High Chair - Things to Know
High Chair
Though entertaining at times, feeding your child can also be time-consuming and messy. There is a variety of products to make mealtime easy, but none of them as important as a highchair. Highchairs are designed to be easy to move, use, clean, and above all, to be comfortable and safe for your child and will be a great addition to your household as your baby grows.
High chairs are a necessity for your child once they start eating solid foods. There are several options and a wide range available when choosing your highchair whether it being a standard high chair, portable or a booster seat.
WHEN BUYING
- Always ensure that your high chair has a 5 point safety harness
- If buying a portable high chair, make sure that it fits to your table without causing any damage.
- If buying a high chair with wheels you need to ensure that the wheels can be locked into place so the high chair cannot move.
- Look for chairs that are easy to clean, most you just need to give a quick wipe over.
- Booster seats are more portable as they fold and pack away for easy storage.
Assembly
Choose a safe high chair
- For maximum safety, choose a high chair fitted with a five-point restraint harness that goes over the baby’s shoulders, round their waist and between their legs.
- Check that the construction and framework is sturdy and robust — you can put some weight on the seat and backrest to see if they squeak, sag, deform, move out of position, or collapse.
- Check that folding high chairs are stable and that the locks work to prevent them from accidentally falling or collapsing — ask the seller for a demonstration.
- Check that moving parts cannot pinch, crush or trap a child’s finger, toe, limb or head.
- Check for sharp edges and points along the edges of the chair and tray that could cut a child, and for any easily detachable parts which could pose a choking hazard.
- If the high chair has four castors fitted, make sure at least one pair (either front or back) has brakes to prevent it from becoming unstable.
- If you are buying a second-hand high chair that doesn’t have a proper harness, buy a harness separately and clip or attach it securely.
WHEN IN USE
- Never leave a child unattended in a high chair — if you need to leave the room, take your child with you to avoid falls that can result when a child tries to stand up or climb out of the chair when adults are not there.
- Use the harness from the very beginning and every time to ensure your baby gets used to being secured.
- Do not allow a child to stand up in a high chair or climb into or out of it unassisted, as the chair may become unstable
- Set the high chair up at least 500mm away from windows, unsecured doorways, stoves, appliance cords, curtains or blind cords to prevent children coming into contact with hazards.
- Make sure a child cannot push against a vertical surface (such as a wall or cupboards) and push the chair over.
- Ensure the child’s hands are free from moving parts when the tray is raised and lowered to avoid pinching or entrapment.
- Place the high chair out of reach when not in use to prevent a child from trying to climb onto it.
- Regularly check the high chair's condition.
- Fix any loose nuts and broken parts straight away, as they may cause a child to choke or become injured.
Repairs
Repair exposed foam in the seat or back to prevent a baby from choking on foam pieces.