The Best Montessori High Chair for Small Spaces
The Montessori method values the child’s independence, autonomy, and connection with the rest of the family. Montessori parents are looking for a baby high chair that is consistent with other elements in their home. Montessori-aligned high chairs are different from traditional high chairs because they allow seating up to the table with the family, and have an adjustable design that fosters independence. They are often durable, easy to clean, and have a long life span. In this post, I will share some of the best Montessori high chairs for small spaces.
What Makes a High Chair Montessori?
When looking for a Montessori-aligned high chair you want to keep in mind these three key elements: functionality, that it fosters independence, and beautiful craftsmanship.
Functionality
The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair is the chair I will highlight most in this post. This is the high chair I have used personally with my twins and I would recommend it to any parent for their baby’s first high chair. One element that aligns the Tripp Trapp-style chair with the Montessori philosphy is how the chair can be customized to meet your baby’s needs. The footrest, a 5-point harness, and seat height are all adjustable. This is not just your average high chair, but a great option for all Montessori homes!
There is an optional newborn attachment, which I loved for the first few months of life. See my full review of the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair here. This piece of furniture is easy to clean with a damp cloth because all the surfaces are flat and smooth. There aren’t little nooks and crannies to clean, which makes it a very practical and great option for busy families.
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Fosters Independence
When looking for a high chair that aligns with Montessori principles you definately want something that supports the child’s autonomy. All of the Montessori high chairs I recommend in this blog post do this at least to some degree. There are two main ways Montessori high chairs foster independence. First, the high chair can be pulled up to the table for family meal times. Secondly, as the child grows, the chair changes with them. You can remove the baby harness set and use it as a perfectly adjusted chair. The footrest of the high chair functions like a step stool which allows young children to climb up into their seats independently
Craftsmanship
Montessori environments are beautiful. Complete with natural materials that are simple and purposeful. I have a small home and not much room for extra things or large baby items. Having two standard high chairs would have taken up so much of the space in my kitchen. The Stokke Tripp Trapp high chair has been a great addition to our home with twins. The footprint is small, it isn’t cumbersome to clean or use. It is also a sturdy high chair that I know will be used for many years to come.
What is the best Montessori-aligned high chair?
I want to share with you some of the top Montessori-aligned high chairs on the market. They are all very similar and align with the three principles I outlined above to keep in mind when looking for a Montessori high chair: functionality, fostering independence, and craftsmanship. I will share elements I like about each chair as well as things that are not my personal favorite.
Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
The Stokke Tripp Trapp High chair is my top choice for a few reasons. Compared to other Montessori high chairs, I find the baby seat and harness to be the most practical. you don’t need to have a tray attached. Although you can if you want. However, we didn’t invest in the trays and use it just at our kitchen table.
I have also been able to use the high chair at non-meal times. Like when I am prepping dinner in the kitchen and I just want my boys close by.
The footrest, seat and five-point harness are adjustable. All of the surfaces are smooth and easy to wipe down.
Abiie Beyond Junior
The Abiie high chair is also a wonderful Montessori high chair to consider. It is more affordable than the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair, however their are a few things I want to mention.
Things I like: how easy it is to adjust the footrest and seat height. The ease of removing the straps for cleaning.
Things I find problematic: the distance of the footrest won’t allow for proper positioning of your child’s feet. The tray seems to replace the option for pulling the chair right up to the table for dinner because there isn’t much of a seat holding the baby into place, just the 5-point harness.
Here is a video review of this high chair.
Keekaroo
The Keekaroo high chair has a very similar design to the Abiie high chair. A very small profile and footprint make it a great Montessori high chair for small spaces. Fit with adjustable straps. However, this high chair only has a 3-point harness vs. the standard 5-point harness you find with most high chairs.
In a video review, one review mentioned that it can be challenging to adjust the height of the seat and footrests. This high chair comes with a wooden tray and a removable plastic tray cover.
I like how you can keep the 3-point harness on the seat even without the tray.
Rabbit Rustler High Chair
One of the only folding Montessori-friendly high chairs on the market. This high chair has a 5-point harness, a wooden tray, an adjustable seat, and a footrest along with chair padding.
Svan High Chair
The Svan High Chair has a unique design but is fully customizable. However, it is adjusted with an Allen wrench from bolts on the front of the seat and the footrest. In a video review, one review mentioned parents being frustrated by this design because food would get stuck in the bolt and make it hard to adjust.
This high chair comes with a 5-point harness. One other thing to note is the large seating area which could make it more likely for a child to sit in a non-ideal position.
Benefits of a Montessori High Chair
There are so many benefits I see and experience multiple times a day with having a Montessori high chair.
Seating with the family
Probably one of my favorite aspects of a Montessori high chair is that it brings the child right up to the table in which they can sit as a member of the family like everyone else. It feels as if they are in a regular chair even though it is a high chair.
Fosters Independence
Many of the Montessori high chairs offer more independence as the child gets older than a traditional high chair would. The footrest functions as a stepstool which allows the child freedom of movement to get into their chair independently.
Ergonomic Seat Promoting Proper Posture
The design of a Montessori high chair promotes proper posture through an ergonomic seating position. The adjustable footrest gives the ability to create 90-degree angles. The hips will be in line with their knees because of the adjustable seat. Their knees will be in line with their ankles by the adjustable footrest, allowing their feet to rest firmly on the footrest. This is the ideal positioning for anyone, especially a baby who is learning to eat.
The back of the chair supports them sitting upright. I find this to make such a drastic difference to other high chairs. In other high chairs, I have noticed how laid back the backrest is, which makes it very hard for the baby to maintain good posture. There is a time and place for lounging but learning to eat solid foods is not that time. That’s why I find the Tripp Trapp chair as well as other Montessori high chairs mentioned above to be great options that promote proper posture.
Durable
These Montessori high chairs are durable and made to last. All are made from high-quality materials. The Stokke Tripp Trapp chair comes with a 7-year warranty.
Easy to clean
High chairs can feel like a chore to clean much of the time. What I love about the Tripp Trapp chair is that it is so easy to clean because of the smooth surfaces, minimal nooks and crannies, and overall small footprint. Other high chairs fit with removable tray covers and and overall simple design making clean-up much easier.
Simple and beautiful design
I am not one to like clutter, unnecessary things, or things that don’t look beautiful and clean. Montessori high chairs have a simple yet beautiful design that makes it feel like it belongs in our space and isn’t just temporary baby item. It feels like a new piece of furniture rather than a baby item I can’t wait to get out of my house.
Long lifespan
As I mentioned above, the Tripp Trapp high chair comes with a 7-year warranty. Beyond the warranty though, these chairs are meant to grow with the child. They could continue to use this chair as an older child and even as an adult, because it is that well built!
Many of the Montessori high-chairs I mentioned above have a high weight capacity giving them a long lifespan. They can often hold the weight of adults. Check specific details for weight limits of each chair.
Adjustable
A huge selling feature for me with the Montessori high chairs is how adjustable they are. Everything from the seat height, the footrest, and the five-point safety harness. You can have peace of mind knowing that this is something that will continue to be used for many years to come. The only downside I have to the adjustments that the Stokke Tripp Trapp chair has is that it has been difficult to adjust the safety harness.
The Montessori Weaning Table: An alternative to a high chair
There is another option other than a high chair that aligns with Montessori philosophy more than any of these high chairs. That is the Montessori weaning table. A weaning table is a child-sized table and chair that can typically be used as early as 6 months of age, or when sitting independently. The weaning chair from Sprout has an adjustable seat as well as an adjustable table with different-sized legs.
We have a weaning table for our boys and we do use it often but more often they use their Tripp Trapp chairs. I find it more practical for our day-to-day life. They love to be at the table, it is easy for me to sit next to them and cut up food and serve them. I see the weaning table continuing to be a wonderful option as they develop into a place where they can begin preparing themselves a snack or doing more activities at the table.
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