Cheap highchairs for budget-friendly feeding

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

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.

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