So why buy a Junior Chair? A short, honest Junior Chair buying guide of a piece of furniture that’s perhaps less well-known than other things provided for a child — what it is, who it’s for, and whether you really need one. All from the perspective of someone that has owned one of the few high street options and now launched the one I first made for my own daughter.
Once you highchair stage is over then it is is tempting to move straight to the dining chairs that the grownups use but children are really a little too small. The most common telltale sign is sitting on their knees. It's commonplace for a cushion to be used to help prop them up but there is a better solution. A junior chair sits them at the right height with a footrest that keeps their joints supported at sensible angles.
Search online and you’ll see two recurring objections: "gimmick!", and "just use a cushion". Both, I think, a little unconvincing.
It isn’t a gimmick — it’s the same idea that puts smaller chairs in primary schools (codified, in fact, in BS EN 1729). The body works better when the seat fits. Its taken for granted that children will be given proper sized furniture in school as it helps them concentrate.
At home we want the whole family to share meals at the same dining table, not have our children sit at a separate child sized table and chair, so it's a bit different to a classroom. So in the home scenario it makes sense to have a dining chair that raises the child that bit higher to better reach a standard dining table.
People do buy small chairs and tables for the home but they are typically used more for a playroom, great for crafting and activities if you have the space, but don't really help with mealtimes.
It's easy to dismiss this problem as fleeting, which can be muddled through until the child has grown a bit more. While it is true they will, of course, grow enough at some point I think this misjudges the timescales. Consider that a Junior Chair is useful from around 3 to 8, that's 5 years. Now consider most parents have more than one child, typically a few years apart. That means that a Junior Chair could be at the dining table for around 10 years! That's a pretty good amount of time, even for furniture. In addition, the chair where your child sits for their mealtimes is probably the most visually prominent piece of furniture in your house. This is my reason for wanting to design one that complements your dining space, as you will live with it for so long and see it so often. Hardly fleeting.
“Once they’re out of a standard high chair, it’s years before they’re comfortable on an adult one. As a nanny, I always recommend a junior chair.” - Larissa Hazell · founder, The Childcare Guide
The NHS recommends what occupational therapists call 90-90-90 posture: 90 degrees at the hips, knees, and ankles. The key to achieving this in a Junior Chair is the footrest, something a full sized dining chair is lacking.
NHS - Sitting Position & Posture
Parents who buy a junior chair are remarkably consistent in what they say afterwards: dining is easier, sitting is better, writing and crafts improve. The comments are similar regardless of brand — which suggests the benefits of a junior seem to be universally experienced.
There isn't a lot on the market for this stage. Two big names dominate the space - Tripp Trapp and Ikea. In addition, I've launched my own alternative. We're not as well known as the big brands but do offer something a little different. Clearly I have some bias here but I will try to be as objective as possible.
None of these is wrong. Tripp Trapp adjusts brilliantly and Ikea is unbeatable on price.
I've tried to do something a little different, by making a chair inspired and made like any good quality dining chair, simply proportioned for a child. Its goal is to complement the dining space, not stand apart. It is more expensive than the other two but that simply reflects the materials used, the joinery processes involved and the scale of the business.
Which features matter the most is up to you. As a parent, I've learnt that junior chairs make a lot of sense, so whichever you choose will help enormously for those early years.
I hope that helps,
Jeremy