When can my baby sit in a highchair? How to recognise if your little one is ready!

When can my baby start sitting in highchair?

Watching a little person grow is an exciting and fulfilling experience. Every stage of development is unique and brings an incredible amount of joy. A special moment is when the youngest family member takes their place at the family table and participates even more in family life. This transition is not only exciting, but also a milestone in the child's development and often represents a significant relief for mum and dad's everyday life.

In a nutshell: When will my baby be able to sit in the highchair?

Your baby should be able to sit well with little support.
Holding your baby's head is a must! If you want to use a highchair earlier, this is possible with a newborn attachment.
Your baby should only eat solid food in an upright sitting position.
Don't put your baby in the highchair for too long - plenty of movement is important!

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Highchair variants

At this point, you should differentiate between a classic highchair, in which the baby sits, and a highchair with a reclining function. The latter can be used immediately after birth as soon as there is no risk of the baby falling out and a safe reclining position is available.

Classic highchairs, on the other hand, are recommended by most manufacturers from around 6 months of age. However, we recommend that you pay individual attention to your child's signals because, as is so often the case, the question cannot be answered in the same way for all families. As with every other stage of development, you shouldn't compare your little one with their peers, because every baby develops at their own pace - and that's completely normal! Your baby will give you a sign when it is ready for a highchair in the classic sense.

Signs that your baby is ready for highchair

Proper body control: One of the most crucial factors in getting your little one to sit in the highchair is their body control. As a rule, babies should be able to hold their head and back upright on their own before they are placed in a highchair. This normally happens between 4 and 6 months of age. By this time, most babies develop sufficient neck muscles and back strength to hold themselves upright.

Shared meals and social development : Participating in family meals not only promotes a healthy relationship with food, but also supports the child's social development. With the use of a high chair, your little one takes a permanent place at the family table and participates even more actively in family life from this point onwards. Babies often start to follow the food with their eyes or reach for objects on the table. This shows their curiosity to discover something new and that they may be ready to have their first taste experiences. Do you have any questions about complementary feeding? You'll find everything you need to know in ourExpert interview with Pia and Isabell from Malema Familienbegleitung.

You should pay attention to this when your baby is sitting in the highchair

As soon as your baby has reached these developmental stages and is ready to sit in the highchair, it is important to take safety measures.

Make absolutely sure that the highchair is stable to prevent it from tipping over.
Also use the safety belts provided to prevent slipping out of the highchair.
Also make sure that when you place your baby in the highchair to eat solid food, the highchair is in an upright sitting position. There is a risk of your little one choking when lying down.
No longer than 20 minutes in the highchair: As much as mum and dad appreciate the relief provided by the highchair, you shouldn't overdo it. Your baby needs one thing above all: movement! A little person needs to fully develop their muscles and mobility. And anything that restricts your little one's movement is not conducive to this development. So remember not to leave your baby sitting in the highchair for longer than 20 minutes.

The perfect highchair for your baby

There are an incredible number of highchairs from various manufacturers, usually in higher price ranges. In many cases, buying a highchair can therefore be really expensive. But here too, you can rely on IKEA. With the ANTILOP*, IKEA offers what is probably the best-known highchair in the world. We are sure that you have already seen the ANTILOP at least once in a restaurant or hotel.

But the inexpensive highchair from IKEA is also perfect for your home. Thanks to the highchair, your favourite little person can now sit at the table on an "equal footing" while eating or playing. The highchair also impresses with its easy assembly and even easier disassembly. The material of the high chair is perfect for cleaning and offers an ideal surface for pimping the chair with easy-to-use IKEA hacks from Limmaland and customize.

IKEA hacks for the ANTILOP highchair

1. Seat cushion for more comfort

The IKEA highchair is not only impressive because of its price, but also because of its simplicity. It is easy to take apart and therefore easy to transport. However, this advantage also comes at a price. In our opinion, the chair makes concessions in terms of comfort (although we can't say for ourselves how comfortable the chair actually is, the very simplicity of the chair makes it less comfortable). With just a few simple steps and no need for super craftsmanship, the IKEA highchair becomes a real eye-catcher that not only looks good, but is also really comfortable. With the cushion covers in your favourite colour, your mini can snuggle up in the highchair.

2. No more dangling legs

For even more comfort, a custom-fit footrestfor the ANTILOP. Thanks to the footrest, the little legs no longer dangle in the air, which in turn ensures a relaxed and ergonomic sitting position in the highchair.

3. Customise the highchair to suit your home

With the wood-look decal for the highchair legs, you can give your favourite's chair a modern look that fits perfectly into your home.

Ikea Hacks für den Antilop Hochstuhl bieten wir den passenden Sticker und Aufkleber und die Fußstütze Fotstööd an

4. Fire up your mini's imagination

Upgrade the simple look of the highchair in a flash. Discover our cute adhesive film motifs that are easy to apply to the seat shell and footrest.

5. Safe and hygienic mealtimes with your baby

With the silicone mat for the ANTILOP tray, the highchair can be cleaned in a flash after eating. The non-slip silicone mat from Limmaland prevents plates and cups from slipping off so there's not much to clean up first. When your mini has finished eating, you can simply KLECKA MATsimply wash it off or put it in the dishwasher.