A high chair is a tall chair with long legs designed specifically for babies and toddlers to sit in during mealtimes. The elevated seat brings a young child up to table height so they can eat with the rest of the family. Most high chairs include a tray that attaches to the front, giving the child their own eating surface, and safety straps to keep them securely in place.

Before high chairs became common in the early 1900s, parents had to hold babies on their laps during meals or find other awkward solutions. The high chair solved a practical problem: how do you include a small child at the family table when their little legs can't reach the floor and they can't sit steadily on a regular chair?

Modern high chairs often have adjustable heights and removable trays, and many can be folded for storage. Parents typically use them from the time a baby can sit up independently (around six months old) until the child is steady enough to sit safely in a regular chair, usually around age two or three. You probably sat in one yourself when you were little, even if you don't remember it.