storage. Its sturdy alloy steel construction can support children weighing up to 40 pounds, lending peace of mind to you during meal times.

Equipped with a 5-point safety belt, this chair keeps your little one safely in place, which is essential in any busy household or restaurant.

Also, the water-resistant fabric makes clean-up from inevitable spills a breeze. Moreover, this chair is easy to assemble, saving precious time for parents who are already juggling a million tasks.

An important factor to consider is the chair’s compatibility with your dining setting. It’s not designed for use with glass or uneven table surfaces, so make sure your typical dining spots can accommodate this seat.

Additionally, the fabric, while durable, is not the softest against baby’s skin and requires dry cleaning, which might be a factor if you’re after convenience or have a particularly messy eater.

In sum, the Fader Baby High Chair is a robust, portable option for families who are often on the move. It blends the practical need for a safe, washable space for your child to eat with the convenience of portability, providing a reliable dining solution for parents and comfort for your child.

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Which Type Of Portable Chair Is For You?

I have compiled the most common portable kids’ travel chair questions and will give you the answers! First things first, there are a few different  types of travel chairs to take into consideration

1. Travel High Chair

This is the part of a highchair that the child sits in without the legs. It sits on the top of a chair with your child strapped in.

2. Foldable Booster Seat

This type of travel baby chair also attaches to a seat; It can also be used as a general seat and for eating. The booster conveniently folds down for travel ease.

3. Clamp-On Seat

This type of chair bolts onto the table’s edge, with the seat in mid-air. Totally safe, of course!

High Chair Safety & Aspects To Look For

Safety features.

Your child’s safety is paramount. Look for a sturdy build and a strong harness system—ideally a five-point harness—and check for stability to prevent tipping.

Portability & Size

Consider how easy it is to carry the chair when folded. Lightness and compactness are key for travel.

Ease of Cleaning

You’ll want a high chair that is easy to clean. Look for smooth surfaces with fewer crevices and, if possible, removable and machine-washable covers.

Adjustability

Opt for a chair with adjustable trays and height settings to accommodate your growing child and varying table heights.

Compatibility

Make sure the portable high chair fits various table types and sizes. It should attach securely to most dining surfaces.

High Chairs And Boosters FAQs

When you’re planning to dine out with your little one, having the right portable high chair can make all the difference. Find answers to common questions below to pick the perfect travel companion for your infant or toddler’s mealtime.

What are the top-rated portable high chairs for infants when dining out?

The Ciao! Baby Portable Travel High Chair and the Summer Infant Pop and Sit Portable Highchair are highly praised by parents. They offer reliability and convenience, making them top picks for dining on the go.

How do hook-on high chairs compare to traditional travel high chairs?

Hook-on high chairs attach directly to the table, saving floor space and encouraging family dining experiences. They tend to be more compact than traditional travel high chairs, but always ensure the table is sturdy enough to support them.

Are there portable high chair options suitable for older toddlers?

Yes, there are portable high chairs designed to grow with your child, such as the Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat. They often have adjustable height settings to accommodate older toddlers.

What should I look for in a travel high chair to ensure it’s safe and comfortable?

Prioritize a travel high chair with a sturdy frame, secure harness, and ample padding. Also, look for one with easy-to-clean surfaces for a hygienic dining experience for your child.

Can compact foldable high chairs be as sturdy and reliable as full-sized ones?

Absolutely. Many compact foldable high chairs are designed with strong materials and stable designs. The Joovy Nook High Chair is one example known for combining compact folding with sturdiness.

What are some lightweight high chair alternatives for on-the-go meal times?

For something even lighter, consider the My Little Seat Travel Highchair or a fabric seat harness that can attach to regular chairs. These options are not only featherlight but also fold down, small enough to fit in your diaper bag.

There you have it. Now, you have the best high chair options for your upcoming travels.

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FindYourMomTribe » Mom picks » For kids

18 Best Travel High Chairs Of 2022 Ranked

By Author Ivana Davies

Posted on Last updated: January 27, 2022

The baby high chair is a staple of every parent’s kitchen and the place where all the spaghetti sauce spilling happens! But, when you’re on the road, packing your bulky high chair simply isn’t an option. Enter the travel high chair !

With a travel-friendly high chair, you can make spending the weekend at grandma’s house or your annual summer camping trip easier than ever. These models are lightweight, compact, and fold easily. What else could you need?

But, the features don’t stop there. Many portable high chairs include trays for snacks or food, in addition to a safety harness to prevent your little Houdini from climbing out when you’re not looking.

Some brands make travel-friendly high chairs with height adjustments so you can modify the high chair as your child grows and keep him comfortable and secure.

A high chair for travel isn’t only perfect for holidays or restaurant outings. If you have a small kitchen with minimal floor space, or just want to avoid buying a giant high chair, some of the suggestions on my list will be right up your alley.

The best part is – travel high chairs are generally more affordable than the standard ones, so you’ll be saving money, too.

1. Graco Swivi Seat 3-In-1 Booster

• Booster is designed to grow with your child from infant feedings to up to table toddler booster meals
• The unique swiveling booster rotates, conveniently positioning baby for mealtimes and for bonding interaction with the whole family
• The only highchair featuring true infant cradle recline design, for baby’s earliest feedings
• Infant recline cradles baby perfectly for early feedings or as an early seat right at the table with the rest of the family
• Plush head and body support keeps baby comfy for early feedings and removes as your growing child needs more room

Prices pulled from the Amazon Product Advertising API on:

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Although this chair cannot be collapsed which makes it more difficult to transport, it’s still worth your consideration because it’s rather compact (it doesn’t have any legs) and you can pack it in your car and easily take it to grandpa and grandma’s house for the weekend.

Plus, it includes all the functionality of a standard high chair, without taking up all that space in your kitchen. Simply hook it to a dining chair and your baby will be able to take part in family meals from day one. There is a tray included but you can remove it once your kiddo gets big enough to eat at the table.

Even better is that you only need to use one hand to remove the tray which is a really neat feature for any high chair, not just the portable ones.

The chair can be converted into a booster and there are 3-point and 5-point harnesses for your child’s safety. 

One of my favorite features of the Graco Swivi Seat is that you can rotate it in different directions, so you don’t have to move the entire chair for feedings or to be closer to your baby. This also means that it’s super easy for the other parent or caregiver to take over feeding duties during the meal.

You’ll love that the seat pad can be washed in the washing machine and you can even remove the infant insert which provides extra support to little munchkins .

The high chair can be used by kids up to 40 pounds but the booster can be used until your kiddo is 50 pounds.

2. Ingenuity Baby Base 2-In-1 Seat

• Wipeable feeding seat and washable tray for easier cleaning
• Safe & secure baby seat for sitting up. Age Minimum (months) - 6 months
• Converts from baby booster to toddler seat
• Removable tray stores neatly under the booster seat
• 3-point harness & safety strap keep baby s

A seat that’s perfect for both meals and playtime, the Ingenuity Baby Base will suit all your traveling needs as it’s very lightweight and compact. I love that the feeding tray can be detached and stored below the seat. And although the tray is on the smaller side, it still includes a cupholder .

You can pick from a handful of bright colors, making this one of the most stylish high chair boosters around.

For the safety of your child, there is a 3-point harness .

This seat can be used from 6 months of age until your child reaches 50 pounds, so it’s going to stay in your family for a while – good thing that durability is an important feature of the Ingenuity Baby Base.

What’s more, it doesn’t necessarily only need to be used when you’re on the road – this can be the high chair that you use on a daily basis and save plenty of space in your kitchen.

I love that there is no fabric on this seat that could potentially get stained and need cleaning. In case of spills, simply wipe the seat down and you’re good to go.

Finally, the Ingenuity Baby Base is quite affordable, especially when compared to standard high chairs that aren’t as portable and compact as this one.

3. Baby Delight Go With Me Chair

• Portable chair seats from baby (approximately 3 months) to 75 lb. child. Patented feature: as the baby grows, the seat can unvelcro to reveal two leg holes perfect for letting baby stand with support. Easy to set up.
• 5 point removable harness keeps baby secure and comfortable.
• Removable snack tray, sun canopy and carry bag included.
• Great for all outdoor activities: camping, sporting events, beach, etc. Indoor/outdoor polyester fabric is resistant to fading, stains, and mold.
• Dimensions: 24.5 tall x 23 wide x 22.75 deep Weight: 4.9 lbs. Folds to: 8 x 8 x 2

With an included sun canopy, the Go With Me chair by Baby Delight is one of the best baby high chairs for outdoor activities and traveling. You can go to the beach or spend a weekend in the outdoors and not have to worry about sun exposure.

Apart from that, the Go With Me chair is made to last, with an age and weight range that far surpasses any other model on this list as it can be used by babies who are at least 3 months old until they reach 75 pounds. As your baby grows, the seat will transform from a traditional high chair into a mini camping chair for your kiddo.

There is a detachable tray for food or toys and the canopy can be removed, as well, giving you room to customize the chair to your needs. Your baby will be kept safe and protected by the 5-point harness and the seat is padded to keep him comfortable and in an upright position.

When your munchkin gets bigger, you can even remove the seat and allow your baby to stand up in the chair (there are leg holes placed specifically for this purpose) and be more active. The holes for the legs are covered with netting, keeping them protected.

As your baby grows into a toddler and then into a big kid, you can permanently remove the tray or keep it for lunches or playtime. With the chair, you’ll also receive a travel bag to make packing easy. 

Unfortunately, the material of the chair isn’t machine washable but it’s fairly easy to wipe down, so I wouldn’t consider this to be a dealbreaker.

4. Fisher-Price SpaceSaver High Chair

• All the features of a full-size high chair in half the space!
• Infant high chair & toddler booster in one: customize with 2 height adjustments & 3 recline positions
• Dishwasher-safe seat, tray & bonus tray insert for easy cleanup
• Machine-washable seat pad & 5-point harness
• Deep-dish tray design helps keep your little one from pushing food off the t

Although this Fisher-Price travel high chair is certainly more expensive than other portable booster seats and high chairs, it offers plenty of functionality and quality in return. First of all, it can fit kiddos up to 50 pounds so your baby will be using it for a long time. And it’s lightweight, so you can carry it anywhere.

The detachable feeding tray includes a cupholder and a small handle that you can use to hang a bib or a kitchen towel. You can recline the seat in 3 ways and it even transforms into a toddler booster seat . The high chair isn’t the only part that is adjustable – the harness, for example, can be modified from a 5-point to a 3-point harness .

The seat pad is washing machine -friendly and durable against all sorts of spills and stains but you can also purchase extra seat pads to always have a clean one ready.

Even though the SpaceSaver is a compact and travel-friendly model, it’s also a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an affordable high chair for everyday use that won’t take up too much floor space. 

5. Inglesina Fast Table Chair

• EASY & SECURE SETUP - Inglesinas Fast Table Chair fits tables up to 3.3 thick and is perfect for use at home or while traveling. The easy twist-tight coupling is fast and secure and gives your baby a seat at the table.
• PORTABLE, COLLAPSIBLE DESIGN - Complete with an integrated travel-friendly carry bag, the Fast Table Chair is easy to pack and always within reach.
• DURABLE & WASHABLE MATERIALS - Ideal for babies & toddlers between 6 and 36 months, and up to 37 pounds, the durable & washable design ensures this product will serve for years.
• HANDY STORAGE POCKET - The functional design includes a convenient storage pocket to ensure immediate access to wipes, toys, snacks and more.
• ITALIAN DESIGN - Inspired by the elegant carriages seen in British Court, Inglesina has been designing quality strollers, highchairs and table chairs since 1963, with a focus on safety, practicality, and utilizing the finest materia

Although models that look like camping chairs are perfect for outdoor trips with the whole family, there are instances when you don’t need to take an entire chair with you, such as when you’re going to a restaurant.

In this case, the Inglesina chair will be your new best friend. It weighs a little over 4 pounds and is foldable, so you’ll easily be able to travel with it. In addition, you don’t have to think about table height as this chair fits most tables, regardless of height.

As for the weight limit , your baby will be able to eat in the Inglesina chair until he reaches a weight of 37 pounds. The minimum age limit, however, is 6 months.

The back of the chair includes a nifty pocket to store toys, snacks, or whatever else you might need during your meal. But, my favorite feature of the Inglesina chair is that it allows your little one to eat together with the entire family just like in a regular chair , instead of sitting separately from everyone else.

This model comes in 9 colors, so you can take your pick of bright and bold colors, or simply go with classic black. You can also purchase additional accessories, such as their table tray.

Although this model is slightly pricier than some of the chairs below, you can rest assured you’ll be getting a high-quality piece of baby gear that will last you in the years to come – even for a second child!

6. Chicco Caddy Hook-On Chair

• Twist-to-tighten design fastens securely to most tables
• Soft-grip arms firmly clamp onto table without scratching
• Compact fold for travel and storage convenience
• Removable seat cover for easy cleaning and care
• High-back cushioned support for added comf

The hook-on high chair by Chicco is another option for you to consider, especially if you’d like to be more mindful of your budget . It comes in 2 colors – red and grey, making both choices a great gender-neutral baby shower present.

Like the model above, this chair attaches to your dining table, allowing your little one to eat alongside the rest of the family. It includes a compact fold feature, allowing you to take the chair when you’re traveling, going on holiday, or simply going out to eat but would rather avoid using the restaurant’s chairs.

Along with the 3-point harness , the backrest includes a cushion to make sitting down and eating more comfortable for your child.

I love that the cover of the seat can be removed for a more thorough cleaning. Unfortunately, this chair doesn’t come with a feeding tray but I wouldn’t consider that to be a dealbreaker, especially if you’re only planning on using it periodically.

Your baby will be able to eat in this chair until he’s 37 pounds.

7. Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit SE High Chair

• INDOOR/OUTDOOR DINING – Whether you’re indoors or out, eating, snacking or just playing, every parent knows a baby high chair is a must have. The Summer Pop ‘n Sit SE highchair is for use from 6 months – 45 pounds.
• COMPACT FOLD – With an innovative pop and fold design plus a fast, easy and compact fold, you can have a space saver high chair and even use the Pop ‘n Sit as a travel high chair!
• EASY CLEANUP – Things can get messy with high chairs for babies and toddlers, but cleanup is a breeze with the Pop ‘n Sit high chairs. They have a removable, machine-washable fabric and include a removable and dishwasher-safe tray with cup holder.
• WET / DRY BAG - This wipe-clean bag easily detaches from the baby and toddler high chair, allowing you to take it with you on-the-go.
• INCLUDES – The Summer Pop ‘n Sit SE Highchair also includes a storage pocket, 3-point safety harness, and a carry b

The Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit chair is one of the best portable high chairs around as it works great indoors and outdoors without sacrificing functionality and comfort.

The first thing you should know about this chair is that the seat cover is machine washable , so there’s no need to waste time trying to wipe off any food stains. But keep in mind that this model only has a 3-point harness , instead of a 5-point one.

You can rest assured that your little one won’t be able to tip the chair over as the legs flare out, adding extra stability.

What sets this model apart from many others is the neat little pocket on the side of the chair where you can store snacks, toys, wet wipes, or anything else you need on your trip. Even better, you can unzip it from the chair and use it separately.

You can detach the removable tray and wash it in the dishwasher and there is a cupholder for your baby’s drink, too.

As for the weight and age limit, this chair is suitable for kids from 6 months of age until they reach a weight of 45 pounds. When you’re traveling, you’ll like that the chair folds up easily and you can use the included travel bag to store it.

And even though this is an affordable travel high chair, it has a very cute black and white stripe design and you can pick between two colors – pink and blue.

8. Munchkin Brica GoBoost Travel Booster Seat

• Ultra portable with a strong and stable internal frame
• Includes storage for bottles, diapers and more
• Durable and easy to clean materials
• Xtra-Grip traction pads provide a no-slip grip on chairs for increased stability
• Folds neatly and includes a convenient carrying st

This Munchkin booster is made with older kiddos in mind, from 12 months to 3 years of age (or up to 50 pounds). It’s foldable and lightweight but what really sets it apart from the other boosters and high chairs on this list is the storage space below the seat.

You can use it to store extra diapers, toys, wipes, or anything else you might need during mealtime at your favorite restaurant. The bottom of the seat is equipped with special pads to prevent the seat from sliding off the chair, especially useful if you have an active tot.

Once it’s folded, you can throw it over your shoulder like a messenger bag and go about your day – it only weighs a little over 2 pounds!

9. Summer Infant Pop ‘n Sit Portable Booster Chair

• INDOOR/OUTDOOR USE – The Summer Pop ‘n Sit Booster Baby Seat is an activity floor seat and booster all in one, and can be used both indoors and outside! For 6 months – 4 years (up to 37 pounds).
• ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION – Whether you need booster seats at a restaurant, a chair at the park or even a floor seat for activity time at home, this portable booster seat can do it all! Plus, the compact fold and included carry bag makes storage simple.
• COMPACT FOLD – With an innovative pop and fold design plus a fast, easy and compact fold, you can have a space saver high chair and even use the Pop ‘n Sit booster as a travel high chair at restaurants and more.
• EASY CLEANUP – Things can get messy with booster seats, but cleanup is a breeze with the Pop ‘n Sit high back booster seat. It has a removable dishwasher-safe, BPA free tray.
• INCLUDES – The Summer Pop ‘n Sit Booster Seat includes a storage pocket, 3-point safety harness, chair straps, and carry b

This is an adorable little high chair by Summer Infant, designed with both indoor and outdoor use in mind. With a limit of 37 pounds, it comes in 4 different colors.

There is a small tray (without a cupholder ) for toys and food that can be washed in the dishwasher. Its compact design allows you to fold the chair up and put it in the carry bag for storage or when you’re on the go.

It only has a 3-point harness , however, so keep this in mind if this is a big concern for you.

10. Ciao ! Baby Portable High Chair For Babies And Toddlers

• THE CIAO BABY DIFFERENCE - Having a baby can mean a big change to the way we enjoy our favorite outdoor activities. Lightweight and foldable, ciao! baby highchairs make it easy to enjoy life on the go and bring your little ones along for the ride.
• SLIM & FOLDABLE - The ultimate space-saver, this high chair unfolds easily, locks into place, and folds back up in seconds. No assembly required. With its slim design, you can easily store one in your car for easy access.
• EASY TO CLEAN FEEDING TRAY - Portable and compact enough for travel, beach days, picnics, camping, vacations, tailgating, and more. This collapsible highchair includes a built-in feeding tray and cup holder. The chair is made of durable nylon fabric and the tray is covered in clear vinyl that easily wipes clean with water.
• FIVE POINT SAFETY HARNESS - Meets US American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and EU European high chair safety standards and all Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) guidelines including lead, phthalates and flammability. Keep your little ones safe and secure!
• HOLDS UP TO 35 POUNDS- ciao! baby high chairs meet the highest safety standards, fold and lock in seconds, clean easily, and grow with your baby from infant to toddler. This chair comes with a convenient carrying bag and holds up to 35 pounds. Make life easier with ciao! ba

Parents that love traveling, and especially camping, shouldn’t need to say goodbye to their outdoor adventures just because they now have a baby. And the Ciao ! Baby chair was designed with just that in mind – allowing active parents to take their little one with on all of their outings in nature.

A key feature of this model is that it’s foldable . This means you can easily keep it in your car or garage without the chair taking up plenty of space and simply unfold it when it’s mealtime . With the chair, you’ll get a neat carry bag , too. Another bonus is that it doesn’t need any assembly which comes in handy when you’re busy setting up the tent.

The chair also comes with a tray for your baby’s food and a small cup holder . The tray is covered with a see-through material that’s easy to clean.

The 5-point harness will keep your little one sitting firmly in place during dinner, no matter how wriggly he gets!

The Ciao ! Baby travel high chair has a maximum weight limit of 35 pounds but weighs 8 pounds, so portability won’t be an issue.

11. Baby Delight Go With Me Uplift Deluxe Portable High Chair

• PORTABLE HIGH CHAIR // Provides a quick and convenient spot for your little one to eat or play, from 3-36 months.
• DURABLE FABRIC // The Uplift is standard table height and is made of durable indoor/outdoor fabric that can be easily wiped clean.
• FULLY REMOVABLE TRAY // Includes a convenient cup holder for sippy cups or bottles and is wide enough for a plate. Tray is also dishwasher safe.
• ADDED SAFETY // The five-point harness, along with a stable flared leg system provides added safety for your baby.
• QUICK AND MOBILE // Simply lift up on each latch to fold and fit into the included carrying bag. The Uplift is easy to carry wherever you go.
• JPMA Certif

There are a number of similarities between this Baby Delight travel high chair and the Ciao ! Baby one above. First off, it can be folded, allowing you to set it up quickly. It’s also great for outdoor use and the fabric is designed in a way that makes cleaning quick and easy. The tray includes a cup holder , too.

I love that the tray is made from a sturdy plastic material so food will stay where it’s supposed to and won’t slide off. You’ll also be happy to know that the tray can be removed and is dishwasher safe . This makes it a great option for eating indoors, too, whether you’re visiting family or going to a restaurant.

This model also comes with a neat bag for storage and travel.

For the safety of your little munchkin , there is a 5-point safety harness . In addition, the legs of the chair flare out, which minimizes the chances of the chair tipping over and hurting your child.

Unfortunately, you can’t wash the seat cover in the washing machine , so you’ll need to wipe it down if your baby makes a mess.

This chair is a great option for parents who are looking for a model that will grow with their child, as it’s appropriate for babies from 6 months to 3 years of age.

12. Phil&Teds Lobster Clip-On High Chair

• SUPER LIGHT & COMPACT - Aluminum frame with padded back support and a shoulder harness system weighing in under 4 pounds
• ADAPTABLE - Robust aluminum clamps with non slip grip pads fit tables from 0.8 up to 3.75 thick and suitable for indoor and outdoor use
• SAFE & SECURE - Globally safety certified design can accommodate a child 3 months to 3 years up to a max weight of 37 pounds
• HYGIENIC - Includes a dishwasher safe tray and travel bag that fits easily into diaper bags, purses, and stroller gear baskets
• STYLISH - so stylish you’ll be turning heads at every table you clip on

An alternative to the Inglesina chair is this model by Phil&Teds. And if you’re only interested in a clip-on chair, you’ll be really happy with all the extra accessories that are already included with the Lobster model.

One such accessory is the tray that allows you to keep the baby food separate from the surface of the table, which is perfect for restaurants. And with the travel bag , you can take the chair anywhere you go. Since it weighs a little under 4 pounds, you won’t even notice that you’re carrying it over your shoulder.

It’s so compact that you can pop it in the storage basket of your baby stroller !

The frame of the chair is made from stainless steel, making for a sturdy and durable seat for your little one so you don’t need to worry about whether the seat will hold up.

Another great feature of the Lobster is the 4- point harness to keep your baby firmly in place. What’s more, the shoulder straps are padded to make sitting in the chair as comfy as possible.

The chair is suitable for babies up to 37 pounds. It’s a great choice not just for when you’re on-the-go but also to use at home, especially if you’re not a fan of the bulkier models or have a smaller kitchen or dining room.

13. Regalo My Chair 2-in-1 Portable Travel Booster Seat & Activity Chair

• 2-IN-1 DESIGN: perfect travel booster with oversized removable tray for extra space. Great for use as an activity chair, on-go, at the park, camping, beach or Grandmas house
• PORTABLE: designed with a simple fold and go deign. Lightweight and no set up required
• INDOOR AND OUTDOOR: Includes a carry case with arm strap for travel, on the go or storage. Great for indoor or outdoor use
• EASY CLEAN: Designed with a ventilating mesh walls and a nylon bottom for easy clean up. Simply hand wash and wipe down with a damp cloth and soap to keep it fresh and sanitary
• SAFETY: Made with an all-steel frame and reinforced stitching. Includes safety-lock feature and meets all safety standard. Perfect for children 9-36 months and up to 37 pou

The Regalo chair is a fantastic choice if you’re a family that likes to go camping or spends a lot of time outdoors. It includes a detachable tray, complete with a small cupholder .

You can place it on the ground and use it as a mini camping chair or attach it to a dining chair , allowing your baby to eat together with the rest of the family. The material the seat is made from (nylon) is easy to clean off in case of spills.

Regalo gets another bonus point when it comes to ease of use with the foldable feature, and you can use the included carry bag to make traveling easier. As the chair weighs only a little over 3 pounds, this is definitely going to be one of your favorite baby products to carry around.

Although this chair probably won’t be your first choice for everyday indoor use, it’s ultra -practical when it comes to outdoor use. And it’s super affordable, too!

14. Chicco Pocket Snack Boost e r Seat

• Quick set-up; easy and compact fold
• Sturdy metal legs adjust to three height positions
• Removable tray adjusts to three positions
• Three-point harness. Suitable for a child 6-36 months and weighing up to 50 pounds
• Anti-slip, non-marking feet
• Removable tray adjusts to three positi

If you’re looking for a versatile travel high chair that won’t break the bank, look no further than this Chicco chair. Both the tray and the chair’s legs have 3 height adjustments , so you can adjust the level as your baby grows and make sure that the chair is comfortable and safe.

This model is only supposed to be used on a chair and not on its own – you can use the straps to fasten it to the chair. You don’t need to assemble it prior to use as the chair is foldable , just snap the tray into place and you’re good to go.

No need to worry that the feet of the chair will slide off and cause an accident since they are designed to prevent slippage and not scratch your precious furniture.

What’s more, this chair can seat a child up to 50 pounds which gives it a big advantage over many other models with much lower weight limitations. There is a 3-point safety harness included to keep your child secure in his seat.

Although it’s clear that the Pocket Snack chair isn’t as stylish as some of the other booster seats and portable high chairs , it’s lightweight and folds up quickly, which are two key features of every travel-friendly high chair. 

Plus, your child will be able to use it for much longer than other high chairs whose weight limit falls within the 30 to 40-pound range.

15. The First Years On-The-Go Booster Seat

• Full-Size Booster Seat: On-The-Go Booster Seat Self-inflates with an adjustable height up to 4 inches with easy inflating valve.
• Secure : Adjustable safety belt of the booster seat with T-restraint helps hold your child securely
• Convenient Carrying Handle: Booster seat is lightweight and compact - perfect for travel
• SUITABLE FOR: Ages 9 months and up
• Note: Item does not defl

For parents who want a very light and travel-friendly high chair they can throw into a diaper bag and always have it at the ready, this First Years booster is an excellent choice. Your baby can use it from 9 months of age but don’t be fooled by its compact appearance – it can handle kids up to 50 pounds, so you’ll get plenty of use from it.

What sets this seat apart from other models on my list is the fact that it’s inflatable , so when it’s folded up, it’s much lighter and more portable than other seats. You can inflate it by pulling open a plug on the seat and then closing it once it’s fully inflated. To deflate it, simply pull the plug again.

Equipped with a small handle, you can carry it like a tiny messenger bag. There is even a mesh pocket on the side for small accessories.

When it comes to safety features, there is a 3-point harness you can adjust to your baby’s growth. Unfortunately, if any food gets on the seat, it might be difficult to clean as it’s covered with fabric. However, you’re likely to only use it for restaurant outings or when visiting friends and family, so it shouldn’t be a big issue.

If you’re looking for a portable chair for your baby that you can also use at home on an everyday basis, then this is probably not the best choice. But, if you only need something to avoid using the boosters at restaurants, then it’s a great and affordable option.

16. Smart N Comfy 3-In-1 Portable High Chair + Toddler Safety Harness + Shopping Cart Safety Strap

• MULTIPLE USE 3 IN 1 - This is a multipurpose safety harness for toddlers that can be used as a portable/travel high chair, shopping cart safety strap and walking harness/leash.
• CONVENIENT TO CARRY AROUND - Being lightweight and compact, this harness can be easily stored without taking up much space. You can use it at home, restaurant and also when traveling.
• SUPERIOR QUALITY FABRIC - The Toddler safety harness is made with high quality fabric to ensure softness and durability. It is equipped with breathable inner lining for sufficient air flow.
• VERSATILE - The harness is easily adjustable with the growing age of children. Also, the strap is 33 inches long to accommodate parents with above-average height. It also feature a front pocket to keep a pacifier or hanky clean and handy.
• EASY TO CLEAN - It is really easy to clean the harness. Light stains can be easily removed by wiping. The harness can be washed for tougher stains and spil

The Smart N Comfy toddler harness can be used both as a safety strap for shopping carts and as a high chair for babies who are at least 6 months of age and can hold their own head up. It’s compact and you won’t have any trouble fitting it into your luggage when you’re packing for your next trip.

It’s made from a machine washable fabric so any food stains or spills can be handled quickly and it’s comfortable enough for a baby to sit in.

You might not need to use it as a toddler safety harness but if you do, you should know that the strap measures 33 inches in length, so it can be used by parents of different heights.

17. Summer Infant Sit ‘n Style Compact Folding Booster Seat

• Removable, dishwasher safe tray
• 3-point restraint system and chair straps to secure booster to chair
• Tray folds underneath seat creating storage space
• Compact fold for storage and portability
• One-hand, easy carry han

A portable and easy to clean booster, the Summer Infant Sit ‘n Style booster is a model worth considering. It includes a tray for food and toys that you can pop in the dishwasher without a second thought and when you’re not using it, simply fold it below the chair until you need it again.

Most importantly, this booster is foldable and even comes with a handle, making it easy to carry from point A to point B. What’s more, it weighs just a little over 4 pounds.

As for safety features, there is a 3-point harness .

The Sit ‘n Style chair comes in a very stylish white and green color and you can bet everyone will be asking where you got it!

18. The Original Easy Seat

• PORTABLE HIGH CHAIR - It’s your High Chair that you can take with you anywhere. Whether you are heading over to a friend’s house or out to dinner with the family, your portable easy seat makes it easy to take your baby with you & makes feeding time effortless.
• FITS OVER THE TOP OF A CHAIR - To use, simply slide the reinforced hood over the top of the chair wherever you are. You will find it’s fast and convenient to setup.
• JUST ONE CLICK TO SECURE - Once you have your Easy Seat over the top of the chair all you need to do is pull the strap around to the back of the chair and secure it. From there it’s just ‘One Click’ to join the two ends together and pull to tighten as required.
• 5-POINT SAFETY HARNESS FOR BABY - It takes just seconds to slide your little one safely into your Easy Seat. You then secure him/her in place with the two shoulder straps. With just two more clicks on the shoulder straps you will have a baby that is happy, secure, safe and involved as part of the group’. All safety straps and stitch points are reinforced for added safety.
• MACHINE WASHABLE + CARRY BAG - With its matching carry bag, the Easy Seat fits conveniently in your diaper bag or purse, so you always have it with you when you are out and about with baby. We have babies ourselves, so we understand that little ones can make a mess. For this reason, we have designed it to be ‘Machine Washable’. If it gets dirty simply pop it in the wash. Many Moms like us, have two Easy Seats, so that one can be in the wash and one on the go alwa

An affordable and stylish option, the Easy Seat is a favorite of moms everywhere who want a simple and lightweight option they can use at home and on the go. In fact, you’ll find it hard to find a model that’s easier to fold because the Easy Seat is made from polyester fabric (which is machine washable , by the way) so you can easily throw it in your bag.

And, because it’s so budget-friendly, you can get more than one to always have a clean Easy Seat at the ready.

To use it, just place the hood of the seat onto the back of the chair, secure it, and then place the baby into the seat. Make sure your baby is safely strapped in with the 5-point harness and voila! You’re good to go. 

The Easy Seat is safe to use for babies who are at least 6 months old and can hold their own head up until they reach a weight of 35 pounds. Granted, this is not a big weight range but considering the price, it’s more than acceptable.

How To Pick The Best Portable Travel High Chair For You

With so many different travel-friendly high chairs available, how can you possibly know which one is best for you? Here are some key factors you should take into account while shopping for a high chair to take with you on the go.

Where you’re planning on using it

This is a key question you should ask yourself before purchasing any kind of high chair. There are clip-on chairs, boosters, foldable high chairs… Each is useful in its own right but if you already have a standard high chair at home that’s taking up space, you probably want something compact that you’ll only use when you’re out and about.

But, if you’re pregnant or have a baby who isn’t old enough to use a high chair yet (and you haven’t purchased one already) then you might want to explore the option of getting a model similar to the Inglesina Fast chair that you can easily transport wherever you’re going.

If you’re a nature-loving family, you’ll probably find models that look like camping chairs most useful as you can set them up anywhere and don’t have to rely on tables or chairs.

By weight, I mean the weight of the chair and not your baby, although this is important, too. Some portable chairs for kids are lighter than others, and you can even pack them in your luggage when you’re going on holiday – others, not so much. 

If you’re fairly certain you’ll only be using the high chair when visiting friends, family, or while eating out, then having a heavier or bulkier high chair won’t be an issue as you can keep it in the trunk of your car.

For parents who like to be on the go and travel a lot, I definitely recommend fabric models that you can fold up and keep in your bag with your other baby things .

Ease of use

When you’re hungry at the end of a long day, the last thing you need is a high chair with gimmicky straps that take ages to snap into place, frustrating both you and your child. And since high chairs can be dangerous when not used properly, you need one that will give you peace of mind.

What’s more, you’ll also need to factor in cleaning time. Babies spill food and often have diaper accidents while sitting in a high chair, making it necessary for the chair to be covered in a machine washable material. If it isn’t, it should be easy to wipe down and get all the crumbs out.

Boosters are generally easier to clean than other high chairs but they’re not always safe for babies so you might need to wait until your munchkin is big enough for a booster.

Final Thoughts

With a travel high chair , you’ll no longer have to use bacteria-covered high chairs at restaurants, nor pack up your big high chair whenever you’re visiting family for a few days. Simply fold it up and pop it in the trunk of your car until you’re ready to eat.

What’s more, you don’t have to settle for a cheap and wobbly model that looks like it could fold under your baby’s weight at any moment. In fact, you might love your new high chair so much that you’ll be using it every day as many of these travel models are a great option if you don’t have a lot of floor space.

When trying to decide on the best high chair to go with, don’t forget to pay attention to the weight limit as some portable high chairs have a much bigger range than others, meaning that your baby will be able to use it for a longer period of time, saving you money.

Versatile high chairs are a great option, too, especially if they can be transformed into a booster seat once your kiddo outgrows his high chair.

I hope you were able to find the perfect high chair for all your traveling needs!

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• Baby and kid

The Best High Chairs

By Jenni Gritters and Erica Pearson

A good high chair should be simple to use and, above all, easy to clean.

We tested 24 high chairs with infants and toddlers—including cleaning up dried smears of pureed sweet potato and smushed Goldfish crackers. And we’re confident that the IKEA Antilop  will make mealtimes easier than using high chairs costing 10 times as much.

Everything we recommend

IKEA Antilop

The best high chair.

This functional, compact, lightweight chair is easier to clean than models costing 10 times as much.

Buying Options

Upgrade pick.

Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair

A high chair you’ll keep around.

This wooden chair is harder to clean and much more expensive than our top pick. But it can truly grow with a child, and it’s especially suitable for preschoolers.

Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat

A compact booster seat.

This versatile seat buckles to an adult chair, can work with or without a tray, and folds up for travel. But it’s tougher to clean and less comfy than our top pick.

Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair

A clip-on chair for travel.

This foldable clip-on chair is small enough to pack in a suitcase and sturdy enough to attach to a picnic table. Plus, the cloth cover zips off for (fairly) easy cleaning.

What we looked for

The most common high chair injuries involve falling. We looked for steady chairs with secure harnesses.

Many parents we spoke with who’d bought pricey high chairs ended up wishing they had something that was simpler to clean.

We considered how long a family would be able to use a chair, and we looked at its resale value.

Whether you’re packing a suitcase or headed to dinner at the local brewery, you might need a high chair you can take with you.

We also like the affordable and compact Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat , the Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair (for travel), and the adjustable, wooden Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair (which has a long life and great resale value).

At 7.9 pounds, the IKEA Antilop Chair is lighter, smaller, and easier to move around than most high chairs. Yet it’s also sturdy, durable, and comfortable to sit in. The smooth, plastic-and-steel construction is simple and functional, without the grime-collecting fabric or crumb-catching crevices that cause problems in other chairs. Compared with some competitors, the Antilop chair can accommodate slightly bigger children, but it’s not a chair that kids can continue to use as they hit preschool. Assembly is easy, but removing and reconnecting the tray can be a pain. And even though the price is impressively low, you’ll have to buy the chair in person at IKEA or pay extra for shipping.

If you want a high chair that blends in with adult furniture and can serve your kid well from 6 months through the end of childhood and beyond, we recommend the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair . Compared with our top pick, this 15.5-pound chair is a lot pricier and more complicated—the baseline model requires add-on purchases for use with infants, and it takes some effort to assemble and adjust. (You could also just go with a bundled version .) But this chair is far easier for bigger kids to climb into by themselves. It’s also an unusually attractive piece of furniture, something you may want to keep forever, and, if not, it should be easy to sell secondhand.

The compact, 6-pound Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat buckles to an adult chair, and it’s a versatile spare to keep at the grandparents’ house. It can work as either a high chair with a tray or as a booster pulled up to the table. It isn’t as comfy to sit in or as simple to clean as our top pick (it has buttons and seams that can collect grime or allow spills to reach the adult chair underneath). Compared with other chairs of its type, however, this one is easier to clean and less expensive.

Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair is small and lightweight (about 4 pounds), so it’s easy to fold up and pack into a suitcase—or even to wedge into a diaper bag when you’re on the go. Yet it’s also sturdy enough that it feels safe for use at a restaurant, regardless of the construction of the table it clips onto.

The research

Why you should trust us, who should get this, how we picked, how we tested, our pick: ikea antilop, upgrade pick: stokke tripp trapp chair, also great: fisher-price healthy care deluxe booster seat, also great: phil&teds lobster clip-on highchair, other good high chairs, the competition, high chair safety.

We consulted various experts , including pediatricians, occupational and physical therapists, and product designers.

We spent several hours researching high chair safety online, using the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission ’s database to see which chairs had been recalled recently and why.

We also surveyed over three-dozen parents from across the country to determine which high chair features were most important, as well as to learn about chairs that people loved and hated.

Erica Pearson, this guide’s original author, is a former newspaper reporter with more than 15 years of experience interviewing experts in countless fields, including health, parenting, and safety. She’s also a mom of two. Jenni Gritters updated this guide in 2023 and again in 2024. She’s also a mom of two, and she has a decade of experience writing about parenting, purchasing, and psychology.

High chairs are among the few baby-gear items that are pretty much a necessity. Most babies begin eating solid food at around 5 or 6 months , and they start using a high chair at the same time. Some families put the high chair away before a child turns 2, while others continue to use the chair through toddlerhood and sometimes beyond (if it’s a booster or a convertible model). In all cases, a high chair will help keep the child—and the child’s food—in place and contained.

Our research and interviews led us to conclude that a great high chair has several attributes:

Safe and stable: A high chair should not feel wobbly at all. Some chairs have three-point safety harnesses, which buckle just around the legs and at the waist; others have five-point harnesses, which include shoulder straps. The safety harness type doesn’t necessarily make a chair safe or unsafe, said Heather Felton, a pediatrician and injury-prevention expert. She added, however, that “all of the straps that come with a high chair should be used.”

Simple to clean: Ease of cleaning is the thing that causes most people to love or hate a high chair. Tiny diners love smearing hands full of sticky puree everywhere they can reach. And, more often than not, toddlers are notorious for overturning entire bowls of Cheerios and milk. A high chair has the potential to drive a parent crazy if it has too many crevices where crumbs can collect, spaces under the seat where liquids can pool undetected, or a seat cover that can’t be easily thrown in the washing machine after a diaper leak.

Compact and manageable: Those who have limited space will likely appreciate a high chair with a smaller footprint. A chair that’s easy to fold or disassemble for long-term storage may also be a plus, as is a chair that’s easy to pack into the car or even into a suitcase for travel.

Designed to make meals easier and more pleasant: A great chair should also be reasonably simple to use. Due to their design, some chairs are easy to trip over, even if they’re not huge. The seat should be comfortable enough to keep a baby happy through mealtime. And, ideally, the chair should not be a total eyesore.

Also, in a comfy chair, a child will be able to sit with their hips, knees, and ankles at a 90-degree angle. Over the past few years, the occupational therapist who runs Feeding Littles (the popular baby-led-weaning education company) has recommended that everyone buy a high chair with a footrest. But the experts we spoke with were split on the issue. Carrie Pagliano, PT, told us kids move so much that they’re unlikely to use a footrest. Occupational therapist Julie Barnes said that when kids have their feet resting flat on a solid surface, this “provides the best postural support, which is the basis for stability of the neck and jaw during eating.”

In short, you can buy a high chair without a footrest, and everyone will get by just fine. But a footrest may help your child to use their energy for eating (a novel motor action for infants), rather than for maintaining their posture. (Many parents wrap an exercise band around our top pick , as a hack to give kids a place to rest their feet.)

We carefully considered about 30 popular models during our first round of testing, 12 during our second round (in 2023), and four more in 2024. We eliminated the chairs with many negative customer reviews that specifically described how difficult they were to clean. This process left us with a lineup of 13 high chairs to test the first time around, eight in 2023, and three in 2024.

Jenni and Erica tested the high chairs with their infants and toddlers. They timed the assembly of each of the 24 high chairs, noting any particular difficulties or frustrations. They measured each chair’s footprint, and they considered how easy a chair was to fold, roll, or lift out of the way between meals.

Then they used each chair with their children (who, over the years of testing, ranged in age from 7 months to 4 years old). Jenni and Erica focused on how difficult it was to get their kids in and out of the chairs, and they noted any cleaning challenges.

The IKEA Antilop has a smooth, rounded plastic seat and tray. It’s easier to clean, simpler to use, and less expensive than every other high chair we tested.

Although this model is lightweight, it’s also sturdy, and its neutral, white-and-silver design and clean lines look presentable in just about any decor. This high chair stacks easily with the tray removed (great for parents with twins or closely spaced kids, or for use at day care), and it’s simple to take apart for storage or travel. Although the Antilop chair has none of the extra features that many high chair designers consider to be standard—such as different height settings or a reclining seat back—we still preferred it over nearly every other chair.

IKEA Antilop Support Pillow

An add-on pillow.

This inexpensive back pillow is easy to attach, and it can be paired with a stain-resistant cover that you can throw in the wash.

IKEA Baby Footrest

An add-on footrest.

If you’re concerned about ergonomics, you might want to get this add-on footrest. It’s tough to install yet sturdy once in place, and it’s height-adjustable.

It’s the easiest to clean. The Antilop high chair is just one piece of plastic, with no hard-to-reach areas where liquids can pool, and there are no crannies, cracks, or seams where grime can hide. There’s also no fabric (unless you spring for the optional support pillow, which has an also-optional stain-resistant cover ). This chair’s tray fits in the dishwasher, and the safety straps are relatively easy to remove and toss in the washing machine. We love that you can bring the entire chair outside and spray it down with a hose.

The attached tray is easy to use, but it is designed to stay in place most of the time. We’ve found that this makes starting mealtimes simpler and easier, and it reduces clutter around the kitchen and dining room. And the tray’s 1-centimeter raised edge prevents many (but definitely not all) spills from ending up on the floor. When you do need to remove the tray, though, it can be a pain.

The 7.9-pound chair is lightweight, sturdy, and simple. And when the tray is removed, the high chair is easily stackable. It is very easy to assemble—we clocked two minutes. All you have to do is slide the chair’s legs into place and click on the tray. The Antilop chair has a smaller-than-most, 22-by-24-inch footprint and a three-point safety harness, so there are no shoulder straps to get messy. (We’ve found that the three-point harness is tight enough across a kid’s hips to keep them from being able to climb out, despite the lack of shoulder straps.) This chair doesn’t have wheels, but it doesn’t need them because it’s light enough to easily pick up and move around. (Many of the other chairs we tested weighed 25 pounds or more—we could easily see why the designers added wheels.)

The Antilop chair has a plain but attractive look. Though the chair is about as basic as can be, you can modify it in two important ways. First, the optional support pillow gives babies who are first learning to eat solids a little boost up to the tray (though the cushion quickly becomes unnecessary for many). Second, the high chair can also work without the tray, if you prefer to push it close to the table so your baby or toddler can eat there with the rest of the family; note, however, that the tray is not as easy to take off and put back on as using our upgrade pick , the Stokke Tripp Trapp . (To make cleanup even simpler, you can add a silicone placemat from Etsy that fits perfectly inside the tray. Or consider adding handmade, wipeable cushion covers in cute fabrics .)

Jenni has been using the Antilop since her son was born, four years ago. It’s a bit scratched up, but it remains entirely functional. She has taken it on road trips, moved it into four rental homes, and is now using it with her second child. For the price, this chair’s durability is something to behold.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The most common complaints about the Antilop chair tend to be about the tray. When parents remove the tray for the first time, many will be left wondering whether it’s actually intended to come off. This is a common question posted to online forums, and there are YouTube videos showing how to do it: Using one hand, you push down on the center of the seat, and then you yank the outer edge of the tray upward, with force (this is harder than you might think).

Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy enough to remove the tray and then snap it back in after washing it by hand or running it through the dishwasher. (It also loosens up over time.) It is dangerous, however, to try and remove the tray when a baby is in the chair, and IKEA warns against this behavior, with stickers on the tray itself. Jenni removes the tray to wash it every evening (and has done so for the past four years).

The tray does not adjust to move closer to or farther from the baby’s tummy, so more food may fall onto the seat than if you were using a chair with an adjustable tray. (IKEA’s optional back cushion helps with this problem, and it can bring smaller babies closer to the tray and allow them to sit up straight.) The seat puts no padding under a baby’s bottom, but it was comfortable enough for our littlest testers. This model also does not include a footrest, but you can add an aftermarket footrest or strap an exercise band across the legs , to give your child some extra support.

Parents of older babies and toddlers will also find that the Antilop chair requires some cooperation, especially with a heavier toddler (you’ll have to lift them way up and slide them in, similar to using a typical wooden high chair in a restaurant). IKEA does not provide a specific age or weight limit for its chair, but Jenni used it with her son until he was 4 years old.

It does not fold or adjust in any way. This high chair stands at a fixed height that allows you to pull it up to a dining table (the tray sits at the 29-inch mark). However, it’s too low for eating at a breakfast bar or taller counter.

To get this chair for $20, you have to take a trip to IKEA . You can also buy it through IKEA’s website , but shipping fees vary. Many IKEA products (here are some of our favorites ) are now also available through Amazon, but often at an absurdly inflated price. The chair has no warranty.

The solid-beech Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair is the only high chair we tested that’s truly comfortable and easy to use—both for infants and for preschoolers who are ready to climb into a chair by themselves.

It’s also the only high chair we tested that has been part of an exhibition at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art , thanks to its iconic 1972 design, by Norwegian designer Peter Opsvik. The aesthetics are clearly a draw, and they’re inseparable from this chair’s value. Unlike the IKEA Antilop and the vast majority of other high chairs, the Tripp Trapp is a piece of furniture you might keep forever: With its five configurations, it can grow from a first high chair for a 6-month-old to a toddler seat to a chair appropriate for most teens and even adults.

Among all of the high chairs we tested, the Tripp Trapp works for the widest range of ages. It was extremely comfortable for Erica’s 7-month-old, and it was even better for her preschooler, who could climb into it herself. The safety gliders (which attach to the legs) allow bigger kids to push away from the table without tipping and to get down on their own. Overall, this high chair seemed the sturdiest of the two-dozen models we tested, and it’s even designed to hold teenagers or adults up to 242 pounds.

It’s reasonably easy to clean. The simple-to-secure Baby Set attachment can go right in the dishwasher for cleanup (you can choose to purchase it separately or as a bundle from the get-go, which we recommend if you’re buying this seat for a baby under 2). You need a screwdriver to remove the safety harness, and the screw is tough to reach without taking the chair’s seat out, so it takes some effort to keep that grime-free. However, during our testing, the safety straps and buckle did scrub free of all stickiness and stains.

It can be used at the family table. Opsvik’s intent with the high chair (which he designed for his 2-year-old son) was to bring little ones right up to the table, so they could eat with the rest of the family. “On a Tripp Trapp chair, smaller children sit on a higher seat than the taller ones, and these reduced height differences have improved the interaction between children and grown-ups around the same table,” he wrote in an email. “Mealtimes have become more relaxed, and children find it easier to concentrate on the activities taking place around the table when the physical environment has been adapted to their size and needs.” Erica’s little tester loved being at the table with her parents and her big sister. Without a tray, though, all of the mess ends up on the tabletop, but a placemat can help with that.

In 2023, Jenni tested the new, less-expensive Stokke Steps , a plastic seat that mimics the Tripp Trapp’s design, and she found that her toddler liked its family-table friendliness as well. He loved the chair’s design so much that he declared it his “special seat” and refused to eat on anything else.

It has great resale value. The resale potential for used Tripp Trapp chairs is strong, and that may help justify the investment. For example, in New York City, they often sell on Craigslist for more than $150 .

It comes in 10 colors (brights and neutrals). It also comes in lighter “natural” and darker “walnut” wood finishes (all of the chairs are made of beech).

When you register this chair, it has a seven-year warranty .

The add-ons are expensive. This chair can be purchased as a preschooler, kid, or adult chair for $240. But if you’re looking for a high chair for a baby, you’ll want the version including the high chair set , which consists of a plastic seat and back that attach to the chair’s wooden slats.

Parents who want their baby to eat apart from the table can buy an optional Stokke plastic tray ; it’s lightweight, dishwasher-safe, and easy to attach to the Baby Set. There are also optional fabric cushions for the chair’s seat. (You can purchase this set as a bundle with the chair and the high chair set.)

Stokke also has a newborn seat attachment , which you can buy for an additional $150. The Stokke newborn seat, which we haven’t tested, can be used from birth up to a maximum weight of 19.8 pounds (most kids will probably want to sit up well before then).

At about 15 pounds, the Tripp Trapp is heavier to move around than its plastic-and-steel or plastic-and-wood counterparts. It also has a longer assembly time (36 minutes) than many other chairs we tested, but we found it was easier to put together and adjust than similar all-wood competitors.

The Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat , which buckles to an adult chair, is smaller, lighter (4.7 pounds), and easier to travel with than our top pick . So it’s a great second chair to keep at the grandparents’ house. This inexpensive model cleverly folds into a compact little package with its own carry strap, and it can work either as a high chair with a tray or as a booster seat pulled up to the table. But it’s not as comfortable to sit in or as easy to clean as our top pick , which we prefer for everyday use.

It’s relatively easy to clean. We studied the half-dozen readily available chairs of this type, and we concluded that the Healthy Care Deluxe Booster Seat would be the easiest to clean (many similar chairs have large, often ruffle-lined fabric components). The tray insert goes right in the dishwasher—though we did find that it stains easily—and the seat itself is small enough to clean in the sink.

The design is simple but versatile. It took us two minutes to put this chair together. It can adjust to three heights; this is helpful when you’re using it as a booster seat, since some kids need a higher boost to reach the table than others. The tray also has three positions. We tested the Deluxe booster, which includes a snap-on lid, so the tray stays clean when stored away. But the booster is also available without the tray cover (for $5 less).

It’s a convenient spare seat. This chair can work with or without the tray, either as a booster seat pulled right up to the table or as a space-saver high chair. That flexibility makes this chair appropriate for 6-month-olds, toddlers, and preschoolers. Erica’s preschooler liked to have it pulled right up to the table during a visit to Grandpa’s house. And longtime Wirecutter editor Courtney Schley has taken it on trips, to the homes of friends, and to restaurants, in addition to using it in her own home . After their children outgrow this chair, many parents will keep it in a closet to bring out when a baby visits.

And though this seat won’t win any beauty contests, if the tray isn’t attached, you can push the adult chair right up to the table and hide the booster from sight. As with other chairs designed for use next to a table, with this one, parents need to make sure babies aren’t able to kick or push on anything that might cause them to tip over.

This seat does not come with a warranty.

It’s not as easy to clean as our top pick. This chair makes more of a mess than the IKEA Antilop, primarily because food and liquid tend to fall through the booster seat to the adult chair below. The seat also has some buttons, grooves, and other parts that collect grime.

If you’re looking for a high chair that can be packed in a suitcase or even slipped into a diaper bag, the Phil&teds Lobster Clip-On Highchair is the best choice. It weighs about 4 pounds, is smaller than a MacBook Air, and attaches more easily to more tables than other chairs of this type.

It’s compatible with more tables than other models we tested. The Lobster chair works just like any other clip-on chair: The arms slot onto a table, and then you use a tension rod to screw the clamps into place. This chair stands out because it fits on tables that are between 0.8 and 3.75 inches thick—a broader range than for other, similar seats.

It has a washable cover. The chair comes assembled, but you’ll need an Allen wrench to remove several of the parts, if you want to zip off the fabric cover for cleaning (you slide it over a few panels to fully remove it). The padded shoulder straps can also be removed for cleaning. Though the Phil&teds site recommends hand-washing, a company rep told us machine-washing is also okay. We machine-washed the cloth seat and the straps multiple times without incident.

Unlike other clip-on chairs we tried, this one has a slide-on, dishwasher-safe tray. This is a good idea in theory (less mess!), but it’s less useful in practice at a restaurant. Jenni’s daughter kept pushing the tray away from her, and it didn’t stay solidly attached to the chair.

Phil&teds products have a one-year warranty.

The Lobster is a bit more shallow than other clip-on chairs. At 10 months old, Jenni’s daughter was chunky, and her stomach was almost pressed against the table. Although the company says the Lobster chair can fit kids up to 37 pounds, we doubt that a bigger child would fit into the smaller frame.

We don’t recommend it for everyday use. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns against everyday use of chairs that clip to a tabletop, since this type of chair involves so many variables: The table must be stable and heavy enough to hold the weight of the baby and the chair; the caregiver needs to lock it on properly; and the baby may be able to kick and push, if they can reach the table with their legs. Be sure to test the table’s stability before you clip your baby on.

If you want the ergonomics of the Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair at a lower price point: The Mockingbird High Chair is a great option to consider. It’s made with hardwood and sturdy plastic. And, like the Tripp Trapp, it’s highly adjustable: The chair’s footrest can be adjusted to four different baby footrest heights, its seat has three widths, and the chair can also be converted into a toddler chair (which is ideal for a growing kiddo). Note, however, that the toddler footrest is not adjustable. This chair can hold 150 pounds, and it comes with the additions that the Stokke Tripp Trapp doesn’t, so it’s less expensive overall. The Mockingbird chair is also the narrowest of any model we tested, by nearly 2 inches. This chair was easy to clean, but it was tough to build, so you’ll want to follow the company’s emailed instructions closely.

If you like the Stokke brand, but you want a slightly less expensive option: The Stokke Steps chair is worth considering. This chair is similar to the Tripp Trapp chair, but it’s made with plastic, which is (arguably) easier to clean. Like the Tripp Trapp chair, the Steps chair requires multiple add-ons for use with an infant or a baby. But it has a long life and holds up to 187 pounds, and the resale value for any Stokke product is quite good.

If you’re looking for a more stylish and versatile chair: You might like Lalo’s The Chair , which, with added attachments, converts to a booster seat as well as a play chair . This chair’s plastic material is easy to clean (though we didn’t like having to wash the optional-use cloth cover), and its bucket shape kept Jenni’s daughter upright. It’s also lightweight, and it has a reversible footrest and removable tray. But the ribbon-like harness straps are tough to clean, the footrest is adjustable to only two positions, and the tray is difficult to remove. The company also makes an attractive and useful set of dishes .

If you want a clip-on chair, and you don’t mind a slightly larger size: The Inglesina Fast Table Chair is more padded than either the Lobster chair or the Chicco Caddy , and it accommodates slightly larger children. The machine-washable cover unzips, and it’s easier to remove than the covers of its competitors. But this chair is a bit bigger and heavier than the Lobster chair. So the Inglesina chair is tough to pack in a suitcase, and it has a ramp-like effect that pushed Jenni’s daughter toward the table. Its clamp system is just as secure as the Lobster’s, though.

With several ergonomic seating configurations and the ability to hold up to 220 pounds, the Bugaboo Giraffe offers a similar set-up to that of the Stokke Tripp Trapp , Lalo’s The Chair , and the Mockingbird High Chair . It has an easily adjustable footrest and seat, both of which slide up and down with the push of two buttons. It also has an easy-to-remove tray—though reviewers have noted that the white tray stains easily. As with the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Stokke Steps chairs, with the Giraffe chair you can add an infant attachment (for $110), to bring your 0-to-6-month-old baby close to you while your family sits at the table. And for another $110, you can get the rocker frame , to use the high chair’s infant attachment as a rocker on the floor. We haven’t yet tested these additions, but we plan to this year.

The Chicco Caddy Portable Hook-On Chair uses the same clamp system as the Lobster chair , but the Chicco material is tougher to clean. (It buttons on, rather than unzipping; Jenni has used this chair for years, and she finds herself just leaving it dirty, versus taking the time to clean it, because disassembling it is annoying.) The Caddy’s clamp system is also harder to use than the Lobster chair’s, and the Caddy chair sometimes felt wobbly because it wasn’t clamped tightly enough. The Caddy is also bigger than the Lobster, and it won’t fit well in a suitcase, although it’s just fine for a road trip.

The Ergobaby Evolve is a high-quality chair made with thick pieces of wood, small pieces of plastic, and no metal. We liked the decently sized tray, which was easy to remove. It has a similar construction and look to both the Stokke Tripp Trapp and the Mockingbird chairs. And, like those chairs, the Evolve chair turns into a toddler seat. (It can also turn into a kitchen step stool, for an extra $50, if you bundle it with the high chair, or about $80 if purchased separately .) But turning the Evolve into a toddler chair requires quite a bit of deconstruction, and it holds only 100 pounds, less than the comparable chairs we recommend hold.

The Evenflo Eat & Grow 4-in-1 Convertible High Chair has a huge footprint, and it’s covered in fabric that’s machine-washable but a pain to remove. The tray is washable but tough to unsnap. And the materials feel cheap. This model converts to a toddler chair and a kid chair (as well as a table!), but we still prefer the IKEA Antilop .

The Graco EveryStep Slim 6-in-1 Highchair looks like a throne. But why, oh, why is it made with white pleather? We like that it’s adaptable, with possible configurations for infants, toddlers, and beyond. The tray comes off and is easy to throw into the dishwasher. And it rolls nicely (which is important, since it’s big and heavy). But the materials are hard to clean, and this chair is really huge. (We previously tested the Graco Blossom 4-in-1 Seating system , which was also tough to clean.)

The Graco DuoDiner LX Highchair is a modular chair that doesn’t try to turn into a youth seat at all; it works only as a regular high chair, a space-saver chair buckled to an adult chair, or a booster. That means there’s no hidden seat at the bottom to collect sticky liquid. On the other hand, the chair’s seat itself is much heavier and even more like a car seat than those of the other modular chairs. So this one is more difficult to take off and bring to the sink.

The Ingenuity Trio 3-in-1 High Chair was the least expensive modular chair Erica tested. But it also felt a little cheaper: The tray was tough to lock in, and the wheels had it sliding around the floor, even when they were locked. With misplaced footrests, it also didn’t transition well into a toddler chair. That said, it was the easiest modular chair to clean.

The best thing about the Joovy Nook is that its tray opens and swings out to one side, so the caregiver doesn’t need to take it off and then put it back on when seating a baby in the chair. The Nook also folds flat with one hand and leans nicely against the wall. The worst thing about the Nook is that removing the seat cushion for deep cleaning is extremely difficult.

The all-wood Keekaroo Height Right High Chair ’s system for adjusting the seat and footrest is similar to that for the Stokke Tripp Trapp. So this model can be used throughout childhood and as an adult chair. It will likely work just fine for kids ages 3 and up, but it doesn’t seem ideal for the youngest eaters. The wooden tray was very heavy and clunky to slide in and out. And the combination of the seat height, tray placement, and three-point harness allowed Erica’s 7-month-old to lunge forward in the chair (the Stokke chair and the other wooden chair we tested, the now-discontinued Svan Signet Complete, both have a five-point harness).

The Phil&teds Poppy High Chair looks like something out of The Jetsons . But underneath its Aerocore seat cover, there are many hidden gaps, crannies, and slots in the plastic seat frame; in our tests they collected spilled juice and were a big pain to clean. The Amazon listing suggests that the Aerocore seat cover can go in the dishwasher, but the instruction manual advises scrubbing with soap and water instead. And indeed it wasn’t a good idea to put the cover in the dishwasher—it warped when we did so.

The Skip Hop Eon 4-in-1 has a deep bucket seat, which affected Jenni’s daughter’s posture. She wasn’t comfortable in the seat, and she tended to fuss and slouch rather than eat. With a silicone material that we could wipe down quickly and a tray cover that easily snapped off for the dishwasher, this seat was not a problem to clean. And it can convert to a shorter seat for a toddler. But it has a large footprint, and the footrest was too low for an infant and too high for a toddler. For a fraction of the price, the IKEA Antilop is a similar but far better option.

Before testing, we ruled out a few other popular chairs, including Peg Perego’s Prima Pappa Diner and Siesta , because their seat covers were not machine-washable.

Falling is the most common high chair accident that lands children in the emergency room—usually because caregivers don’t fasten the safety straps that come with the chair, or they leave them too loose, explained Heather Felton, a pediatrician and injury-prevention expert in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Injuries from high chairs are fairly common in general. About 24 children are treated in the ER every day in the US, or about one per hour,” Felton wrote in an email. “Most falls happen when a child is climbing or standing on the chair. The most common types of injuries are to the head and neck, with closed head injuries, including concussions, being the most common.”

It’s important to follow the specific safety instructions that come with each chair. For example, it’s not safe to try to remove the IKEA Antilop chair’s tray while a baby is in the seat. The Stokke Tripp Trapp Chair’s manual explains that this high chair is not for use on rough surfaces and uneven floors—such as areas with rugs or tiles—because the chair needs to be able to slide backward. With both the Tripp Trapp and any booster, including the Fisher-Price Healthy Care Deluxe , in which a child is buckled to an adult chair, you need to watch for frames underneath the table that a child could push their legs against, causing themself to tilt backward.

This article was edited by Rachel Hurn and Kalee Thompson.

Heather Felton, MD, Louisville pediatrician, expert in safety and injury prevention, and spokesperson for the American Association of Pediatrics , email interview , May 16, 2017

Betsy Holman, brand marketing, Graco , phone interview , May 18, 2017

Domenic Gubitosi, director of product design for Fisher-Price, babygear division , phone interview , May 18, 2017

Bridgette Kovacevich, marketing manager for BabySwede, the licensed North American distributor for BabyBjörn , email interview , May 24, 2017

Peter Opsvik, designer of the Stokke Tripp Trapp and author of Rethinking Sitting , email interview , May 31, 2017

Howard Greenspan, owner of SCS Direct, maker of the Svan high chair , phone interview , May 15, 2017

Carrie Pagliano, physical therapist , email interview , March 1, 2023

Julie Barnes, occupational therapist, OTD, OTR/L, CPAM, CBIS, CLT , email interview , March 10, 2023

Meet your guides

Jenni Gritters

Erica Pearson

Further reading

Going Places With Small Kids Is 90% Easier With This Clamp-On High Chair

by Lauren Sullivan

I’ve traveled regularly with some combination of my three children for almost a decade. The one baby essential I’ve never left behind is this clamp-on Lobster high chair .

The Best Baby Bouncers and Rockers

by Rachael Rifkin

For parents who want a safe place for their newborns and infants to sit, rock, and bounce, these are the best options.

The Best Baby Swings

by Dori Zinn

We spent 10 hours testing five baby swings and found that the space-efficient, relatively inexpensive Graco Glider LX Gliding Swing is the best one.

Things to Help Your Baby—and You—Sleep Better

by Winnie Yang

We compared dozens of cribs, mattresses, and monitors and talked to doctors Harvey Karp and Bill Sears to find the best bets for a good night's sleep.

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The multi-award winning & world's fastest deploying highchair is what every household needs; this popular portable & teeny tiny highchair is unbelievably safe, light & ridiculously good looking - perfect for home&away!

lobster™ conveniently clamps onto a wide variety of table sizes, so it doesn’t take up any precious space at home (or the cafe!), & you can bring your bub right in to join the family for those social meal times, where they're gonna learn all those important table manners & interactions, as well as just giving ‘em a sense of belonging & sharing! And ‘cos lobster™ is globally safety certified, with top features to keep your bub sitting safely at the table, it can literally go ANYWHERE with you, making it a much needed product to take on holiday - this is so important when hygiene plays a HUGE factor, especially in today’s world! So, what's not to love?

Product Code: LB_V1

what makes lobster ™ unique

our team of thoughtful engineers have made lobster™ uber light, yet uber tough due to the sleek aluminium frame!

lobster™ needs no big swinging arms to clamp on to the table safely – our team of thoughtful designers have engineered the lobster™ jaw clamps to exceed global safety requirements for static holding & durability – looks good, feels robust! Its strength & stability is verified by placing a 88 lb test weight in the seat for a 48 hour-period (static durability test), and then by repeatedly dropping a 33 lb test weight from a height of 3.15" onto the seat for 200 times (dynamic durability test) - Sounds like lobster™ has serious strength with its jaws!

We don’t just certify for one or some markets, ‘cos what’s the point?! We go full noise, and get global! lobster™ complies with ASTM F1235 & EN 1272!

Other brands are happy with the 3-point safety harness for the kiddo’s, but with lobster™, know your bub is securely fastened with a 5-point harness – just like a buggy!

It’s all about hygiene nowadays! lobster™ can be used away from home to keep your bub away from grubby restaurant chairs and greasy table tops! The dishwasher-safe food tray slides between the lobster™ “claws” protecting both the table from food spills, and your child from unwanted germs – yuck! The lobster™ fabric can also be wiped down, & for a more thorough clean, you can slide the fabric right off the high chair frame for a more thorough hand wash.

Seasoned travelling parents know the drill! You need products that are lightweight, compact, portable, flat packs & easy to clean! (WHEW!!!). Well, lobster™ ticks all the boxes, tucked into its own carry bag!  

lobster's dishwasher-safe food tray conveniently slides between the lobster claw clamps to protect your table surface from food spills & fits in the carry bag for food on the go. Genius!

When we say lobster™ looks good, we mean it! Sleek in looks & functionality, this lil highchair is so unintrusive & teeny on the table, you’re gonna wonder why you didn’t get this portable highchair earlier!

Is there any more to say? Yup, we’ve won a multitude of consumer & industry winning awards for lobster™, ‘cos it’s just so goddamn clever!

Setting up your lobster™ portable highchair is easy! Find all the details you need here for how to set up and use!

adapt your lobster™ portable highchair with these must-have accessories

Customer Reviews

How do I get a tray?

I just came here to purchase another cloth insert for our lobster chair. Not because ours was faulty or defective but because it’s been used SO much. We purchased 6 years ago for our first and she used it every day for 3 years. We had our second 15 months ago and he’s been using everyday for 9 month. I’d say ~4yrs of everyday use is definitely worth the price for this chair!!! We’ve never owned a traditional high chair. This chair attaches beautifully to our quartz countertop and cleaning up under this chair is a breeze. No high chair legs or feet to keep clean. No bulky chair to figure out where to put when not in use. We also travel to restaurants and grandparents with it and it works great there too. Also, when it gets nasty we just take it outside and hose it down and air dry. Buy it...you won’t regret it!!!

I am gutted I didn’t have one of these with my first two babies! They are amazing! We take it everywhere. So much easier than using (often sticky) restaurant highchairs. It’s great for traveling as it’s so light and can fit into the suitcase. Also ideal for around the house as it doesn’t get in the way like a big high chair. Our two year old is just about pushing the weight limit now but it really does feel very secure and safe. I love it!!

Thanks for your review on lobster‚Ñ¢, Lydia. We created lobster to make feeding bubs on the go easier. We love hearing that you are your family are lovin' it! PTx

The Lobster is honestly the perfect full time high chair - there is no need for a bulky, plastic version to sit in the corner of your dining area; when this baby clamps easily to your table taking up little to no space and can hover easily over bench seating (bonus points as it blends nicely with our interior style). Our babe loves being able to sit at the table and bang on a larger surface, while the seat seems super comfy for her too. The fact that we can easily undo and transport our own high chair to relatives, restaurants etc. is a win win situation as the carry bag is tiny and fits easily into our pram basket. The other factor i like is that when the time comes to store for future babies, this will pack down quickly, easily and compact. Only negative would be that the tray moves about freely and our little one can push it out.

Hi Eliza and thanks for your review! We love that you're enjoying lobster‚Ñ¢ with your family and it's making your life that lil' bit easier! PTx

Have it at the kitchen counter; took it to Greece for in restaurants and hotels; use it at the cottage etc etc etc

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5 Best Foldable High Chairs: Great for Small Spaces & Travel

This post may contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here .

Foldable high chairs are an awesome, space-efficient alternative to standard high chairs (plus, many double as travel high chairs!). Check out these 5 best folding high chairs, perfect for people wanting less baby gear or living in small spaces.

Fitting random baby gear in a small living space feels like a constant jigsaw puzzle. The high chair, in particular, has been the bane of my small space existence. Multiple times a day I’d stub my toe on our much lauded Ikea high chair.

For the first year and a half of our baby’s life, we couldn’t even comfortably fit a dining room table in our small space. So our high chair options were limited, to say the least.

So I went on the hunt for the perfect folding, easy to store high chair that I could tuck away between uses. The list you’ll find below of the best foldable high chairs is based on my personal hours of research and experimentation with high chairs in small spaces.

No time to read the whole article? My top pick for the best standard folding high chair is the Graco Slim Snacker for its affordability, and my favorite foldable travel high chair is the hiccapop OmniBoost Travel Booster Seat for its versatility.

We never intended to be living in our small grad school apartment with a baby but an unexpected hyperemesis pregnancy and a pandemic threw off our plans. Now, with years of experience living with a babies in tight quarters, I know what to look for in space-efficient baby gear like foldable high chairs.

Related Post: Baby Gear for Small Spaces

One of the best things about many of the best collapsible high chairs on this list is that they also double as foldable travel high chairs too. Serving double duty means one less baby item you have to buy and store.

So even if you don’t live in a small space, collapsible high chairs can be very useful and more unobtrusive in your home. They also make great high chairs for grandparents’ houses where they’ll only be used sporadically.

Below is a list of the best options I’ve found for the best foldable high chairs for a variety of family priorities, like budget or small spaces.

Let’s see some high chairs!

Summary: Best Folding High Chairs

1. best standard foldable high chair: graco slim snacker.

Maximum Weight : 40 lbs

Most people end up with a traditional stand-alone high chair. They’re classic and easy. Luckily there are a handful of full high chairs that fold down like beach chairs.

The Graco Slim Snacker tops the list since it is an affordable, simple and functional option that will work best for most families . You can fold it one handed by pulling up an a strap in the chair, much like many strollers fold.

The chair itself weights 17 lbs so it is manageable to move around. The seat can recline, a feature some families look for for smaller infants.

And it is machine washable , a feature every family should look for since babies are crazy messy eaters.

Runner-up: Cosco Simple Fold

Cosco offers a basic stand-alone folding high chair that is similar to the Graco. It comes in behind the Graco because its seat is not removable, making it harder to clean. It also does not have a true foot rest.

2. Best Folding High Chair for Travel: hiccapop OmniBoost Travel Seat

Maximum Weight : Hiccapop says it has been tested up to a whooping 250 lbs.

The hiccapop OmniBoost travel booster does it all. The Omniboost folds down very small and can be strapped to any regular chair making it a flexible high chair for home or travel.

Moreover, using one strapped to a chair instead of a traditional high chair means you won’t need a second travel high chair for when you’re on-the-go ( saving you money and space ).

We own an equivalent chair (my runner up in this category, the Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit ) and it is one of our most used and beloved baby items.

What we love about this high chair is that it is so versatile . We can just as easily use it at home at our dining room table, on the ground at the beach, or strapped to a chair at a restaurant.

The hiccapop beats out our beloved Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit because it has a very important feature: its machine washable . High chairs get gross fast and machine washing makes your life easier.

Runner-Up: Summer Infant Pop ‘N Sit

Summer Infant’s Pop ‘N Sit is very similar to the hiccapop but is not machine washable. While I would prefer a machine washable chair, I’ve also been able to wash up our Pop ‘N Sit easily with a hose or damp rag.

Some people say that the harness system is not as well positioned as the hiccapop, though we haven’t had any issues with the strap-positioning on our Summer Infant. With very heavy use, our chair’s canvas is fraying at the chair back but the chair itself is still completely functional.

3. Best High Chair for Small Spaces: Inglesina Fast Table Chair

Maximum Weight : 37 lbs

The Inglesina Fast Table Chair is a small hanging chair that clamps down to the side of a table or counter top. Of the folding high chairs on this list, the Ingelsina chair is by far the smallest .

Not only does it take up barely any space while in use, it folds down even further for easy travel or storage. They even sew the carrying bag into the chair so you can’t lose it.

We have used an Inglesina as our primary high chair and absolutely love it. It is a great space saver and it is really nice having your baby seated at the table.

That said, we’ve found that getting the version with the add-on tray is necessary , otherwise a lot of food falls in the small gap between the table and the baby.

The Inglesina stands out among other clip-on high chairs because it works with tables of varying thicknesses, up to 3.5 inches thick.

It is also machine washable and easy to clean. I got our Inglesina secondhand and it was absolutely caked with old food; it came out of the wash looking brand new.

If you will primarily use your high chair at a table or counter-top, a clip-on chair like the Inglesina is the smallest and most inconspicuous high chair option available . If you plan to do regular outdoor or picnic-style eating without a table, you’ll be better served by a more versatile travel booster, like the hiccapop travel chair .

NOTE : The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a number of cautions when using a hook-on high chair. The chair must be secured and locked on, and the table must be heavy enough to support the child. The child should also be positioned so they cannot kick off against the table.

The chair also only offers a two-point harness, so it isn’t the best fit for babies who are climbers . We’ve gone through periods where we have had to put our baby in a high chair with shoulder straps instead.

Runner-up: Chicco 360 FastLock Chair

Chicco offers three styles of clip-on high chairs, but the 360 FastLock stands out because it allows you to rotate your baby to multiple positions . This is a handy feature so you can have the baby face you when seated side-by-side.

It also comes with a tray which is an add on for some Inglesina models.

This chair has many great features but it does not accommodate as wide a range of table thicknesses as the Inglesina.

4. Easiest to Clean Collapsible High Chair: Primo Folding High Chair

Maximum Weight : 30 lbs

The Primo high chair is has a simple plastic seat that makes it easy to wipe down after a meal.

Not only does the chair fold, it can also convert to a small toddler chair once your baby outgrows the high chair.

This second life as a toddler chair helps extend its usefulness since it otherwise has a slightly lower weight limit than most high chairs.

5. Folding High Chair with Best Amenities: Joovy Nook

Maximum Weight: 50 lbs

It boosts a big oversized tray that makes meal time easier. The best part? The tray swings open so you can easily put your baby in.

A swing open tray may not seem like a big deal but it is. Oh it is.

Compared to our other high chair, where you have to slide the baby in the leg holes from the top, our Joovy Nook is a dream to use. Plus, the swing open tray gets more and more valuable as your kid gets bigger and more opinionated.

The tray is also fully removable in case your kid wants to be pulled up to the table instead.

The Nook is more appropriate for families who are okay with getting their high chair “decently clean” instead of “totally spotless.” The seat cushion is removable on the Nook for machine washing, but it is not the easiest to get off. Like most high chairs, it has some nooks and crannies but I still feel like I can get it clean wiping it down.

Runner Up: Peg Perego Siesta

The Peg Perego Siesta offers a ton more features than other folding high chairs. The only reason it doesn’t top this list is because it is less affordable than other chairs.

It’s seat height, foot rest, and tray are highly adjustable to get the right fit for your baby and your table. It also reclines to multiple angles so it can be used as a seat for newborns.

Best of all, wheels on the base allow you to easily move it while your baby is in it. And of course, it folds small and is self-standing when collapsed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the types of collapsible high chairs.

Before buying a folding high chair, you’ll want to familiarize yourself with the types of high chairs available. In general, there are four main styles of high chairs to be aware of:

– Standard High Chairs : The stand alone chair that people envision when you say ‘high chair.’ – Booster Chairs : Mini chairs that you strap onto a dining room chair. – Clip-on Table Chairs : Seats that clamp on and hang off your dining room table or counter. – Foldable Travel High Chairs : Collapsible high chairs that fold up small for portability.

What features should you look for in folding high chair?

How do you narrow down chair type will depend a lot on your goals and space. For example, we didn’t have a dining table until recently so a stand alone high chair is our only option.

Here are some key features to consider when making your high chair selection:

Cost : There are enough low-cost high chairs available that your budget should your first consideration when narrowing down high chair options.

Space : You probably wouldn’t be on this page if you weren’t already considering space limitations when looking for a high chair. Do not underestimate how much you will trip over your high chair if it is in the way.

Easy to Clean : How easy a high chair is to clean is a huge, big deal. So many high chairs have nooks and crannies that range from ‘super annoying’ to ‘impossible’ to clean after every meal. Cleaning needs to be high on your high priority list.

Portability : Do you hope to move your high chair around your house? Would you like one chair that you can use both at home and also on-the-go?

Baby Position & Max Weight : You want your baby sitting up straight and able to rest their feet. That said, you can simply add rolled up towels to most high chairs to achieve good posture. Keep an eye on maximum weight limits if you hope to use your high chair through toddlerdom.

When will you need a high chair?

For most families, you won’t use a high chair until your baby is around 6 months old and ready to begin eating food. Your baby should be able to sit unassisted with good head and neck control prior to introducing food, which usually happens around 6 months ( source ).

Some families like to have their babies sitting at the table for family meals earlier. There are some high chairs that have infant attachments to allow babies who are unable to sit unsupported to use them from birth.

Wondering what other baby gear works well in tight quarters? Check out this guide to baby items in small spaces .

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13 Construction Books for Kids That Really Nail It

This post may contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here. Looking for new book ideas perfect for tiny truck lovers? Check out these children’s books about construction sites and vehicles that kids will totally dig. Our toddler has been obsessed with trucks over half his…

3 DIY Stain Removers for Clothes

This post may contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the full disclosure here. Looking for DIY stain remover for set-in stains? You’ve come to the right place! Below you’ll find my three favorite homemade stain removers for clothes, using only household ingredients. After we brought out baby home…

Soaring High: The Art of Airplane Seat Selection Strategies

E ver found yourself crammed in a middle seat on a long flight, enviously eyeing the empty aisle or window seats? Selecting the right airplane seat can be a game-changer in your travel experience. But fear not, we have the perfect strategies to help you claim your throne in the sky.

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

• Consider your personal needs and preferences when choosing a seat
• Timing of seat selection can significantly impact seat availability
• Not all seats are created equal: differences exist even within the same class
• Using airline apps or websites can provide a detailed view of the seating layout
• Seat upgrades can sometimes be worth the extra cost

Also read: Airplane seat reclining etiquette

Choosing the Right Seat: A Personal Affair

According to a survey conducted by Expedia, 43% of travelers prefer window seats, while 57% prefer aisle seats. This statistic demonstrates that seat selection is a highly personal decision. As Sarah Gavin, Vice President of Global Communications for Expedia, said, "Seat selection can make or break a flight experience, and it's important for travelers to consider their preferences and needs when choosing a seat.

Window vs. Aisle: The Eternal Debate

If you're among the 43% who prefer a window seat, you probably value the view and the ability to lean against the wall for a quick nap. But if you're in the 57% who prefer an aisle seat, you're likely someone who appreciates easier access to the lavatory and the freedom to stretch your legs.

The Golden Timing: When to Select Your Seat

Early birds catch the best seats. As soon as your flight is booked, it's time to select your seat. If your preferred seat is not available, keep checking back, especially 72 to 24 hours before the flight when premium seat holders might get upgraded, freeing up their seats.

Not All Seats Are Created Equal

Even within the same class, not all seats offer the same comfort and convenience. For example, a study by Skyscanner found that the most popular seat on a plane is 7F, a window seat near the front of the aircraft. Seats near the front of the plane often have less engine noise and are closer to the exit, reducing deplaning time.

Mastering the Seat Map

Airlines' websites and apps usually provide a seating map for each flight. Familiarize yourself with the layout, noting locations of the lavatories, galleys, and exits. Websites like SeatGuru can also provide detailed seat maps and reviews for different aircraft models.

Upgrade: When It's Worth the Splurge

Occasionally, upgrading to a premium seat may be worth the extra cost, especially for long-haul flights. Premium seats often offer more legroom, better food, and other perks that can significantly enhance your flight experience.

Be Mindful of the Drawbacks

While these strategies can certainly improve your flying experience, it's also important to consider potential drawbacks. For instance, while the front of the plane may offer less engine noise and quicker deplaning, it's also where families with infants and small children are often seated. If a quiet environment is essential to you, consider this factor.

Similarly, the aisle seats, despite their convenience, come with the occasional disturbance of meal and beverage carts and passengers moving around. And while window seats offer views and a wall to lean against, they also mean potentially climbing over other passengers to reach the aisle .

Ultimately, the best airplane seat selection strategy is about balance. It's about weighing the pros and cons according to your personal needs and priorities. With these strategies at hand, you're now fully equipped to make the best choice for your next flight!

You might also like: Airplane group travel tips

Personal Conclusion

Armed with these strategies, you're now ready to conquer the sky and secure the best seat for your journey. With careful planning and a keen understanding of your personal needs, you can make your flight experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

1. What's the best seat on a plane for a smooth ride?

The smoothest place to sit is over the wings, near the plane's center of gravity.

2. How can I ensure I get an aisle seat?

Book your seat as early as possible, and check in online right when the check-in window opens.

3. Can I change my seat after I've booked it?

Yes, most airlines allow you to change your seat after booking, though there might be a fee.

4. Do exit row seats have more legroom?

Yes, exit row seats usually offer more legroom, but the seats might not recline.

5. Can I reserve a seat for my child next to me?

Yes, when booking your flight, you can usually choose adjacent seats for yourself and your child.

You should also check out: Airplane seat selection tips

Relevant Sources

1. Expedia Travel Survey

2. Skyscanner Seat Study

3. SeatGuru

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12 best car seats to keep your child safe, secure and comfortable

While plenty of baby equipment can be bought second hand, a car seat should be brand new, article bookmarked.

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A good car seat is one of the most important – and likely one of the most expensive – purchases you’ll make once you know you’ve got a little one on the way. However, with myriad makes and models on the market and some confusing safety regulations to consider, it can be tricky to know which are the best car seats to buy.

It’s worth doing your research – after all, a car seat will be tasked with keeping your baby safe . While plenty of baby equipment can be bought second-hand, a car seat is one purchase that should be brand new, so you can be certain it’s never been in an accident (those that have been should be replaced immediately).

The best car seats are designed to absorb shock, in case of a crash, and to hold your baby snugly but comfortably in place while you’re driving. They’re also required by law – in the UK, children must use a car seat until they’re 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first. Car seats must be rear-facing until your child is over 15 months old – after that, they can be forward-facing.

Only EU-approved height-based or weight-based child car seats can be used in the UK. Height-based car seats have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘R129’. Weight-based car seats have a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle and ‘ECE R44’. The height-based R129 (also referred to as iSize) is considered the safest.

Don’t forget to check if your new seat fits in your car, too. Manufacturers usually have fitting lists on their websites, so you can check the seat you like is compatible with your make and model. Car seats can either be installed using a seat belt or Isofix. The former will work in any car with a three-point belt, while Isofix car seats have anchoring points on their base, which fix into the anchorage points inside a compatible car. All cars made after 2011 have Isofix.

To help you with your search, we’ve rounded up some of the best car seats on the market.

Related stories

How we tested the best car seats.

We got our six-month-old and two-year-old testers to put each car seat through their paces. We paid close attention to comfort and durability while comparing each car seat for ease of installation and adjustability. Keep reading to find out which ones deserve a spot in your family car.

The best car seats for 2024 are:

• Best car seat overall – Nuna pipa urbn car seat: £235, Mamasandpapas.com
• Best budget car seat for older children – Halfords group 1/2/3 child car seat: £52, Halfords.com
• Best budget car seat for babies – Joie Stages group 0+ car seat: £99.99, Boots.com
• Best car seat for newborns – Doona i car seat and stroller: £399, Amazon.co.uk
• Best multi-child seat – Multimac car seats: £1,599, Multimac.com

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Nuna pipa urbn car seat

• Best : Car seat overall
• Attachment : Isofix
• Regulations : R129
• Age range : Height 40-75cm, weight up to 13kg
• Colours : Black
• Easy to pop in and out
• Lightweight and intuitive to use
• High quality and environmentally friendly materials

This clever design uses Isofix but doesn’t require a base, so it’s very safe but can also be popped in and out of taxis or a grandparent’s car when needed. At 3.3kg, the Pipa urbn was one of the lighter seats we tested, and it’s an intuitive and quick process to remove it from the car and transfer it to a Nuna pushchair when you’re on the go.

We loved the attached canopy and drape that helped cover up baby for nap time. The Merino wool-lined headrest was one of the poshest on test, too. This was one of the only seats we tested that’s constructed with environmentally friendly fabrics, so it’s a more eco-conscious pick than most.

Halfords group 1/2/3 child car seat

• Best : Budget seat for older children
• Attachment : Seat belt
• Regulations : R44
• Age range : 15 months to 12 years (up to 135cm in height)
• Colours : Black/red
• Adjustable headrest
• Doesn’t have much side protection

A car seat for less than £60 that can be used until your baby is 12? Halfords has managed it with this affordable but safe seat belt car seat for little ones aged over 15 months. While it doesn’t have much side protection, it does include a five-point harness and is R44 safety certified. The seat is comfy and padded and the headrest is adjustable. Halfords also offers free demos in fitting car seats, before you take your new purchase home.

Joie Stages group 0+ car seat

• Best : Budget car seat for babies
• Age range : From birth to seven years (up to 25kg)
• Comfy and adjustable
• Easy to wash
• A little fiddly

Joie’s pleasingly well-padded seat can be used from day one, with a newborn insert, and we liked the quick-to-adjust headrest and harness. There’s good side protection and four reclining positions, too.

We did find adjusting the seatbelt to secure the seat a bit fiddly, and we don’t think this model would be roomy enough to go up to seven years (as advertised), but for babies and toddlers, this is a well-made yet affordable option you can use from day one. The removable cover is easy to wash, too.

Doona i car seat and stroller

• Best : Car seat for newborns
• Attachment : Seat belt or Isofix
• Regualtions : R129
• Age range : Newborn to 102cm
• Colours : Sand, black and green
• Great safety and comfort features
• Easy to clean
• Baby sits quite low, meaning you’ll be bending down a lot

A popular model from an award-winning brand, the Doona i is a rear-facing seat that comes with a matching stroller. The design is sleek and has plenty of great safety and comfort features. A five-point harness and padded sides keep baba snugly in place, and, during testing, we liked the adjustable headrest and faux leather-padded handlebar.

The newborn insert is made from bamboo and is lovely and soft (and, importantly, easy to wipe and wash), so it’s ideal for use from day one. Our only niggle is that baby sits low down when you pop the seat on the stroller base, so, you’ll be bending down frequently.

Maxi Cosi pearl 360 pro

• Best : Toddler car seat
• Age range : Three months to four years old
• Colours : Green, black, blue, graphite, brown and grey
• Breathable recycled material

Maxi Cosi’s 360 range is popular for good reason – these swivelling designs are easy to click in and out of the Isofix base and can be turned one-handed, which is very helpful when you’re bundling an energetic older baby in and out of the car.

When your little one grows out of the 0-15 months pebble seat , the pearl pro should last them comfortably until they’re four years old. With five different positions for nap time, the seat is made with breathable, recycled fabric that’s soft and comfy – ideal for long car journeys.

Avionaut pixel pro 2.0

• Best : Lightweight car seat
• Attachments : Seat belt or Isofix
• Age range : Weight 0-13kg or height 40-86cm
• Colours : White, grey, black, blue, pink and pale blue
• Super lightweight
• Snuggly memory foam
• Limited size range

Avionaut reckons the pixel pro 2.0 is the world’s lightest car seat. At 2.5kg, it’s certainly noticeably lighter and easier to carry around than the other seats we tested, which really does make a difference if you’re popping your little one in and out of the car most days, and it’s definitely a good choice if you need to avoid any heavy lifting postpartum.

There’s a good adjustable canopy and super-snug insert made with memory foam, to make your baby’s ride as comfy as possible. The size range is on the limited side – the pixel pro will only suit infants up to around one year old.

Multimac car seats

• Best : Multi-child car seat
• Attachments : Fitting kit, which requires installation
• Age range : From birth to 12 years old
• Colours : Black and grey
• Super customisable
• Great for those with lots of little ones
• Easy to remove
• Might be better off getting it installed by a professional

If you’ve got lots of kids or are transporting their cousins or friends, too, this innovative multi-seated car seat can be shared by up to four children (from birth to 12 years old) in your vehicle’s back seat. It means families with small cars can easily fit four children in a row without having to upgrade to a seven-seater vehicle. Multimac has now passed its R129 test, so, it meets standard safety regulations, and is also easy to remove – although, you’re best off getting someone who knows how to fit it to install it for you.

Axkid minikid 4 car seat

• Best : For seat belt design
• Age range : Up to 7 years
• Colours : Black, grey, creme and red
• Easily installed
• Grows with your baby
• Super safe seat belt
• No newborn option
• On the pricier side

If you don’t want to faff about with a different car seat every few years, Axkid’s Minikid is a great choice. Although it’s at the pricier end of the scale, this design should last your family for years – adjust the headrest to 14 positions and swap to a toddler cushion as your baby grows and you can use it until your little one is seven.

This capacious seat is easily installed using a seatbelt and passes the Swedish Plus safety test, which goes above and beyond the R129 and is said to be one of the toughest crash tests out there. There’s no newborn option, though, so, you’ll need to wait until your baby is over 60cm tall (at around four months) to get going with this option.

Inglesina Darwin next stage car seat

• Best : Travel system
• Age range : 1-4 years
• Colour : Light grey, dark grey, black
• Back and forward facing
• Super comfy and padded

Car seats with an Isofix base can be a sensible choice if you don’t mind being loyal to a specific brand – once your small person outgrows their infant seat, you can swap it out for a larger toddler design that fits onto the same base. If you go for the swivel-happy Darwin 360 , you can size up to the Darwin next stage.

This is a great all-rounder that can face rearwards and forwards and is suitable until your little one is four years old. This comfy seat can be reclined and has lots of padding. We also like the rain cover and mosquito net for international travel.

Ickle Bubba radial 360 spin car seat

• Best : Car seat for less than £200
• Age range : From birth to 12 years
• Colours : Dark grey
• Great price
• Could last you a lifetime
• Could be a little snug when little ones hit four or five

Car seats can be painfully expensive but Ickle Bubba’s radial proves you can pick up a safe and pleasingly easy to use Isofix design for less than £200. This swivelling design can be fully rotated and can be used until your child is 12 years old, by adjusting the backrest – although, we reckon little ones over the age of four or five would feel restricted.

We found the Isofix base simple to install and liked that baby can be rear-facing until they’re four. A great affordable choice or a good spare seat for a second car.

BeSafe stretch B car seat

• Best : All-in-one seat
• Age range : From birth to seven years (up to 125cm or 36kg)
• Passes the Swedish Plus safety test

If you’re shopping for a seat belt car seat rather than an Isofix design, we really rate BeSafe’s stretch B. As the name suggests, this Scandi brand is all about keeping small people secure. The rear-facing stretch B will fit your mini-me from birth all the way until they’re seven. It also passes the Swedish Plus safety test. When putting the stretch B through its paces, we liked the cute ‘newborn hugger’ insert for brand-new babies and the clever headrest and legroom, which can be adjusted as your child grows.

Amana Siena twist+ car seat

• Best : Value for money car seat
• Age rage : From birth to 12 years
• Colours : Grey, black and green
• Looks great
• Breathable bamboo material
• Quite heavy

The Siena twist is another design that ticks a lot of boxes – it swivels and it can be used both rearwards and forwards. There are some other nice design nods here, too, including a headrest made from breathable bamboo fibre.

A newborn inlay is included, so you can use this seat from birth, and a five-point harness will keep baby secure. The sage green colourway is rather smart, too. However, at 13kg, this is a heavy seat to carry, even without a baby in it.

Car seats FAQs

Fran Vaughan, managing director of Ickle Bubba, answered our questions:

Car seat safety standards explained

Car seats used in the UK must adhere to two standards: ECE R129, which is the latest regulation, or ECE R44. Car seats that adhere to ECE R129 are called iSize seats. These seats are fitted against your child’s height and ensure children are rear-facing until they’re 15 months old. Rear-facing travel is optimal for babies and children because it offers more protection for their necks if a collision does occur. All iSize seats have Isofix as standard and have side-impact collision testing as part of the approval process.

ECE R44 seats are fitted based on your child’s weight. Many allow your child to face forward from 10 months, and some allow you to fit the seat using just a seat belt. This is handy if your car doesn’t have Isofix fixings. These seats aren’t required to have side-impact collision testing as standard.

What is Isofix?

Isofix is a way for a car seat to be secured into your car. It’s designed to make fitting the seat easy, as research shows many older car seats are fitted incorrectly, which makes the seat unsafe. Car seats with Isofix have connectors that come out of the back of the seat and slide into your car’s Isofix fitting points. Many seats then have a green indicator or lights (usually in the base) to let you know the seat is securely fitted in place. Isofix anchors the car seat to the chassis of the car, locking it in place more securely than if you were to use just a seat belt. Often an additional top tether or support leg is then used to stop the seat tipping forward.

How do I know when my child is too big for their car seat?

Figuring out when your child is ready for the next size of car seat is relatively straightforward. With iSize seats, it’s based on height:

• iSize baby – suitable from birth to 85cm (this tends to be around 15-18 months)
• iSize baby and toddler – suitable from birth to 105cm (this is around four years of age)
• iSize toddler – suitable from 65cm to 105cm (around 15 months to four years)
• iSize child – suitable from 100cm to 135cm (around four years to 12 years of age, when they aren’t required to travel in a seat any more)

For the R44 seats, seat sizes are based on weight and go up in groups:

• Group 0/0+ – suitable from birth to 13kg (up to about 15 months)
• Group 0+/1 – suitable from birth to 18kg (up to about four years)
• Group 0+/1/2 – suitable from birth to 25kg (up to around seven years)
• Group 1 – suitable from 9kg up to 18kg (from about nine months to four years)
• Group 1/2/3 – suitable from 9kg up to 36kg (from about nine months to 12 years of age)
• Group 2/3 – suitable from 15kg to 36kg (from about nine months to 12 years of age)
• Group 3 – suitable from 22kg to 36kg (from about five years to 12 years of age)

Your child may not fit the seat based on their age. It really depends on their weight or height, so it’s important to measure or weigh your child to check.

Multi-group seats are great for those who have different aged children using the seat, such as childminders or grandparents.

Why are car seats for babies rear-facing?

It’s generally much safer. When babies are sitting in a rear-facing car seat, the shell acts as a protective shield and absorbs any force, should there be an accident. As a result, the impact would spread over the whole area of the child's back, neck and head, putting significantly less strain solely on the baby’s neck.

What age should kids start to sit forward-facing?

Legally, kids should only turn forward-facing once they weigh 9kg. At this stage, they will sometimes require a new car seat, depending on the model. However, many studies have recommended that children should stay rear-facing for longer than the legal requirement and, in some cases, up to four years old.

Will I need a base to fit the seat into my car?

When it comes to safety testing, car seats in the UK have to conform to one of two standards: ECE R129 is the newest European-wide regulation, known as iSize. This runs alongside the existing ECE R44 regulation, and parents can choose to use either seat type.

iSize uses your child’s height for fitting. For a car seat to be iSize compatible, it must be used with an Isofix base. Other car seats that fall under the ECE R44 regulation are split into groups based on weight, and don’t need a base.

What tips do you have for buying car seats at the various different stages?

Monitor the weight and height of your child regularly, to ensure you are using the correct car seat. Don’t rely on visual indicators only.

What’s the most important thing to look for in a child’s car seat?

Check that it meets ECE safety standards. A sticker is normally located on the car seat to indicate this. Also, make sure the car seat is compatible with your vehicle. Most are universal fitting, but it's best to check before you purchase.

The verdict: Car seats

Our top pick for new babies is Nuna’s beautifully made pipa urbn – we loved the design and the fact it doesn’t require a separate base. Meanwhile, Maxi Cosi’s easy-swivel pearl 360 pro stands out for toddlers and should keep them comfy even during longer journeys. If you want just one seat to see you through early childhood, try BeSafe’s stretch B , with its adjustable headrest. It’s passed the rigorous Swedish Plus safety test, too.

Want more recommendations? Check out our guide to the best baby carriers

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How To Secure The Best Seat Possible On A Plane, According To Travel Pro Samantha Brown

If you booked yourself a standard economy ticket for your next flight, you might want to try out travel expert Samantha Brown's tip for getting the best possible seat on the plane and avoid being one of the unlucky travelers who gets bumped off the flight: check in online the moment it becomes available. On her website, Samantha Brown's Places to Love , she states: "Most airlines open up check-in 24 hours before the flight. I recommend setting an alarm and checking ASAP to not only get the best seat possible but also to guarantee your spot."

There are a lot of reasons to want a specific seat for your flight. Maybe  you need to get work done on the plane and need a spot where you won't be disturbed. Maybe you want to be able to open up the shade and see mountains and oceans below (though some would argue the window seat isn't as great as you think .) Maybe you just want to make sure that you get to sit with your friends and family. Unfortunately, the days of seat selections without fees are mostly gone, but if you're willing to take a chance, you might just be able to snag your ideal seat during check-in without paying anything extra.

It can keep you from getting bumped

In addition to helping you get the seat that you want, Samantha Brown mention that her strategy of checking in 24 hours in advance can prevent one of the biggest frustrations in flying: getting bumped from your flight. On her website, Brown stated that, unbelievably, a lot of airlines intentionally sell more tickets than there are seats on a flight, writing: "I can't believe this is legal. But if you don't check in until you arrive at the airport, you run the risk of not having a seat ... Essentially what will happen is the gate agent has to call customer service and rebook you on the next available flight. Even if it's only a few hours later, that can really mess with your travel plans."

As Brown explains, when a flight is overbooked, airlines have to make decisions about who gets to be on the plane and who doesn't. Since everyone in your section paid for the same tickets, being first on the list of check-ins is a great way to make sure you're not the one who ends up having to wait for the next flight.

Choosing the right economy ticket for your trip

Samantha Brown has excellent tips and tricks for travelers, from space-saving hacks to avoid the hassle of checking your luggage to protecting yourself against pickpockets on your vacation , and her advice to check in immediately is no exception — as long as you booked the right ticket. Today, many major airlines offer tickets at a discounted price with no seat selection available at all. That might save you money, but if you want to take advantage of Brown's tip for how to get the seat you want, you may want to consider bumping yourself up to a standard economy ticket.

On United Airlines, which is known for having some of the most extreme basic fares that don't allow for any free seat selection, the savings can be significant. For example: You could save around $200 on a flight from New York City to London by purchasing a Basic Economy ticket instead of Economy. However, paying in advance for a seat will cost $15 at minimum each way (and preferred seating will cost $36), which seriously cuts into those savings.

Recommended

Claudia Looi

Touring the Top 10 Moscow Metro Stations

By Claudia Looi 2 Comments

Komsomolskaya metro station looks like a museum. It has vaulted ceilings and baroque decor.

Hidden underground, in the heart of Moscow, are historical and architectural treasures of Russia. These are Soviet-era creations – the metro stations of Moscow.

Our guide Maria introduced these elaborate metro stations as “the palaces for the people.” Built between 1937 and 1955, each station holds its own history and stories. Stalin had the idea of building beautiful underground spaces that the masses could enjoy. They would look like museums, art centers, concert halls, palaces and churches. Each would have a different theme. None would be alike.

The two-hour private tour was with a former Intourist tour guide named Maria. Maria lived in Moscow all her life and through the communist era of 60s to 90s. She has been a tour guide for more than 30 years. Being in her 60s, she moved rather quickly for her age. We traveled and crammed with Maria and other Muscovites on the metro to visit 10 different metro stations.

Arrow showing the direction of metro line 1 and 2

Moscow subways are very clean

To Maria, every street, metro and building told a story. I couldn’t keep up with her stories. I don’t remember most of what she said because I was just thrilled being in Moscow.   Added to that, she spilled out so many Russian words and names, which to one who can’t read Cyrillic, sounded so foreign and could be easily forgotten.

The metro tour was the first part of our all day tour of Moscow with Maria. Here are the stations we visited:

1. Komsomolskaya Metro Station  is the most beautiful of them all. Painted yellow and decorated with chandeliers, gold leaves and semi precious stones, the station looks like a stately museum. And possibly decorated like a palace. I saw Komsomolskaya first, before the rest of the stations upon arrival in Moscow by train from St. Petersburg.

2. Revolution Square Metro Station (Ploshchad Revolyutsii) has marble arches and 72 bronze sculptures designed by Alexey Dushkin. The marble arches are flanked by the bronze sculptures. If you look closely you will see passersby touching the bronze dog's nose. Legend has it that good luck comes to those who touch the dog's nose.

Touch the dog's nose for good luck. At the Revolution Square station

Revolution Square Metro Station

3. Arbatskaya Metro Station served as a shelter during the Soviet-era. It is one of the largest and the deepest metro stations in Moscow.

Arbatskaya Metro Station

4. Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station was built in 1935 and named after the Russian State Library. It is located near the library and has a big mosaic portrait of Lenin and yellow ceramic tiles on the track walls.

Lenin's portrait at the Biblioteka Imeni Lenina Metro Station

5. Kievskaya Metro Station was one of the first to be completed in Moscow. Named after the capital city of Ukraine by Kiev-born, Nikita Khruschev, Stalin's successor.

Kievskaya Metro Station

6. Novoslobodskaya Metro Station  was built in 1952. It has 32 stained glass murals with brass borders.

Novoslobodskaya metro station

7. Kurskaya Metro Station was one of the first few to be built in Moscow in 1938. It has ceiling panels and artwork showing Soviet leadership, Soviet lifestyle and political power. It has a dome with patriotic slogans decorated with red stars representing the Soviet's World War II Hall of Fame. Kurskaya Metro Station is a must-visit station in Moscow.

Ceiling panel and artworks at Kurskaya Metro Station

8. Mayakovskaya Metro Station built in 1938. It was named after Russian poet Vladmir Mayakovsky. This is one of the most beautiful metro stations in the world with 34 mosaics painted by Alexander Deyneka.

Mayakovskaya station

One of the over 30 ceiling mosaics in Mayakovskaya metro station

9. Belorusskaya Metro Station is named after the people of Belarus. In the picture below, there are statues of 3 members of the Partisan Resistance in Belarus during World War II. The statues were sculpted by Sergei Orlov, S. Rabinovich and I. Slonim.

10. Teatralnaya Metro Station (Theatre Metro Station) is located near the Bolshoi Theatre.

Teatralnaya Metro Station decorated with porcelain figures .

Taking the metro's escalator at the end of the tour with Maria the tour guide.

Have you visited the Moscow Metro? Leave your comment below.

January 15, 2017 at 8:17 am

An excellent read! Thanks for much for sharing the Russian metro system with us. We're heading to Moscow in April and exploring the metro stations were on our list and after reading your post, I'm even more excited to go visit them. Thanks again 🙂

December 6, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Hi, do you remember which tour company you contacted for this tour?

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The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

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Pennsylvania's primary will cement Casey, McCormick as nominees in battleground US Senate race

Associated Press

FILE - This photo combo shows. Republican David McCormick, left, addressing supporters at the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, Sept. 21, 2023 and Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., speaking during an event at AFSCME Council 13 offices, March 14, 2024, in Harrisburg, Pa.. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, Marc Levy, file)

HARRISBURG, Pa. – Tuesday's Pennsylvania primaries will cement the lineup for a high-stakes U.S. Senate race between Democratic Sen. Bob Casey and Republican challenger David McCormick , a contest that is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and could help decide control of the Senate next year.

Casey, seeking his fourth term, is perhaps Pennsylvania's best-known politician and a stalwart of the presidential swing state's Democratic Party — the son of a former two-term governor and Pennsylvania’s longest-ever serving Democrat in the Senate.

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McCormick is a two-time Senate challenger, a former hedge fund CEO and Pennsylvania native who spent $14 million of his own money only to lose narrowly to celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022's seven-way GOP primary. Oz then lost to Democratic Sen. John Fetterman in a pivotal Senate contest.

This time around, McCormick has consolidated the party around his candidacy and is backed by a super PAC that's already reported raising more than $20 million, much of it from securities-trading billionaires.

McCormick's candidacy is shaping up as the strongest challenge to Casey in his three reelection bids. McCormick, intent on shoring up support in the GOP base, told an audience of conservatives in suburban Harrisburg earlier this month that he tells people “you're going to agree with about 80% of what I say ... but we disagree 90% of the time with the crazy progressive left that's destroying our country.”

The Senate candidates will share a ticket with candidates for president in a state that is critical to whether Democrats can maintain control of the White House and the Senate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are expected to win their party nominations easily now that all major rivals have dropped out.

Of note, however, could be the number of “ uncommitted ” write-in votes cast in the Democratic primary to protest Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

In the Senate contest, Democrats have attacked McCormick's opposition to abortion rights, his frequent trips to Connecticut’s ritzy “Gold Coast ” where he keeps a family home, and the focus on investing in China during his dozen years as an executive at the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, including as CEO.

Casey has been a key player for Democrats trying to reframe the election-year narrative about the economy by attacking “greedflation” — a blunt term for corporations that jack up prices and rip off shoppers to maximize profits — as fast-rising prices over the past three years have opened a big soft spot in 2024 for Democrats. Recent indications that the U.S. economy avoided a recession amid efforts to manage inflation have yet to translate into voter enthusiasm for giving Biden a second term.

McCormick, meanwhile, has accused Casey of rubber-stamping harmful immigration, economic, energy and national security policies of Biden, and made a bid for Jewish voters by traveling to the Israel-Gaza border and arguing that Biden hasn’t backed Israel strongly enough in the Israel-Hamas war .

Casey is one of Biden’s strongest allies in Congress.

The two men share a hometown of Scranton and their political stories are intertwined. Biden — who represented neighboring Delaware in the Senate and roots for Philadelphia sports teams — has effectively made Pennsylvania his political home as a presidential candidate. Long before that, Biden was nicknamed “Pennsylvania's third senator” by Democrats because he campaigned there so often.

McCormick and Trump have endorsed each other, but are an awkward duo atop the GOP's ticket. Trump savaged McCormick in 2022's primary in a successful bid to lift Oz to his primary win. And McCormick, for his part, has told of a private meeting in which he refused Trump's urging to say that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, a disproven claim the former president has never abandoned.

Democrats currently hold a Senate majority by the narrowest of margins, but face a difficult 2024 Senate map that requires them to defend incumbents in the red states of Montana and Ohio and fight for open seats with new candidates in Michigan and West Virginia.

A Casey loss could guarantee Republican control of the Senate.

Elsewhere on the ballot Tuesday, Pennsylvanians will decide nominees for an open attorney general's office and two other statewide offices — treasurer and auditor general — plus all 17 of the state's U.S. House seats and 228 of the state's 253 legislative seats.

For attorney general, Republicans have a two-way race while Democrats have a five-person primary field. Democrats also will decide on challengers to incumbent Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity and state Auditor General Tim DeFoor.

For Congress, 44 candidates are on ballots, including all 17 incumbents, just three of whom are facing primary challengers: Democratic Reps. Summer Lee in a Pittsburgh-based district and Dwight Evans in Philadelphia and Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in suburban Philadelphia.

Lee's primary against challenger Bhavini Patel has shaped up as an early test of whether Israel’s war with Gaza poses political threats to progressive Democrats in Congress who have criticized how it has been handled.

Voters will decide from among three would-be Republican challengers to Democratic Rep. Susan Wild, whose Allentown-based district is politically divided, and six Democratic candidates hoping to challenge Republican Rep. Scott Perry of southern Pennsylvania.

Perry has become a national figure for heading up the ultra-right House Freedom Caucus during a speakership battle and his efforts to help Trump stay in power after losing 2020's presidential election.

Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/timelywriter .

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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