The very fact that you’re here reading this article suggests that you have an infant who is about to start solids and you are confused which would suit better:
The High Chair hmmm, what about Bumbo, no wait will Booster Chair be enough?
Well, congratulations on the new milestone!
As a new parent, you’re obviously torn between how best to go about it beginning with buying the best high chair and feeding chair or the right gear that suits your need.
Considering there are just too many options out there, we know making a decision is hard and it is natural to want to do some research first.
We’ve got you covered on that. We will save you some valuable time as we discuss the different options available and how it could benefit you and your baby.
As far as options go: High Chairs, Booster Seats, Bumbo Seats or Just Plain seating them at the table are the most famous ones.
While it is easy to seat an older baby on the table, it is not always the most convenient.
For starters, they would have to be able to sit up unsupported and even then you can never, ever take your eyes or hands off them.
Doesn’t sound really convenient or safe? That leaves us with the other three options and let’s sees how convenient they could be now.
We have discussed key featured of each one of them to make things a little easier to understand.
Let’s read on;
High Chairs
High chairs have long helped parents and caretakers in raising children who are self-dependent. They are great for infants to sit on right when they are ready to start solids.
It enables self-feeding from an early point of time.
High chairs are usually designed for safety and convenience to both babies and their parents.
Read The Best Baby High Chairs
They come fitted with food trays and cup holders for easy food serving and cleaning, for most trays today are dishwashers safe too.
These trays are theirs for them to play, learn and explore their food with.
The other parts are easily cleaned too and they have a strong harness system complete with safety belts for the highest security.
In addition to this, some high chairs also have reclining seats to support infants who are yet to sit up on their own completely.
What’s more?
They let your child be seated at the table and eye to eye with the rest of the family.
Having your meals together as a family is being increasingly suggested as important for your child’s early development.
It helps them feel like an equal and loved and included.
Lastly, high chairs can be folded and hidden away when not in use to save space in smaller homes.
If you choose a model that has adjustable height, it grows with your baby and can be used for a longer time.
With some maintenance, these high chairs can also be reused for any subsequent children you may have.
Booster Seats
Booster seats are like the most popular alternatives – if we may say so – to high chairs.
Booster seats have a flexibility that high chairs lack.
They can be easily fitted to your dining chair or plopped on the floor whatever the family’s preference.
They also can go places where a baby high chair cannot. And they are super easy to clean and put away and they do not occupy much space at all.
And they come with a prime feature – they are usually lightweight so they pack easy and are pretty mobile.
Like, for example, you could take them to your friend’s place or a restaurant for a night out without a worry.
Booster seats are also usually cheaper than high chairs.
You could use a booster seat for your child until they are ready to grow out of it and shift to a table.
A high chair, on the other hand, has to be fitted with the adjustable height option to be used for a long time or else they have limited usage.
But booster seats usually do not recline and are more suited for kids who can sit well unsupported and not for younger infants.
Booster seats may also be easier to clean for when it gets really messy you could just give a complete wash down with ease.
But a high chair might just rank higher on the safety aspect. Overall Usage & Benefits of High chairs is far more in comparison to Booster seats.
Bumbo Seats
Bumbo seats are slightly different from high chairs or booster seats in that their usage is not exactly restricted to mealtimes.
On first sight, the bumbo seat might seem like a great option for kids who are learning to sit.
Bumbo seats are designed to help a child be able to sit without any help from the parent.
But a lot of physiotherapeutic experts suggest that a bumbo seat may prevent a baby from properly using their muscles and may cause improper posture.
Locking them in it for a long time could prevent them from rolling and crawling and learning the required dynamic skills.
As for use as an alternative to high chairs, the traditional bumbo seat might be a bad choice to be used on an elevated surface.
They are not sturdy enough and they do not usually come with safety fittings so it’s easy for babies to just tip or wiggle it off the table or dining chair.
That means they are only good to be on the floor which isn’t really ideal when the entire family is on the table with their meals.
Even for the advanced models that can be secured to a chair, they only suit older kids like booster seats do.
Even then, a booster seat or a high chair might just seem like a better alternative.
Also, the bumbo seat doesn’t put the child on an upright position, a requisite for self-feeding for them to explore, grasp and swallow their food.
No two parents are the same and the same goes for babies. Likewise, no two parenting is the same so it was not our intention to try to persuade you into choosing a particular product.
We just hope the points we have discussed put a little clarity into your minds and hopefully help you make the right choice when it comes to choosing the right gear for you and your baby.