Feeding a hungry baby isn’t always a picnic, but it shouldn’t be dangerous. A recent study in Clinical Pediatrics reports an alarming number of children suffer injuries from high chair accidents. More than 9,400 children a year– an average of a childr per hour -- come into emergency rooms in North America with highchair-related injuries.
Consumer Reports has done extensive testing to assess high chair safety. One test uses more than 60 pounds of force to determine whether straps and buckles are strong enough to withstand a wriggling child.
Another test checks the size of the leg openings to make sure a child can’t slip through.
Consumer Reports says the safest high chairs have a five-point harness. That means the harness attaches to the chair at five points: one over each shoulder, one on either side of the waist and one between the legs.
Top rated is the $280 Peg Perego Prima Pappa Best, which has a five-point harness and scored excellent for safety.
The Fisher-Price EZ Clean also has the five-point harness and is very safe. At $150, it’s a Consumer Reports Best Buy.
