Last reviewed September 2026
A high chair is used three times a day for close to three years, and cleaned after every one of them. That is the whole brief. The best high chair in Australia is not the one with the most features; it is the one you can wipe down in thirty seconds, that pulls up to your actual dining table, and that a two-year-old will still sit in. This guide covers when to start, what matters, and what to skip.
Start: Around six months, when they hold their head steady and sit with support
Non-negotiable: A seamless seat, a removable harness, a dishwasher-safe tray
Often missed: An adjustable footrest, and a tray that clears your table
Lasts: To about three years or 15 kg
When to start
Most babies are ready for a high chair when they are ready for solids: around six months, sitting with a little support and holding their head steady. A chair rated from four months, like the Ciro, is for babies with good head control who want to join the table earlier; the harness does the supporting. The wrong time to start is before they can sit, because a slumped baby cannot swallow well.
The five things that decide whether you will like it
| Look for | Why | The Ciro |
|---|---|---|
| A seamless seat | Food finds every seam, stitch and crevice. A smooth bucket wipes clean in one pass. | Seam-free, wipe-clean bucket |
| A harness that comes off | Harnesses are where the yoghurt goes. If it cannot be removed and washed, it will smell. | Fully removable, food-resistant harness that stows in its own garage |
| A dishwasher-safe tray | You will wash it three times a day. The dishwasher should do it. | Dishwasher safe, and adjustable |
| A footrest that adjusts | Dangling feet make babies wriggle and slump. Feet planted, hips and knees at right angles, is the feeding position dietitians recommend. | Two-position rotating footrest |
| Fits at the dining table | Eating with the family is the point. A tray that pulls up to a standard table means baby is at the table, not beside it. | Tray height fits a standard dining table |
What matters less than it looks
- Reclines and newborn modes. A newborn does not eat, and a reclined baby should not. These add weight, seams and cost.
- Height adjustment. Nice, rarely used. What you need is one height that fits your table.
- Wheels. Convenient in a big kitchen, a hazard in a small one.
- A lot of padding. Padding holds food. A firm, smooth seat with an optional washable cushion is easier to live with than a padded seat that cannot come off.
Safety and certification
Always use the harness, every meal, even for a child who seems settled. Check for a wide, stable base that does not tip when a toddler leans, and for a tray that locks so it cannot be pushed off. If you care about what the chair is made of, look for Greenguard Gold, a certification for low chemical emissions in products used around children; the Ciro carries it.
The Ciro, briefly
The Ciro is UPPAbaby's high chair. It is rated from 4 months to 3 years and up to 15 kg, weighs 6.5 kg, and stands 91.4 × 50.8 × 63.5 cm. The seat is seamless and wipes clean, the harness comes off completely for washing and tucks away when an older child no longer needs it, the tray is dishwasher safe and adjusts to bring the child right to the table, and the footrest rotates to two positions as legs grow. Four colours, $229.
It is a chair for the table rather than a chair for the corner: no wheels, no recline, no newborn mode, and a footprint that fits a normal kitchen.
Questions parents ask
When can a baby sit in a high chair?
When they can hold their head steady and sit with support, which for most babies is around six months, the same time solids start. The Ciro is rated from four months for babies with good head control, with the harness doing the supporting.
What is the best high chair in Australia?
The one that is easy to clean and fits at your table. Those two things decide whether a high chair is used for three years or three months. Look for a seamless seat you can wipe, a harness that comes off for washing, a dishwasher-safe tray, and a tray height that lets the chair pull up to a normal dining table.
Do I need a footrest on a high chair?
Yes. Feet dangling in the air make a baby less stable and less willing to sit, and a footrest is part of the 90 degree position dietitians recommend for feeding: hips, knees and ankles all at right angles. The Ciro footrest has two positions so it keeps up as legs grow.
How long does a high chair last?
A full-size high chair should take a child from starting solids to about three years, or 15 kg. Beyond that most children move to a booster or a normal chair at the table.
Is a wooden high chair better than a plastic one?
Neither is better on its own. Wood looks good and lasts; plastic is lighter and easier to wipe. What matters more is the seat shape (no seams for food to hide in), whether the harness and tray can be washed properly, and whether it is certified for low chemical emissions, which the Ciro is under Greenguard Gold.
Building the nursery? The rest of the UPPAbaby home range, the Remi portacot, Mira bouncer and Soma smart bassinet, is designed to match the pram. Expecting? Add all of it to a baby registry your family can buy from.
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