How to choose a stylish highchair that works for you and your baby
Mix the right seating and feeding options for your family with 2023’s interior trends
A highchair is an essential piece of baby furniture, set to be part of family mealtimes for years to come. It may even be useful before it’s time to introduce your baby to the exciting world of food. There’s a huge choice of highchairs on the market, so it’s worth taking the time to work out exactly what you want from yours. Safety is a no-brainer, as is practicality, but more than this, a highchair can be a stylish addition to your home.
How to be on-trend with your highchair
Having a baby doesn’t mean having to sacrifice your style or filling your home with mountains of brightly coloured plastic, and you’ll find some great highchair options that match 2022’s interior trends.
Black accents
Fans of monochrome styling and the latest black accents trend, rejoice! Available in a Midnight Black colourway, the Stokke Clikk is the epitome of minimalist cool with all-black legs, seat, harness and tray. Priced at £149, its Scandi-chic styling and contemporary colourway means the Clikk is a statement piece of furniture while offering practicality and portability.
Back to nature
If you’re looking for a fully natural look, a classic wooden highchair such as the Stokke Tripp Trapp, from £199, will bring a timeless style to your home. Available in either Beech or Oak, in a natural finish as well as a number of colourways to match your kitchen or dining room, it’s clear to see how the Tripp Trapp has earned its iconic status.
Curves
Curved furniture is a big interiors trend for 2022, and you can easily infuse your home with curved-style baby equipment with both the Stokke Clikk highchair or the Stokke Steps seating system, £199. With their tactile, curved edges and modern feel, they’re both great choices for contemporary interiors.
How to work black into your family home
Not sure if black interiors will work now you have a baby? Think again!- Painting door frames, picture rails or skirting boards black, makes a statement without feeling overwhelming.
- Mixing black furniture with wooden details helps to soften the overall look.
- Try adding in black accents; drape a simple black blanket over a chair or sofa in the living room, frame cute nursery prints in black or add some contrast in your kitchen with a black highchair such as the Stokke Clikk in Midnight Black.
- Kids love to draw, so consider painting a panel of your kitchen using black chalk paint. You get the dark interior look you’re after and the children get a wall they’re actually allowed to draw on!
How flexible do you want your highchair to be?
Longevity is important when buying a highchair – after all, it’s something you want to buy once, so it’s worth buying well.
As a general rule, highchairs are designed for use from around 6 months, or when your baby can sit up unaided. This ties in with the NHS guidance of when to start introducing your baby to solid foods.
Ready for weaning
If you’re looking for a sleek highchair to last from the start of weaning right up to the preschool years, the Stokke Clikk includes everything you need to being weaning straight away, including a 5-point harness (all black, so chic) to keep wriggling babies and toddlers in one place – although we can’t guarantee the same for the food…
Nice for newborns
An increasing number of highchairs now come with additional inserts or add-on seats to make them suitable from birth. The Stokke Steps seating system can take you from newborn to 10 years old, with the addition of the Baby Set. The clip-on bouncer provides a safe and cosy place for your baby to relax (or bounce!), so you can keep them close to you while you’re cooking, working or doing chores. It also proves handy for keeping your baby away from pets or inquisitive toddlers. Available in black, it’s an easy way to tap into the latest interior trends, too.
All the way to adulthood
If you’re looking for something to last beyond that, the Stokke Tripp Trapp – with its adjustable seat and footplate – works as a chair into adulthood. You just need to buy the Newborn Set to use from birth and the Baby Set to convert to a highchair for mealtimes. Both of these are investment pieces, designed to grow with your child over the years.
The hottest baby furniture trends for 2022
- Natural materials are having a big moment in nursery interiors; think rattan, cane and wood furniture and décor. Neutral shades and organic materials create a warm and comforting feel for your baby’s room and throughout your home.
- Black accents in baby furniture and in nurseries add a touch of cool. Simple pops of black, whether a statement cot or contemporary highchair, make a bold and refreshing change to the typical white or pastel shades.
- Cottagecore was huge in interiors last year and is now inspiring baby furniture trends for 2022. Think homely and nostalgic, English countryside vibes. A vintage chest of drawers, charming rocking chair and hand-me-down crocheted blankets are a great way to channel the look.
- The coolest nurseries on Instagram are all about curved furniture. To get the style at home, choose cots with curved edges, egg-shaped chairs for nursing and bedtime stories and curved highchairs for the kitchen or dining room.
How portable do you need your highchair to be?
Some highchairs are light enough to carry from room to room, some even come with their own travel cases, while others can be a little cumbersome and more suited to staying in one place. If you’re a fan of alfresco dining, you’ll want a lightweight highchair that can easily be moved outside for sunny family meals. The Stokke Clikk looks just as chic in the garden as it does in the kitchen, and at just 4.6kg, it’s a breeze to carry. If travel is important to you, the Clikk features detachable legs (they simply click on and off in seconds) and additional travel bag. Did someone say holiday?
How easy is your highchair to clean?
Once weaning begins, mealtimes get a whole lot messier, so having a highchair that’s easy to clean is a big plus. The main things to look out for are frames that are easy to wipe down, straps that can be machine washed and a detachable tray that can be easily popped in the dishwasher. The Stokke Clikk delivers on all of these, and its parent-friendly design means there are no nooks and crannies for food to get stuck in, no matter how determined your baby is to make a mess. Oh, and the Midnight Black colourway straps are excellent at camouflaging carrot puree and mashed avocado.
Find out more about the stylish range of Stokke highchairs.
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