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Best Feeding Booster Seats

Updated June 2023
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Ingenuity Infant-to-Toddler SmartClean ChairMate High Hair Booster Seat
Ingenuity
Infant-to-Toddler SmartClean ChairMate High Hair Booster Seat
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Feature-Packed
Bottom Line

The best alternative to a traditional high chair, our baby and child expert approves of this sturdy model.

Pros

This model is lightweight and easy to wipe clean. Simple to attach safely to most chairs with 2 straps and buckles. Seat features 5-point harness and reclines. Removable tray is dishwasher-safe and seat cover is machine-washable.

Cons

Does not fold, so it is not as portable.

Best Bang for the Buck
Regalo My Little 2-in-1 Booster Seat and Grow with Me Floor Seat
Regalo
My Little 2-in-1 Booster Seat and Grow with Me Floor Seat
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Floor & Feeding Seat Combo
Bottom Line

Sits baby up to play as a floor seat, and serves as a chair with tray at mealtime.

Pros

Helps baby practice sitting up as a floor seat. Doubles as a mealtime chair with secure straps for chair attachment and a removable tray. Includes foam insert that can be taken off for older babies and kids under 50 pounds. Easy to wipe clean.

Cons

Tray may be difficult to attach and detach.

hiccapop Omniboost Travel Booster Seat with Tray
hiccapop
Omniboost Travel Booster Seat with Tray
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Best for Travel
Bottom Line

A highly portable and easy- to-set-up option with a tray.

Pros

Easy-to-clean travel seat with machine-washable cover and dishwasher-safe removable tray. Pops open and closed quickly and includes removable straps for attaching to a chair. Features a mesh pocket for storage and comes with a bag for carrying.

Cons

Only accommodates children from about 6 months up to 30 pounds.

Summer Pop 'n Sit Portable Booster Chair
Summer
Pop 'n Sit Portable Booster Chair
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Portable Convenience
Bottom Line

This option is easy to set up, travel with, and clean.

Pros

Quickly open or close. Includes a carrying bag. Seat is machine-washable and removable tray is BPA-free and dishwasher-safe. Can be used on the ground or attached to a chair with included straps and buckles. For children from 6 months to 37 pounds.

Cons

Straps to secure child are attached to the bottom of the chair and may not be positioned well.

Prince Lionheart Squish Booster Seat
Prince Lionheart
Squish Booster Seat
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

Simple and comfortable choice that is easy to wipe clean.

Pros

Features a 3-point harness with a soft and comfortable bottom material. Wipes clean and is simple with few parts. Lightweight and holds older children from about 18 months up to 60 pounds. Included straps and nonslip bottom allow seat to attach securely to a chair.

Cons

Does not come with a tray.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Buying guide for Best feeding booster seats

Feeding a baby can leave you with a huge mess, and once the child starts walking, getting them to sit still long enough to eat something nutritious can be tricky. With a feeding booster seat, however, you can transform any dining chair into a convenient and secure high chair. In turn, this can allow you to enjoy more relaxed family meals around the table.

Most feeding booster seats can also be used on the floor, keeping your child secure while they eat a snack or quick meal … and preventing them from trailing crumbs around the house.

When choosing a feeding booster seat, there are a few important factors to consider. The booster must fit your child now and in the future, so you don’t have to get another one down the line. The materials with which a booster is made can affect your appreciation of the chair, as can the features included, such as height adjustability and a safety harness.

I1
You can find feeding booster seats in a wide range of colors and patterns. Your baby probably won't care about color choice, so choose a color that you love or that goes with your home décor.

Key considerations

Age range

The recommended age range for feeding booster seats varies by product, but it can be anywhere from six months to three years. The majority of feeding boosters are safe to use at six months, as long as your baby can hold their head up independently. Six months is the average age when children start eating solid foods, so you wouldn’t need a feeding booster before that point, anyway.

Some feeding boosters are only suitable for babies who can sit independently. Others are geared more toward toddlers, with minimal support and safety straps. Still, others can accommodate a growing child in various stages of independence. Bottom line: when looking, note the recommended age range listed by the manufacturer.

Expert tip
Do not use a feeding booster seat until at least 6-9 months and when baby can sit up unsupported. Prior to this, use a regular high chair.
BestReviews Baby and Child Expert

Materials

Feeding booster seats are usually made of solid plastic or a combination of metal and plastic. Fabric padding is common. While padded boosters are obviously more comfortable, they also take more time and effort to clean. (Anyone who has witnessed a baby or toddler eating knows that the fabric will get milk spilled on it and peas smashed deep in the stitching within days!)

If you choose a padded chair, note that the fabric must be machine washable. Even so, removing and washing padded pieces every few days is one task too many for some busy parents. An alternative is to choose a solid plastic seat that you simply wipe clean with a cloth and soapy water or mild antibacterial spray. Another alternative is a model with fully attached vinyl padding, which you can also wipe clean with a cloth.

Height adjustability

Some feeding booster seats are height adjustable. This is valuable because, if the seat were stuck at one height only, babies may be too low at the table, and older kids may be too high up. This can pose a particular issue for kids who are at a higher-than-average or lower-than-average height percentile.

You might pay a little more for a height-adjustable booster seat, but it's likely that a younger child would take longer to outgrow it.

Fys1
For Your Safety
It's important that the tray on your chosen feeding booster seat is BPA-free since your child will be eating from it.
Staff
BestReviews

Features

Safety harness

The majority of feeding booster seats have a safety harness to keep the child securely in place. Unlike car seats and strollers, however, a safety harness isn't a legal requirement in a booster seat. Therefore, you’ll find a range of harness types.

A five-point safety harness is the safest and most secure option. However, most boosters are not tall enough to accommodate a five-point harness design. Since the child will merely be sitting in their seat, many parents find that a three-point harness can suffice.

Center post

If the safety harness doesn't extend between the legs, the booster seat must have a raised center post. For security, the seated child’s legs rest on either side of the post. This helps prevent the child from slipping down and potentially falling out of the booster seat.

Chair attachment straps

Not only does your child need to be secure in their booster seat, but the seat must be securely attached to a chair (unless you are using it on the floor). Therefore, feeding booster seats come with chair attachment straps that affix around the back and bottom of a dining chair.

Most straps are universal and should fit any dining chair. However, if you have some extremely non-standard chairs, you may run into issues.

Tray

Feeding booster seats almost always have a tray attached to the front from which the child can eat. Removable trays are easier to clean. With a removable tray, it’s also a bit easier to tuck a child into their seat.

Some boosters feature trays that double as activity centers, with a removable layer featuring lights, sounds, and toys to entertain your child.

It should be easy to adjust the safety harness of the feeding booster to fit almost any baby or toddler.

Staff
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Feeding booster seat prices

Because they are compact and fairly simple, feeding booster seats tend to cost significantly less than high chairs, which is great news for parents on a budget.

Inexpensive

These basic feeding boosters cost between $15 and $30.

Mid-range

For $30 to $45, you can find some comfortable and easy-to-clean options, a few with bonus features like activity tables.

Expensive

The priciest feeding booster seats cost from $45 to $60. Expect them to have the best features, such as a five-point harness, height adjustability, and swivel seating. 

Dyk2
Did You Know?
Trays with raised edges and cup holders can help prevent spills.
Staff
BestReviews

Tips

  • Pick a feeding booster seat that's easy to clean. Ideally, the tray should be removable and dishwasher safe. The body should either wipe clean without any awkward nooks and crannies where food can languish or, in the case of fabric seats, it should be removable and machine washable.
  • Consider comfort. Your child might become reluctant to use their booster if it's uncomfortable to sit in. Choose a booster with at least a little padding, especially if mealtimes tend to drag on.
  • Only use a feeding booster seat for feeding and playing. Never use them as car booster seats; they are not interchangeable.
I2
Feeding boosters tend to be fairly compact and lightweight — easy to travel with or take to a friend or relative's house.

FAQ

Q. Why choose a feeding booster seat instead of a high chair?

A. High chairs are quite bulky and take up significantly more room around a dining table than standard dining chairs. A feeding booster is relatively compact and sits directly on a dining chair, which looks neater. Feeding booster seats can make kids feel like they're part of the group because they're sitting on the same chairs as their parents and siblings.

If your child started in a high chair, a booster makes a great transition between using a high chair and sitting at the table on a dining chair.

Expert tip
Always use the harness. If there is no harness, the chair must have a center post.
BestReviews Baby and Child Expert

Q. Why can't young babies use feeding booster seats?

A. Feeding booster seats are generally designed for babies no younger than six to nine months of age. That said, some models are okay to use once your baby has good head support, even if they can't sit up on their own. Feeding boosters aren't suitable for babies younger than this because they can't reliably hold up their heads on their own, and feeding boosters usually don't offer head support.

Most experts recommend you don't introduce solid food to your baby until they're six months old, so there's really no need for a feeding booster before this age, anyway.

Q. Do feeding booster seats have a maximum weight limit?

A. Yes, feeding boosters do come with maximum weight limits, so you should check this when choosing one. The weight limit is usually somewhere between 40 and 60 pounds.
 

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