Solids have arrived and suddenly the floor is covered in pureed carrot. Choosing the right high chair is one of those decisions that affects every single mealtime for the next two or three years. Get it right and feeding becomes so much easier. Get it wrong and you'll be wrestling with it three times a day. Here are six things to consider when buying a high chair for your baby.
Part of our complete guide to silicone baby feeding sets.
1. Safety Standards Come First
Any high chair sold in Australia should meet the mandatory safety standard AS/NZS 4684. This covers stability, harness strength, and structural integrity. Always check the product listing or packaging before you buy. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission product safety page has clear guidance on what to look for and how to report unsafe products.
Look for a five-point harness. It keeps your baby secure even when they start wriggling and leaning. A wide, stable base matters too. Narrow legs tip more easily, especially once a toddler starts pushing off the table.
2. How Easy Is It to Clean?
This is the detail most parents wish they had thought about more before buying. A high chair with lots of grooves, fabric padding, and non-removable trays becomes a food trap. Pureed sweet potato finds every crevice.
Wipe-clean seats and smooth trays make a real difference. Removable trays that go in the dishwasher are even better. A silicone placemat that sits over the tray can also cut your cleaning time significantly. It catches spills before they reach the chair itself, and most go straight in the dishwasher. If you use an IKEA Antilop or a similar flat-tray chair, it is worth reading about how silicone and traditional placemats compare before you decide what works for your setup.
3. Does It Fit Your Space?
Measure your dining area before ordering. High chairs take up more room than they look in photos. Think about how close it needs to sit to your table, whether you have room to pull it out from the wall, and where you will store it when not in use.
Some chairs fold flat. Others are bulky but sturdier. If you have a small kitchen or open-plan living area, a compact chair like the IKEA Antilop is popular precisely because it does not dominate the room. A booster seat that clips to an existing dining chair is another option if floor space is genuinely tight.
4. How Long Will It Last?
Some high chairs convert from an infant seat into a toddler chair and eventually a low chair for older children. These cost more upfront but can take your child from around six months to five or six years. Others are fixed-height infant chairs that your baby will outgrow by eighteen months.
Think honestly about how long you plan to use it and whether you want it for a second child. A chair that adjusts in height and footrest position tends to offer better longevity and better posture support as your baby grows.
5. Stability and Footrest Support
A footrest is not just a comfort feature. According to Raising Children Network, supported feet help babies develop better core stability and sitting posture during meals. Look for a chair where the footrest adjusts so your baby's feet sit flat, with knees at roughly ninety degrees.
Chairs without footrests can leave legs dangling, which affects how comfortable and settled your baby is at mealtimes. It is a small detail that makes a noticeable difference once your baby is sitting independently.
6. Accessories and Add-Ons Worth Considering
Once you have chosen your chair, a few additions make every meal run more smoothly. A good bib, a set of suction bowls, and a properly fitted placemat turn a basic setup into something that actually contains the chaos.
Suction placemats work well on smooth, flat trays. If yours are not gripping properly, there are simple fixes for suction plates that will not stay put that are worth trying before you write them off. And if you want to order a placemat designed specifically for the IKEA Antilop tray, buying a high chair placemat online is straightforward with free shipping available across Australia.
Browse our IKEA highchair silicone placemat range to find options that fit the Antilop tray and suit your colour preference. They are food-grade silicone, dishwasher safe, and sized to actually cover the tray properly.
Getting your high chair choice right from the start means fewer frustrations and more relaxed mealtimes for everyone at the table.
