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Some days I walk around the house and I can’t help but feel that aliens (along with ALL of their belongings) invaded our home. Everywhere I look, I find evidence of their existence infiltrating our lives.
Cribs, camping cots, changing tables, feeding chairs and strollers are now taking up space where we once had stylish décor and furniture. It’s unbelievable how much space baby gear can take up once you add a new baby to your family and in this day and age, space is the one thing we don’t have enough of.
Fortunately, baby products are keeping up with trends and creating items that can be used for multiple purposes (like adding a changing station to camping cot) and other items have gotten smaller such as free-standing high chairs, now also available as portable hook-on chairs.
Hook-on chairs are not only cheaper but it is also more convenient to travel with and they save a lot of space compared to a free-standing high chair. It also allows your little one to become part of the dinner conversation from a young age without having to sit on someone’s lap.
We’ve gone and researched the best hook-on high chairs on the market that will make your life simpler and easier.
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What to Look For In a Hook-on High Chair:
1. Safety First:
The thought of a hook-on chair always had me a little nervous. Some chairs hook onto tables within seconds and I can’t help but think that if it is so easy to hook on/take off, wouldn’t it be too easy for my precious little bundle of joy to fall out of one and seriously injure themselves?
Fortunately, a set of standards have been imposed on baby items and you can rest assured that if a hook-on chair contains the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) certification seal on the packaging, your little one will be safe and secure inside the hook-on chair. Never leave your baby unattended in the chair though.
We also recommend that you look for a chair with at least a 3 point harness system. We prefer hook-on chairs that include shoulder restraints as well because as cute little babies transform into wiggly toddlers, they somehow also gain Houdini’s superpowers, enabling them to escape from just about anything and everything!
2. Durability
Look for a hook-on chair that is strong, sturdy and contains good quality material. This will ensure that you can use it for multiple kids if need be. Also, take notice of the weight limitations imposed on the chair which will give you an indication of the time frame you will be able to use the chair. Most toddlers learn to sit at the table from 2 ½ years onwards.
3. Comfort
The one thing parents consistently complained about when it came to hook-on chairs is leg holes that are too narrow. Keep this in mind when shopping for chairs as some straps are not adjustable and your little one will grow quite a bit between the ages of 6 months and 3 years.
Also, look for added support at the back or at least a padded backrest to ensure that your baby is comfortable at the dinner table.
4. Rubber clamps
Previous models of hook-on chairs presented a sturdy fit but often left nasty scratches on dining tables. Fortunately most models these days are equipped with rubber clamps that also provide a nice secure fit without harming your kitchen table.
5. Ease of cleaning
Look for material that is easy to wipe clean and keep in mind that your baby will make a lot of mess in his or her chair. Some chairs can only be wiped cleaned. Others have covers that can be removed but just because the cover can be removed, doesn’t always mean that it can be machine-washed so read the manual carefully before purchasing.
6. Purpose
When shopping for a hook-on high chair, keep in mind the reason why you are buying the chair in the first place. Some parents have little space and are looking for a chair that will stay at the table for the most part whilst others travel often and are looking for something that is easy to travel with and quick to assemble/disassemble.
Keep an eye out for item weight, size, and whether it comes with a travel bag or back pocket to carry utensils and bibs in to ensure that the chair you are buying, are meeting your requirements. Also, keep in mind that not all chairs will fit on tables with lips.
Keeping all of this in mind, we present to you our list of 6 of the best hook-on chairs!
1. The Chicco 360 Hook On Chair
The Chicco 360 Hook On Chair, Hudson defies what you think you might know about hook-on chairs. This innovative chair has been designed with the ability to turn 360 degrees, locking in 6 different positions! The Chicco 360 allows you to turn your little one to comfortably face either you or your partner when feeding time comes around without any hassle.
You can also keep your baby entertained by allowing them to view different angles of the room while you finish your meal and getting your baby in and out of the chair at uncomfortable positions are most certainly a thing of the past.
Good looks aside, the Chicco 360 Hook-on Chair comes with a dishwasher-safe tray that attaches/detaches effortlessly. It can be used on tables 5.5 inches thick and we love the rubber table clamps that won’t leave any scratches on the table.
It is recommended that the material on the hook-on chair only be hand-washed, which is a drawback but also understandable given the mechanics of the chair and though removing the material is relatively easy, we found it a bit more challenging to put it on again.
The chair is also inclined to catch quite a bit of crumb due to all of the mechanisms. Still, we were completely star-struck by the ability of a hook-on chair to turn 360 degrees!
The Chicco 360 Hook-On chair weighs 9 lbs. which is a little heavier than most hook-on chairs. The weight limit for toddlers on this chair is 37 lbs. and can be used whenever the baby has good head control and can sit up without support.
The Chicco 360 Hook-On chair is sold with a convenient carry bag/storage bag but due to its size and weight, it is probably more suitable if you are looking for a more “permanent” fixture to your dining table (though not impossible to travel with).
If you are looking for a stylish, fresh new outlook on a hook-on chair that promotes creativity, then the Chicco 360 is the chair for you!
- Love: The revolutionary 360-degree turn!
- Room for improvement: The chair is quite heavy and a little bulky to travel with.
2. The Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On Highchair
The Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On Highchair, Flint is small, compact, and perfect to travel with! This hook-on chair takes up very little space, weighing only 2.2 lbs. and fits neatly in the recyclable carry bag that is included upon purchase.
The hook-on chair is suitable for tables 0.8 inches – 2 inches thick and comes with non-slip pads to prevent any marks on the table. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for tables with beveled edges or lips but nowadays most restaurants can accommodate these chairs.
We love that the Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On Highchair makes use of a shoulder harness to increase safety but on that point, we feel obligated to mention some reviews of zipper-malfunction: The material of the hook-on chair attaches to circular metal top by means of a zipper and a few customers have complained of the zipper coming undone, causing the chair the material to fall off of the frame.
In all of these reports, children were within the weight limit stipulated, which is 33 lbs. It’s a little less than most hook-on chairs can handle but considering its compact size it is understandable.
The Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-on Highchair is machine washable – a bonus considering the time constraints parents face these days. It also has a padded back to provide ultimate comfort for your little one and to prevent them from injuring themselves.
Young babies tend to sit a little low in this chair but can be propped up a little if need be. They will soon grow into the chair. The hook-on chair is available in 3 different colors, including black, flint, and lime.
If small, compact, and easy to travel with is what you are after, the Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On Highchair is certainly an option to consider.
- Love: Small, lightweight and uses a shoulder harness
- Room for improvement: Zipper-malfunction mentioned in various reviews
3. Summer Infant SecureSeat Chair & Hook-On Booster
The Summer Infant SecureSeat Chair & Hook-On Booster offers the ultimate convenience. It gives you the choice of hooking the chair onto a table or transforming the chair into a booster seat that straps securely onto a chair. The hook-on seat can be used on tables 0.75 – 1.5 inches thick but the fact that it can be used as a booster seat, eliminates the stress of getting to a place and having your seat not fit properly due to table thickness of lips.
The seat can easily be strapped to a chair using the chair straps and the dishwasher safe tray that is included, makes feeding your little one easy. The Summer Infant SecureSeat Chair & Hook-On Booster makes use of a 3 point restraint system, consisting of fabric. It relies on two individual restraints, one of which is adjustable, the other one not.
The non-adjustable restraint is sometimes a little challenging to get your little one into though seeing that the leg holes are a little small and there is no way to adjust the restraint or the leg hole.
The Hook-on chair can accommodate children up to 37 pounds and the chair itself weighs approximately 7 pounds, making it easy enough to travel with. Sadly, this chair does not come with a carry bag. The color of the chair is neutral which means it doesn’t show dirt as quickly. It can be washed in the machine using cold water only.
The Summer Infant SecureSeat Chair & Hook-On Booster can be considered the hook-on chair that offers parents the best of both worlds. It is a hook-on chair as well as a booster seat that can be used without the table.
The versatility of this chair ensures that you will never be caught off guard, no matter where you travel to and yet it doesn’t take up as much space as a high chair.
- Love: Seat can be used as a hook-on chair as well as a booster seat
- Room for improvement: No carry bag included
4. Inglesina Fast Table Chair with Dining Tray
The Inglesina Fast Table Chair with Dining Tray, Black is nice and sturdy thanks to the steel frame it is manufactured from, offering parents peace of mind. The chair only weighs 5.2 lbs. and makes use of a fold-flat closing system, causing it to be very portable. It can hold a baby from 6 months up to 37 lbs., approximately 3 years depending on your little one’s weight.
The Inglesina Fast Table Chair also comes with a pocket at the back, making it easy to store items such as utensils and bibs when traveling, and is sold with a convenient travel bag.
The material is very easy to wipe clean though getting it off the steel frame for a proper wash is a little more difficult. The material is machine washable and the accompanying dining tray, dishwasher safe. The dining tray also includes a Sippy cup holder and we loved the deep edges, ensuring that the food stays on the tray.
The name is derived from the fact that it is so quick and easy to secure to tables, however, if your table has a lip, you might encounter some difficulties – Sometimes it fits, sometimes it doesn’t so make sure before purchasing your Ingelsina Fast Table Chair.
- Love: Easy to assemble/disassemble and the tray has deep edges with space for a Sippy cup
- Room for improvement: Difficulty removing the cover from frame.
5.Phil&Teds Lobster Highchair
The Phil&Teds Lobster Highchair, Black have a clean, slick, modern design, the perfect accompaniment for your modernized home. Its aluminum frame makes this hook-on chair as light as a feather, weighing only 3.8 pounds. The Phill&Teds Lobster Highchair is also small, making it easy to travel with or to use in different rooms of the house and is sold with a travel bag.
Unfortunately, this hook-on chair is not compatible with tables containing round edges or lips. It fits tables 0.8 to 3.75 inches, which is fairly thick. The chair also contains rubber grips to ensure that no nasty scratches are left behind and the chair hooks on by means of a twist on, twist off clamp mechanism with non-slip grip pads.
This mechanism makes it incredibly easy to move the chair from one place to another. The Phil&Teds Lobster Highchair is designed for babies from 3 months to 3 years with a weight limit of 37 pounds.
Your little one will be safely secured with a 4 point safety harness that straps over the shoulders as well and added back support will provide a comfortable sit for your precious bundle of joy. The leg holes are also a little on the narrow side.
The material is of good quality and easy to wipe clean. It is recommended however that the material only be hand washed and though the color aids in giving the chair its modern look, one tends to see food quite quickly on the dark material.
The chair also includes a dishwasher safe tray but the tray tends to move around which can cause quite a mess and frustration. We suppose it can be used without the tray but why pay extra for something you are not able to use?
- Love: Lightweight, small, and its twist-on twist-off clamp mechanism
- Room for improvement: Dining tray moves around, cover can only be hand-washed.
6. The Chicco Caddy Hook on Chair
If you are in the market for a more traditional hook-on chair, the Chicco Caddy Hook On Chair, Red is perfect. The material surrounding the frame is manufactured from nylon, making it easy to wipe clean. The chair is a little on the heavier side, weighing in at 7 lbs., however, it provides a sense of sturdiness that leads to peace of mind. Maximum recommended weight for your little one in the Chicco Caddy is 37 lbs.
The Chicco Caddy Hook-on chair has rubberized grips, not just providing a solid grip but also preventing any marks or scratches on your family heirlooms. The chair fits table tops up to 2.5 inches thick and if you have a lot of trouble finding a chair that fits a table with a lip, this might be the one for you.
The chair folds flat when stored, however, we did find it to be a little bulky to travel with. This is why we recommend that this chair is fixed at one place. The 3 point harness system provides ensures that your baby is safely tucked in.
- Love: Sturdy, fits most tables.
- Room for improvement: A little heavy and bulky to travel with.
We hope you enjoyed our list of 6 top hook-on high chairs and that you’ve seen one that you deem to be off-the-hook! We tried our best to include a wide variety of chairs that meet different needs to ensure that everyone finds at least one chair that will complement their needs and lifestyle!
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