Choosing the best booster seat for your child’s dining can be daunting. There are so many different types and brands on the market, all with different features. How do you know which one is right for your child? To help make your decision easier, we’ve compiled a list of the best booster seats for eating in 2022. These seats ranked high based on their safety ratings, ease of use, and price. So whether you’re looking for a budget-friendly option or a top-of-the-line model, we’ve got you covered!
What is a booster seat high chair for eating?
A booster seat high chair is a small seat that is fixed on top of a regular dining chair so that small children can be raised to the right level for eating at a table with the rest of the family.
It is similar to a high chair in that it is used to keep the child safe and secured in the seat when feeding. Also, it is different from the booster seat that you use in a car.
Reviews of the Best Booster Seats for Eating 2022
Fisher-Price Booster Seat for Dining Times
Size: 15.6 x 13 x 9.3 inches
Weight: 0.78 pounds
Age recommendation: 6 months and above
Our overall best booster seat for eating is the Fisher-Price Booster Seat which is adjustable. One of the great things about this booster seat is the ability to grow with your child. That means you don’t have to buy several sets for different stages of your child’s life. When your child is small, you can use the seat as a high chair with the tray, and when they are bigger, you can remove the trays so your child can eat from the table. Additionally, the straps are adjustable, and the back can be removed to accommodate your big toddler.
The other thing you will love is that it comes with three trays that are so easy to snap in and out. The green tray functions as a lid to cover the mess waiting to be washed later. The trays can come in handy in a lot of other ways. It also has a built-in cup holder.
If you are looking for a portable seat to travel with, this booster seat is lightweight, folds compactly, and has a carrying strap for easy transport. Additionally, the straps are adjustable and secure the seat snugly on almost any chair.
Lastly, the entire seat is easy to clean because the surfaces are smooth, and there are no crevices to trap food bits. The white tray is dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Small and lightweight
- Compact fold
- Smooth surfaces, needs only a wipe down
- Space-saving
- Three removable trays
Cons
- It’s all plastic hence not the most comfortable for long meals
Ingenuity Baby 2-In-1 Booster Seat
Size: 17.25 x 11.25 x15.25 inches
Weight: 2.53 pounds
Age recommendation: 6 months and above up to 50 pounds
The second best booster seat for your child to eat is the Ingenuity Booster seat. It is a versatile seat that combines a baby booster mode and a toddler seat. As a baby booster, it does provide good back support for small babies (above 6 months) although it does not recline and has a tray to use as a high chair. There is also a convenient cup holder. The foam padding provides both comfort and the needed boost. A three safety harness keeps your baby safe and secured in the seat.
When your child is a big toddler, you can remove the foam insert and the tray. We love that the tray tucks under the seat when not in use neatly and easily accessible. The whole seat is wipeable, and the tray is dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Great pricing
- Comfortable
- Small and lightweight
- Convenient tray storage
- Easy to clean
Cons
- It is a bit small bigger babies will outgrow it fast
- Reviewers complain that the crotch straps are too short making it hard to buckle up or release it.
Oxo Tot Perch Booster Seat with Straps
Seat size: 12 x 13.5 x 5 inches
Weight: 3.6 pounds
Recommended age: 15 months up to 70 pounds
Oxo comes third on this 2022 list of booster seats for dining. This booster seat is very appealing. It has a modern design and is one of the most comfortable seats in the market for big toddlers. It provides good back support and three-inch padding that doesn’t sink in. Additionally, the open design with no side walls provides extra space for growing legs.
The seat cleans up nicely, and a simple wipe is enough. It can be folded for convenient storage or travel, and the straps are easy to adjust.
Pros
- Lightweight and foldable
- Very comfortable with a three-inch cushion
- The whole seat requires only a wipe down to be clean
- Straps are easily adjustable and can be removed when the child is bigger
Cons
- The attaching straps are a bit short and might not go around some chairs
- It’s hard to clean without removing the bottom because food gets stuck between the back and the seat
Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat
Size: 19.25 x 13.5 x 15 inches
Weight: 5.75 pounds
Age recommendation: 6 months up to 50 pounds
The most outstanding feature of our fourth choice, The Chicco Pocket is the adjustable height with three positions. So whether you are using different tables, with multiple children of different ages or plan to use them as your child grows, the seat is adaptable. The back is also nice and tall and will provide the needed support.
This is also a reliable seat that you can be used away from home. It is very quick to set up, folds flat, and comes with a carrying strap. A three-point harness keeps your child safe and secure, and the anti-slip rubber feet keep the seat sturdy in any chair. It also comes with a removable tray for small children to use.
To clean, the entire seat needs only a wipe down with a damp cloth and mild soap, and there are no crooks and crannies for food to hide.
Pros
- Convenient for travel
- Very sturdy even if the baby wiggles
- Easy to strap in and adjust the height
- Easy to clean
Cons
- The tray is a bit hard to put in and take off
Fisher-Price Spacesaver High Chair
Size: 20.47 x 24.02 x 21.65 inches
Weight: 8 pounds
Age recommendation: 6 to 36 months
This is the best booster seat for small babies that need to be elevated well to any regular dining table. It is designed to function as a high chair but with the footprint of a booster seat. Infants need to lean back a bit to support their head, neck, and back as they eat, and this seat offers three different recline positions. Keep in mind that it is unsafe to put a baby without full upper body control in an upright position because they will topple forward.
The seat has two height adjustments for comfort as your child grows. It has a five-point harness to keep your baby safe and secure when using it as a high chair and a three-point harness when you remove the back to use as a toddler booster.
The seat pad, tray, and bonus tray insert are all dishwasher safe, and the straps are machine washable.
Pros
- The cushion is machine washable
- The tray is dishwasher safe
- Secure with a five-point harness
- Space-saving
Cons
- Bulky
- Some reviewers remark that the plastic feels flimsy
- Not the easiest to clean; has many crevices where food gets stuck
Prince Lion Heart Squish Booster Seat
Size: 14.7 x 14.3 x 7.9 inches
Weight: 1.54 pounds
Age recommendation: 18 months to 5 years/60 pounds
If you have a toddler who can’t stand being in a high chair, they will enjoy our next top booster seat for eating. Prince Lion doesn’t have a high back (not a big deal with toddlers), but the sitting area is made of sponge-like material that is just so soft and comfortable that they will sit through all meals without fuss. Also installing the seat and strapping them is easy.
This seat is well made with features such as waterproof and scratch-resistant surfaces and is durable too, so your child can use it for years until they can be able to reach the table. Another wonderful aspect is that the seat had a wide base that fits snugly onto most dining chairs. And, it has non-slip feet that keep it secure, so your child will not be sliding out.
The seat is also a great choice for a portable option to be used on the go because it is super lightweight; you could carry it on one hand. It is also not bulky, so it’s conveniently packable.
Lastly, it is also easy to clean. The straps are removable and can be tossed in the machine, and the rest of the seat just needs a wipe down after meals.
Pros
- Durable
- Easy to install
- Soft and comfortable
- Low profile, doesn’t show when the chair is under the table
- Easy to clean
- Inexpensive
Cons
- Gets stained easily and the stains are hard to get rid of
- Not the most comfortable for small toddlers because of the low back
Best Portable Booster Seat For Eating/Best Travel Booster Seats For Eating
Summer Pop n Sit Portable Booster Chair
Size: 15 x 14 x 15 inches
Weight: 0.07 ounces
Age recommendation: 6 months to 4 years/ 37 pounds
Summer Pop is the next in our 2022 list of best booster seats for baby eating. You certainly can’t carry your bulky high chair every time you go to the restaurants, diners, camping, or visiting your folks but this booster chair feels literally weightless. And, you can still use the seat at home.
It is specially designed as a travel high chair, so it is small, folds compactly, and even comes with a carrying bag and storage pockets on the back to stash small handy items like wipes- how convenient is that!
The designers have also made it easy for you to get rid of the mealtime messes by providing a BPA-free detachable tray that can be wiped down or tossed in the dishwasher. A three-point safety harness will keep your child secure in the seat.
Pros
- Ultra-lightweight
- Compact fold
- Comes with a carrying bag
- Storage pockets
- Easy to clean; machine-washable fabrics and a dishwasher safe tray
- Affordable
Cons
- Some reviewers complained that the tray is so hard to click in and out of the chair
- The straps are on the bottom rather than on the seatback like you would expect
- Some people have problems clipping the buckle
Best Toddler Booster Seat for Eating
Ingenuity SmartClean Toddler Booster Seat
Size: 13.75 x 6.1 x 11.8 inches
Weight: 3.06 pounds
Age recommendation: 16 months to 3 years/50 pounds
Once your child has reached toddlerhood it is about time they join the rest of the family at the big table during meals even though they are still a few inches short. This seat raises them either 2 inches without the foam insert or 4 inches with foam insert to enable them to reach the table comfortably.
It has a three safety harness to keep your squirmy toddler right where you need them to be until they finish their food. The seat is also convenient for traveling; it is small and weighs less than 2 pounds.
The seat has smooth surfaces in and out with no crevices where food can get trapped, which means cleaning is a breeze with a simple wipe down on the insert or throw it in the dishwasher.
Pros
- BPA free
- Wide range of colors to choose from
- Offers variable height options (2 or 4 inches)
- Foam insert is dishwasher safe
- Easy to get the child in and out
- Machine washable straps and harness
- Small and portable
Cons
- Foam insert may slide around because it is not fixed to the seat
- Some reviewers complained it is hard to tighten the booster seat onto normal dining chairs because the strap is too long
Buying Guide for the Best Booster Seats for Eating
How To Choose The Best Booster Seat For Eating
As you go shopping, the following are factors to help you choose the best for your family.
Chair strap
You need a seat that can be fixed to your dining chair with an adjustable strap that you can pull as tight as needed.
Child strap
You can choose either a five-point harness or lap belt or a three-point harness. The five one is obviously the safest option for small babies to keep them from toppling forward while the lab belt is better for toddlers.
Adjustable back
Just like you, kids also need some back support for comfort. Choose a booster seat with a back that can be adjusted to recline slightly if you have a small child. Bigger toddlers have pretty good core strength, and one with a rigid back or no back would still work out for them either way.
Portability
If you plan on taking the seat with you as you travel, a small, lightweight seat or a foldable one is more convenient.
Ease of cleaning
You will always need to clean after your baby feeds but getting those little crumbs from crevices is tedious. Seats with smooth surfaces are easier to clean because there are no places for food particles to get stuck and only require a wipe down with warm soapy water. If the straps are removable and can be washed by machine or the trays are dishwasher safe, cleaning will not be as terrible.
Tray
A tray on a booster seat enables your child to use it as a high seat for eating or during playtime. Not every booster seat will come with a tray, so you need to decide if you need it or not.
Where to Buy Booster Seats In UK, Australia, Canada, And US
UK
Australia
Canada
U.S
Age Your Baby Can Use Booster Seat To Eat
So long as your baby can sit up on their own, which most children do at 6 to 9 months, they can be able to use a booster seat safely. But, you will want to choose a booster seat with all-around support for small children and reserve those without back support for big toddlers who already have good core strength.
Booster Seat Safety
When considering a booster seat for your child, safety should be your greatest concern. Booster seats and high chairs can cause your child to be injured if not used correctly. Statistics show that in the US, a child is rushed to the emergency room every hour due to high chair-related injury, mostly falls. The good news is that boosters have several methods of ensuring your child is safely secured.
The seats come with one or two adjustable straps to fix it on a dining room chair. One strap goes underneath and the other around the back to prevent the seat from slipping off around the chair.
Two, they also secure your child. Some booster seats use a five-point harness, and these are the most secure for small babies and toddlers that just can’t keep from standing even during meals. Others use a lap belt or three-point harness, to keep toddlers and older children who have good head and neck control in the seat.
So choose a booster seat with a securing mechanism that is appropriate for your child’s age.
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Mary Stephens is our infant development and baby fun activities specialist here at Motherhood HQ. She has over 10 years of experience dealing with kids, previously as a K3 teacher and now as a K9-12 teacher specializing in physical education and Social Studies. She is certified to teach in New York and Massachusetts and when not teaching trampoline jump tricks or giving toddler safety guides, she enjoys writing and providing helpful guides to parents on baby fun activities from infancy to toddlerhood. Mary is also an independent consultant providing parents with fun activities at home and appropriate toys and baby gear for infants and toddler development. She can be reached at her email, mary.s(at)motherhoodhq.com.
