High chairs seem like just another piece of baby gear — until you’re actually in the trenches of mealtime with toddlers. The right chair makes life smoother: less mess, less stress, more actual eating. The wrong one? It’s a constant fight — hard to clean, awkward to use and an eyesore parked in the middle of your kitchen . I’ve got a 3½-year-old, a one-year-old and baby #3 arriving soon. After years of daily chaos, I can tell you a high chair isn’t just a temporary buy — it needs to survive