If you've ever watched a bowl of porridge slide across a high chair tray in slow motion, you'll understand exactly why a silicone placemat is one of those small purchases that makes a surprisingly big difference. At Zoe Sage, we're all about equipping Australian families with the kind of practical, well-made essentials that actually hold up to daily life with a baby or toddler. This guide breaks down everything you need to know before buying a silicone placemat for your high chair, from grip performance and material safety to colour options and whether it'll survive the dishwasher for the hundredth time.
Why Silicone Placemats Are Worth It for High Chair Feeding
Mealtimes with a baby or toddler are messy, full stop. But a good silicone placemat does a lot more than just protect the tray. It creates a defined, familiar space for your little one, which can actually support self-feeding skills and help with the transition to more independent eating. It also means fewer bowls launched onto the floor, less scrubbing of high chair crevices, and a much easier clean-up overall.
Silicone is the material of choice for a few solid reasons. It's free from BPA and other harmful plastics, it doesn't absorb food smells or stains the way plastic can, and it handles heat well enough to go through a dishwasher cycle without warping. Compared to fabric placemats or cheap plastic alternatives, silicone keeps its shape, stays grippy, and lasts through months of daily use.
If you're building out your feeding toolkit, it's worth pairing a quality placemat with the right plates and bibs too. Our feeding and mealtime range has everything you need in one place, designed with the same focus on safety and practicality.
What to Look for in a Silicone Placemat: Key Buying Criteria
Not all silicone placemats are created equal. Here's what actually matters when you're comparing options.
Grip and Suction
This is the feature most parents care about first, and rightly so. A placemat that slides around is barely more useful than having nothing at all. Look for a mat with a textured underside or suction points that create genuine resistance on a high chair tray surface. Keep in mind that suction works best on smooth, flat surfaces, so if your high chair tray has ridges or a textured finish, a mat that relies entirely on suction cups may not perform as well as one with a grippy rubberised base.
The IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat range is a popular choice among Australian parents precisely because the suction base is designed to work reliably on IKEA's own high chair trays. If you use an IKEA Antilop or similar model, these mats are purpose-built for that surface and tend to stay put far better than a generic mat would.
Size and Fit
Measure your high chair tray before buying. A mat that hangs over the edge is a trip hazard for little hands pulling at it, and one that's too small defeats the purpose of containing mess. Most silicone placemats for high chairs sit in the 30,40 cm range, which suits standard tray sizes well. The IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat is sized specifically for the IKEA high chair tray, so if that's your setup, the fit question is already answered for you.
Food-Grade Silicone and Safety Standards
Always check that the placemat is made from 100% food-grade silicone, which means it's been assessed as safe for contact with food. In Australia, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's Product Safety Australia provides guidance on safe materials for children's feeding products. BPA-free labelling is a minimum standard, but food-grade silicone goes a step further by confirming the material is non-toxic and won't leach chemicals into food.
Ease of Cleaning
The whole point of a silicone placemat is to make clean-up easier, so the cleaning process itself should be simple. Most high-quality silicone mats are dishwasher-safe on the top rack, which is a genuine time-saver when you're dealing with three meals a day. They can also be wiped down with a damp cloth between meals without any issue. Silicone doesn't harbour food residue the way textured plastic does, so a quick rinse under the tap is often all you need.
Durability
Good silicone is tough. It won't crack, warp, or discolour with regular washing, and it holds its shape even after months of use. What you want to avoid is thin, low-grade silicone that starts to peel or develop weak spots at the suction points. The IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat range is made to a consistent quality standard, which means you're not gambling on durability.
Colour Options
This might seem like a minor detail, but colour actually matters for a few practical reasons. Lighter colours show staining from foods like tomato and carrot more readily, while darker shades can look grimy faster if residue builds up in the suction bases. The IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat comes in four colours: Green, Grey, Pink, Beige, and Yellow. The muted, natural tones like Beige and Grey are particularly popular for parents who prefer a calm, neutral aesthetic at the table. Green and Yellow bring a little more playfulness to mealtimes without being overly loud.
Comparing the IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat Colour Options
All five IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat options share the same core design and dimensions, so your choice really does come down to colour preference and how it fits your kitchen or dining aesthetic.
IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat , Green
A soft, earthy green that works beautifully in natural or Scandi-style kitchens. It photographs well for the Instagram-inclined parents among us, and the tone is gentle enough that it doesn't clash with most high chair colours.
IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat , Grey
The most versatile of the range. Grey is a practical choice because it hides staining better than lighter options and suits virtually any kitchen palette. If you're a neutral-tones household, this one is hard to go past.
IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat , Pink
A dusty, muted pink rather than a bright bubblegum tone. It's sweet without being overwhelming and pairs nicely with the Silicone Baby Bib in Oat Light Grey Speckle or the Silicone Baby Bib in Wheat Speckle if you're looking to put together a coordinated feeding set.
IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat , Beige
Arguably the most popular choice for parents going for a warm, minimal aesthetic. Beige is forgiving with light-coloured foods but may show tomato-based stains more than darker shades. A quick soak in warm soapy water sorts that out easily.
IKEA Highchair Silicone Placemat , Yellow
Bright and cheerful without crossing into garish. Yellow is a stimulating colour for babies and toddlers, and this particular shade is warm and sunny rather than neon. A great pick if you want to bring a bit of energy to mealtimes.
Building a Complete Feeding Set-Up Around Your Placemat
A silicone placemat works best as part of a considered feeding set-up. Paired with the right plate and bib, it creates a consistent mealtime environment your toddler can start to recognise and feel settled in.
The Silicone Divided Baby Plate in Clay Speckle is a great companion piece. Divided plates help introduce variety at mealtimes without different foods touching, which matters a lot to many toddlers. The Silicone Baby Bib range, available in Sage Green Speckle, Oat Light Grey Speckle, Clay Orange Speckle, and Wheat Speckle, are soft, easy to wipe down, and designed with a food-catching pocket that actually stays open. For drinks, the Silicone Toddler Cup PBA Free 120ml range in Sage Green Speckle, Oat Grey Speckle, Clay Orange Speckle, and Wheat Yellow Speckle rounds out the set nicely.
If your little one is moving from a bottle to an open cup, our article on helping your baby move from a bottle to a cup has practical, step-by-step guidance that makes the process much smoother for everyone involved.
For parents who want everything in one purchase, the Silicone Baby Feeding Set 11pc Bundle is worth a look. It covers plates, bowls, cutlery, and cups in a coordinated set, so you're not piecing things together one item at a time. You can explore the full range in our mealtime essentials collection.
And if your toddler is also working through the transition to more independent drinking, the bottle-to-cup transition guide on our blog is a helpful read alongside setting up their feeding space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are silicone placemats safe for babies?
Yes, provided they are made from 100% food-grade silicone and are BPA-free. Food-grade silicone is non-toxic, doesn't leach chemicals into food, and is considered safe for use with babies and toddlers. Always check product labelling and buy from reputable retailers. For broader guidance on feeding product safety, Product Safety Australia is a reliable resource.
Will a silicone placemat stick to any high chair tray?
Suction-based silicone placemats work best on smooth, flat tray surfaces. They perform reliably on the IKEA Antilop high chair tray, for example. If your high chair has a textured, raised, or ridged tray surface, suction may not hold as firmly. In that case, look for a mat with a full grippy base rather than individual suction cups.
How do I clean a silicone placemat?
Most silicone placemats are dishwasher-safe on the top rack. For everyday clean-up, a wipe with a damp cloth or a quick rinse under warm water is usually sufficient. For stubborn stains from tomato-based foods or turmeric, soaking in warm soapy water for 10,15 minutes before rinsing will usually do the trick. Avoid abrasive scrubbing pads, which can scratch the surface over time.
At what age can babies use a silicone placemat?
Silicone placemats are suitable from the start of solid foods, which for most babies is around six months of age. The Raising Children Network recommends introducing solids at around six months while continuing breastfeeding or formula. A placemat is a helpful addition from that first mealtime onwards, giving your baby a consistent surface to explore food on.
