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