Your baby is likely to spend a lot of time in their highchair. Not only when they are eating, but as a safe place to play, making it one of the most important items of baby gear. The good news is, there's no need to break the bank or compromise safety because cheap highchairs are readily available.
You might want a functional seat for mealtimes or a more sophisticated piece of furniture that will grow with your child. Either way, the more comfortable your child is in their highchair, the more likely they are to enjoy mealtimes. Here are the best cheap highchairs for budget-friendly feeding.
Cheap highchairs available to buy
Description
This ultra-lightweight Graco Snack N' Stow Compact Highchair is, as the name suggests, impressively compact – ideal if you’re short on space. It’s freestanding when folded, so you can slide it neatly out of the way when it’s not in use. It comes with a large tray and an adjustable footrest for maximum comfort, and the wipe-clean fabric makes tidying up after meals really quick and easy. Looking for a budget highchair that doesn’t compromise on functionality? This is it. And look at the price – it’s fantastic value!
Suitable from: 6 months - 3 years
Review: “I was surprised how much I loved this budget highchair! It’s got lots more going for it than more expensive models. The entire seat unit is wipe clean – a major plus point for us. I love the tray too – it’s a great size, comes on and off with ease, and can be adjusted easily. The real bonus is how compactly it folds – no dismantling or struggling to hold bits in!”
Pros
- On offer
- Affordable
- Adjustable footrest
Cons
- Seat could have more recline options
www.boots.com
Description
We love the stylish, contemporary look of the My Babiie Billie Faiers MBHC8GE Elephants Premium Highchair. It’s height-adjustable and has a three-position seat recline. The two-part removable tray helps make light work of clean-up after use. It’s compact and free-standing when folded, and the tray attaches neatly to the back when not in use.
Suitable from: 6 months – 3 years
Review: “The print is really lovely and the mint-green tray is stylish. It’s fairly easy to assemble, folds well and is compact and easy to store. It’s easy to clean – the seat is completely wipe-clean and the tray is easily removable. I’m very impressed by the price. For something this nice, I’d expect to pay much more.”
Pros
- Height adjustable
- Removable tray
- Seat recline
Cons
- No reviews yet
Description
This versatile Infantino highchair is excellent value for money compared to a standard highchair as it’s cleverly designed to grow with your child - it can convert into a booster seat and even into a toddler chair. It comes with a dishwasher-safe silicone meal mat and a removable food tray. The tray and seat back are both adjustable, so you can ensure your little one is truly comfy throughout every stage of their development.
Suitable from: 3 months+
Review: “This highchair is so cute, and very easy to put together. The harness is very well-designed, with settings that are easy to adjust to suit your baby as they grows. The seat seems very comfy and offers very good support. I love that this converts to a toddler chair – what a great idea. It’s very easy to clean, too. Did I mention how cute it is?”
Pros
- Adorable design
- Convertible seat
- Adjustable seat
Cons
- More on the expensive side
www.johnlewis.com
Description
Say hello to the John Lewis own-brand highchair. The solid metal structure and the optimised angle of the legs ensure stability for your youngster during feeding. There are easy-to-use safety straps, plus the lightly padded fabric will keep your baby comfy. The chair also has an easy-to-clean tray and a footrest with colourful plastic support.
Suitable from: 6 months+
Review: “Really pleased with this high chair, it is well built, easy to assemble and folds for storage. We purchased this for our Granddaughter to use when she frequently visits us and she loves it.”
Pros
- Affordable
- Compact fold
- Safety straps
Cons
- Tray is non detachable
www.argos.co.uk
Description
A stylish, compact and versatile highchair. The Joie Multiply Highchair Portrait is quick to assemble and has six seat modes, including a traditional highchair, booster seat, and toddler chair with table, so it’s good value for money as it’ll grow with your child. It’s brilliant for integrating your baby into family mealtimes – and folds neatly.
Suitable from: 6 – 72 months
Review: “Converting it into the different configurations is quick and easy. I like the fact that the seat pommel is attached to the tray, as I think that makes it comfortable – my daughter was happy in this. The tray is large and easy to attach and remove with one hand. This feels more compact than other highchairs – it’s less overbearing in the kitchen.”
Pros
- Quick to assemble
- Convertible seat
- Compact fold
Cons
- On the more expensive side
Description
Offering six height and three recline positions, so it’s the perfect fit for your home and baby, this Mamas & Papas highchair has a removable tray insert for cleaning. Plus, the seat pad can quickly be wiped clean. It comes with a handy storage basket to keep all those bibs and wipes nearby, folding down with the removable tray for easy storage. Choose from several cute designs.
Suitable from: 6 months - 3 years
Review: “Tray is a great size and the insert is useful for finger food as it’s easy to remove and clean. Changing the height is really easy and the lowest setting is great for feeding my grandson whilst I sit in the settee. All in all, it’s a very reasonably priced high chair.”
Pros
- Adjustable height
- Adjustable recline
- Removable pad
Cons
- Footrest is non adjustable
Description
This budget Kinderkraft highchair can be adjusted to tables of different heights with seven-step heights to choose from. You can also alter the distance of the tray to suit your baby. Folding neatly into a standing position so you can store it away, the tray can also be attached vertically to the rear legs of the chair.
Suitable from: 6 months - 3 years
Review: “I purchased the highchair for when my grandson comes to visit. It is easy to clean and fold up. I like the fact that the tray hooks onto the legs at the back for easy storage. Also the tray comes apart for easy cleaning."
Pros
- Adjustable height
- Adjustable tray
- Premium look
Cons
- Larger than other options
www.very.co.uk
Description
If you prefer something a bit more old fashioned and simplistic, this wooden Bebe Confort Timba highchair could be the one for you. Growing with your child until they are 30kg: to turn it into a junior seat - remove the safety bar, three-point harness and tray and adjust the seat and footrest according to your child's needs. If required, you can also buy a padded cushion sold separately.
Suitable from: 6 months - 10 years
Pros
- Convertible seat
- Grows with them
- Natural finish
Cons
- No reviews yet
Is your baby ready for a highchair?
If your baby is at least six months old, has good head control and can sit well with support, they are ready to start weaning and sit in a highchair at mealtimes. Some of the highchairs we've included are suitable from birth. Some designs double as a safe and comfortable seat before weaning too.
Do you like the design?
You’re going to be looking at this highchair for a few years, so make sure you love it! Think about where you’re going to use it and how the design will work in that space. For example, a chair with wide legs will be fine if it sits behind the dining table, but if it’s in a busy part of the kitchen, you’re likely to stub your toes on it.
Do you need to move it around?
Lots of mums pop their babies in their highchair close to them while they’re making tea, or cleaning up afterwards, so you might want to be able to move it around your kitchen.
Do you have other children? Or, do you want to expand your family in the future? Before you buy, consider that one day your toddler might be attempting to push it around, so the option you choose needs to be sturdy!
Are you baby-led weaning or spoon-feeding?
Most cheap highchairs work for both weaning methods. But, some have a detachable layer on the tray, which is especially useful if your baby is feeding themselves. You can also pop toys on the tray to keep your baby occupied while you clean up any mess after mealtime.
How often will you use it?
Although we’d love to put a time frame on how much you’ll use the highchair, this varies from family to family. If you’re using the highchair between meals for playtime activities or messy play, you’ll get more use out of it.
You may want to choose one with a large tray, or one that you can use at the dining table to ensure that your baby has plenty of space to get creative.
Is it easy to clean?
Highchairs need to be cleaned thoroughly after each use - so choose one that’s easy to clean. Avoid designs with gaps where food can get trapped and go for machine-washable seat covers.
What to look for in a cheap highchair
Seat recline: You can usually recline the seat on a highchair. It is useful for making sure your baby is comfy at mealtimes at all stages of their development. Check that this function is easy to operate and that the seat
is well-padded and supportive.
Safety harness: Most highchairs have a five-point safety harness, and you’ll need to use this whenever your baby is in the highchair, even if it’s just for a few minutes. So check you find it easy to use – even with a wriggly youngster – but not so easy that a toddler could undo it.
Armrests: Will you want to be able to position the highchair close to the family table, so your baby can eat from it at family mealtimes, now or in the future? While all trays are removable, the armrests sometimes mean this isn’t possible.
Tray: Ideally, the tray should be dishwasher-friendly for easy cleaning.
Storage pocket: If you’re short on space, a compartment designed for storing mealtime essentials, such as bibs makes life easy. Of course, it's totally up to you what you put in your storage pocket, another essential would be wipes.
Footrest: Does the highchair have a footrest? Having somewhere to rest tired legs can help make sitting in a highchair much comfier. Check if it can be adjusted as your child grows and their legs get longer.
Future use: Some cheap highchairs convert to independent chairs that your child can continue to use throughout toddlerhood and beyond. But if you’re hoping to expand your family, you might want to re-use the highchair for another baby.
Legs: Think about how much room you’ll have to manoeuvre around the highchair. Some highchair legs extend so far out that they pose a trip hazard.
Height setting: You can adjust the height of most highchairs. You can position the seat unit at the family dining table or breakfast bar. Think about where you’re likely to be feeding your baby. Check that the highchair can be positioned at that height.
Fold mechanism: If you’re going to be folding and unfolding the chair daily, this function needs to be super easy. It’s useful if the highchair is free-standing when folded.