What It Means
A high chair is a raised, freestanding seat with a tray, made to hold a baby or toddlerToddlerA child from 1 to 3 years old, the stage CDC's parenting guidance places between infancy and the preschool years. See more at table height during meals. In the US, high chairs fall under a mandatory federal safety standard from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which requires a three-point restraint system and a passive crotch restraint. Most serious incidents CPSC reviewed were falls and tip-overs.
Try It: Five High Chair Safety Questions
Pick an answer for each one. The feedback comes from CPSC and the AAP.
How Parents Say It
- "Buckle her in before you put the tray on."
- "He keeps trying to stand up in the high chair."
- "Pull the chair back from the counter."
The Breakdown
A high chair by stage
| Stage | What to do | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Choosing one | Look for a freestanding chair made to the current federal standard, with a three-point restraint and a crotch restraint | CPSC |
| Every meal | Buckle the straps, crotch strap included, and adjust them snugly | AAP; CPSC |
| Every meal | Keep the chair away from counters and tables your child could push against | AAP |
| Every meal | Stay with your child, and don't let older children climb on the chair | AAP |
| Getting in and out | Most falls CPSC reviewed happened while a child climbed in or out, so this is the moment to watch | CPSC |
| Eating out | A hook-on chair needs to lock onto a table heavy enough to hold your child | AAP |
Why the rules look like this. CPSC found that most high chair incidents were falls while a child climbed in or out, tip-overs when a child pushed off or rocked, and parts such as the restraint, tray or lock failing. In several falls the tray came loose, which suggested the tray was the only thing holding the child in.
When to talk to your pediatrician. Ask at a checkup about when your baby is ready to sit up for meals, or if your child had a fall from a high chair and you're unsure whether they need to be seen.
Good to Know
The federal standard is recent: CPSC voted on the final rule in 2018, and its release announcing the standard taking effect is dated 2019, so an older hand-me-down chair may not have been made to it. Check the chair's label and CPSC's recall list before using a secondhand one. HealthyChildren.org, the AAP's site for parents, lists never leaving a young child alone in the chair among its core tips. If a child is hurt badly in a fall, call 911.
FAQ
Do you have to use the straps on a high chair?
Yes, every time. CPSC says to use the safety straps and never rely on the tray, and the AAP adds the crotch strap, which keeps a child from slipping down.
How do high chairs tip over?
CPSC found tip-overs happened when a child pushed back or rocked while seated. The AAP says to keep the chair away from tables and counters a child can push against, and not to let older children climb on it.
Are hook-on high chairs safe?
The AAP says a chair that hooks onto a table doesn't replace a freestanding one. If you use one when eating out or traveling, choose one that locks on and make sure the table is heavy enough to hold your child's weight.
Do It in Buhata
Meals and Handoff Card
Plan the week's family dinners in Meals in Buhata, and add the high chair rules to your Handoff Card (Premium) for sitters.
Open BuhataRelated Terms and Categories
- Baby-led weaning
A way to start solids where a baby feeds themselves soft pieces of food from about 6 months instead of being spoon-fed purees.
- Finger foods
Small, soft pieces of food a baby picks up and feeds to themselves, usually begun once they sit up and can bring food to their mouth.
- Choking vs gagging
Gagging is a noisy, normal reflex that keeps food out of a baby's airway; choking is a blocked airway, often silent, that needs 911 and first aid.
- Purees
Smooth, blended foods that many babies eat when they start solids at about 6 months, before moving on to lumpier and chopped textures.
Sources
CPSC, "CPSC Approves New Federal Safety Standard for High Chairs"; CPSC, "New Federal Standard to Improve Safety of High Chairs Takes Effect" (2019); CPSC, "Safety Standard for High Chairs," final rule vote sheet (May 30, 2018); HealthyChildren.org (AAP), "6 Quick High Chair Safety Tips"
- www.cpsc.gov/content/cpsc-approves-new-federal-safety-standard-for-high-chairs
- www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2019/New-Federal-Standard-to-Improve-Safety-of-High-Chairs-Takes-Effect
- cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/Final%20Rule%20-%20Safety%20Standard%20for%20High%20Chairs%20-%20May%2030%202018.pdf?mBuoGQbhxpGcMFyO6it0gNeBOOFZrTA9=
- www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/High-Chair-Safety-Tips.aspx
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