Best-of buying guide
Best Highchairs UK — For Weaning & Beyond
By Emma Whitfield · Pregnancy & Baby Writer
Prices & availability last checked 11 July 2026
How do these picks compare at a glance?
| Pick | Score | Best for | Size | Care | Surface | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stokke Tripp Trapp | 9.3/10 | Best long-term buy | — | — | — | From £199 (chair only, baby set extra) |
| Chicco Polly Progres5 | 9/10 | Best all-rounder from six months | — | — | — | From £120 (RRP £160) |
| Joie Multiply 6-in-1 | 8.6/10 | Best multi-stage versatility | — | — | — | From £110 |
| Cosatto Noodle 0+ | 8.3/10 | Best budget | — | — | — | From £65 |
| IKEA Antilop | 7.9/10 | Best ultra-budget | — | — | — | From £10 |
| Womumon Splash Mat (51") | 7.6/10 | Best highchair accessory | ~130cm (51") diameter | Wipe clean / machine washable | Waterproof, anti-slip backing | Check on Amazon |
A highchair is a safety seat for food: upright, strapped, footrest if you can get one, always supervised. The £10 IKEA Antilop is a genuine option. The £200 wooden chair is a genuine option. What is not an option is feeding a baby in a reclined bouncer. Start when they can sit with a steady head — around 6 months, with the weaning signs.
Who should skip this highchair guide?
Skip this if you already have a stable chair with a working crotch strap. Skip "newborn highchairs" that recline for bottle feeds; those are a different product and a poorer place to eat. Skip the splash-mat-only shopper — jump to the Womumon pick.
Do you need a footrest?
It helps. A dangling-leg baby fidgets and chews less well. Adjustable wooden chairs (Tripp Trapp and copies) win on this for years. Budget plastic chairs often skip it; a folded towel on a rung is a hack, not a design feature.
When can a baby sit in a highchair?
When they can sit upright with a steady head, which is also when weaning usually starts. Straps on every time. No standing. No leaving the room "for a second" with food in reach.
Which highchair is best for most UK kitchens?
If you want one chair from weaning to homework, a wooden adjustable. If you want wipe-clean and cheap, Antilop plus a tray. If you want recline-to-highchair in a small flat, a multi-stage plastic frame. Measure the gap between table and wall before you fall in love with a wide wooden footprint.
Prices below were checked on the review date. Confirm whether the tray, baby set and cushions are included — "from" prices often are not.
Which products made the shortlist?
Best long-term buy
1.Stokke Tripp Trapp
From £199 (chair only, baby set extra)
9.3 /10
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)
9 /10
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
8.6 /10
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
8.3 /10
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
Best ultra-budget
5.IKEA Antilop
From £10
7.9 /10
The highchair every UK parent has sat a baby in at least once: a simple polypropylene shell and steel legs for around £10, no adjustability, and nothing to wipe clean but hard plastic — the honest, no-frills option.
Pros
- +Genuinely unbeatable price — from around £10
- +No fabric or padding at all, so wipe-clean is instant
- +Legs detach easily; light enough to take to a grandparent's house
Cons
- –No recline and no height adjustment — one fixed size
- –Suitable only once a child can sit up unaided, up to about 15kg/age 3
Best highchair accessory
6.Womumon Splash Mat (51")
Check price on Amazon
7.6 /10
The unsung hero of the weaning months: a 130cm waterproof, anti-slip mat that lives under the highchair and catches the astonishing percentage of every meal that goes floorward. Wipes clean in seconds, machine-washes when it's beyond wiping, and folds away for grandparents' houses — it protects carpet, saves mop-time after every meal, and later earns a second life under craft projects.
Pros
- +Big 130cm catch radius — actually covers the highchair splash zone, unlike smaller mats
- +Waterproof and anti-slip; wipes clean or machine-washes
- +Folds small enough for the changing bag — solves mealtimes at carpeted cafés and grandparents' houses
Cons
- –Needs a wipe-down before folding or you're laminating yesterday's porridge
- –Lightweight edges can lift on very smooth floors under a determined chair-scooter
How did we choose these products?
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.
What UK safety standard should you check?
UK standard: BS EN 14350 (drinking equipment) · BS EN 14988 (highchairs). Drinking equipment standards cover chemical migration and mechanical safety of bottles and teats; the highchair standard covers stability, restraint and entrapment.
- ✓ Bottles and teats cite BS EN 14350; highchairs cite BS EN 14988
- ✓ Highchairs have a crotch post or 5-point harness — never rely on a tray alone
- ✓ Never use bottle-prop or self-feeding devices — flagged by OPSS as a choking risk
Check live UK recalls before buying: gov.uk product recalls & alerts · Read our guide to dangerous baby products sold online .
Still deciding between two models?
What questions come up most?
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.
Which other buying guides should you read?
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Best Pushchairs & Prams UK
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Best Car Seats UK — i-Size & R129
The best i-Size (R129) car seats in the UK — rotating toddler seats, infant carriers and budget picks compared, with fitting guidance.