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With price tags of $300 or above, some high chairs can cost as much as a small sofa. But in Consumer Reports' recent high chair tests, we found that you don't have to spend a lot to buy peace of mind. Three of our top high chair picks, ranging from $85 to $150, performed as well as or better than high chairs that cost two to three times as much. All scored excellent for safety (stability, secure harnesses), and had such user-friendly features as harness buckles that are easy for you to open but tricky for a baby.
Safe and dependable, the Fisher-Price EZ Clean high chair, $85, is so affordable you can buy one for home and one for Grandma's house. We named it a CR Best Buy. The 5-point harness is the safest type and the ratchet-type adjuster offers a no-hassle way to give baby a secure fit. The tray was easy to attach and adjust and easy to clean as was the entire chair. With four different seat height adjustments, the Fisher-Price EZ Clean is versatile and three different recline angles are a plus if your baby likes to lean back to drink from a bottle or snooze after a meal. It's also lightweight and compact, with a small footprint when it's open. One downside: The chair was difficult to fold for storage so you might prefer to keep it out.
The Mia Moda Alto high chair, $120, was also an overall good performer and a CR Best Buy. The 5-point harness was simple to adjust, making it easy to give your baby a safe, snug fit. One of the easiest-to-use high chairs in our tests, it was a cinch to fold and unfold, and to attach and adjust the tray. Different height adjustments and four reclining positions added versatility, and the large storage basket underneath is a convenient place to stow a favorite book or toy for when it's your turn to enjoy a meal. The Mia Moda Alto was as lightweight as the Fisher-Price EZ Clean, but with a larger footprint. Two drawbacks: The tray has lots of grooves where food can collect, and it's harder to move because the chair has two wheels, not four.
The Mamas and Papas Juice high chair, $150, is just right for those who want the basics in a safe, lightweight, easy-to-use chair. It has a five-point harness and is stable with a wider footprint than the others. The seat cushion is easy to remove and clean. But the chair can't be folded and has no wheels, so it has to be lifted when moved. Though the seat is cushioned it doesn't recline, which could be a problem for a younger baby with minimal neck and upper body control. And with only one height adjustment, and a food tray that's not horizontally adjustable (moving closer to or away from a baby's chest), it has limited versatility.
For $10 more, you might consider the Chicco Polly Magic, which has similar scores. With six height adjustments and three seat back positions, the chair is easy to use. The Chicco is an overall good performer with such convenient features as a wipe-clean seat cover and well-designed tray insert that can be removed for cleaning.
For more chair choices, check our high chair buying guide, which includes traditional wooden chairs as well as more modern styles. We also judged two chairs to be unsafe.
