What is baby led weaning?
What is baby led weaning? This is basically a technique for introducing solid food into your babies diet. The biggest difference with this method is that the baby feeds themselves, instead of being spoon fed.
This method has many advantages. To start with, your baby gets take part in family meal times, and learn valuable social skills. In addition to this, it saves you money because you’re not buying baby food.
You child is also exposed to “real” food faster. This method also gives babies a chance to develop their fine motor skills. Instead of being spoon fed, your child uses their hands to pick up food. If you’d like to experiment with this technique, then you’ll first need a high chair. With the guide below, you can find the best highchair for baby led weaning.
What to look for before buying a high chair for baby led weaning
The most important thing when looking for a high chair is durability. You’re probably going to use the chair every day for about 2-3 years, so you’ll want a something that lasts. This is also why it’s worth spending a little more money on a quality chair.
Another thing to look for is a removable tray. With most chairs, the tray doesn’t detach. It only slides forward to let the baby out. This can make cleaning up after dinner difficult. A removable tray makes this process a lot easier.
Keeping with this theme, you’ll want a high chair which is easy to clean. Look for a seat which does not have crevices or hard to reach places. These can make cleaning a nightmare. Finally, think about comfort.
Does it seem as if your baby will sit comfortably in the chair? Also look for a chair which has a footrest. As your child grows this will come in useful. Finally, make sure the chair has a safety belt. Baby’s love to move around, and a safety belt prevents them from falling out.
The 5 best high chairs for baby led weaning
- Peg Perego Siesta – Multifunctional Compact Folding High Chair
- Abbie Beyond Wooden High Chair
- Graco Made2Grow 6 in 1 High Chair
- Nomi High Chair
- MAM Original Matte Baby Pacifier
1) Peg Perego Siesta – Multifunctional Compact Folding High Chair
Pros:
- Chair folds up for easy storage
- Can be adjusted into many positions
- Leather upholstery makes it easy to clean
Cons:
- This chair is quite heavy
- Despite the wheels, this chair is quite difficult to move
- This chair isn’t suitable for newborns
What’s really nice about this chair is that it folds up. This means it can be stored away when not in use. It’s also fully adjustable, and switches through five different chair positions and nine height positions. These move through a full 90 degrees, allowing you to feed your child while they sit upright, or lie on their back.
What we liked the most about this chair though is that it features eco-friendly leather upholstery. This can be easily wiped down in the event of spills and messes. It also has castor wheels, which allow it to easily move around. In addition to this, these can lock, for added safety.
2) Abbie Beyond Wooden High Chair
Pros:
- Made from wood, highly durable
- Comes with 3-year warranty
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- This chair is made from solid wood and is extremely heavy
- Straps are quite fragile
- This chair is huge and difficult to store
If you’re looking for something classy, then you can’t go wrong with this chair. It’s made from solid wood, which means it’s extremely durable and should last a lifetime. Also, because it’s made from wood, this chair is extremely easy to clean.
As with the above chair, this one can also be adjusted through many positions. Another great bonus is the 3-year warranty. This is great in case something goes wrong. All in all, this chair is terrific value for money.
3) Graco Made2Grow 6 in 1 High Chair
Pros:
- 6 in 1
- 3 Recline positions
- Machine washable seat pad and tray insert
- folds for storage
Cons:
- Not made from wood, but the plastic is very high quality and sturdy
This is an excellent high chair which can grow with your baby. It features 6 different modes: infant highchair, traditional highchair, infant booster and toddler booster.
The infant highchair mode offers 3 positions for maximum versatility, the tray insert and the seat pad are both machine washable so you don’t have to worry about hand washing.
4) Nomi High Chair
Pros:
- Much more adjustable than other chairs
- Quick and easy to put together
- Very easy to clean
Cons:
- No wheels means it’s difficult to move around
- This chair is a lot heavier than others
- Quite expensive compared to other chairs
This chair has an unorthodox design which some people may find appealing. Instead of sitting on four legs, it’s chair is designed around a stand, with the chair sitting on top. But does this actually work better than a traditional design? In our experience there’s not much difference between this chair and others. It does have a few advantages though.
For starters, you can slide the chair under a table, and this allows your child to sit closer to the table. It also features a plastic bucket seat, which is far easier to clean than most chairs. Another nice feature is the fact that you can adjust this seat as your child grows.
5) Peg Perego Prima Pappa Zero 3 High Chair
Pros:
- Quality Italian design and manufacture
- Can be adjusted through seven positions
- Folds up into a small and compact size
Cons:
- Difficult to adjust, can occasionally get stuck
- Hard to clean, food gets trapped in seat crevices
- Cannot remove straps
This chair is almost completely the same as Peg Perego Siesta, reviewed above. That being said, there are a two key differences. The biggest is the wheels, which are vastly better than the Siesta.
This allows for far greater mobility. If you’re someone who needs to frequently move your high chair, then go with this product. Also, these wheels can lock for safety, which is a nice touch. The other key difference is that this chair is meant for slightly older children (up to three years.)
If you are looking for more buying guides for baby chairs look at our selection of the best highchairs and the best baby chairs of 2023.
Sandra has over 13 years of experience as a child psychologist, both as a practitioner and researcher. She has a Bachelor's in child psychology from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and then she did her master's in Psychology in Education (focused on Children & Families) at Columbia University, NY. She has been writing for health and child-related publications for over 5 years now.
