If your child suddenly seems uncomfortable in their highchair, it may be a good time to move to a booster seat. Here are my best picks for toddler booster seats—vetted by a lot of other real moms too!—that are easy to clean and comfortable for the kids.
Best Booster Seats for Kids
If you have a kiddo over age one and they suddenly seem uncomfortable during meals, they might be ready for a booster seat. This can help them to be more happy at mealtimes, which means less drama for everyone when it’s time to eat. The picks here came from my Instagram community and I vetted them all for ease of use, price, and comfort factors for the kids. I also have personally used two of them so am also speaking from experience.
We love our Stokke Tripp Trapp highchair to use from baby up to early elementary years, but if you have more than one kids you may need a booster too like we do!
(You may also like my Portable Highchair recommendations and best picks for regular highchairs.)
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What’s the best way for my toddler to say in their booster?
The number one, main tip is to strap them in. Honestly, you should do it longer than they want you to do it up until age four. Kids are naturally squirmy and being able to move around and get up and down during meals can be incredibly distracting for them and your other family members. So make strapping them in a habit, not a punishment, and praise them when they let you do it without distress.
TIP: All of these picks have straps and they have a variety of back heights so read through and see which one works best for your needs.
OXO Tot Perch Booster Seat with Straps, Gray, $39.99
I love the simple design of this chair since it has very few areas for food to get stuck, it’s easy to wipe down and fold for storage or travel, and it’s a nice modern design. Also, this will last as your child grows since there aren’t any walls alongside where their legs will be—which means they can get bigger and it won’t feel too small. It also has nice back support and an easy to adjust strap.
Ingenuity SmartClean Toddler Booster Seat, $59
This incredibly popular booster is one that we’ve used for over a year. Our four year old is just now out growing it—she sits on the back of it unless we prompt her not to since being in it is uncomfortable—but it was a good fit for her earlier toddler years. The gray part comes out for easy cleaning and it’s also easy to take on a trip if needed.
The only downside to me is that the back isn’t very high, so it’s not as supportive as some kids need. (Just imagine sitting on a stool without a back versus as a chair with a back for a meal yourself and consider which one you would find more comfortable.)
Bumbo Toddler Booster Seat, Cool Grey, $39
Super clean lines (less spots for crumbs!) make this Bumbo toddler booster seta. top pick. It’s solid and sturdy and straps onto the back of a chair easily. It will work for one, two, and three year olds. Four year olds will likely be too big for it. It has the same backless issue as the one above, so consider that aspect when choosing. Kids usually have strong cores, but if may be more comfortable if they have more support.
Chicco Pocket Snack Booster Seat, $29.99
I like this option since it has a nice and high back, it folds for easy travel and it has a tray. This would be a great option for one year olds. It also turns into a more classic booster (the little feet fold under and you can remove the tray.) It’s inexpensive too.
Zicac Kids Dining Chair Seat Cushion, $23.99
When my middle kiddo was 4.5, she’d outgrown a standard booster seat but was still too short to comfortably sit in a regular chair. Which meant that she spent the majority of meals squirming, spinning, and generally doing everything except sitting and focusing on her food. This booster cushion has been a lifesaver! It’s easy to strap onto a chair, easy to wipe clean, and works for any size kiddo.
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Did I miss your favorite booster seat or do you have experience with one of these? I’d love to know to make sure I’m sharing the best information so please comment below to add your voice to the conversation!
This post was first published in September 2020.
some genuinely interesting points you have written.
How do you support the feet with a booster seat?
A stool can help with that in many cases.
The ingenuity one you mentioned has amazing reviews, but unfortunately only holds up to 33 pounds, so won’t work for those with kiddos in the 99th percentile :(. I’m looking for something for my 2 year old that will boost her up about 2 inches, but haven’t found anything yet (our table must be short because her knees hit the table and won’t go under the table with all the boosters we have tried).
Ah, we totally used that well past the weight limit! That thinner height is hard. I was going to say that the Oxo one might be better but it’s likely too thick. I’ll try to look around a little more!
Any suggestions for people who use benches? Most of the booster seats strap around the back of a chair or under a chair sideways, but not front to back…
We use the Ingenuity one on our bench picnic table and sort of criss cross the straps under the bench. It works pretty well. The bench is attached to the table so it’s fairly secure. There are a few options without straps at all that would work (though they would obviously be less secure) like the Bumbo one. I will keep looking and will let you know if I find any other options specifically designed for a bench!