High Chair Compare

Count me in this group. Well, although I do own a high chair myself (the Stokke Tripp Trapp), I also wanted to have a more portable and simple option. There may be a lot of people who choose to skip the traditional full-size high chair entirely. Their reasons may include the fact that they dislike an ugly chair taking up a large amount of space. Or that it’s too hard to clean. And that is a perfectly good reason. Especially because now there is a valid set of models and alternatives to a large chair.

Namely I’m speaking about a clamp-on or a travel high chair. These simply have a set of suction cups plus a vice grip setup on each arm. They are quite sturdy. Most can hold between 30 and 50 pounds. The advantages include the ability for the little boy or girl to freely swing their legs. And they get to sit at any counter that accommodates enough room underneath for the grips’ length.

The other bonus is that kids can now sit at the increasingly common kitchen islands. Some families have large granite, marble, Corian or other style countertops and they typically have tons of room underneath for these simple high chairs to easily fit. Not to mention that they fold down extremely small and portable.

The downsides are that sometimes the grips can scratch the underside of the attached tables. Especially if its a fairly porous or soft wood. As the child moves around and the grips move ever so slightly, it will likely leave marks on the wood. This is where the families need to explore all the travel high chair options. Some will clearly work better for a particular table than others depending on all the dimensions.

You’re not going to get any reclining options or a footrest with these models. You have to factor that in. The baby may be a bit more uncomfortable as these have less padding in most cases than a full high chair with a premium cushion. And in some cases depending on table thickness, there just won’t be a snug fit for the clamps and chair, or in fact the chair clamps won’t open wide enough to insert on the table edge.

Again on the good side however, if you are out at a eating establishment or over at another house that does not have a high chair, you can easily assemble this and have a great option for the child to eat with all the family members. And in a restaurant, you can avoid wondering how many children have sat on the same high chair and the level of cleanliness the chair may or may not have. Regardless of the big chair you may have or are considering, this gives you another viable alternative.