Best-of buying guide
Best Highchairs UK (2026) — For Weaning & Beyond
By Emma Whitfield · Pregnancy & Baby Writer
Prices & availability last checked 11 July 2026
At a glance
| Pick | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Stokke Tripp Trapp | Best long-term buy | From £199 (chair only, baby set extra) |
| Chicco Polly Progres5 | Best all-rounder from six months | From £120 (RRP £160) |
| Joie Multiply 6-in-1 | Best multi-stage versatility | From £110 |
| Cosatto Noodle 0+ | Best budget | From £65 |
A highchair earns its keep for years, not months, so the real choice is between an adjustable "grows with your child" chair and a cheaper dedicated baby highchair you'll replace with a normal dining chair around age 3–4.
Before you buy — is your baby ready?
Our weaning guide covers this in full, but the highchair-specific version: don't buy (or use) one until your baby can sit unsupported with good head control, usually around six months. Every chair below needs a secure, adjustable harness — a tray alone is not a restraint.
What we weighed
- From-birth or from-weaning? Reclining seats let you start earlier with a bottle-feeding recline; upright wooden chairs are strictly from independent sitting.
- Cleanability — wipe-clean vinyl seat pads beat fabric for the food-everywhere months; removable, dishwasher-safe trays save real time.
- Footrest adjustability — a footrest at the right height improves core stability for self-feeding, and is often overlooked next to tray features.
- Longevity — a chair that adjusts into a toddler and then an adult dining chair changes the real cost-per-year dramatically.
Our picks, in detail
Best long-term buy
1.Stokke Tripp Trapp
From £199 (chair only, baby set extra)
The Norwegian design classic that adjusts from a six-month-old’s first meal to an adult’s dining chair — the seat and footrest slide independently to fit almost any age with the baby set attachment.
Pros
- +Genuinely usable from 6 months to adulthood on one frame
- +Solid beech construction holds resale value well
- +Huge accessory ecosystem — baby set, cushions, tray
Cons
- –Baby set (harness and tray) is sold separately from the chair
- –No recline — strictly for babies who can already sit unsupported
Best all-rounder from six months
2.Chicco Polly Progres5
From £120 (RRP £160)
A reclining, height-adjustable highchair that converts through five configurations from a compact newborn recline (for supervised bottle feeds) to a toddler chair — with a removable, dishwasher-safe double tray.
Pros
- +Recline and height adjust independently for a good fit at any age
- +Double tray (outer catches spills, inner lifts out for the dishwasher)
- +Folds compactly for a small kitchen
Cons
- –Fabric seat pad needs more careful cleaning than a wipe-clean vinyl chair
- –Bulkier footprint than a simple wooden chair once the tray is attached
Best multi-stage versatility
3.Joie Multiply 6-in-1
From £110
Six configurations from one frame — newborn recliner, highchair, toddler chair and stool — aimed at families who want maximum flexibility without buying a premium wooden chair.
Pros
- +Six genuinely different configurations on one frame
- +Compact, one-hand fold for smaller kitchens
- +Wipe-clean seat pad copes well with weaning mess
Cons
- –Not as visually "grown-up" as a wooden adjustable chair for the toddler-to-adult stage
- –More moving parts to learn than a simple fixed highchair
Best budget
4.Cosatto Noodle 0+
From £65
Proof a budget highchair doesn’t mean a flimsy one: height-adjustable, a recline for early feeds, and a removable tray with a cup holder, regularly under £70 in Cosatto’s signature bold prints.
Pros
- +Genuinely height-adjustable and reclining at a budget price
- +Compact fold and light enough to move room to room
- +Wipe-clean seat pad in distinctive Cosatto prints
Cons
- –Tray is single-layer — no dishwasher-safe removable inner tray
- –Less structurally substantial than premium wooden chairs long-term
How we chose
We build every shortlist the same way: we map the whole UK market for the category, weight the specifications that change daily life (not the ones that look good in adverts), cross-reference sustained buyer feedback across multiple retailers, and sanity-check prices across the retailers we link. Retailers cannot pay to appear, and commission never affects rankings. Prices were verified on the "last reviewed" date and will drift — always confirm on the retailer page.
Your questions, answered
When can my baby start using a highchair?
Once they can sit unsupported with good head control — usually around six months, and always alongside starting solid food (weaning), not before. A reclining infant seat can be used earlier for bottle-feeding, but a baby should not be left reclined with food.
Is a wooden adjustable highchair worth the extra cost?
If you want one chair from six months to adulthood, yes — chairs like the Stokke Tripp Trapp adjust seat and footrest height to fit a growing child and eventually seat an adult at the table, which changes the cost-per-year math versus buying (and disposing of) two or three cheaper chairs.
What is the safest way to use a highchair?
Always use the harness (waist and crotch strap, not just the tray) every time, keep the chair away from the table edge, worktops, or anything a child could push off from, and never leave a baby unattended in a highchair.
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