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There are plenty of great high chairs on the market, but few are portable enough to tote to grandma’s house, bring on vacation or to your favorite restaurant. Having a second, more compact option will ensure your little one always has a place at the table—no matter where your travels take you.
But, as with all baby gear, safety and comfort are paramount. If you’re in the market for a travel chair, our baby gear experts say these are the best portable high chairs and booster seats.
The Top Portable High Chairs
- Best All Around: Inglesina Fast Table Chair
- Best Budget Option: Fisher-Price Portable Toddler Booster Seat
- Best for Dining Out: Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On High Chair
- Best for Kitchen Islands: Phil & Teds Lobster Hook-On Chair
- Best for Grandma's House: Lalo the Booster
- Best for Airplane Travel: BOMBOL Instant Pop-Up Booster Seat
- Best for Camping or the Beach: Summer Pop 'n Sit Portable Booster Chair
1. Phil & Teds Lobster Hook-On High Chair
- Retail Price: $100
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $68
- Type: Clip-on
- Weight: 3.8 pounds
- Weight Limit: Up to 37 pounds
Best for: Kitchen islands
The Lobster features claw-like arms that can be clipped onto countertops and tables to give baby a seat right at the table with the rest of the family. It’s also a fantastic solution for parents who are meal-prepping at the kitchen island and want to serve baby a snack or let them tinker with a toy simultaneously.
And although baby is dangling in the air, you don’t have to worry about safety. As long as your little one is under 37 pounds, the sturdy aluminum clamps will keep them safe and secure. You have options in terms of what table you dine at, too. Use the high chair indoors or out—the clamps fit both indoor and outdoor tables from 0.8 inches to 3.75 inches thick. Non-slip pads prevent any damage to your dining surface. When not in use, simply tuck the arms in, so it lays flat, and stash the high chair in the included carry bag.
Pros
- Folds flat into included carry bag
- Includes dishwasher-safe tray
Cons
- Chair is hand wash only
2. Lalo The Booster
- Retail Price: $95
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $65
- Type: Booster
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Weight Limit: 50 pounds
Best for: Grandparent’s house
If you’re on the hunt for something that’s sleek, but easy enough to tuck away when not in use (like for grandma’s house), Lalo’s The Booster is a great option. The beechwood seat is not be foldable (not ideal for road trips or plane travel), but it’s undeniably attractive and exceptionally sturdy.
It’s secure, too—the seat has a five-point harness. Plus, you can clip it to any dining chair to give your little one a seat right at the table during mealtimes. (Note: If you want the detachable tray, you have to purchase it separately.) When your visit is over, it takes just a few minutes to disassemble the seat and stash it in a closet. There’s no worry about a dirty seat sitting in storage, either—the booster seat is easy to wipe clean with a damp cloth.
Pros
- Easy to wipe clean
- Very sturdy
- Attractive
Cons
- Heavier than other options
- Doesn’t fold
- Removable tray sold separately
3. BOMBOL Instant Pop-Up Booster Seat
- Retail Price: $130
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $90
- Type: Booster
- Weight: 2.5 pounds
- Weight Limit: 75 pounds
Best for: Airplane travel
If your family is always on the go, this pop-up booster seat is a worthy investment. The collapsible travel high chair weighs just over 2 pounds and folds flat—it’s no bigger than a book—so you can neatly tuck it into your suitcase, even one as small as a carry-on.
Still, when expanded, the seat is both structured and sturdy to keep your little one comfortable. It clips securely onto any chair, has a padded seat and a snug-fitting safety harness. The deluxe fabric is easy to clean, too—it’s both stain- and odor-resistant. And if it does happen to get soiled? Just toss it in the washing machine.
Pros
- Easy to clean
- Super portable
- High weight capacity
Cons
- Expensive
- Doesn’t include a carry bag
4. Inglesina Fast Table Chair
- Retail Price: $79
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $55
- Type: Clip-on
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Weight Limit: 37 pounds
Best for: Stashing in the trunk for last-minute excursions
It’s no question, the Inglesina Fast Table Chair and Tray is one of the best portable high chairs on the market. It’s a breeze to set up, it’s nice and sturdy, it comes with all of the accessories you need and it’s small and flat enough to stash in a diaper bag or your stroller’s storage basket. Whether you’re at home, a relative’s house or at a restaurant, simply use the two claw clips to fasten the seat to nearly any table come mealtime.
It's safe for use on tables from 0.8 to 3.5 inches thick, and won’t leave damage behind, thanks to padded grips. The seat itself has a three-point harness, plus comes with a removable dining tray to protect whatever surface your kiddo is eating off of.
Pros
- Super compact
- Comes with removable tray
- Comes in multiple colors
Cons
- Hand wash only
5. Summer Pop ‘n Sit Portable Booster Chair
- Retail Price: $65
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $18
- Type: High chair
- Weight: 5 pounds
- Weight Limit: 37 pounds
Best for: Outdoor excursions like camping or the beach
If you only need a portable high chair every once in a while, you’ll like this lightweight option from Summer Infant. Think of it kind of like a camping chair—the fabric seat sits atop a metal and plastic frame that’s fully collapsible. And, similarly, it takes seconds to unfold, revealing a perfectly adequate place for a meal or snack—even if you’re camping or at the beach.
The seat has a removable tray, plus a back storage pocket for other essentials—like utensils or a bib. When you’re ready to call it a day, simply tuck the chair into the included travel bag. It has a shoulder strap for even more convenience. You can also clean the fabric in the washing machine, but some parents note that removal is a bit tricky. Also worth noting: The brand makes a portable booster, too.
Pros
- Carry bag and removable tray included
- Lightweight
- Included storage pocket
Cons
- Hard to wash
- Backrest doesn’t offer much support
6. Mountain Buggy Pod Clip-On Highchair
- Retail Price: $64
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $40
- Type: Clip-on
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
- Weight Limit: 37 pounds
Best for: Restaurants
Clip-on high chairs are not only highly versatile—you can use them on just about any table inside or out—but they’re also exceptionally well-suited for any germ-conscious folks. Think about it: A clip-on chair allows you to have a designated seat for your baby. You don’t even have to consider using a high chair provided by the restaurant that dozens of other kids may have also sat in that afternoon.
And while the other clip-ons on this list are great, what we love about the Mountain Buggy is that it’s machine washable. When you’re done, fold it up, put it in the included carry case, then give it a good clean when you get home. Simply wipe down the rubber arms with disinfectant and then zip off the fabric seat and toss it in a hot cycle.
Pros
- Machine washable
- Folds flat
- Included carry bag
Cons
- Doesn’t come with a removable tray
7. Fisher-Price Portable Toddler Booster Seat
- Retail Price: $35
- Avg. GoodBuy Gear Price: $9
- Type: Booster
- Weight: 2 pounds
- Weight Limit: 50 pounds
Best for: Toddlers & price-conscious families
If your kiddo is a bit older and approaching the weight limits on some of the other great travel high chairs, we recommend this booster seat by Fisher-Price. The plastic chair effortlessly straps to any dining chair to give your kiddo a place at the table. It has a wide seat to give them a little bit more space to dine in comfort, but still has a three-point safety harness to keep them from climbing out.
It also comes with a removable tray that snaps to the frame for easy toting. What’s more, you can use the fastening strap as a carry strap to keep your hands free during transport—ideal when you’re loading all of that baby gear into the car for a road trip.
Pros
- Easy to wipe clean
- High weight capacity
Cons
- Bulkier than other options
Portable High Chair Buying Guide
There are plenty of great portable high chairs on the market today, but finding the right one for your family means looking at a few different attributes, including:
- Design: Is the chair nice and sturdy? Do you need a compatible table or chair to attach it to? Or, is it freestanding? If you’re leaving your chair at a relative’s you might not mind a bulkier booster, but if you want something you can stash in your diaper bag for dining out, a foldable clip-on may be better.
- Weight limit: Is your child an infant or a toddler? If they’re very young, they may need more support than a booster can offer, but if they’re approaching the maximum weight limit on chairs like clip-ons, you may need to consider a portable booster.
- Harness: Does it have a three-point or a five-point harness? The latter offers more restraint, which is especially important for younger children.
- Portability: How easy is it to fold up? And once it’s folded, is it compact enough to fit into a suitcase or even a diaper bag? Does it come with a carry bag to free up your hands?
- Cleaning: How easy is it to clean? Is it hand-wash only, or can you take the fabric off and toss it in the washing machine?
Investing in a portable high chair for travel or even dining out is both a convenience and a luxury. And, luckily, it’s not something you have to pay up for. There are plenty of great budget-friendly options. Plus, you don’t have to pay full price for something you’ll only use occasionally. All of the best portable high chairs are available secondhand at places like—wink, wink—GoodBuy Gear.
