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A high chair is a piece of furniture used for feeding older babies and younger toddlers. The seat is raised a fair distance from the ground, so that a person of adult height may spoon-feed the child comfortably from a standing position (hence the name). It often has a wide base to increase stability. There is a tray that is attached to the arms of the high chair, which allows the adult to place the food on it for either the child to pick up and eat or for the food to be spoon-fed to them.

A booster chair is meant to be used with a regular chair to boost the height of a child sufficiently. Some boosters are simple monolithic pieces of plastic. Others are more complex and are designed to fold up and include a detachable tray.

Rarely, a chair can be suspended from the edge of the table avoiding the need for an adult chair or a high chair.

History

Many people assume that the high chair was invented by the Jacobs family in the 1900s but that is far from the truth. The high chair was created in the early 1800s based on the growing popularity of the Windsor chair. Taking the design, they scaled it down to child-sized and added longer legs. Allowing the child the ability to reach the tall tables made for adults. Actually features that we all know like the tray and straps weren't added for another thirty years in 1830. This was their first attempt at keeping the child safe. "​The addition of the tray table, bars, or straps meant that a busy mother could keep her baby restrained and occupied with toys while she went about her kitchen chores nearby." Because most chores of a mother were in the kitchen, the baby restrained in the high chair was kept away from the sharp and toxic dangers of the normal 1800s kitchen. Some safety features were added in 1830, but they still were prone to tipping and falling if you had an active baby. The high chair business was slow to start but it easily started transforming into other install furniture. This new innovation allowed a mother now has a way to bring the baby room to room with more stability than having to take a child out and move the chair to another room than going back for the baby. "The Windsor-style high chair remained popular until the 1840s when ornate Renaissance-inspired Victorian styles became the fashion in furniture across the board." The ornate style was paired with walnut or oak wood with a dark stain. By the 1920s the high chair was toned down from the number of wood details and convertible features. Wood turned into metal, taking away all the extra structure that was made of nice oak into sturdy metal poles. When the 1940s hit the high chair was simplified even more. It came back to its original design. All it needed to do was cover the basic needs of the family.

1820s convertible high chair

1820 Convertible High Chair

Convertible high chairs had three main functions. Transportation, rocker, storage. Transportation allowed moths to navigate the house while keeping their child nearby. "The fact that it is convertible, with a mechanical steel lever in the back that transforms it from a high chair with tray table, to one that can be put up to the dining table once the tray is flipped back, to a stroller (note the wheels), and a low rocking chair…well that sums up the late 1800’s perfectly." This allows the mother to go around the house to keep up with chores while not having to worry about what their child could be doing. Having the chair able to turn into a rocker made it easy for the mother to transport the kids into another furniture piece. As soon as their baby is done with their food, mothers can turn the highchair into a rocker to help the children fall asleep and digest their meals. "I easily and smoothly adjusted the chair from a raised to a rocking position by pulling the lever on the back. The chair is light, can be lifted and moved with little effort or moved by the wheels on its legs." The main goal was to make it easy for mothers, the design was easy and functional. The folding design of the chair made it easy to store in small spaces.

From our collection. Sheffield Historical Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://sheffieldhistory.weebly.com/from-our-collection.html#:~:text=High%20chairs%20made%20in%20the,high%20chairs%20before%20the%201830s.

SpyKids, W. by, & SpyKids. (2021, November 12). The history and future of the baby high chair. SPYforKIDS. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://spyforkids.com/the-history-and-future-of-the-baby-high-chair/#:~:text=There%20is%20some%20debate%20over,adapting%20designs%20for%20younger%20users.

High chair

A high chair is a piece of furniture used for feeding older babies and younger toddlers. The seat is raised a fair distance from the ground, so that a person of adult height may spoon-feed the child comfortably from a standing position or sit and have the child reach the table at a comfortable height.

History

The high chair was created in the early 1800s based on the growing popularity of the Windsor chair. Taking the design, they scaled it down to child-sized and added longer legs. Allowing the child the ability to reach the tall tables made for adults.

Features like the tray and straps weren't added for another thirty years in 1830. This was their first attempt at keeping the child safe. "​The addition of the tray table, bars, or straps meant that a busy mother could keep her baby restrained and occupied with toys while she went about her kitchen chores nearby."  Because most chores of a mother were in the kitchen, the baby restrained in the high chair was kept away from the sharp and toxic dangers of the normal 1800s kitchen. Some safety features were added in 1830, but they still were prone to tipping and falling if you had an active baby. The high chair business was slow to start but it easily started transforming into other furniture. This new innovation allowed a mother to now have a way to bring the baby room to room with more stability than having to take a child out and move the chair to another room rather than going back for the baby. "The Windsor-style high chair remained popular until the 1840s when ornate Renaissance-inspired Victorian styles became the fashion in furniture across the board." The ornate style was paired with walnut or oak wood with a dark stain. By the 1920s the high chair was toned down from the number of wood details and convertible features. Wood turned into metal, taking away all the extra structure that was made of nice oak into sturdy metal poles. When the 1940s hit, the high chair was simplified even more. It came back to its original design. All it needed to do was cover the basic needs of the family.

Materials:

The materials of high chairs can range from antiquine forms like wood and iron, to more modern solutions such as plastic. Plastic as a contemporary solution has improved the food safety of these chairs, especially in industries like theaters and restaurants; plastic is easier to maintain, clean, sanitize, and also does not deteriorate or stain as quickly as wooden alternatives.  

Common materials used in highchairs from 1800s to now.

• Oak
• Walnut
• Iron
• Plastic
• Metal
• Fabric

Notable highchair designs:

1820s convertible high chair:

Convertible high chairs had three main functions. Transportation, rocker, storage. Transportation allowed moths to navigate the house while keeping their child nearby. "The fact that it is convertible, with a mechanical steel lever in the back that transforms it from a high chair with tray table, to one that can be put up to the dining table once the tray is flipped back, to a stroller (note the wheels), and a low rocking chair…well that sums up the late 1800’s perfectly." This allows the mother to go around the house to keep up with chores while not having to worry about what their child could be doing. Having the chair able to turn into a rocker made it easy for the mother to transport the kids into another furniture piece. As soon as their baby is done with their food, mothers can turn the highchair into a rocker to help the children fall asleep and digest their meals. "I easily and smoothly adjusted the chair from a raised to a rocking position by pulling the lever on the back. The chair is light, can be lifted and moved with little effort or moved by the wheels on its legs." The main goal was to make it easy for mothers, the design was easy and functional. The folding design of the chair made it easy to store in small spaces.

Tripp-Trapp chair:

Chairs like the Tripp-Trapp chair manufactured by Stokke and designed by Peter Opsivik takes into consideration the growth of the child into their design. The chairs footrest and seat slide out to be adjusted completely to compliment the height of the child, allowing for infant to toddler height.  “Stokke Trip Trapp highchair (Peter Opsvik, 1972), with an adjoining table and chair was exploded to a scale that reproduced how these everyday items appear to a small child. This was both a whimsical and chilling introduction to the exhibit. Adults had great fun climbing onto these high places to sit, a not inappropriate simulation of the joy that children bring to their daily discoveries.” (Solomon)

Patents:

The patent's inventors are Sclare, Jacob (Dacula, GA, US), Tadipatri, Chaitanya (Alpharetta, GA, US).

This patent was filed on February 5, 2020 and was published online on August 30, 2022.

The following are a summary of the ten claims provided by the inventors of the convertible high chair:

1. The child seat comprises: a first seat assembly comprising a first seating surface and first and second shoulder portions extending upwardly from opposed lateral side portions of the seating surface, comprising a ledge extending around an outer periphery of the first seat assembly. Adjoined are armrests and cushion for comfort.
2. The pivotal coupling between the first base tray arm and the first shoulder of the second seat allows the second base tray arm to pivot away from the second seat upon releasing the connection between the base tray second arm and the second shoulder of the second seat
3. An auxiliary tray will be made to slide in and out of the detachable tray
4. A removable liner will be made for nesting placement over a surface of the detachable tray
5. The base tray has a channel with a plurality of stop positions, where the detachable tray has an attachment rib made to fit within the channel of the base tray and engage with the stop positions to adjust the detachable tray relative to the second seat assembly.
6. The first seat assembly has a children's highchair
7. The highchair has a frame member having a hanging tab where the detachable tray is hung for storage when removed from the base tray.
8. The second seat assembly has a booster seat.
9. The booster seat is made for removable attachment with a highchair, while the booster seat is usable in a first configuration in combination with the highchair and in a second configuration independent of the highchair.
10. There will be a backrest extending upward from a back portion of the first seating surface between the first and second shoulder portions.

Safety standards

The EU standard EN 14988:2017+A1:2020 has been published in 2020 by the European Committee for Standardization.

The United States Federal Register on the Safety Standard for High Chairs has been published as of 2018 A Rule by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There are a number of additional safety features which are issued on or come available with high chairs in order to improve the harnessing and stability of the child user. Restraints are common around the crotch area which secures the child between the thighs. Food safety concerns also arise due to the dietary application of the high chair. Modern high chairs made from plastic material prevent against stains, odors, and food-borne illnesses (Rowe)

High chairs may also be paired with an additional seat for the convenience for children of all ages. The removable booster seat enables the user to adjust the height of the seat without changing the structure of the overall chair.

Potential accidents

High chairs can result in child-related accidents both minor and fatal.

Accidents most commonly happen the younger the child is usually caused by falling off the chair itself. This often results in brain injury or skull damage to the child. Harnessing, if not properly maintained or assembled, can result in asphyxiation and strangling.

Bibliography

Bliss, Anna Campbell. “Children’s Furniture.” Design Quarterly, no. 57, 1963, pp. 1–37. JSTOR.

Hassler, William Davis, 1877-1921. Nugent Baby in Wheeled High Chair on Sidewalk, New York City, April 21, 1916. 1916. <a href="https://www.nyhistory.org/">New-York Historical Society</a>.

MECHCATIE, ELIZABETH. "Most High-Chair Injuries caused by Falling." Pediatric News, vol. 35, no. 10, Oct. 2001, p. 37.

"Patent Issued for Convertible high chair (USPTO 11426008)." Journal of Engineering, 19 Sept. 2022, p. 5798. Gale Academic OneFile

Rowe, Megan. "Rubbermaid Commercial Products launches the Sturdy Chair Youth Seat with Microban antimicrobial product protection, the first high chair of its kind for foodservice." Food Management, vol. 42, no. 10, Oct. 2007, p. 92.

van Strien, Robbert. “Rietveld’s Universe--and Beyond.” Design Issues, vol. 27, no. 3, Summer 2011, pp. 103–07

Sheffield Historical Society. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://sheffieldhistory.weebly.com/from-our-collection.html#:~:text=High%20chairs%20made%20in%20the,high%20chairs%20before%20the%201830s.

SpyKids, W. by, & SpyKids. (2021, November 12). The history and future of the baby high chair. SPYforKIDS. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://spyforkids.com/the-history-and-future-of-the-baby-high-chair/#:~:text=There%20is%20some%20debate%20over,adapting%20designs%20for%20younger%20users

Solomon, Susan G. “The Century of the Child.” Design Issues, vol. 30, no. 2, 2014, pp. 112–15. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24266953.